Movie: For the Defense

Top 10 Billed Cast

William Powell
William Powell

William Foster

Kay Francis
Kay Francis

Irene Manners

Scott Kolk
Scott Kolk

Jack Defoe

William B. Davidson
William B. Davidson

Dist. Atty. Stone

John Elliott
John Elliott

McGann

Thomas E. Jackson
Thomas E. Jackson

Daly

Harry Walker
Harry Walker

Miller

James Finlayson
James Finlayson

Parrott

Charles West
Charles West

Joe

Charles Sullivan
Charles Sullivan

Charlie

  • HomePage

  • Overview

    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. He is romantically involved with dancer Irene Manners, who is two-timing him, although she wants to marry him. She kills a man driving while out with her other man, Jack Defoe, who takes the blame. Unfortunately, a ring Foster had just given Irene is found at the crime scene. Foster ends up defending Jack, but when the ring is found, he thinks he is protecting Irene, so pleads guilty to jury tampering.

  • Release Date

    1930-07-19

  • Average

    5.292

  • Rating:

    2.6 starts
  • Tagline

    Too CLEVER to be STRAIGHT

  • Genres

  • Languages:

    English
  • Keywords

Recommendations Movies

City Streets
63%

City Streets(en)

1931-04-18

A mobster's daughter leads her boyfriend from the circus into bootlegging.

The Locket
64%

The Locket(en)

1946-12-20

A dark personal secret drives a young woman to use every man she encounters.

A Free Soul
61%

A Free Soul(en)

1931-06-02

An alcoholic lawyer who successfully defended a notorious gambler on a murder charge objects when his free-spirited daughter becomes romantically involved with him.

Cry of the City
67%

Cry of the City(en)

1948-09-29

Petty crook and cop-killer Martin Rome, in bad shape from wounds in the hospital prison ward, still refuses to help slimy lawyer Niles clear his client by confessing to another crime. Police Lt. Candella must check Niles' allegation; a friend of the Rome family, he walks a tightrope between sentiment and cynicism. When Martin fears Candella will implicate his girlfriend Teena, he'll do anything to protect her. How many others will he drag down to disaster with him?

Islands
61%

Islands(en)

2025-05-08

In this twisty thriller, a tennis coach at a tropical resort finds himself at the center of a missing persons mystery. Tom teaches tennis during the day and parties at night. When an enigmatic tourist arrives, Tom is unable to shake the feeling he has met her before. Tension and attraction grow, until her husband disappears, and the police suspect Tom.

The Damned Don't Cry
70%

The Damned Don't Cry(en)

1950-05-13

Fed up with her small-town marriage, a woman goes after the big time and gets mixed up with the mob.

Manhattan Melodrama
70%

Manhattan Melodrama(en)

1934-05-04

The friendship between two orphans endures even though they grow up on opposite sides of the law and fall in love with the same woman.

The Perfect Weapon
63%

The Perfect Weapon(en)

1991-03-15

Jeff, a young delinquent, is enrolled by his father in a kenpo school, in the hopes of teaching the boy some self-discipline. Years later, Jeff's mentor, Kim, is being threatened by one of the Korean mafia families. Jeff tries to help his old friend, but is too late to prevent Kim's death at the hands of an unknown hitman. Vowing revenge, Jeff takes on all of the families, using his martial arts skills to find the man who killed his friend.

The Web
71%

The Web(en)

1947-06-04

A brash young lawyer takes a short-term, high-paying job as bodyguard for a slick business exec being threatened by a former partner, and quickly realizes he may be in over his head.

Fallen Angel
66%

Fallen Angel(en)

1945-11-15

An unemployed drifter, Eric Stanton wanders into a small California town and begins hanging around the local diner. While Eric falls for the lovely waitress Stella, he also begins romancing a quiet and well-to-do woman named June Mills. Since Stella isn't interested in Eric unless he has money, the lovelorn guy comes up with a scheme to win her over, and it involves June. Before long, murder works its way into this passionate love triangle.

You Only Live Once
71%

You Only Live Once(en)

1937-01-23

Based partially on the story of Bonnie and Clyde, Eddie Taylor is an ex-convict who cannot get a break after being released from prison. When he is framed for murder, Taylor is forced to flee with his wife Joan Graham and baby. While escaping prison after being sentenced to death, Taylor becomes a real murderer, condemning himself and Joan to a life of crime and death on the road.

The Paradine Case
63%

The Paradine Case(en)

1947-12-29

In London, barrister Anthony Keane takes the case of Maddalena Paradine, a beautiful woman accused of poisoning her blind husband. Though happily married, Keane becomes infatuated with his enigmatic client and convinced of her innocence. His obsession clouds his judgment as he builds a defense implicating her servant, André Latour—an act that leads to devastating consequences both in court and at home.

The Wild One
66%

The Wild One(en)

1953-12-30

The Black Rebels Motorcycle Club ride into the small California town of Wrightsville, eager to raise hell. Brooding gang leader Johnny Strabler takes a liking to Kathie, the daughter of the local lawman, as another club rolls into town.

Knock on Any Door
62%

Knock on Any Door(en)

1949-02-22

An attorney defends a hoodlum of murder, using the oppressiveness of the slums to appeal to the court.

Each Dawn I Die
68%

Each Dawn I Die(en)

1939-08-19

A corrupt D.A. with governatorial ambitions is annoyed by an investigative reporter's criticism of his criminal activities and decides to frame the reporter for manslaughter in order to silence him.

The Blue Gardenia
65%

The Blue Gardenia(en)

1953-03-20

Upon waking up to the news that the man she’d gone on a date with the previous night has been murdered, a young woman with only a faint memory of the night’s events begins to suspect that she murdered him while attempting to resist his advances.

The File on Thelma Jordon
66%

The File on Thelma Jordon(en)

1949-11-04

Cleve Marshall, an assistant district attorney, falls for Thelma Jordon, a mysterious woman with a troubled past. When Thelma becomes a suspect in her aunt's murder, Cleve tries to clear her name.

Indemnity
67%

Indemnity(en)

2022-02-11

An ex-fireman with PTSD goes on the run when accused of a crime he doesn't even remember committing, leading him down a rabbit hole of conspiracy to the highest degree.

My Brilliant Career
62%

My Brilliant Career(en)

1979-08-17

A young woman who is determined to maintain her independence finds herself at odds with her family who wants her to tame her wild side and get married.

They Won't Believe Me
66%

They Won't Believe Me(en)

1947-07-16

On trial for murdering his girlfriend, philandering stockbroker Larry Ballentine takes the stand to claim his innocence and describe the actual, but improbable sounding, sequence of events that led to her death.

Similar Movies

Laws of Deception
40%

Laws of Deception(en)

1997-03-08

A law student is seduced by a beautiful woman he doesn't know, and after a one night stand with her, his roommate warns him to be careful because he suspects she may have other motives. Years later, she returns and hires him as her lawyer to defend against a charge of murdering her husband. A web of intrigue ensues as the lawyer begins his hunt to find the killer and also confront the demons of his past.

Just Mercy
79%

Just Mercy(en)

2019-12-25

The powerful true story of Harvard-educated lawyer Bryan Stevenson, who goes to Alabama to defend the disenfranchised and wrongly condemned — including Walter McMillian, a man sentenced to death despite evidence proving his innocence. Bryan fights tirelessly for Walter with the system stacked against them.

The Prodigal
40%

The Prodigal(en)

1931-02-21

An aspiring singer, who has fallen on hard times and is now living as a hobo, returns to his wealthy southern family.

The Flame of Love
60%

The Flame of Love(en)

1930-02-26

A Chinese troupe star and the Grand Duke's adjutant fall in love, to tensions from both sides' respective comrades.

Love Addict
40%

Love Addict(en)

2016-05-13

A womanizing attorney is unable to have sex after a hypnotherapy session to quit smoking goes awry and he seeks help from one of his clients, an uptight psychiatrist, who teaches him that there is more to women than just sex.

The Love Affair
47%

The Love Affair(tl)

2015-08-12

Often in the backseat and a second priority to her partner, a lawyer decides to end her relationship and focuses on herself with a help of a man out of her league.

Lawyer Man
61%

Lawyer Man(en)

1932-12-24

Idealistic attorney Anton Adam makes headlines when he successfully prosecutes a prominent New York City political party boss named Gilmurry. Adam's sudden renown attracts the attention of high-profile legal eagle Granville Bentley, who asks Adam to become a partner in his law firm. But Adam's rising career takes a nosedive when he's framed by corrupt Dr. Gresham and a sexy actress in a trumped-up breach of promise suit. The only constant in Adam's life is the loyalty and unrequited love of his secretary Olga.

Dr. Monica
50%

Dr. Monica(en)

1934-06-23

A prominent New York doctor, unable to have a child, discovers her philandering husband has impregnated her best friend.

Flesh
58%

Flesh(en)

1932-12-08

Gifted German wrestler Polokai falls in love with ex-con Laura, who persuades him to emigrate to America and gets him involved with crooked promoters.

This Day and Age
50%

This Day and Age(en)

1933-08-25

A modern-day tale of gangsterism and revenge. After a notorious mobster murders a Jewish tailor and is let off for the crime, a band of outraged high-school students turns into vigilante crusaders hell-bent on punishing the wrongdoers. Memorable pre-Code moment: the students torturing a gangster by dangling him over a pit filled with rats.

Nariman
58%

Nariman(ml)

2001-10-30

An astute policeman, Ashok Nariman, is determined to get to the bottom of a murder case, for which a guiltless man has been declared guilty and is facing the likelihood of capital punishment.

Chance at Heaven
58%

Chance at Heaven(en)

1933-10-27

A young woman's ambitious boyfriend falls for a ditzy socialite.

The Mind Reader
63%

The Mind Reader(en)

1933-04-01

Con-man Chandler and his partner Frank decide to start a clairvoyant act. Chandler falls for Sylvia, one of their marks, but their relationship is challenged when his deception impacts others' lives and Sylvia urges him to reform.

Big Business Girl
68%

Big Business Girl(en)

1931-06-12

A young woman goes to New York and finds success in advertising thanks to her legs while her boyfriend spends the summer in Europe with his band.

Rafter Romance
68%

Rafter Romance(en)

1933-09-01

A working girl shares her apartment with an artist, taking the place in shifts.

Should Ladies Behave
48%

Should Ladies Behave(en)

1933-12-01

A middle-aged houseguest causes romantic turmoil when he falls in love with his host's teenage daughter.

No Marriage Ties
49%

No Marriage Ties(en)

1933-08-11

An unemployed reporter, fired because of his drinking, takes a job at an advertising agency. Drama.

A College Woman's Confession
73%

A College Woman's Confession(ko)

1958-07-12

Choi So-young (Choi Eun-hee), a poor female law student is in trouble because her grandmother, who had been sending her tuition money, passes away. With the help of her friend Hee-suk, (Kim Suk-il) who dreams of becoming a writer, So-young fools Choi Rim (Kim Seung-ho), a lawmaker, into believing she is his daughter and moves in his house.

Shahid
73%

Shahid(hi)

2013-10-18

A story based on real-life human-rights and criminal lawyer, Shahid Azmi, who was slain while defending the wrongly accused by the law in terrorist activities.

Where Sinners Meet
44%

Where Sinners Meet(en)

1934-05-18

A pair of lovers are secreting away to Paris for a quick divorce and marriage when they find themselves trapped in a "hotel" where they are forced to get to know each other better and reconsider their plans. They learn a lot about each other, and themselves.