THEY WON'T FORGET

US, 1937, 94 minutes, Black and White.
Claude Rains, Gloria Dickson, Otto Kruger, Allyn Joslyn, Elisha Cook Jnr, Lana Turner, Elizabeth Risdon.
Directed by Mervyn Le Roy.

They Won't Forget is a film strong in '30s Warner Bros film-making style. However, it still has quite a powerful impact. It focuses on the role of the media beating up a story for sensationalist purposes. It also focuses on ambitious lawyers, dependent on public vote for office and their unscrupulous use of the law courts. It also highlights prejudice in America's South, the legal processes and mob dissatisfaction with judicial decisions. The film has, suggested rather than seen, a mob performing a lynch-killing. This film presents the grim side of American prejudice.

The film was directed by Mervyn Le Roy, whose films at Warner Bros included I Am a Fugitive from the Chain Gang, Little Caesar and such taut thrillers as Ballots or Bullets. He was soon to move to MGM with big-budget dramas, often with a message, like the Greer Garson vehicles Blossoms in the Dust and Random Harvest.

Claude Rains, in an early role, is the unscrupulous southern district attorney, hoping to be Senator or Governor. The film has a lesser-known cast by Allyn Joslyn, resembling John Lithgow in films of the '80s and '90s, is particularly good as the newshound, unscrupulous journalist. The film is also of interest in presenting Lana Turner in her first major role as the young woman who is murdered. (The plot was used for the '80s mini-series, The Murder of Mary Phagan, with Jack Lemmon.)

Interesting serious film-making of the '30s with relevant message about prejudice, hatred, lynch mentality and the abuse of legal procedures as well as of the media.

1.Impact of the film? In its time? In the United States? Elsewhere? In later decades?

2.Warner Bros production, studios and sets? Black and white photography? The atmosphere of a southern town? The editing and style? The use of the loudspeaker for informing audiences about the trial? Musical score?

3.The title and the variety of references: to the memories of the Civil War with the veterans, people remembering the Civil War and its issues? Justice and injustice, victims of murder, victims of the court? The district attorney and the journalist confronted by Mrs Hale at the end, confronting them so that they would not forget what they had done to her husband?

4.The Civil War setting: the veterans sitting in the park, going to march in uniform, their memories of the past? The issues of the war, the clash between North and South? The continued hostilities and suspicions between North and South? Bigotry - and its role in condemning Hale to death?

5.The business school, Hale and his class, the girls, Mary and her attraction to him? Buxton intervening and sending everybody home because of the Confederate memorial holiday? Hale and his being humiliated, from the North, wanting to go back, preparing the telegram? Mary and her friend, going to the soda fountain, her return to the school for her vanity case? Her death - and the irony that the screenplay does not tell us who killed her?

6.Andy Griffin and his ambitions? His role as district attorney? His assistant? In the parade, the clash with the governor? The meeting with the responsible men of the town? Their dislike of him? His wanting something big to happen, something to use in the courts for his ambitions? The news of the murder, his decision to use it? His declaration that he would prosecute only when there was a clear case and the evidence was strong enough? His talk, his assistant understanding his ambition? Being played on by Brock? Given information about Hale? The investigation, the janitor, the boyfriend? The decision to go and attack Hale? His putting aside scruple? Deciding Hale would be the victim?

7.Hale, his love for his wife? Scenes at home? The police coming, the arrest? The interrogation, the telegram about going to the North? The bloodstain on his coat and his alleging that he went to the barber? In jail, a sense of doom? His wife coming to see him? His mother coming to the trial?

8.The janitor, his evidence, under suspicion? Black and prejudice in the South? His being in jail? The detective coming from the North? Buxton and the local authorities getting him to change his testimony? His fear?

9.Mary Clay, the victim, Joe Turner and his being upset? Mrs Clay and her grief? Her brothers and their crying out for vengeance? Feeding the town and its hatred and prejudice?

10.Brock, the smart newspaperman? Bored in the town? Wanting a story, information about Hale? Giving it to Griffin, getting the deal? Inflating the story? The collage of taped messages going to North and to South? The inflation of the case, suspicions of Hale? Urging the prejudice angle? Detectives coming from the North, the lawyer coming from the North? Brock and his behaviour during the case, setting up the confrontation< playing on the presence of the two mothers and their grief? The voice-over and the radio announcements about the case?

11.The case, the evidence? Hale as victim? Audience suspicion of him or not? Of the janitor? His behaviour in court? His wife's support? His mother on the train and the garrulous woman urging her to go to the case? His mother's grief in the court and the way that this was used by the papers and the lawyer?

12.The investigation by the detective from the North, the interview with the barber and his backing down on his evidence? His wife slapping him? The headlines that the detective was beaten up?

13.The lawyer from the North? The performances in court, the speeches and their emotive style? The cross-examinations? The evidence, leading witnesses? The outbursts of prejudice from the court? The responses of the judge?

14.The jury, their discussions, the hesitant man, the death threat? The discussions and the decision?

15.The governor, the petition to him? His wife? His speaking honestly about the evidence and his decision? His wife supporting his retirement? His commuting the sentence?

16.The police taking Hale on the train, complicity, the train stopping, the Clay brothers and their taking Hale and lynching him?

17.Mrs Hale, her visit to Griffin and Brock? Griffin and his poster for the Senate? Gloating? The truth told by Mrs Hale, not wanting them to forget, not taking their buy-off money? Their reaction after her visit, watching her go? The touch of conscience - and then overcoming it?

18.The film's presentation of the media, lack of scruple? The visit by Brock to the Hale apartment, searching for photos, ransacking drawers? The middle-aged journalist drawing Mrs Hale's story out of her? The use of the interview in the papers and as working up support against Hale? The film's critique of the media?

19.The film's critique of justice, fairness, using cases for political ends? The fairness of the judge? Of the governor?

20.Serious film-making from the '30s?