TWILIGHT OF HONOR

US, 1963, 104 minutes, Black and white.
Richard Chamberlain, Nick Adams, Claude Rains, Joan Blackman, James Gregory, Joey Heatherton, Pat Buttram, Jeanette Nolan.
Directed by Boris Sagal.

Twilight of Honour was an early star vehicle for Richard Chamberlain. He had made quite an impact as Doctor Kildare on television. This role is not entirely dissimilar – this time he is an earnest young lawyer in a New Mexico town where a man has been accused of murder, there is a mob lynch mentality, he has to defend the man in court.

The film serves as a melodrama about racism and bigotry as well as a murder mystery and a court case.

Chamberlain is at home in this kind of role and was at the beginning of a successful career in film and television. Claude Rains, towards the end of his career, appears as his mentor. Nick Adams, as the accused, received an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor for his role.

The film was directed by Boris Sagal who had begun work in television in the early 50s and worked mainly in that medium with the exception of some feature films including Made in Paris and, probably one of his best, The Omega Man.

1. The enjoyment of this film as a crime melodrama, courtroom melodrama? Its quality compared with others of its kind? Differing points, better points?

2. The choice of black and white photography, Cinemascope? The contribution of the strong musical themes, the echo of the American South? A star vehicle for Richard Chamberlain in the sixties?

3. The film as an example of Americana, the presenting of attitudes of Americans in the sixties, small-town life, New Mexico way of life? American atmosphere, themes of justice, the ordinary people confronting this kind of situation?

4. The structure of the film and its effectiveness as regards the murder, the solution of the crime, the melodramatic aspects of the crime and their gradual revelation, the courtroom? The use of flashbacks with characters speaking - aspects of the truth rather than the complete truth? Audience response to these differing visualizing of the event?

5. The impact of the opening and its vitality, mob injustice, the interviews and the presuppositions about guilt, death penalty? The presentation of the pathetic man arrested? The politician eager to capitalize on an easy case? The young lawyer gradually being involved against his wishes? How adequate a preparation of the audience for what was to follow?

6. The presentation of the prosecutor and his character, his political ambitions, his presumption, his abuse of witnesses, his tangling with Mitchell, with his assistant, the irony of his being thwarted by the immorality of his assistant? The judgement on a proud man overreaching himself to achieve his ambitions?

7. The contrast with David Mitchell the up-and-coming lawyer, the background of his being a widower, his devotion to his work the reasons for his being assigned to the case, the seeming hopelessness of it, the clash with a politically ambitious man? His seeking advice of Harper? his abilities in conducting the trial, his interviewing of the witnesses, his friendship with Brown, antagonism towards Laura? The importance of Cole, Clinton's wife pressurizing him emotionally? His hesitations, his decisions? His seeking of the truth?

8. The presentation of Ben Brown as a pathetic victim of mob injustice at the beginning, audience presumption of his guilt, his seeming guilt in the various flashbacks, especially those of Laura? His own flashbacks and presentation of the truth? His being a victim of people shrewder than himself and the cover-up job on Cole Clinton? The gradual emerging of his innocence, of his unbalanced state, his history in the army and the suicide attempts, his absolute devotion to Laura? His wanting to protect her all the time, the quality of his love? A convincing performance by Nick Adams (Oscar-nominated)?

9. Audience response to Laura, her appearance, her mother, the filling in of her background with her mother, her being on the streets, her nymphomania, her marriage to Ben? The effect on her, her using him, her reactions with Clinton, her provocative stances and dancing? Her appearance in the court? The revelation about her trying to get the money, her entanglement with the prosecutor's assistants? A character sketch of this kind of selfish and lurid woman?

10. How well did the flashbacks build up to what actually happened on the road, at the motel, the dancing, Clinton and his relationship with Laura, the shooting? Comment on the legal implications as explained, the applications of morality, of justice?

11. The background of the Clinton family in the town and the date, reputation, the revelation about Cole Clinton and his fear of impotence, advice from the doctor, hustling with younger women? The presentation of his wife and her pleading with Mitchell, her denying this In the court? The hostility of her children towards Mitchell?

12. The reason for the cover-up, the number of people involved, the nature of the lies told and their blatancy? Audience response to this kind of lying and cover-up?

13. The significance of Harper and his arranging of things, the nature of his advice, the melodramatics of his final appearance In the court with his reputation? His hoping for Susan’s marriage to David? Claude Rains and a convincing portrayal of the elder statesman?

14. How important was the romantic subplot? Mitchell as a widower, dedicated to his work and his wife's memory, his growing love for Susan, the prospects of a happy ending? How convincing a character was Susan, as her father's daughter, her helping of David in the trial, her insights into what was happening?

15. How well explored were themes of injustice, political and legal corruption, people's automatic responses to appearances? Themes of truth and the seeking out of the truth? The value of this kind of courtroom melodrama for exploring theme themes?