YOU WON’T FORGET

A Video Review of "They Won’t Forget"

Copyright 2003 Glenn Walker

At first glance this film seems to want very badly to be Inherit the Wind or To Kill a Mockingbird even though it predates both of them. Although it appears very cliched by today’s standards They Won’t Forget may well have served as the template for those classic southern court dramas.

Under the always brilliant direction of Mervyn LeRoy They Won’t Forget is based on the Ward Greene novel "Death in the Deep South" which in turn is based on a real life 1915 case that had more sinister anti-Semitic overtones.

The story concerns a northern teacher in a southern town played by Edward Norris accused of killing one of his teenaged students played by a young Lana Turner in her screen debut. Claude Rains is the power hungry district attorney working with reporter Allyn Joslyn to convict Norris. There are impressive performances from the entire cast especially Gloria Dickson as the teacher’s wife.

If you get the chance definitely check this one out, you won’t forget They Won’t Forget.