Le procès de Mary Dugan (1930) - Boyer is great, but the movie is a fossil

If you are looking for a fast, gripping courtroom thriller, you should probably skip this one entirely. But if you have a weird obsession with early 1930s talkies—especially those strange "multi-language versions" Hollywood used to make for European markets—this is actually a pretty cool find.

Otherwise? You will probably fall asleep in about ten minutes flat. 😴

Basically, Le procès de Mary Dugan is MGM's French-language clone of their own 1929 hit. They literally used the same sets, but swapped out the English cast for French actors, including a very young, very intense Charles Boyer as the brother who rushes in to defend his sister.

The whole thing takes place in one single, incredibly cramped courtroom. It feels like everyone is whispering so they don't wake up the crew, which was a common problem back when microphones were hidden in giant flower pots.

It reminds me of how other early sound experiments, like East Lynne with Variations, seemed totally paralyzed by the new technology. Nobody dares to walk too fast because they might lose their audio connection.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Le procès de Mary Dugan (1931) through its definitive frames.

There is this one guy sitting in the background of the jury box who looks like he is trying to remember if he turned off his stove before leaving home. I spent about ten minutes just watching him instead of listening to the actual murder trial.

But then Charles Boyer shows up and instantly steals the show. His forehead is completely smooth because he's so young here, but that famous deep, velvety voice is already fully formed.

He brings this weird, hyperactive energy to the defense attorney role. He is constantly pacing around and waving his hands like he’s trying to swat a giant invisible fly.

My scribbled notes during the movie:

• The court reporter has a massive, ugly lamp on his desk that blocks the main actors' faces in almost every wide shot. Who approved that?
• A witness starts crying near the middle and it literally sounds like a squeaky sneaker on a gym floor.
• The French translation of American legal terms is hilarious and clearly done by someone who had never actually been to a US court.

The actress playing Mary (Jeanne Helbling) mostly just stands there looking tragic in a very expensive coat. She doesn't have much to do other than look like she's about to faint, which she does. Twice.

It is definitely not a great movie, and it feels more like a filmed theater play than actual cinema. Still, there is something very cozy about these dusty old relics that you can't find in modern stuff.

Give it a shot if you want to see Boyer before he became a massive Hollywood legend, or if you just want to see how awkward movies were when they first started talking.