Following in the footsteps of the legendary stage actor George Arliss, the powerful Paul Muni took over at Warner Brothers as the most distinguished male star on the lot after Arliss left in 1933. Like Arliss, Muni wasn't just a portrait of famous historical figures; he took his talents into comedy and romantic drama, always adding different dimensions to the characters he played. Back in a time before political correctness took over the ability for artists to play outside their own race, Muni took on a variety of unique parts, and in this film, he's playing a Hispanic man determined to become a successful attorney, and thanks to the male libido, almost ends up in the electric chair.
The source of temptation is the alluring Bette Davis, the wife of Muni's portly boss, Eugene Palette. When Davis sees the opportunity to get rid of her husband, she takes it, nearly taking down the subject of her obsession in the meantime. Together, Muni and Davis are dynamic, with Palette giving a strong performance as the unfortunate sap. Margaret Lindsay plays the nicer lady Muni really loves. This has two major remakes, with George Raft and Gary Cooper taking on Muni's role, and Ida Lupino and Barbara Stanwyck equally exciting in the Davis role. But this being the original is the version worth seeing first, showing how standard melodrama can be made better thanks to brilliant performances.
The source of temptation is the alluring Bette Davis, the wife of Muni's portly boss, Eugene Palette. When Davis sees the opportunity to get rid of her husband, she takes it, nearly taking down the subject of her obsession in the meantime. Together, Muni and Davis are dynamic, with Palette giving a strong performance as the unfortunate sap. Margaret Lindsay plays the nicer lady Muni really loves. This has two major remakes, with George Raft and Gary Cooper taking on Muni's role, and Ida Lupino and Barbara Stanwyck equally exciting in the Davis role. But this being the original is the version worth seeing first, showing how standard melodrama can be made better thanks to brilliant performances.