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 | prison | rookie | inmate | 

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Taglines:

One broke his silence. The other broke the system.

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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:

Asesinato en primer grado

Filming Locations:

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

Box Office

Gross USA:

$17,382,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros.,Canal+,The Wolper Organization

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

Gary Oldman and William H. Macy also appear in Air Force One (1997).

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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

Featured in Siskel & Ebert: Bad Company/Far from Home: The Adventures of Yellow Dog/Murder in the First/Higher Learning/S.F.W./Strawberry and Chocolate (1995)

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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

Six Degrees Of Kevin Bacon--(Maybe even 7 or 8)

As Wayne would have it---"DENIED!!"

how this film escaped the attention of Oscar and Globe voters is one of the great Hollywood mysteries of our time...if Bacon ain't Oscar meat here, i don't know what is...an absolutely brilliant performance in the kind of role the voters usually jump all over at ballot time...ya really gotta wonder...

conspiracy theories aside, this is one helluva flick...besides our pal Kevin, there's outstanding work from Christian Slater, Gary Oldman, and everybody's favorite drill sergeant, Lee Ermey...Moe Greene's kid, Marc Rocco, gets a great period feeling economically...solid work by the wardrobe and make-up units...this film deserved a much better fate at the box office and at awards season in '96...if you haven't seen this one yet, you're missing a real gem...