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Anatomy of a Murder (1959)

8.1
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Ratings: 8.1/10 from 29,321 users  
Reviews: 172 user | 87 critic

In a murder trial, the defendant says he suffered temporary insanity after the victim raped his wife. What is the truth, and will he win his case?

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(screenplay), (based on the novel by)
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Title: Anatomy of a Murder (1959)

Anatomy of a Murder (1959) on IMDb 8.1/10

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Top 250 #201 | Nominated for 7 Oscars. Another 9 wins & 11 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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Asst. State Atty. Gen. Claude Dancer
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Russ Brown ...
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Brooks West ...
Dist. Atty. Mitch Lodwick
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Det. Sgt. James Durgo
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Dr. Dompierre
Alexander Campbell ...
Dr. W. Gregory Harcourt
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Storyline

Frederick Manion (Ben Gazzara), a lieutenant in the army, is arrested for the murder of a bartender, Barney Quill. He claims, in his defense, that the victim had raped and beaten up his wife Laura (Lee Remick). Although Laura supports her husband's story, the police surgeon can find no evidence that she has been raped. Manion is defended by Paul Biegler (James Stewart), a rather humble small-town lawyer. During the course of interviews, Biegler discovers that Manion is violently possessive and jealous, and also that his wife has a reputation for giving her favors to other men. Biegler realizes that the prosecution will try to make the court believe that Laura was the lover of the bartender and than Manion killed him and beat her up when he discovered them together. Manion pleads "not guilty" and Biegler, who knows that his case is weak, sets his assistants to try to find a witness who will save Manion. Written by alfiehitchie

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery

Certificate:

Unrated | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

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Details

Country:

Language:

Release Date:

September 1959 (Austria)  »

Also Known As:

Anatomie eines Mordes  »

Company Credits

Production Co:

 »
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Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

(Westrex Recording System)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

James Stewart's character Biegler is generally cited as being the reason why he was cast as smalltown West Virginia lawyer Billy Jim Hawkins in the 1973-74 TV series Hawkins. See more »

Goofs

When the dog is brought into the courtroom, the judge stands up to see the dog. A boom mic shadow is visible on the judge's head and face. See more »

Quotes

Maida Rutledge: If this refrigerator gets any more fish in it, it will swim upstream and spawn all by itself.
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Connections

Featured in Hidden Values: The Movies of the Fifties (2001) See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

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User Reviews

One of the best courtroom dramas ever
3 December 2001 | by (la) – See all my reviews

An excellent ballet of film direction and courtroom procedure, Anatomy is one of the best courtroom movies ever produced. With a great cast and three dimensional characters, highlighted by Jimmy Stewart and his usual "likeable everyman" character, the film moves briskly and intelligently, thanks to Premminger's fine direction.

Ben Gazzara plays an army soldier who shoots a man who raped his wife, then pleads insanity. Stewart is his lawyer and Lee Remick is great as the suggestive, somewhat slutty wife who leaves you questioning her motives throughout. Whether or not you agree with the final verdict (personally, I don't), you will agree that this is a great film, worth repeated viewings.


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The 'panties' ogami1972
Bad actor: The Judge rios_119
the ending ? (did anyone want a twist?) film_buffy
why the movie rated so high? junkielee
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Very poor direction thirsch-2
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