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    Home»Movies»Movies by Decade»Movies - 1950s
    Movies - 1950s Movies - A 3 Mins Read

    Anatomy of a Murder (1959)

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    James Stewart plays Paul ‘Polly’ Biegler, an easygoing country lawyer in this courtroom drama adapted from the novel by Robert Traver – in fact, a pen-name for retired Supreme Court judge John D Voelker, and filmed in Voelker’s hometown in Michigan.

    Biegler is defending hotblooded army Lieutenant Frederick ‘Manny’ Manion (Ben Gazzara) who is accused of shooting dead Barney Quill – the bear-like bar owner who allegedly tried to rape Manion’s teasing trailer-trash wife Laura (Lee Remick).

    Manion and his wife are party people who hang around bars and dancehalls, they drink and they argue. Laura is accused of being a slut; she loves attention from men and Manion is the kind of guy who wants to sock anyone who ogles her.

    These are not the kinds of characters that heroic movie lawyers usually defend.

    Biegler is a former District Attorney who is keen to get back in court to clash with the political dullard who replaced him in office. He is assisted by his snide secretary (Eve Arden) and boozy-but-brilliant research partner (Arthur O’Connell).

    For the prosecution, the befuddled DA hauls in Claude Dancer (George C Scott), a prissy legal eagle from the local big city whose sharp-suited, sly elegance makes an interesting clash with Biegler’s aw-shucks “jimmystewartian” conniving.

    One of Hollywood’s first films to address sex and rape in frank terms, words like “panties” and “contraception” are daringly bandied about, and presiding over the court is real-life Boston lawyer Joseph Welch, the man who helped expose Senator McCarthy.

    Simply the best trial movie ever made (far less contrived than the brilliant but stagey 12 Angry Men) with a real understanding on the part of Stewart and Scott of the way lawyers have to be not only great actors but stars, assuming personalities that exaggerate their inner selves and weighing every outburst and objection for the effect it has on the poor saps in the jury box.

    Paul ‘Polly’ Biegler
    James Stewart
    Laura Manion
    Lee Remick
    Lt Frederick ‘Manny’ Manion
    Ben Gazzara
    Parnell McCarthy
    Arthur O’Connell
    Maida Rutledge
    Eve Arden
    Mary Pilat
    Kathryn Crosby
    Claude Dancer
    George C. Scott
    Dr Matthew Smith
    Orson Bean
    George Lemon
    Russ Brown
    Alphonse Paquette
    Murray Hamilton
    Mitch Lodwick
    Brooks West
    Sergeant James Durgo
    Ken Lynch
    Sulo 
    John Qualen
    Dr Dompierre
    Howard Mcnear
    Dr W. Gregory Harcourt
    Alexander Campbell
    Dr Roschid
    Ned Wever
    Clarence Madigan
    Jimmy Conlin
    Sheriff Battisfore
    Royal Beal
    Lloyd Burke
    Joseph Kearns
    Duane Miller
    Don Ross
    Judge Weaver
    Joseph N. Welch
    Pie-Eye
    Duke Ellington

    Director
    Otto Preminger

    Video

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