Anatomy of a Murder (1959)

Director:

Otto Preminger

Writers:

Wendell Mayes (screenplay)
John D. Voelker (based on the novel by)

Release Date:

September 1959 (Austria)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery

Plot:

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?

Plot Keywords:

Attorney | Murder | Rape | Temporary Insanity | District Attorney

Awards:

Nominated for 7 Oscars. Another 9 wins & 11 nominations

Cast

James Stewart	...	Paul Biegler
Lee Remick	...	Laura Manion
Ben Gazzara	...	Lt. Frederick Manion
Arthur O'Connell	...	Parnell Emmett McCarthy
Eve Arden	...	Maida Rutledge
Kathryn Grant	...	Mary Pilant
George C. Scott	...	Asst. State Atty. Gen. Claude Dancer
Orson Bean	...	Dr. Matthew Smith
Russ Brown	...	George Lemon
Murray Hamilton	...	Alphonse Paquette
Brooks West	...	Dist. Atty. Mitch Lodwick
Ken Lynch	...	Det. Sgt. James Durgo
John Qualen	...	Deputy Sheriff Sulo
Howard McNear	...	Dr. Dompierre
Alexander Campbell	...	Dr. W. Gregory Harcourt
Ned Wever	...	Dr. Raschid
Jimmy Conlin	...	Clarence Madigan
Royal Beal	...	Sheriff Battisfore
Joseph Kearns	...	Lloyd Burke
Don Ross	...	Duane 'Duke' Miller
Lloyd Le Vasseur	...	Court Clerk
James Waters	...	Army Sergeant 1st Class
Joseph N. Welch	...	Judge Weaver
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Duke Ellington	...	Pie Eye (uncredited)
Irv Kupcinet	...	Distinguished Gentleman (uncredited)
Mrs. Joseph Welch	...	Juror (uncredited)

Directed by
Otto Preminger

Writing credits
Wendell Mayes		(screenplay)
John D. Voelker		(based on the novel by) (as Robert Traver)

Produced by
Otto Preminger	....	producer

Original Music by
Duke Ellington

Cinematography by
Sam Leavitt		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Louis R. Loeffler

Production Design by
Boris Leven

Makeup Department
Del Armstrong	....	makeup
Harry Ray	....	makeup
Myrl Stoltz	....	hairdresser
Madine Danks	....	hairdresser (uncredited)
Norman Pringle	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Henry Weinberger	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
David Silver	....	assistant director
Hal W. Polaire	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Ray Taylor Jr.	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Howard Bristol	....	set dresser
Saul Bass	....	poster designer (uncredited)
Wallace Carr	....	assistant set dresser (uncredited)
Irving W. Sindler	....	props (uncredited)
Ken Walton	....	props (uncredited)

Sound Department
Jack Solomon	....	sound
Bill Flannery	....	boom operator (uncredited)
Harry Foy	....	recordist (uncredited)
Don Hall	....	sound effects (uncredited)
Al Yaylian	....	cable (uncredited)

Special Effects by
George Harris	....	special effects (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
James Almond	....	lighting technician
Leo McCreary	....	key grip
Irving Rosenberg	....	camera operator
Bert Chaliacombe	....	best boy (uncredited)
Gjon Mili	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Al St. Hilaire	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Bob Uhl	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Hope Bryce	....	costume coordinator
Vou Lee Giokaris	....	wardrobe
Michael J. Harte	....	wardrobe (as Michael Harte)
Paula Giokaris	....	wardrobe (uncredited)
Norman Martien	....	wardrobe (uncredited)

Editorial Department
John Loeffler	....	assistant editor (uncredited)
Michael Vittes	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Richard Carruth	....	music editor
Duke Ellington	....	musician: piano (uncredited)
Johnny Hodges	....	musician (uncredited)
Billy Strayhorn	....	musician: piano (uncredited)
Clark Terry	....	musician (uncredited)
Britt Woodman	....	musician (uncredited)

Other crew
Saul Bass	....	title designer
Kathleen Fagan	....	script supervisor
William T. Hurtz	....	director: animated titles
Otto Preminger	....	presenter
Max Slater	....	assistant to the producer
Robert E. Blair	....	dog trainer (uncredited)
Dave Golding	....	publicist (uncredited)
Jim Merrick	....	publicist (uncredited)
Nat Rudich	....	publicist (uncredited)
John D. Voelker	....	technical advisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Carlyle Productions (An Otto Preminger Film)

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1959) (USA) (theatrical) (distributed by) (as Columbia Pictures Corporation)
• Columbia Film-Verleih (1959) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Columbia International Films (1959) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1970) (USA) (TV)
• RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video (1986) (USA) (VHS)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (1999) (Germany) (VHS)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2001) (Germany) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (2012) (USA) (DVD)
• International DVD Group (2010) (Argentina) (DVD)
• LK-TEL (2003) (Argentina) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

160 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 (1959) | Sweden:15 | UK:12A (re-rating) (2005) | UK:12 (video re-rating) 2001) | UK:15 (video rating) (1988) | UK:X (original rating) | USA:Unrated | West Germany:16 (f) | Iceland:12 | Australia:M | Canada:R (Nova Scotia) | Netherlands:18 (original rating) | Germany:16 (DVD rating) | USA:TV-PG | Spain:13 | Australia:PG (TV rating)

Filming Locations:

2nd Floor, Marquette County Courthouse - 234 W. Baraga Avenue, Marquette, Michigan, USA

Company:

Carlyle Productions

Trivia:

When James Stewart's character goes to the hotel to visit Kathryn Grant, the clerk at the desk is reading Leon Uris's "Exodus". One year later, director Preminger would go on to direct its film version, Exodus (1960). Lee Remick and Ben Gazzara would also go on to play a couple in the TV mini-series version of Leon Uris's "QB VII" (1974).

Goofs:

Continuity: When McCarthy is driving back at night, his car is shown approaching a fork in the road, with a large white sign in the area where the road divides, and taking the left-side (from the driver's viewpoint) fork. The shot immediately shifts to McCarthy in the car, driving, squinting ahead, passing other cars whose horns are heard and headlights seen. The scene then shifts again, back to the very same shot of the car approaching the same fork in the road, even though by then the car would have been well beyond this area, having already passed it several moments earlier.

Quotes:

Paul Biegler:[after cross-examining a convicted felon] Your Honor, I don't think I can dignify this - -creature - - with any more questions.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Portrait of an Actor (1971)

One of my favorites

First of all be patient as the following information is getting to a point that might add to your appreciation of the movie. I became aware of the following information while attending Northern Michigan University in Marquette, MI over a few tall drinks with John D. Volker, the author, years ago.

This great courtroom drama is set in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. To be more specific the cities of Marquette, Negaunee and Ishpeming and the village of Big Bay and is based on a true murder case that took place there. The names of the cities and people are changed in the movie but it is filmed on the same locations that the murder case took place. The screenplay was written by John D. Volker (who wrote his novels under the pen name Robert Travers) and was based on his first novel. He was from Ishpeming (Iron City in the movie) and a Michigan Supreme Court Justice when he reviewed the appeal of this case and turned it into a detailed novel and then screenplay. The movie is given an extra dose of authenticity by using the unique people of the Upper Peninsula as extras and in minor roles.

The point of all this historical information is that along with a hard hitting realistic style by director Otto Premenger, great score by Duke Ellington, plus top notch true to life performances by the excellent cast (Jimmy Stewart, Ben Gazara, Lee Remick, George C. Scott, et.al) this black and white film is more reality than fiction and being aware of this adds to impact of this psychological courtroom drama. This is a true human experience written by an author from the area directly from the original court transcripts, filmed where it happened in a style that fits the subject matter where it actually happened with a cast that really knows what they are doing.

If you like ripped from reality courtroom dramas, does it get better?