Just Off Broadway (1942)

Just Off Broadway an entry in the Michael Shayne film series has Lloyd Nolan sitting on a jury in a murder case where the beautiful Janis Carter is on trial for killing her fiance. How given his line of work he got on a jury is beyond me, but there he is.Things really get interesting when a witness tesitfying is killed with a thrown knife from the rear of the courtroom. Why the cops also can't come to the conclusion that only an expert could have made such a throw is also beyond me.Not particularly happy with how the defense is going Nolan when sequestered for the evening sneaks out and with Lois Lane like reporter Marjorie Weaver and in a few hours he gathers what evidence he needs to unmask the real killer. In terms of the criminal justice system this is all patent nonsense. But Nolan and the rest of the cast keep the nonsense moving along quite nicely with some snappy dialog. You won't believe who the real killer is.Phil Silvers abrasive comic style is put to good use as a nosy news photographer Nolan and Weaver have to keep dodging.In the end no good deed goes unpunished for Michael Shayne. Watch and see what I mean.

Terrible acting. The characters lack depth except the protagonists. Most acting is boring and two dimensional. Too much unrealistic drama. For example, when Nolan is being attacked by another man, the woman who is with Nolan knocks out the attacker with a gun. The worst part is how police suddenly show up. How did they know? Even worse is how two LEOs rush in, as if they know exactly where to go and who to look for. Then they fire off shots as the two people get away. I doubt that this was ever police protocol. A LEO especially does not fire away at a criminal as the criminal is running away at a distance. It's more of a cute movie with corny one-liners here and there. It's supposed to be a mystery detective comedy I guess but it's just poorly made. There are plenty of early 1940s films like Penny Serenade that have depth and three-dimensional characters.

Okay entry in Michael Shayne series. Mike works to clear innocent woman Hubbard (Carter) from a murder charge. And catch that sudden knife toss across a packed courtroom. The victim could have cleared Hubbard, but no longer. Now Mike's got to really dig, with the help (sort of) of spunky girl reporter Taylor (Weaver). Adding real spark is the inimitable Phil Silvers in an early role as a big personality photographer. Seems to me that Nolan's more subdued than usual, but he's always a strong presence anyway.The storyline is pretty packed so you may need a scorecard to keep up with dolphin pins and custom made knives. Speaking of sharp edges, how did production finesse Telmachio's knife throwing act. I can't see them really letting a girl's live edges serve as the thrower's target. Oh well, it is well done, however they did it. Still, I had trouble telling Weaver and Carter apart since they're almost look-alikes —was that intentional, I wonder. Also, take a look at the huge windowless walls of the supposed warehouse that appears about halfway through. From their looks I'll bet they're outside walls of TCF soundstages. If so, the cast didn't have far to go. All in all, the 60- minutes remains an average entry in the often delightful Shayne series. And should you happen to miss a favorite Perry Mason, then give this courtroom drama a look-see.

....as a jury member, mind you. And despite the fact that he's not getting paid by anyone, he takes it upon himself to clear the glamorous defendant Janis Carter from a murder charge. But to do that he has to sneak out of the hotel where the jurors are required to stay - and avoid a pestering freelance photographer. The murder plot is far too murky to fit into just 65 minutes, but the film has entertaining bits of comedy, some smart lines ("I tried counting sheep to go to sleep, but they got so tired that they couldn't jump the fence"), and a spirited sidekick for Shayne (Marjorie Weaver, in her third and best appearance in this series - in three different roles). The climax is either audacious or ridiculous, depending on your point of view: Shayne steps down from the jury box, shoves the lawyers aside and starts asking questions directly to the witnesses! The judge allows all this to happen, and THEN, after Shayne has solved the case, sends him to jail for contempt of court! Incidentally, the title has nothing to do with the film. **1/2 out of 4.