Murder in the First (1995)

An eager and idealistic young attorney defends an Alcatraz prisoner accused of murdering a fellow inmate. The extenuating circumstances: his client had just spent over three years in solitary confinement.

Director:

Marc Rocco

Writer:

Dan Gordon

Stars:

Christian Slater, Kevin Bacon, Gary Oldman

2 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Christian Slater	...	James Stamphill
Kevin Bacon	...	Henri Young
Gary Oldman	...	Milton Glenn
Embeth Davidtz	...	Mary McCasslin
William H. Macy	...	D.A. William McNeil
Stephen Tobolowsky	...	Mr. Henkin
Brad Dourif	...	Byron Stamphill
R. Lee Ermey	...	Judge Clawson
Mia Kirshner	...	Adult Rosetta Young
Ben Slack	...	Jerry Hoolihan
Stefan Gierasch	...	Warden James Humson
Kyra Sedgwick	...	Blanche, Hooker
Alex Bookston	...	Alcatraz Doc (as Alexander Bookston)
Richie Allan	...	Jury Foreman
Herb Ritts	...	Mike Kelly

Storyline

Henri Young stole five dollars from a post office and ended up going to prison - to the most famous, or infamous, prison of them all: Alcatraz. He tried to escape, failed, and spent three years and two months in solitary confinement - in a dungeon, with no light, no heat and no toilet. Milton Glenn, the assistant warden, who was given free reign by his duty-shirking superior, was responsible for Young's treatment. Glenn even took a straight razor and hobbled Young for life. After three years and two months, Young was taken out of solitary confinement and put with the rest of the prisoners. Almost immediately, Young took a spoon and stabbed a fellow prisoner in the neck, killing him. Now, Young is on trial for murder, and if he's convicted he'll go to the gas chamber. An eager and idealistic young attorney, James Stamphill, is given this impossible case, and argues before a shocked courtroom that Young had a co-conspirator. The true murderer, he says, was Alcatraz.

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Plot Keywords:

alcatraz | solitary confinement | dungeon | prison | straight razor | 

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Taglines:

The trial that brought down Alcatraz

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Genres:

Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong images of prison brutalities, sexuality and language

Details

Country:

USA France

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 January 1995 (USA)

Also Known As:

Alcatraz - kohtaloni

Filming Locations:

Triscenic Production Services Inc - 13042 Bradley Ave, Sylmar, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Gross:

£804,934 (UK) (15 December 1995)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros., Canal+, Wolper Organization, The

Technical Specs

Runtime:

122 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital Dolby SR

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

According to Stephen Tobolowsky, Oliver Stone was originally cast as Mr. Henkin but did not show up on the day of filming. Mark Rocco called Tobolowsky to take over the role just hours before shooting.

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Goofs

All of the street cars aren't running on tracks as they are in fact trucks as the tires can easily be seen from several different angles.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Prison Barber: They're coming! Run!

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Crazy Credits

This Film is Inspired by a True Story

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Connections

Referenced in Jeopardy!: Episode #27.160 (2011)

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Soundtracks

"God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen!"
(uncredited)
Traditional English Christmas, earliest known publication 1833
Sung by Alcatraz wives and children

User Reviews

Terrific!

This is clearly Kevin Bacon's best performance. It's a shame he was not nominated for an academy award for his role. A truly emotional movie that ranks among the top Alcatraz movies made! Gary Oldman also puts in a very solid performance. Christian Slater plays a youthful, inexperienced attorney to perfection.

In showing another side of Alcatraz the movie breaks away from typical escaped based Alcatraz films. While "Escape from Alcatraz" may still be the top movie in this topic area, "Murder in the First" provides a new twist that involves a different type of drama. Kevin Bacon was surely jilted for not being nominated here!