The Trial of Mary Dugan (1929)

Norma Shearer's highly successful talkie debut — the best court room scene in a plague year of such sure-fire picture affairs — excellent acting and fine recording. All these are to be found in "The Trial of Mary Dugan," Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's all-talking picture about the little girl who was unjustly accused of knifing her good daddy.

An odd angle to this is that the author, Bayard Veiller, vet melodramatist, directed the movie version of his own play. You can bet that Director Veiller didn't muff a single one of Author Veiller's pet lines and situations. Other fine performances by Raymond Hackett, as her brother; Lewis Stone and H. B. Warner as a couple of other lawyers, and bright comedy reliefs by Lilyan Tashman and Adrienne D'Ambricourt — the last a gem. In spite of some draggy stretches, a distinct achievement.

Photoplay June 1929