The Sin of Nora Moran

1933

Action / Adventure / Crime / Drama

6
Rotten Tomatoes Critics - Rotten 54% · 21 reviews
Rotten Tomatoes Audience - Spilled 54%
IMDb Rating 6.7/10 10 1006 1K

death penalty court governor circus self-defense flashback

Plot summary

Nora Moran, a young woman with a difficult and tragic past, is sentenced to die for a murder that she did not commit. She could easily reveal the truth and save her own life, if only it would not damage the lives, careers and reputations of those whom she loves.

Director

Phil Goldstone Photo
Phil Goldstone

Top cast

Aggie Herring Photo
Aggie Herring as Mrs. Moran
Henry B. Walthall Photo
Henry B. Walthall as Father Ryan
Jack Cheatham Photo
Jack Cheatham as Detective
Claire Du Brey Photo
Claire Du Brey as Mrs. Edith Crawford
720p.BluRay
594.79 MB
988*720
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
1 hr 4 min
Seeds ...

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by Kitreno 6 / 10

bizarre, fast moving, B-movie, about a woman facing the Electric Chair

This film's not quite what you expect from 1933, the trailer boasts that it uses the famous 'narratage' technique from Preston Sturges's The Power and Glory, with Flashbacks and narration; then Flashbacks within Flashbacks. At just sixty five minutes the plot twists are great and the old fashioned dialog is really quite funny.Made on a tight budget, it manages to look like a bigger movie using library footage and cleaver back projection. Overall well worth watching just for the novelty value.
Reviewed by canuckteach 8 / 10

Old-Timey Story-telling via Cinematography

I like (many) pre-code movies, simply because you never know what might happen. Quite a contrast to the formulaic stuff that was produced after 1935 (approx.) and, for those who think the 'Hayes' code is dead, the assembly-line production of rom-coms since 1990 rigidly stick to the same drivel: about 20 minutes from the end, a disagreement causes the intended couple to split, but miraculously re-unite by the final curtain. Nauseating.Sins of Norah Moran is a bit melodramatic in places, esp. in the early going, but Majestic Studios (one of the so-called 'Poverty Row' film-makers, who rented space and equipment from the mainstream guys to keep costs down) weaved a melancholy tale here of a sad-sack orphan who grows up only to have the 'system' beat her down. She stands accused of murdering a former co-worker at the circus (he sexually assaulted her - a modern screenplay might have her nominated for Congress), and facing a death sentence. Her recent 'governor' boyfriend probably did it, but will Nora blow the whistle? I was struck by how the 'governor', a married man, cavorts so openly with this pretty young girl - were the 'Press' so under control during this era or was there just so much of this 'running-around' going on that the gov could hide in plain sight?In time, he sees her at a 'kept' home every Friday & Monday - it kind of blows up when his wife finds a stack of unsigned love letters. The script makes no effort to condemn Nora or the Governor for their dallying, but, of course, it's poor Nora who will face severe consequences when the villain is suitably dispatched. Dang it-where's Perry Mason when you need him?But that's pre-code: anything can happen. That's what makes it so interesting. Great camera work & use of flashbacks & voice-overs. Experimental. Unorthodox. Compelling. Kudos to TCM for reviving interest in this era. 8/10
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