Ambition and social climbing is at the core of this enjoyable soapy melodrama as a principled young lawyer looks to further his career and standing in Philadelphia.
Abandoned and widowed on her wedding night, Kate Lawrence (Diane Brewster) raises her son without the support of the wealthy Lawrence family. With paternity questioned, Anthony Judson Lawrence (Paul Newman) makes his own way, watched over by ‘uncle’ Mike Flanagan (Brian Keith). A victim of society snobbery, in making the law as a career Lawrence climbs the ladder in spite of obstacles placed in his way. The relatively new specialism of tax law changes all that – but it’s his defending Korean-vet and friend Chester Gwynn (Robert Vaughn) against a murder charge that truly elevates Lawrence’s position.
It’s hokum but entertaining hokum – with the behind-the-scenes melodramas as appealling as what unspools on screen. Newman, who wanted to return to the stage, only agreed to the film due to contract obligations. The script is credited to producer James Gunn – but in reality it’s penned by the blacklisted Dalton Trumbo. Ironically, unhappy with the script, Newman, unaware of the arrangement, approached Trumbo to rewrite it! Meanwhile, it was director Vincent Sherman’s first American film in eight years, a man who whilst not officially blacklisted was ignored by Warner Brothers Studios.
Nominated for 3 Oscars in 1960 – best supporting actor (Vaughn), cinematography, costume design
Rating: 61%
Director: Vincent Sherman (Mr. Skeffington, Adventures of Don Juan)
Writer: Dalton Trumbo (Roman Holiday, Spartacus) – adapted from the novel by Richard P. Powell
Main cast: Paul Newman (Hud, The Sting), Barbara Rush (Hombre, Strangers When We Meet), Robert Vaughn (The Magnificent 7, Bullitt)