The People Vs. John Doe
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
Lois Weber
Harry De More
Evelyn Selbie
Willis Marks
Leah Baird
George Berrell
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
With his wife about to give birth, out-of-work laborer John Doe asks a wealthy farmer for a job. A few days after employing John, however, the farmer and his sister are found dead, and all the evidence points to their new worker. After grilling John for two days, a detective, eager for reward money, coerces him into confessing, and he is quickly sentenced to death. A lawyer who attended the trial, however, is convinced of John's innocence. To prove it, she feigns interest in hiring the detective and, just as she had hoped, in trying to impress her, he proudly talks about forcing a confession out of John. With this new information, a judge grants a stay just as John is about to be executed, and then, later, clears him of all guilt while a peddler is convicted of the murders.
Director
Lois Weber
Cast
Harry De More
Evelyn Selbie
Willis Marks
Leah Baird
George Berrell
Maud George
Charles Mailes
Robert Smith
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
One contemporary source reviewed the film under the title John Doe vs. the People. In 1917, the film's title was changed to God's Law. For its Broadway showing, the film was presented by the Humanitarian Cult and introduced by its founder, Misha Applebaum. The film was copyrighted by Argosy Films, Inc. and is listed in release charts as available from them to the state rights market. However, ads for the film indicate that Universal released it to the state rights market.
