Good movie but grossly overrated

Admirable film.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

The Sin of Nora Moran (1933)** 1/2 (out of 4)Nora Moran (Zita Johann) is in prison about to die in the electric chair. We then hear about her troubled life, which has her in that spot. After leaving her job as a circus performer, the young woman meets a politician and soon after he's married they carry on the relationship, which leads to a murder that Nora is convicted of.THE SIN OF NORA MORAN seems to have picked up a few fans over the past few years because it's rather racy poster started going around social media and then more fans started to look for the film. The new cult following that the picture has earned is understandable and especially when you consider that these Pre-code films are more popular than ever. There's no question that this movie is far from a classic but at the same time there's no doubt that it's entertaining enough to where film buffs will want to watch it.The film's biggest problem is that it's obviously working with a small budget and director Phil Goldstone really doesn't bring much flare to the film. The cinematography is quite flat and there's a certain cheap feel all over the picture but there's still some stuff that works well. I thought the screenplay was good for the most part as it works as what would eventually become known as a film noir. The screenplay also keeps you off guard as to what really happen the night that Nora was arrested.The film also benefits from Johann being so good in the title role. She's certainly very attractive and fits the role nicely and also manages to deliver a full performance. The supporting cast includes John Miljan, Alan Dinehart and Paul Cavanagh as well as Henry B. Walthall in a brief part.

MAJESTIC PICTURES in their short Hollywood production life 1930-35 made excellent small films using sets at other studios. This meant they could use those facilities and instead spend big on actors and crew. Without studio overheads their input concentrated on finding and using excellent A grade sets and costumes and facilities without owning them. As a result their films had an RKO or MGM look. Actors would be called to make a film at RKO and find it a Majestic title ensuring constant work on a big lot but maybe for a minor player. This allowed Majestic to get A tech and image at a bargain rate and not embarrass their desired actors. However in this film they even excelled themselves and most Hollywood majors studio style in creating a unique melancholy almost- noir nightmare of doomed love and honor... and all the emotional treachery that goes with it. Somewhere between SORRY WRONG NUMBER and DETOUR and overlapping time shift of PULP FICTION, this film THE SIN OF NORA MORAN uses those techniques and techniques of voice over, flashback and sad romance with equal parts hangman's noose, resigned fate and deceit. What a find! THE SIN OF NORA MORAN is a film school textbook of economic film making and could easily stand an upgraded remake today. Excellent! Treat yourself!. Good restored UCLA DVD too. Zita Johan in the lead part as Nora is simply exquisite and her melancholy tone throughout is most effective. Her sin? Being born.

This should be an excellent weeper, but it doesn't come off. Too much of the story is told by narration and the performances are flat and, in the case of lead Zita Johann, far too frequently leaden -- as often happens with a good actor, an apparently deliberate but boring choice. The cinematography is excellent, although the 'talking heads' finale is a bizarre choice.

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.