SENSATION IN COURT

Evening Star, Issue 22990, 22 June 1938, Page 2

SENSATION IN COURT

WOMAN BARRISTER REVEALS PAST “There, hut for tho grace of God, I, Portia Merriraan, would be facing-a verdict of life or death —instead of this young, unfortunate victim of a coward’s infatuation.” A sensational outburst from tho lips of the country’s foremost woman barrister, forced by circumstances to bo a stranger to her own son, and later ordered by Fate to defend the murderess of that son’s father —this is the problem of Portia Memman, played with illuminating depth and insight by Frieda Inescort. Portia, as the price of her son’s name, was forced, 17 years before, to forego maternal'claim on him by signing false affidavits which presented her as a woman unfit for motherhood. Later, when 1 ate brings the two together in highly dramatic circumstances, she acknowledges her birthright and defies the world to challenge it. Old John Condon takes up this challenge, John Condon, industrial ami political magnate, whoso word is sufficient to make or break men. Ho brings Portia before the Bar Association in an effort,to expel her from the Bar, hut she outwits him with a brilliant and dramatic coup, which forms one of the highlights of the production. Clarence Kolb is excellent as the ruthless Condon. Walter Abel gives an outstanding performance as Dan Foster, the young district attorney who loves Portia Merriman as a woman even as he scorns her as an unscrupulous criminal lawyer. Little Heather Angel will not he soon forgotten as the unhappy English girl who is brought over to America only to learn the bitterness of scorn and hatred. Her betrayal forms the background of tho dramatic trial scene, which has had few peers in screen history. A delightful screen adaptation of Faith Baldwin’s worldpopular human romance. ‘Portia on Trial,’ which comes on Friday to the Regent,’ is an honest and fearless revelation of the life of one woman that is the life of all women.