The 1929 all-talkie adaptation of Bayard Veiller's stage play The Trial of Mary Dugan proved a worthy showcase for MGM-diva Norma Shearer. But Shearer was not conversant in German; thus Nora Gregor inherited the leading role in the German-language version, Mordprozess Mary Dugan. The personnel may have changed, but the plot remains the same:  Libertine showgirl Mary Dugan is put on trial for murder, accused of killing her wealthy lover. Through a series of elaborate flashbacks, the truth about the events leading up to the killing slowly comes to the surface. It is also revealed that Mary's numerous romances with rich benefactors were undertaken so that she could finance the law-school education of her brother Jimmy -- who happens to be the attorney handling her defense.

THERE IS A NEWSREEL ALONG WITH THE FILM, JUST AS GERMAN AUDIENCES MIGHT HAVE SEEN WHEN THE MOVIE WAS FIRST SHOWN (except this newsreel may not be contemporary to when the film was released).

DVD-R IS IN GERMAN WITH NO SUBTITLES (except for the Newsreel).

QUALITY (of feature film only):  reasonably sharp with some drop-outs.

LENGTH OF FEATURE FILM:  98 mins. LENGTH OF NEWSREEL:  27 mins.