The Family Secret *** (1951, John Derek, Lee J Cobb, Jody Lawrance) – Classic Movie Review 10,666

‘One mad raging moment behind the roadhouse… and a lifetime of regret!’

Director Henry Levin’s 1951 American black and white film noir crime film The Family Secret stars John Derek as young lawyer David Clark, whose secret is that he has killed his best buddy Art Bradley in self defence, in a drunken fight over a girl outside a roadhouse with no witnesses present.

He confesses to his criminal attorney father Howard Clark (Lee J Cobb), who naturally tells him to tell the truth and explain what happened to district attorney Redman (Santos Ortega), but his wife Ellen Clark (Erin O’Brien-Moore) tells him to say nothing.

Then the police arrest an innocent man, Joe Elsner (Whit Bissell), a bookie to whom the dead man was in debt, and whom Howard Clark (Cobb) has to defend in court at the request of the accused’s wife Marie Elsner (Dorothy Tree), with David (Derek) sitting at the side of his father and the accused.

The Family Secret is an over-schematic and wordy but interesting and well handled minor thriller and Cobb is a sure-fire winner, outshining Derek. Jody Lawrance is good in support as David (Derek)’s secretary, attracted to the irresponsible anti-hero.

The screenplay is by James P Cavanagh, Francis M Cockrell and Andrew Solt, based on Marie Baumer’s story.

Also in the cast are Carl Benton Reid, Jody Lawrance, Henry O’Neill, Santos Ortega, Peggy Converse, Jean Alexander, Dorothy Tree, Raymond Greenleaf, Onslow Stevens, Elizabeth Flournoy, Bill Walker, and Whit Bissell.

The Family Secret runs 85 minutes, is made by Santana Pictures Corporation, is released by Columbia Pictures, is written by James P Cavanagh, Francis M Cockrell and Andrew Solt, based on Marie Baumer’s story, is shot in black and white by Burnett Guffey, is produced by Robert Lord and Henry S Kesler and is scored by George Duning.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 10,666

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com