7/10
May-December romance between Turner and Tracy
7 June 2010
The combination of Lana Turner and Spencer Tracy is an interesting one in "Cass Timberlane," a 1947 film based on a novel by Sinclair Lewis. I have a sneaking suspicion the emphasis in the book was a bit different, but maybe I'm wrong.

This story concerns a judge (Tracy) who falls for the beautiful witness (Turner) in an accident case and ends up marrying her. She's from the wrong part of town. The two are in love, but she doesn't like the town they're living in and wants something more exciting. The judge seems wedded to his good old boys network; what he doesn't know is that his friendship is being used to help his friends cover up illegalities in wartime contracts their company received.

The story is fairly predictable. One of the reviewers here didn't understand the attraction Tracy had for Turner. Well, she says right up front that he reminds her of her father. I think he represented security and real love to her. Turner and Tracy are likable, and the acting is uniformly good. Zachary Scott is on hand as a crooked lawyer who falls for Turner. Albert Dekker and Mary Astor have supporting roles.

This might have been a stronger film with the emphasis elsewhere, possibly on the subplot of the Wargate company. As it is, it's a little too formula.
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