Caught this last night on a boring night of TV, and was mildly amused by the concept. Some reviewers here say that Barrymore's performance was hammy, and I have to agree a bit, that it was, but being a primarily stage actor turning to films, is understandable. The real ham acting in my opinion was Miss Kay Francis. Her role was interesting, but her reactions to Barrymore's insinuations were not believable. I thought it an amateurish performance, albeit, she had masterly improved in latter years. The ending was a shocker in a way, but again so amateurishly performed..but hey, this was 1933. Also, the daughters character was out of whack. Most of the movie she was this innocent, fragile child seeking love, and then becomes this wanton creature.

Offbeat little programmer that plays like a whodunit, but without the mystery. We know from the outset who killed the bounder Gordon Rich (Mowbray). The fun is in watching the narrative unfold like a Charlie Chan, except it's the killer, of all people, who assembles the "suspects" and gathers the clues. In that respect, it's an interesting variation on the standard whodunit of the time.Watch for cult actress Kay Francis as the dark haired Marjorie. With her distinctive looks and strong personality, I can see why Francis has remained a favorite with old movie fans. Also, there's the lovely Madge Evans as the winsome daughter. Too bad she's become so obscure given her obvious talents. And at least the notorious Lionel Barrymore, in the lead, hams it up less than usual.A kind of philosophical question is posed in the subtext. That is, is murder ever justifiable. Certainly, getting rid of the unprincipled Gordon Rich, who's ruined the lives of many young women, poses the question sharply. At the same time, the movie responds to the issue in an interesting and unexpected way. All in all, the movie is dated in many respects, but is still worth catching up with.(In passing—catch the primitive sound effect of thunder that sounds like someone is snapping a Kevlar tarp! I expect in 1931, the studios were still perfecting their sound effects.)

Lionel Barrymore has "Guilty Hands" in this 1931 film also starring Kay Francis, Madge Evans, and C. Aubrey Smith. When attorney Richard Grant (Barrymore) finds out that his daughter Barbara (Evans) is about to marry a playboy, Richard threatens his life. Richard has long believed it's possible to commit the perfect crime; now, in order to save his daughter from a disastrous marriage, he has his chance and takes it at a dinner party. It's all for naught - Barbara has realized that she's in love with someone else and decided not to marry Gordon. Too late.Richard then goes along with an investigation of the murder. Kay Francis plays Richard's old girlfriend who also becomes a suspect.This is very much an early talkie, complete with the big, dramatic acting, especially by Barrymore, that came from stage actors who appeared in films back then. It was the style, and while it seems hammy today, in 1931, it wasn't. Kay Francis as usual is lovely and does a fine job in her role.The ending is very interesting. It's hard to judge these films when seen today. By 1931 standards, though, this is a good movie.

What a dopey little melodrama, even by the impoverished standards of early talkies. Lawyer Barrymore brags about being able to commit the perfect murder, then supposedly commits it, then conducts a pointless investigation among the guests in the country house, while a phony early-talkie thunderstorm rages outside. In the end he gets his ludicrous just deserts. Barrymore smacks his lips and harrumphs in his hammy theatrical style that was mistaken for great acting at the time, and he and Kay Francis, playing the deceased's mistress, seem to have a contest going over who can pop their eyes more. The scriptwriting is so lazy that we can't tell how we're supposed to feel about the protagonists, and the pretty young couple who supposedly should capture our sympathies are far too insipid to care about.