The Acquittal (1923)

Genres - Drama  |   Sub-Genres - Melodrama  |   Countries - United States  |  
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Synopsis by Janiss Garza

Before hitting his stride at MGM later in the 1920s, director Clarence Brown was contracted to make five "Super-Jewels" for Universal. This one, a skillfully handled murder mystery based on the successful play by Rita Weiman, won good notices for Brown, who was still new to directing. When Andrew Prentice (Charles Wellesley) is mysteriously murdered, his foster son, Kenneth Winthrop (Richard Travers), is accused of the crime. Kenneth is put on trial, but circumstantial evidence, some of it offered by his wife, Madeline (Claire Windsor), seems to indicate he is innocent. After he is acquitted, Winthrop's foster brother, Robert Armstrong (Norman Kerry), falls under suspicion. Armstrong, who was in love with Madeline and became insanely jealous when she married Winthrop, is known for his fiery temper. There are others in addition to Armstrong who also become suspects. The revelations contained in a letter that was stolen from the mail reveal the real killer and his unexpected accomplice.

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Keywords

brother, courtroom, false-accusation, investigation, killing, love-triangle, murder, rival, son, stepfather