columbia picture borrow a page from the warner brother play book with this 1949 film and but where the wb would present a social commentary and let the viewer decide his own opinion and this film hit you over the head repeatedly with the notion that social ill be the cause of every youth go wrong . even bogart character and attorney andrew morton seem ready and willing to accept a major share of the blame for his client behavior . sorry folk and not buy it . say client and the rebellious nick romano and be show in a number of situation where instead of make the right decision and his choice end up get him in trouble with the law . or bad . have find a good woman ( allene robert a emma ) to offer encouragement and support and nick continue to spiral out of control with a hot head and hot fist . that she commit suicide be only one of the more melodramatic moment in a film that would not concede that just maybe pretty boy romano be a career hoodlum by choice and not by chance . bogart character may not have add much in the way of role model either . when nick steal a hundred dollar from morton while away on a fishing trip and the attorney response be to jackroll the kid in an alley back in the city and while both be on date with their gal . i wonder what the attorney or client privilege have to say about that one . mean to be a breakout movie for john derek and knock on any door be sometimes note to be his debut film and though he have a couple of credit to his name by this time . instead and the film far enhance the directorial career of nicholas ray and who go on to create one of the define film of the mid 1950 rebel without a cause . he and bogey team up once more for in a lonely place . for bogart and this one doesn not seem to be one of his better performance and he seem a bit unaccustomed to be on the right side of the law . with limited screen time in the second half of the picture and george macready a the prosecute attorney and and barry kelley a judge drake offer solid support to the courtroom drama and particularly kelley who call upon to rein in the opposing lawyer who viciously snipe each other . john derek play out the pretty boy angle right out to the closing frame and a bit unnerving to see him prepare for the electric chair by slick back his hair one last time .