My Review of ‘The Verdict’ (1946)
This movie is fairly interesting. It’s mainly notable for the casting of Sydney Greenstreet with Peter Lorre and involves what seems to be a “locked room mystery.”
Greenstreet plays Scotland Yard Superintendent George Grodman, who successfully prosecutes what turns out be an innocent man for murder. Apparently, the defendant’s alibi was that, at the time of the murder, he was elsewhere, as in Wales. Unfortunately, Grodman missed hearing the word “South” before “Wales.” So, they kinda checked the wrong place to verify his story. And they find this out a bit too late to help matters any. So, anyhow, the guy hangs. Grodman is mortified and fired for miscarriage of justice. End of story. No, just the beginning.
Arthur Kendall, the executed man’s nephew, happens to be Grodman’s neighbor. So are an artist named Victor Emmric (played by Peter Lorre) and Kendall’s political opponent, Clive Russell. Everyone gathers at Grodman’s residence to gloat or celebrate or commiserate. Kendall and Russell have a disagreement over something or other — damned if I can recall what — and the party eventually breaks up.
