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American Experience

The Murder of Emmett Till

  • Episode aired Jan 20, 2003
  • 53m
IMDb RATING
7.9/10
238
YOUR RATING
S15.E6
  • S15
  • E6
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  • User reviews
  • IMDbPro
The Murder of Emmett Till (2003)
  • Documentary
  • Biography
  • History
A documentary examining the 1955 murder of a 14-year-old boy from Chicago while visiting relatives in Mississippi, and the broad impact of his death, his funeral, and the subsequent trial an... Read allA documentary examining the 1955 murder of a 14-year-old boy from Chicago while visiting relatives in Mississippi, and the broad impact of his death, his funeral, and the subsequent trial and acquittal of his white killers.A documentary examining the 1955 murder of a 14-year-old boy from Chicago while visiting relatives in Mississippi, and the broad impact of his death, his funeral, and the subsequent trial and acquittal of his white killers.
IMDb RATING
7.9/10
238
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Stanley Nelson
  • Writers
    • Marcia Smith
    • David C. Taylor(contributing writer)
  • Stars
    • Andre Braugher
    • Pat Antici
    • Oudie Brown
Top credits
  • Director
    • Stanley Nelson
  • Writers
    • Marcia Smith
    • David C. Taylor(contributing writer)
  • Stars
    • Andre Braugher
    • Pat Antici
    • Oudie Brown
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 5User reviews
    • 1Critic review
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win

    Photos

    The Murder of Emmett Till (2003)
    Stanley Nelson, Pat Antici, and Tony Czech in American Experience (1987)
    Pat Antici and Tony Czech in American Experience (1987)
    Pat Antici and Tony Czech in American Experience (1987)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Andre Braugher
    Andre Braugher
    • Narratoras Narrator
    Pat Antici
    • Kidnapperas Kidnapper
    Oudie Brown
    • Selfas Self
    Harry Caise
    • Self - Morticianas Self - Mortician
    Magnolia Cooksey-Mathious
    • Self - Emmett Till's Classmateas Self - Emmett Till's Classmate
    Tony Czech
    • Kidnapperas Kidnapper
    Clara Davis
    • Self - Mississippi Residentas Self - Mississippi Resident
    Warren Hampton
    • Self - Mississippi Residentas Self - Mississippi Resident
    Richard Heard
    • Self - Emmett Till's Classmateas Self - Emmett Till's Classmate
    John Herbers
    • Self - Journalistas Self - Journalist
    Rose Jourdain
    • Self - Journalistas Self - Journalist
    Mamie Till Mobley
    Mamie Till Mobley
    • Selfas Self
    Moses Newson
    • Self - Journalistas Self - Journalist
    Wheeler Parker
    • Self - Emmett Till's Cousinas Self - Emmett Till's Cousin
    Betty Pearson
    • Self - Mississippi Residentas Self - Mississippi Resident
    Willie Reed
    • Self - Mississippi Residentas Self - Mississippi Resident
    Clarence Strider Jr.
    • Self - Son of Mississippi Sheriffas Self - Son of Mississippi Sheriff
    Emmett Till
    Emmett Till
    • Selfas Self
    • (archive footage)
    • Director
      • Stanley Nelson
    • Writers
      • Marcia Smith
      • David C. Taylor(contributing writer)
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

    Storyline

    Edit

    User reviews5

    Review
    Top review
    8/10
    The Murder Of Emmett Till
    Although this documentary takes some liberties with the truth about lynching, from a purely historical perspective, it is for the most part an accurate and shameful cataloguing of one of the most notorious murders in 20th Century America.

    There is much archive footage including of the victim's mother, who almost half a century on, also speaks to the cameras as do many others – black and white – who were part of the case. In fact, Mamie Till died two weeks before this documentary was released.

    Arguably more outrageous than the acquittal of her son's murderers was the question put to her by the defense. Till's body had been delivered to his mother in a sealed casket with instructions that it was not to be opened. In view of its condition, this was reasonable, and indeed it would be mandatory in many jurisdictions all things considered. She had though ordered the casket opened, and exhibited the body at his funeral in the Chicago church. On the witness stand it was put to her that the body concerned was not her son, and that she had conspired with the NAACP to perpetrate a hoax. Her son, it was suggested, was very much alive back home in Chicago – and undoubtedly laughing up his sleeve.

    These sort of tactics are guaranteed to alienate even the most biased of juries, but not this one, which acquitted the two accused in an hour, and that only because they didn't want to be seen returning with undue haste.

    It is possible that if the authorities had not pursued the death penalty the verdict might have been different, but let's not kid ourselves. To add insult to injury, a few months after the trial the two perpetrators sold their story to a national magazine for $4,000. Donald Hume did the same thing in England after being cleared of the murder of his partner-in-crime Stanley Setty, but he had at least spent 8 years in prison after pleading guilty to a lesser charge following a hung jury.

    It remains to be seen if the resulting so-called civil rights movement was a fitting legacy for Emmett Till, most of its proponents seem unable to distinguish between forced integration and justice, which at the end of the day is the only thing that is ever warranted.
    helpful•2
    1
    • a_baron
    • Jul 22, 2014

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • January 20, 2003 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • PBS
    • Language
      • English
    • Production companies
      • Firelight Media Inc.
      • Public Broadcasting Service (PBS)
      • WGBH
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • Runtime
      53 minutes
    • Color
      • Color

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