A Fever In The Blood (1961)

A judge (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.), a district attorney (Jack Kelly) and a senator (Don Ameche) all have their eyes on the governorship of their state. But a juicy murder trial has ramifications that will soil the reputations of all three men. Directed by the veteran Vincent Sherman (MR. SKEFFINGTON), this is a two for one. A courtroom thriller and a behind the scenes political drama. A beneficiary of the gates opened by ANATOMY OF A MURDER two years earlier, the courtroom portion introduces abortion, nymphomania and adultery into the proceedings for a more topical feel. As we know the real murderer from the film's first scene, it's not a whodunit but rather will an innocent man be found guilty. The political melodrama is also interesting but it falls apart in an incredibly naive finale. Its "happy" ending doesn't wipe away the suspicion that our hero is just as corrupt and wrong as the opponents he denounced. With the exception of Don Ameche (in the film's best performance) in his first Hollywood film in over ten years, the cast is a who's who of Warners contract players, most of them TV regulars, at the time. In addition to Zimbalist Jr. and Kelly, we have Ray Danton, Andra Martin (UP PERISCOPE) and Angie Dickinson, wasted in a generic wife role. The above average score is by Ernest Gold (EXODUS). With Herbert Marshall, Jesse White, Carroll O'Connor, Parley Baer, June Blair and Rhodes Reason.