First Monday in October (1981)

For the first time in history a woman is appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court, where she becomes a friendly rival to a liberal associate.

Director:

Ronald Neame

Writers:

Jerome Lawrence (play), Jerome Lawrence (screenplay),

Stars:

Walter Matthau, Jill Clayburgh, Barnard Hughes

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Walter Matthau	...	Dan Snow
Jill Clayburgh	...	Ruth Loomis
Barnard Hughes	...	Chief Justice James Jefferson Crawford
Jan Sterling	...	Christine Snow
James Stephens	...	Mason Woods
Joshua Bryant	...	Bill Russell
Wiley Harker	...	Justice Harold Webb
F.J. O'Neil	...	Justice Waldo Thompson
Charles Lampkin	...	Justice Josiah Clewes
Lew Palter	...	Justice Benjamin Halperin
Richard McMurray	...	Justice Richard Carey
Herb Vigran	...	Justice Ambrose Quincy
Edmund Stoiber	...	Committee Chairman
Noble Willingham	...	Nebraska Attorney
Richard McKenzie	...	Hostile Senator

Storyline

Ruth Loomis becomes the first woman appointed to the United States Supreme Court. A staunch conservative, she immediately runs into conflict with Dan Snow, the high court's resident liberal. Although, they never agree on the issues before the Court, they develop a respect and affection for one another after several comedic encounters.

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Plot Keywords:

supreme court | law | judge | battle of the sexes | courtroom | 

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Taglines:

In the Supreme Court, there are only eight of them against all of her.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 August 1981 (USA)

Also Known As:

...Kinek a bírónő

Filming Locations:

Inyo National Forest - 351 Pacu Lane, Bishop, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The character played by Walter Matthau is based on real-life Justice William O. Douglas, who was appointed to the Supreme Court at the age of 40. Douglas was one of the great liberals in High Court history who believed so nearly absolutely in the First Amendment protections of free speech that he did not attend screenings of pornographic films (a plot device in the movie) as he believed that the movies or any form of expression could not be censored under the U.S. Constitution. Thus, he did not need to see the film as he was going to automatically vote against censoring it.

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Goofs

Justice Loomis views a pornographic film to decide it it has "redeeming social or artistic importance". This is an outdated standard for obscenity which was superseded by the so-called "Miller test" in 1973.

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Quotes

Mason Woods: Would you like tea or whiskey?
Justice Dan Snow: Both. No, skip the tea, I don't want to overdo it.

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Connections

Referenced in Roseanne: The Last Thursday in November (1995)

User Reviews

Superb Matthau in an unusual pairing with Clayburgh

Walter Matthau will always be one of my favorites from the sleazy bar-owner in King Creole to Hopscotch(another unusual pairing with Glenda Jackson)to countless other films he has appeared in... His droll comments and quick wit are hilarious.... and Jill Clayburgh does stand up to the occasion of matching him in legal argument(although scripted).... Of all the Matthau pieces, I think this is well worth the time, though I think the title(refers to the first sitting each year of the Supreme Court Judges)could have been a little more enticing to the general public... I think as a result of the title this movie has been largely overlooked... It is a funny, believable piece, well worth catching if you can!