So You Think You're Not Guilty

1950 0h 10m EN

😐

6.1

MID

★6.1TMDB · 22

Comedy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Joe McDoakes pleads "not guilty" to a traffic violation but is convicted anyway. Handling this setback in his usual manner, the two-dollar fine quickly pyramids to a 10-year jail sentence.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

George O'Hanlon
Joe McDoakes
Phyllis Coates
Alice McDoakes (uncredited)
Douglas Fowley
Convict (uncredited)
Don C. Harvey
Officer Flanagan (uncredited)
Fred Kelsey
Police Turnkey (uncredited)
Kenner G. Kemp
Juror (uncredited)
Nolan Leary
Judge (uncredited)
Frank Marlowe
Joe's Cellmate (uncredited)

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Richard L. Bare
Writers: Richard L. Bare
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 10-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

76 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "So You Want... Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Richard L. Bare, shot by Allen G. Siegler. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by William Lava. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Rex Steele shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

George O'Hanlon and Phyllis Coates and Douglas Fowley carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Richard L. Bare directs. Allen G. Siegler behind the camera. William Lava scores. Rex Steele cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 10-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
276 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Part of the "So You Want... Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
4Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
5Directed by Richard L. Bare, shot by Allen G. Siegler. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by William Lava. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Rex Steele shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8George O'Hanlon and Phyllis Coates and Douglas Fowley carry the top of the cast.
9IMDB entry: tt0041892 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Only 22 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Allen G. Siegler
Original score: William Lava
Editing: Rex Steele
Runtime: 10 min · 0h 10m
Status: Released
Original language: EN
IMDB: So You Think You're Not Guilty (1950)

Part of

So You Want... Collection

A collection of short films featuring Joe McDoakes in a variety of situations

Also by

Richard L. Bare

Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2025-06-01
★ 6/10
Talk about turning a drama into a crisis! “McDoakes” (George O’Hanlon) and his wife “Alice” (Phyllis Coates) are accused of running a temperamental stop-sign but instead of just paying the $2 fine, he elects for his day in court. That is just the start of the domino effect that sees his misdemeanour end up with him sharing a prison yard with some hardened criminals. Oh if only he had just kept his trap shut and avoided this cumulation of calamities! It’s ok, this, even if O’Hanlon over-eggs the cake a bit but I wonder if it might have worked more entertainingly had it been a cartoon? The break neck pace of his bad to worse scenario colourfully and mischievously hand-drawn rather than drawn out? Just goes to show, though - the system always wins.

Production companies