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For the Defense

“Too CLEVER to be STRAIGHT”

1930 · 1 h 5 min
Directed by John Cromwell · USA · Classical Hollywood
CrimeDramaRomance

Where to watch in the United States: Free: Fawesome, Amazon Prime Video Free with Ads, Tubi TV, Amazon MX Player · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home. Streaming data from JustWatch via TMDB; availability changes.

Cast

William Powell Kay Francis Scott Kolk William B. Davidson Thomas E. Jackson Harry Walker

Credits

Written by: Oliver H.P. Garrett

Plot

William Foster is a slick attorney who stays within the law, but specializes in representing crooks and shady characters. He's adept at keeping them out of jail, winning acquittals, and having decisions reversed, thus springing criminals out of prison.

Sinekatalog’s take

A pre-code legal drama about a slick lawyer who gets criminals off and falls for a woman. It is brisk and cynical with a hint of moral reckoning, for fans of early courtroom pictures.Sinekatalog’s own editorial review – not a user or critic quote.

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Ratings

IMDb: 6.4 / 10 (784 votes)
IMDb rating and vote count from the IMDb ratings dataset (October 2026). Scores change over time.

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