James Ragan, a brilliant criminal lawyer is fed up with his lucrative practice and longs to retire to a quiet judgeship, but his reputation for legal, if not always ethical, courtroom tricks sidetracks his desire and he continues with his chosen profession. Afrer several exciting (and episodic) cases, requiring all his talents, including defending his personal bodyguard, "Moose" Hendrcks on a murder charge,he eventually get an appointment and becomes known as Judge Ragan. Alcoholic lawyer sobers up to defend friend in murder case. This Columbia 1951 programmer has no connection to the RKO film of 1937. But then again it does have a connection to the vast multitude of legal films that trot out the shady-but-ultimately-noble defense lawyer character. This time that character is played by Pat O'Brien. At least O'Brien modulates his performance, keeping away from his usual brassy, fast-talking, finger-jut-to-the-lapel style. In fact, he's rather subdued, chiefly because he goes on a binge-drinking tailspin every time he feels guilty about the consequences of his shady tactics. Oddly, nobody else amongst his staff seems to mind his shenanigans one bit, including Jane Wyatt's seemingly upright citizen character who is curiously written as unquestioning and ever-faithful. It's just a b-movie of modest ambitions, but there's little action, little humor, and little threat to the main characters. The worst thing O'Brien faces is a guilty conscience and the loss of a judgeship. The best thing in the movie is Mike Mazurki. Not that he was ever a great actor, but his usually small appearances as nothing more than a thuggish prop in so many films makes his work in this film notable. He actually gets to play a thinking, normal, even smiling, human being. Sure, he's playing an ex-wrestler bodyguard named Moose, but he also shows a caring side by keeping watch over O'Brien, and is even wearing an apron and cooking in one scene! I believe he also gets more lines to speak in this film than any other he ever appeared in. And there's also a small part of a witness played by the ubiquitous Charles Lane. Of Lane, there's probably no other more famous "face" in Hollywood who appeared in so many movies without being credited. "Criminal Lawyer" is a "B" list programmer that is saved by the performance of Pat O'Brien in the lead role. O'Brien plays criminal lawyer James Reagan who wins his cases in dramatic fashion by employing unethical but legal tricks. He also has a penchant for the bottle.<br/><br/>After getting Vincent Cheney (Mickey Knox), the brother of gangster Harry Cheney (Douglas Fowley) off, Reagan announces that he is giving up his practice with the expectation of becoming a judge. He turns over the firm to his associate Clark Sommers (Robert Shayne) who has been doing all of the preparatory work leading up to Reagan's dramatic entrances at the end of their trials.<br/><br/>Reagan is denied the judgeship by high end lawyers led by Tucker Bourne (Carl Benton Reid) and D.A. Walter Medford (Jerome Cowan) on the grounds that he uses unethical means to win his cases. Disappointed, Reagan turns to the bottle. However, Bourne is forced to come hat in hand to plead with Reagan to defend his nephew Bill Webber (Daryl Hickman) of a manslaughter charge involving a traffic fatality.<br/><br/>Reagan reluctantly takes the case and gets the young man off. While preparing to celebrate, Reagan is confronted at his front door by the widow of the man killed in the Webber case, Mrs. Johnson (Mary Alan Hokanson) who shows him the effects of having freed her husband's killer. Reagan devastated, disappears into the bottle and cannot be found.<br/><br/>Reagan's man Moose Hendricks (Mike Mazurki) fearing the worst goes to confront mobster Harry Cheney. Cheney however turns up murdered and Moose is charged with the crime. Loyal secretary Maggie Pewel (Jane Wyatt), gofer Sam Kutler (Marvin Caplan) and receptionist Gloria Lydendecker (Mary Castle) try to locate Reagan while Sommers begins to try the case. Suddenly a disheveled Reagan turns up and……………………………………….<br/><br/>Pat O'Brien had a long and varied career. He played mostly priests and cops in his Warner Bros. films of the 30s and 40s but goes in a different direction this time around. He portrayal of the boozy lawyer is one of his best. Jane Wyatt has little to do but be ever faithful to her boss. There appears to be a one way attraction going on, however Reagan does not seem interested. His relationship with Moose is something else again and since this was 1951, we can only speculate. The identity of the real murderer is not to hard to figure out which detracts from the film's dramatic finish.<br/><br/>Jane Wyatt would soon go on to appear in the long running TV series "Father Knows Best". Another TV veteran, Amanda Blake appears briefly as a receptionist. Louis Jean Heydt appears as a court reporter.
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