Sued for Libel (1939)

Pretty Good

Beautiful, moving film.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

"Drama in the News" radio host and part-time magician Kent Taylor (as Stephen "Steve" Lonegan) receives a phony tip and broadcasts the wrong verdict in a high profile case. The misinformation starts as a practical joke by attractive Linda Hayes (as Maggie Shane), who is really targeting fast-talking reporter Richard Lane (as Smiley Dugan) for targeting her pretty legs with paper-wads from a slingshot. With his station sued for a million dollars, Mr. Taylor decides to investigate the case. Old and new murders add to the mystery. Morgan Conway (as Albert Pomeroy) squirms and Lilian Bond (as Muriel Webster) schemes...****** Sued for Libel (10/27/39) Leslie Goodwins ~ Kent Taylor, Linda Hayes, Lilian Bond, Richard Lane

Nifty little second feature, with a non-cliché plot. I like the way the radio station studio is worked into the narrative. For oldsters like me, it's a trip down memory lane; for youngsters, it's a glimpse of communications before the I-Pad. It's a lively hour with an energetic cast, plus a neat twist at the end, though the in's-and-out's of the murders are sometimes hard to follow. And catch the snappy patter between the newspaper folks, something of a Hollywood cliché of the time. But what always amazes me in these budget features is how folks with big hats can speed down the highway in a convertible without the least windblown effect. Oh well, thanks for rear projection screens that made so many of these B-features commercially possible. No, nothing memorable here. It's just the Hollywood movie factory operating in smooth and entertaining fashion.

Kent Taylor, Linda Hayes, Lilian Bond, and Morgan Conway star in "Sued for Libel," another misnamed film, this one from 1939. There as a film starring Steve Cochran called "Slander" which should have been called "Libel," and now this one, which should have been called "Sued for Slander." Slander is the spoken word, libel is the print. One would think Hollywood would be more familiar with these terms.The film opens with Albert Pomeroy (Conway) on trial for murdering Edward Webster, his business partner. Webster's widow is standing behind him, swearing that he's innocent.The reporters are on hand waiting for the verdict, but the reporter who will phone the radio station that is re-enacting the trial, Smiley Dugan (Richard Lane) steps out for lunch. He asks another reporter, Maggie (Hayes) to call the station if a verdict comes in. Unfortunately for the station and the man who will announce the verdict, Steve Lonegan (Taylor), Smiley has been harassing Maggie all day. So when the verdict of not guilty comes in, she tells Steve it's guilty in order to get back at Smiley. The station is then wide open for a -- SLANDER -- suit.Lonegan figures if they can get something on Pomeroy, maybe an old crime he was never charged with or something, they can get off the hook. He hones in on the suicide of a young woman a few years back.A neat mystery, with rapid-fire dialogue, and a few magic tricks done by Lonegan, a magician on the side. Certainly not as bad as has been described in a couple of reviews here. Just the title is all wrong.

This is a terrific RKO B, directed by sure-footed Leslie Goodwins. Aside from excellent performances (including one of Richard Lane's best as a REALLY fast-talking reporter), this picture has an ace radio dramatist who happens to dabble in magic on the side. Hmmmm...remind you of anybody?? Kent Taylor even shaved off his moustache to further pull off the Welles masquerade. A cute nod to the very popular Mercury Players, who were popular on CBS in 1939. The funny part is that Taylor works for a powerful publisher! Paging Mr. Hearst. Paging Mr. Kane. Talk about shades of things to come. Anyway, all that aside it's a fairly clever mystery and a great chance to see OLD DARK HOUSE's Lillian Bond go totally off her nut. And Thurston Hall has a wonderfully comic bit in the first reel. This is pure B-fluff, but if you enjoy great contract players doing their thing as they can only do it, you'll have fun with SUED FOR LIBEL.