A Free Soul
A Free Soul is a 1931 American pre-Code drama film that tells the story of an alcoholic San Francisco defense attorney who must defend his daughter's ex-boyfriend on a charge of murdering the mobster she had started a relationship with, who he had previously gotten an acquittal for on a murder charge. Directed by Clarence Brown it stars Norma Shearer, Leslie Howard, Lionel Barrymore, and Clark Gable.
| A Free Soul | |
|---|---|
theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Clarence Brown |
| Written by | Dialogue continuity by John Meehan Adaptation by Becky Gardiner Uncredited: Philip Dunning Dorothy Farnum John Lynch |
| Based on | A Free Soul (1927 novel) by Adela Rogers St. Johns A Free Soul (1928 play) by Willard Mack (uncredited) |
| Produced by | Clarence Brown Irving Thalberg (uncredited) |
| Starring | Norma Shearer |
| Cinematography | William Daniels |
| Edited by | Hugh Wynn |
Production company | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
| Distributed by | Loew's Inc. |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 91 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $529,000 |
| Box office | $1.4 million |
A Free Soul became famous for Barrymore's climactic courtroom monologue that is said to be the main reason he won the Academy Award for Best Actor at the 4th Academy Awards that year. Gable made such an impression in the role of a gangster who pushes Shearer around that he was catapulted from supporting player to leading man, a position he held for the rest of his career.