Plot
Helen Bartlett is the wife of lawyer with high principles Ken Bartlett. She is a fiction "writer" but is not making any progress on her book. It is unclear why, but currently, Ken's criminal law practice is in a slump; still, he refuses to defend anyone whom he knows is guilty. As a matter of pride he also refuses to have his wife take a job. He also demands honesty ... but Helen's habit of lying turns out to be her downfall. Behind Ken's back, Helen takes a job as a secretary for prominent wealthy businessman Otto Krayler, who offers her a suspiciously high salary when she can't even take dictation or type fast. On her first day in his sumptuous apartment/office, he makes advances. Now clear that this job was about sexual services, Helen fights Krayler off and flees out the door. However, she discovers that she left her hat, coat, and purse behind. Returning with her friend Daisy McClure to retrieve her property, Helen is deciding whether to enter the unlocked front door, when police arrive, having learned of a murder. Krayler has been killed with theft of money as the suspected motive. Lieutenant Darsey questions Helen whose only concern at this point is that her husband not find out about her taking a job. Riffing off of the scenarios spun by Darsey in trying to implicate her, she spins possible accounts of the murder, discussing how she might have done it, but finally says that she had nothing to do with it. Soon, the money turns out not to be missing after all, but oddly, a gun is found in a search of the Bartlett home and the criminologist (erroneously) declares it fired the 2 bullets that killed the deceased. Ken represents Helen. In his opinion, with the weapon expert's testimony, the jury would not believe she did not commit the murder, and her only hope is to plead self-defense. He stages an elaborate re-enactment of the crime "committed to preserve the honor of womanhood." During the trial, an obnoxious man, Charles "Charley" Jasper, believes that Helen did not murder Krayler, but will be found guilty. Ken wins Helen's case, making a name for himself, and Helen goes on to publish a hugely successful autobiography. The couple buy a lavish lakeside home, but now Ken is miserable, as, despite her telling him the truth, he is unconvinced that Helen did not after all commit murder. Then Charley shows up in possession of Krayler's wallet, frustrated that Helen and Ken have become rich while he failed to gain anything for his "masterful" crime. He tries to blackmail the couple into buying the wallet for $30,000 as the price of him keeping quiet about Helen's perjury. Ken isn't buying in, and Charley finally confesses that his brother-in-law was the murderer in the botched robbery. Ken initiates a call to the police and Charley makes a quick exit. At this point, Ken decides to leave Helen, but she chases after him pleading, and lies once more by saying that she is pregnant, obviously too convenient to be true. Still, with all her faults, Ken loves her, and the idea of a child sounds good. The movie ends on this note of reconciliation.Cast
Reception
Writing for '' Night and Day'' in 1937,Production Code controversy
Hollywood film studiosFootnotes
References
*Kessler, Julie. 2004. ''True Confession, 1937''. UCLA Film and Television Archive: 12th Festival of Preservation, July 22-August 21, 2004. Festival guest publication.External links
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:True Confession 1937 films 1937 comedy films 1930s American films 1930s English-language films 1930s screwball comedy films American black-and-white films American films based on plays American screwball comedy films English-language comedy films Films based on works by Louis Verneuil Films directed by Wesley Ruggles Films scored by Friedrich Hollaender Paramount Pictures films