My Review of ‘The Verdict’ (1946)

This movie is fairly interesting. It’s mainly notable for the casting of Sydney Greenstreet with Peter Lorre and involves what seems to be a “locked room mystery.”

Greenstreet plays Scotland Yard Superintendent George Grodman, who successfully prosecutes what turns out be an innocent man for murder. Apparently, the defendant’s alibi was that, at the time of the murder, he was elsewhere, as in Wales. Unfortunately, Grodman missed hearing the word “South” before “Wales.” So, they kinda checked the wrong continent place to verify his story. And they find this out a bit too late to help matters any. So, anyhow, the guy hangs. Grodman is mortified and fired for doing a crap job miscarriage of justice. End of story. No, just the beginning.

“Bad day, guys?” (Image via Mubi)

Arthur Kendall, the executed man’s nephew, happens to be Grodman’s neighbor. So are an artist named Victor Emmric (played by Peter Lorre) and Kendall’s political opponent, Clive Russell. Everyone gathers at Grodman’s residence to gloat or celebrate or commiserate or just for the free drinks. Kendall and Russell have a disagreement over something or other—damned if I can recall what—and the party eventually disintegrates breaks up.

Kendall has to get up early for something, so he asks for a wake up call knock at the door from the landlady. Morning arrives, the landlady knocks, but there’s no answer. She uses her key to open the door, takes one look and screams. (Yep. One look and she screams.)

Okay, here’s where a recitation of events would simply point you right to the killer muddle things due to the sheer volume of minutiae. So, let’s just say that Russell manages to become a suspect by making up a fake alibi to cover for the fact that he’s having an affair. Bad for everyone’s reputation and he wants to protect the lady, of course.

But the police can prove he didn’t take the train or bus (or other conveyance) that he said he did, because they find the unused ticket. Well, that and the murder weapon, which they conveniently find in his room.

Russell confesses all to Grodman with the hope that he’ll help prove his innocence.

There’s a lot of suspense built up around whether Grodman will reach the lady being protected in time to keep Russell out of the hangman’s noose.

Oh, and I did mention that this is a “locked room mystery,” didn’t I? So, the dead man’s doors and windows were locked from the inside. Well, they dispense with that notion/trope/narrative twist pretty quickly.

“We gotta stop meeting like this.” (Image via Classic Film Freak)

Not a bad film. But the two best reasons to watch it are Sydney Greenstreet and Peter Lorre.

* * * * *

Directed by Don Siegel
Produced by William Jacobs
Screenplay by Peter Milne (based on The Big Bow Mystery by Israel Zangwill)

PS: The director, Don Siegel, would go on to direct Dirty Harry.

Guess he was getting warmed up with this one. 🙂