''Full Confession'' is a 1939 is a US proto film-noir, crime drama film made by RKO Radio Pictures. It was directed by John Farrow from an adaptation by

Jerome Cady Jerome Cady (August 15, 1903 – November 7, 1948) was a Hollywood screenwriter. What promised to be a lucrative and successful career as a film writer - graduating up from Charlie Chan movies in the late 1930s to such well respected war films ...

Leo Birinski Leo Birinski (June 8, 1884 – October 23, 1951) was a playwright, screenwriter and director. He worked in Austria-Hungary, Germany and in the United States. As a playwright in Europe, he gained his biggest popularity from 1910 – 1917 bu ...

's story. The film stars Victor McLaglen, Sally Eilers,

Barry Fitzgerald William Joseph Shields (10 March 1888 – 14 January 1961), known professionally as Barry Fitzgerald, was an Irish stage, film and television actor. In a career spanning almost forty years, he appeared in such notable films as ''Bringing Up Ba ...

and

Joseph Calleia Joseph Calleia ( ; born Joseph Alexander Caesar Herstall Vincent Calleja, August 4, 1897 – October 31, 1975) was a Maltese-born American actor and singer on the stage and in films, radio and television. After serving in the British Transport ...

Plot

Pat McGinnis ( Victor McLaglen) murders a policeman and escapes by committing a more minor crime, for which he is arrested and jailed. An innocent man, Michael O'Keefe (

), is convicted of the murder and sentenced to death. While delirious after an injury, McGinnis confesses to priest Father Loma (

). Loma, whose flock includes McGinnis's girlfriend Molly Sullivan ( Sally Eilers) as well as the O'Keefe clan, struggles to find a way to save O'Keefe without violating the sanctity of confession. He must convince McGinnis to give himself up.

Cast

* Victor McLaglen as Pat McGinnis * Sally Eilers as Molly Sullivan *

as Father Loma *

as Michael O'Keefe * Elisabeth Risdon as Norah O'Keefe * Pamela Blake as Laura Mahoney (as Adele Pearce) * Malcolm 'Bud' McTaggart as Frank O'Keefe * John Bleifer as Weaver * William Haade as Moore * George Humbert as Mercantonio

Production

Pandro S. Berman of RKO bought the film rights to Leo Birinski's story in January 1939 intending to turn it into a vehicle for

Chester Morris John Chester Brooks Morris (February 16, 1901 – September 11, 1970) was an American stage, film, television, and radio actor. He had some prestigious film roles early in his career, and received an Academy Award nomination for ''Alibi'' ( ...

. Robert Sisk was assigned to produce. Eventually the lead role was given to Victor McLaglen and John Farrow was given the job of directing. A key support part was given to

, who had appeared in ''The Informer'' (1935) with McLaglen and had not made a film since ''

Bringing Up Baby ''Bringing Up Baby'' is a 1938 American screwball comedy film directed by Howard Hawks, and starring Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant. It was released by RKO Pictures, RKO Radio Pictures. The film tells the story of a paleontologist in a numb ...

'' (1938); he had most recently been on Broadway in ''The White Steed''. Lucille Ball was to play the female lead but was ultimately unable to because she was recovering from an operation for appendicitis. Filming started 15 June 1939.

Notes

Full Confession is often regarded as a semi-remake of John Ford's '' The Informer'' (1935) starring the same leading man, Victor McLaglen.

References

External links

* * * *
Review of film
at New York Times 1939 films American crime drama films American black-and-white films 1939 crime drama films Films scored by Roy Webb Films directed by John Farrow RKO Pictures films 1930s English-language films 1930s American films {{1930s-drama-film-stub