- The Unknown Man
Infobox Film | name =The Unknown Man
caption =movie poster
director =Richard Thorpe
producer = Robert Thomsen
writer = George Froeschel
Ronald Millar
starring =Walter Pidgeon Ann Harding
Barry Sullivan
cinematography =
music =
editing =
distributor =MGM
released =November 16 , 1951 U.S. release
runtime = 86 min
language = English
budget =
imdb_id = 0044166"The Unknown Man" is a
1951 courtroom drama film starringWalter Pidgeon .Plot
Defense attorney Dwight Bradley Mason clears a young man who is accused of knifing to death the 19-year-old son of a local locksmith. When it's all over, however, the man makes a careless comment slip that makes Mason think that he is actually guilty. He also finds out his client is not only guilty but a member of a syndicate extorting money from the scared merchants in the locksmith's neighborhood. Mason, after finding the murder weapon used in the killing wants to have the man retried but a hard-nosed D.A. tells him a man can't be tried for a crime twice.
The lawyer, using the evidence in the case, investigates to find that Andrew Jason Layford, the head of the citizens' crime commission, is also involved in the syndicate. In a rage, Mason kills Layford. The young man, again defended by Mason, who walked free for another killing is accused of this crime and found guilty. Mason feels guilty and tries to confess to the District Attorney, who tells him justice has been served. Mason makes one final visit to the young man now in prison and gives him the murder weapon he used so the man can get revenge on the lawyer that got him put away.
Featured cast
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