| Overall Grade: |
A |
|
| Story: |
N/A |
|
|
| Acting: |
N/A |
|
|
| Direction: |
N/A |
|
|
| Visuals: |
N/A |
|
|
King of Courtroom Dramas
by RP (movies profile)
Sep 22, 2004
Director Otto Preminger is, alas, probably best known to American audiences as the original "Mr. Freeze" from the old "Batman" series. But, several years before Adam West and Burt Ward were frolicking around in tights, Mr. Preminger gave us what is arguably the best-ever courtroom drama in "Anatomy of a Murder."
Jimmy Stewart is at his cracker-barrel-philosopher best as small-town attorney Paul Beagler, who finds himself defending a young army officer (Ben Gazarra) against a charge of murder. Seems that Lieutenant Manning shot the bar owner who MAY have raped Mrs. Manning (Lee Remick).
The ensemble acting in this film is an absolute marvel. If you have ever been a fan of 1960s sitcoms, you'll recognize most of the character actors who show up here as witnesses at Manning's trial.
But, towering over this ultra-talented cast (Remick, Gazarra, Arthur O'Connell, and George C. Scott are standouts) is Stewart, a crazy cat who likes to fly-fish, play jazz piano, and who reads Supreme Court decisions FOR PLEASURE!
Kudos must also go to Joseph Welch, whose portrayal of the kindly trial judge is another minor miracle in a film chock-full of them.
Given that the subject matter of this film concerns a possible rape, one can only imagine how daring it must have appeared in it's day. It's far tamer now, of course, but no less entertaining for all that. |
My Public Profile 
