12 Angry Men (1957)

A jury holdout attempts to prevent a miscarriage of justice by forcing his colleagues to reconsider the evidence.

Director:

Sidney Lumet

Writers:

Reginald Rose (story), Reginald Rose (screenplay)

Stars:

Henry Fonda, Lee J. Cobb, Martin Balsam

Top Rated Movies #5 | Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 17 wins & 10 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Martin Balsam	...	Juror 1
John Fiedler	...	Juror 2
Lee J. Cobb	...	Juror 3
E.G. Marshall	...	Juror 4
Jack Klugman	...	Juror 5
Edward Binns	...	Juror 6
Jack Warden	...	Juror 7
Henry Fonda	...	Juror 8
Joseph Sweeney	...	Juror 9
Ed Begley	...	Juror 10
George Voskovec	...	Juror 11
Robert Webber	...	Juror 12

Storyline

The defense and the prosecution have rested, and the jury is filing into the jury room to decide if a young man is guilty or innocent of murdering his father. What begins as an open-and-shut case of murder soon becomes a detective story that presents a succession of clues creating doubt, and a mini-drama of each of the jurors' prejudices and preconceptions about the trial, the accused, AND each other. Based on the play, all of the action takes place on the stage of the jury room.

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Plot Keywords:

jury | dialogue driven | courtroom | single set production | trial | 

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Taglines:

They have twelve scraps of paper... Twelve chances to kill!

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Genres:

Crime | Drama

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Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

Henry Fonda disliked watching himself on film, so he did not watch the whole film in the screening room. However, before he walked out, he said quietly to director Sidney Lumet, "Sidney, it's magnificent."

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Goofs

When Juror 7 says, "This kid is 5 for O" he's speaking in baseball terms due to the fact that he's a baseball fan. However, the correct term would be, "This kid is O for 5." This may have been a deliberate choice by the director or actor to make Juror 7 appear ignorant and not knowing what he's talking about.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Man in corridor: You did a wonderful job, wonderful job!
Judge: To continue, you've listened to a long and complex case, murder in the first degree. Premeditated murder is the most serious charge tried in our criminal courts. You've listened to the testimony, you've had the law read to you and interpreted as it applies in this case, it's now your duty to sit down and try to separate the facts from the fancy. One man is dead, another man's life is at stake, if there's a reasonable doubt in your minds as to ...

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Crazy Credits

All of the credits are in lowercase.

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Connections

Featured in John Bailey on Boris Kaufman (2011)

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Soundtracks

Dance of the Cuckoos
(uncredited)
Music by Marvin Hatley
Portion whistled by Jack Warden

User Reviews

12 men in a room. Genius.

In my opinion, 12 Angry Men is the greatest film that has ever been created. A perfect example of less is more, the simplicity of the plot, the setting of the one room, and the acting talent of the 12 main cast members is enough to conquer the dramatic genre, and ensure that it remains a timeless classic.

Whether you are a fan of the older generation of filmmaking or not, I implore you to experience this acting masterclass for yourself. More current movies such as Resevoir Dogs, which is superb in itself, have borrowed elements from 12 Angry Men, but trust me when I say there is nothing quite like this beautifully crafted drama. Watch it.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 April 1957 (USA)

Also Known As:

Twelve Angry Men

Filming Locations:

New York County Courthouse - 60 Centre Street, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$350,000 (estimated)

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$955

Company Credits

Production Co:

Orion-Nova Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1