The Valiant
A man condemned to execution tries to convince two women that he is not their son and brother, and that they must get on with their lives.
A man condemned to execution tries to convince two women that he is not their son and brother, and that they must get on with their lives.
Paul Muni stands out here as the anonymous young man who walks into a police station and confess to a murder. Adopting a name ("Dyke") from a calendar hung on the wall, he is tried, convicted and sentenced to death. When his fate is published, as well as his photo, in the press a young girl and her mother wonder that he might be their long lost brother/son and set out to try establish the truth. The story is curious - it gives us surprisingly little to go on until the last fifteen minutes when we are treated to a wonderfully poignant denouement with the Oscar nominated Muni and "Mary" (Marguerite Churchill). It's more a film to appreciate because of it's cinematic significance - a very early and well made - if simple - talkie, but as a story it is really rather under-cooked for the most part and the supporting efforts add little to the intrigue.