Trial (1955)

Courtroom drama set in 1947 and underlying post-WW2 acute problems facing the USA such as stormy race relations and the growing threat of local communism.

Director:

Mark Robson

Writers:

Don Mankiewicz (as Don M. Mankiewicz), Don Mankiewicz (novel) (as Don M. Mankiewicz)

Stars:

Glenn Ford, Dorothy McGuire, Arthur Kennedy

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 1 win.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Glenn Ford	...	David Blake
Dorothy McGuire	...	Abbe Nyle
Arthur Kennedy	...	Barney Castle
John Hodiak	...	District Attorney John J. Armstrong
Katy Jurado	...	Consuela Chavez
Rafael Campos	...	Angel Chavez
Juano Hernandez	...	Judge Theodore Motley
Robert Middleton	...	A.A. 'Fats' Sanders
John Hoyt	...	Ralph Castillo
Paul Guilfoyle	...	Cap Grant
Elisha Cook Jr.	...	Finn (as Elisha Cook)
Ann Lee	...	Gail Wiltse
Whit Bissell	...	Sam Wiltse
Richard Gaines	...	Dr. Johannes Schacter
Barry Kelley	...	Jim Brackett

Storyline

The story of a murder trial where a Mexican boy is accused of the death of a Caucasian girl. The two-faced attorney (Arthur Kennedy) who takes the boy's case is only interested in defending him so he can exploit his Communist-backed organization for their own underhanded purposes. He and his organization bring in an idealistic law professor (Glenn Ford) who agrees to represent the boy in court.

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Plot Keywords:

deception | communist party | murder trial | reference to assault | legislative subpoena | 

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Taglines:

FROM THE SCALDING, TRUTHFUL PAGES OF A GREAT NOVEL! (original ad - all caps)

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Passed

Did You Know?

Trivia

According to contemporary newspaper articles, the rally scene was shot at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles over three days and used 2,000 extras - 750 of which were students from the nearby University of Southern California.

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Goofs

After ordering David to put Angel on the stand following their argument in his office, Barney walks out, leaving Abbe and David alone. Abbe turns to David and says, "Oh, Barney, there's a new world coming", when she certainly meant to say "David".

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Quotes

David Blake: You agree with Barney, don't you? I'll win because I have such an honest, confused face the jury's gonna feel sorry for me.
Abbe Nyle: No.
David Blake: Yes.
Abbe Nyle: Because you believe in Angel, and in this...
[looks down at his cigarette lighter, which has an inscription in Latin]
Abbe Nyle: "UBI INJURIA, IBI REMEDIUM" - Where there's a wrong, there's a remedy. You really do believe in that, don't you?
David Blake: Sure I believe in it. I couldn't teach...
[corrects himself]
David Blake: I couldn't practice law if I didn't.
Abbe Nyle: Lawyers hang it on their office walls as if it...

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Alternate Versions

Also shown in computer colorized version.

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Connections

Featured in MGM Parade: Episode #1.4 (1955)

User Reviews

A bright line on 50s America

This great film will come as a great shock to anyone who thinks of 1950s America in Leave It To Beaver terms, and that's a very good thing. An exaggerated but not misleading portrait of a hugely racist and sexist nation at its worst, with a feel-good conclusion that rings false in light of what we've just seen and generally know to be true about the US at the time. The performances are good for the most part, but the things these people say and do may give you the creeps. The scene in front of the city hall when the local white men are about to use nitro to blow up the front door is absolutely frightening. The 50s will never seem the same again, and that's a very good thing. This movie should be part of history courses.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

7 October 1955 (USA)

Also Known As:

Trial

Filming Locations:

Shrine Auditorium - 665 W. Jefferson Boulevard, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,341,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min 109 min (TCM print)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1