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James Stewart, Lee Remick, Ben Gazzara, Arthur O'Connell, George C. Scott ... see more see more... , Eve Arden , Joseph Welch , Douglas Brooks West , Kathryn Grant , Murray Hamilton , Orson Bean , Alexander Campbell , Joseph Kearns , Russ Brown , Howard McNear , Ned Wever , Jimmy Conlin , Ken Lynch , Royal Beal , John Qualen , James Waters , Duke Ellington , Don Ross

Based on the best-selling novel by Robert Traver (the pseudonym for Michigan Supreme Court justice John D. Voelker), Anatomy of a Murder stars James Stewart as seat-of-the-pants Michigan lawyer Paul B... read more read more...iegler. Through the intervention of his alcoholic mentor, Parnell McCarthy (Arthur O'Connell), Biegler accepts the case of one Lt. Manion (Ben Gazzara), an unlovable lout who has murdered a local bar owner. Manion admits that he committed the crime, citing as his motive the victim's rape of the alluring Mrs. Manion (Lee Remick). Faced with the formidable opposition of big-city prosecutor Claude Dancer (George C. Scott), Biegler hopes to win freedom for his client by using as his defense the argument of "irresistible impulse." Also featured in the cast is Eve Arden as Biegler's sardonic secretary, Katherine Grant as the woman who inherits the dead man's business, and Joseph N. Welch -- who in real life was the defense attorney in the Army-McCarthy hearings -- as the ever-patient judge. The progressive-jazz musical score is provided by Duke Ellington, who also appears in a brief scene. Producer/director Otto Preminger once more pushed the envelope in Anatomy of a Murder by utilizing technical terminology referring to sexual penetration, which up until 1959 was a cinematic no-no. Contrary to popular belief, Preminger was not merely being faithful to the novel; most of the banter about "panties" and "semen," not to mention the 11-hour courtroom revelation, was invented for the film. Anatomy of a Murder was filmed on location in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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G, 2 hr. 40 min.

Directed by: Otto Preminger

Release Date: July 1, 1959

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DVD Release Date: July 11, 2000

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Joseph N. Welch as Judge Weaver Lee Remick as Laura Manion Ben Gazzara as Lt. Manion Lee Remick and George C. Scott James Stewart and Duke Ellington 'Anatomy of a Murder' - German poster Joseph N. Welch as Judge Weaver Ben Gazzara as Lt. Manion James Stewart and Ben Gazzara Otto Preminger directing 'Anatomy of a Murder' Otto Preminger and Duke Ellington James Stewart and Ben Gazzara Ben Gazzara as Lt. Manion Murray Hamilton and James Stewart George C. Scott as Asst. State Atty. Gen. Claude Dancer Lee Remick as Laura Manion James Stewart, Ben Gazzara and Arthur O'Connell Arthur O'Connell and Eve Arden
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Flixster Reviews (721)

  • brooklynspo
    July 23, 2007
    brooklynspo
    I generally loathe courtroom dramas - (so tired!) - but this is a real good one.

    Terrific use of locations and location sound.

    One of the goofiest trailers I've ever seen:

    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052561/trailers
  • jennifxu
    April 28, 2011
    jennifxu
    It's sort of relieving how unpreachy this courtroom drama is. I read that this is one of the best portrayals of a live courtroom case, which if that's the case, I ain't mad.
  • axadntpron
    February 9, 2011
    axadntpron
    When I think Noir, I don't think courtroom drama. When I think Jimmy Stewart, I think Frank Capra. So as you can imagine I was pleasantly surprised by this little gem.
    While Stewart is not Sam Spade, he is ex district attorney looking for his next paycheck and stumbles upon a mu... read morerder trial. It appears that he takes on the case because of the fact that it centers around a woman, rather than he insatiable need for justice.
    The courtroom scenes itself are very interesting. Rather than try to just bedazzle the audience with big speeches and wild twists, Preminger paces the twists and turns in a way that makes the viewer feel as though this could have been a real court case. There are no John Grisham moments, but the drama is still very palpable.
    Stewart actually surprised me as the morally ambivalent man of the law. George C. Scott is also terrific as the prosecutor.
    It I had not recently watched Judgment at Nuremberg and have Kramer's flawless camera work in that film fresh in my mind, I would have rated it higher. Preminger just doesn't have that presence that Kramer has, but it isn't bad.
    Overall, a great watch.
  • ajv2688
    November 19, 2010
    ajv2688
    This is a fantastic murder mystery with Stewart as a lawyer. I love it and I highly recommend it.
  • gokhale1
    November 1, 2010
    gokhale1
    In Otto Preminger's excellent 1959 courtroom drama, "Anatomy of a Murder", James Stewart stars as Paul Biegler, a small-town lawyer who takes up a very challenging and unusual case following a call from a certain Laura Manion (Lee Remick). She is the flirtatious wife of a US Army... read more Lieutenant, Frederick Manion (Ben Gazzara) who has been charged with the murder of Barney Quill, a local innkeeper. Biegler is supposed to defend Fred Manion. Fred does not deny committing the crime, but also maintains that his actions were actually an extreme reaction to the fact that Barney Quill had raped his wife.

    However, Frederick also denies having any clear memory of doing the deed and that opens one strong avenue for Biegler: that of temporary insanity defense, particularly, of being overcome by an irresistible impulse, which led the accused to commit the murder.

    Biegler involves his alcoholic friend and former colleague Parnell McCarthy (Arthur O'Connell) to assist him. Together they spend a lot of time digging up material that would make their case stronger. Things, however, are anything but smooth for Biegler as his opponents in this case are the local D.A. (Brooks West) and a big city prosecutor, Claude Dancer (George C. Scott).

    The rest of the film then revolves around the war of words and wits between Dancer and Biegler.
    What is even more wonderful about this film is, that you do not know who to root for, knowing that the protagonist is really out to set a murderer free!

    Wendell Mayes's screenplay based on John D. Voelker's novel is engaging and full of witty and humourous repartees. Otto Preminger's taut direction keeps us glued to the screen throughout the 160 minutes of running time.

    The performances are especially noteworthy:

    James Stewart delivers a splendid performance as Paul Biegler. He gets so involved in his role, it is difficult to tell whether he is acting or is an actual lawyer fighting the case.

    George C. Scott matches up and almost outshines Stewart in an outstanding supporting role of the sly lawyer Claude Dancer. This is one of Scott's greatest performances.

    Lee Remick is superb as the coquettish wife of Frederick Manion.

    Arthur O'Connell is great as Stewart's alcoholic friend McCarthy.

    Ben Gazzara and Kathryn Grant provide good supporting performances as well; so does Joseph N Welch as the judge. He was a real life lawyer who was the head counsel for the United States Army in the Army-McCarthy hearings. In spite of not being a professional actor, he appears extremely comfortable in front of the camera and delivers a convincing performance.


    I've read somewhere that some law school professors use "Anatomy of a Murder" as a teaching tool, as it encompasses (from the defense standpoint) all of the basic stages in the U.S. criminal justice system. Indeed, it is like watching a complete case proceeding right from the research done by lawyers to them using all the material they've studied in presenting a full case.

    "Anatomy of a Murder" is a wonderful film and is easily one of the greatest courtroom dramas ever made.
  • ceWEBrity
    August 25, 2010
    ceWEBrity
    Pretty edgy stuff for its time, but even in hindsight, the sexual politics feel awfully retrograde (good guy and bad alike seem to believe that, yes, there's a certain type of woman that does deserve rape). Also, am I the only one that thinks the ending would have been completely... read more different in the real world? I can't discuss it without spoilers, but...yeah. Anyway, this is something of a barrier-breaker morally for its time, but not much more about it sets it apart from today's typical episode of Law and Order, short of its sweet soundtrack and a couple of strong performances. Lee Remick and George C. Scott really stand out, even despite the lesser offerings, like the prosecutor who is not George C. Scott and the judge, who is obviously trying too hard. Anatomy of a Murder is also really fucking long and not all that well paced and that subplot jaunt into Canada is completely, totally unnecessary.

    Despite the infirmities of technique, the movie still holds up fairly well and is definitely worth a watch, especially if you're a Jimmy Stewart fan.
  • FilmFanatik
    December 20, 2009
    FilmFanatik
    Always will be one of the first and best courtroom drama films ever.
  • bottcorecords1
    May 7, 2009
    bottcorecords1
    What makes Anatomy of A Murder different from the typical courtroom drama is the defendant, Frederick Manion (Ben Gazzara). Not only is he guilty, he also isn't particularly likeable either and may be a wife beater to boot. However, this doesn't stop the audience from rooting for... read more his lawyer Paul Biegler (James Stewart) to succeed, and in fact, the guilt or innocence of his client matters little (to us or to him). What seems to motivate Biegler in his representation of such a genuine creep seems to be nothing more than a desire for revenge, or at the least, one-upmanship. He was once an elected district attorney, now relegated to semi-retirement and bass fishing, while his replacement seems to be a mediocre lawyer. When Mrs. Manion calls, he's only too happy to take the case, especially at the urging of his aged alcoholic attorney friend, Parnell McCarthy (Arthur O'Connell). Mrs. Manion tells Biegler the events leading up to the murder her husband committed, mainly her rape and beating at the hands of the local bar owner. But she doesn't act like a rape victim, flirting with her husband's lawyer rather shamelessly. The husband actually has no money to pay Biegler, so why does he work so hard to build a case for him? The bulk of the movie takes place in the courtroom, and it's courtroom drama at it's best. Biegler puts on the act of a smalltown lawyer, victimized when the state's attorney (George C. Scott, in a rather sinister role) comes in to assist the prosecution. The judge provides some dry wit as he tries to wrangle the lawyers and keep them from duking it out in the courtroom. It's amazing to see these characters leading each other down the paths they want them to follow, only to jerk the rug out from under them at the perfect, key moment. It works both for the lawyers and the clients they represent. Did I mention Duke Ellington provides a marvelous musical score? The whole film as a tone similar to "In Cold Blood", only with so much more charisma and depth on display here. It's a great feel and a great tone to an outstanding picture. And I can't say enough good things about it, so I won't even try.
  • pier007
    January 8, 2009
    pier007
    One of the finest courtroom dramas ever, and definitely the best exposure of the affairs in and out the courtrooms; as well as the trickeries, rapid-fire delivering and fast-talking that any efficient (not righteous) criminal lawyer should have, unbiased, detached from any inner ... read moreconviction or moral standpoint.
    The opposite forces are masterfully played by Jimmy Stewart and George C. Scott, two individuals with an expertise in the use of every cunning, dirty scheme able to be used in order to destroy the credibility of each other's arguments and win the case no matter what is right and what is wrong; that is what, at the end, paradoxically leads the person who won the case to question about the decision, even if he doesn't show any concern.
    Sadly, justice is such a variable and obscure concept... will it prevail? Think again.
    Preminger's direction is clean and focused on the right spots; the screenplay is snappy and occasionally very funny; Duke Ellington's music is quite mellow; and Lee Remick couldn't be lovelier, what a doll.
  • imrealgod
    January 6, 2009
    imrealgod
    If I am to give my opinion just in one word about this movie, then it would be - "EXCELLENT".

    However, there're some other points too that need to be noted while reviewing this movie. There are many loopholes in the story if you stick to logic, but as it wasn't any documentary,... read more I found nothing wrong with it and feel that it was an out-and-out entertaining movie. And considering that it was released far back in 1959, I feel that it's much better than today's movies of this genre. This movie in Black and White is really superior to today's movies (decorated with special effects and use of latest technology; beautiful body but no soul) when it comes to entertainment. Even the execution is outstanding.

    It's really worth watching and worth enjoying. Simply fantastic. Just go for it, if you haven't already.

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Critic Reviews

April 24, 2009
TIME Magazine

At 160 minutes, Anatomy is longer than the subject warrants, but the pace seldom slackens -- thanks to the competence of Director Otto Preminger. Full Review

Variety Staff
October 23, 2007
Variety Staff, Variety

Preminger purposely creates situations that flicker with uncertainty, that may be evaluated in different ways. Motives are mixed and dubious, and, therefore, sustain interest. Full Review

Jonathan Rosenbaum
October 23, 2007
Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader

As an entertaining look at legal process, this is spellbinding all the way, infused by an ambiguity about human personality and motivation that is Preminger's trademark, and the location shooting is s... Full Review

Bosley Crowther
May 20, 2003
Bosley Crowther, New York Times

It is the best courtroom melodrama this old judge has ever seen. Full Review

Matt Brunson
April 25, 2012
Matt Brunson, Creative Loafing

Otto Preminger, no stranger to ruffling moral-watchdog feathers, never succumbs to the sleaziness inherent in the material, instead turning out an intelligent and tightly controlled drama that ranks a... Full Review

Eric Melin
March 9, 2012
Eric Melin, Scene-Stealers.com

Even with the glut of crime-related TV dramas that pepper today's screens, you'd be hard pressed to find a courtroom story that doesn't have you rooting one way or the other with a heavy-handed POV. T... Full Review

James Kendrick
March 1, 2012
James Kendrick, Q Network Film Desk

simultaneously plays by and punctures the expectations of the courtroom thriller Full Review

Christopher Long
February 23, 2012
Christopher Long, Movie Metropolis

As courtroom thrillers go, it has few peers. Full Review

Philip French
October 23, 2007
Philip French, Observer [UK]

The picture is superbly photographed by Sam Leavitt in black and white, though there's nothing black and white about the movie's morality. Full Review

Peter Bradshaw
October 23, 2007
Peter Bradshaw, Guardian [UK]

To me Remick's damaged, dysfunctional presence is the really subversive thing about the picture. And Stewart's grandstanding attorney propels this long film to its final verdict. Full Review

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    • Pamell McCarthy: Twelve people go off into a room. Twelve different minds,twelve different hearts and twelve different walks of life. Twelve sets of eyes, ears, shapes and sizes and these twelve people are asked to judge another human being as different from them as they are from each other and in their judgment,they must become of one mind. Unanimous. That's one of the miracles of man's disorganized soul that they can do it and most instances, do it right well. God bless juries.
    • Paul Biegler: As a lawyer, I've had to learn that people aren't just good or just bad. People are many things.
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Anatomy of a Murder Trivia

  • In Anatomy of a Murder, what piece of clothing did James Stewart and other male characters have trouble saying in the courtroom?  Answer »
  • In the film A Hard Day's Night, when Paul's Grandfather criticizes Ringo for reading a book, what book is Ringo reading?  Answer »
  • Who wrote the music for Anatomy of a Murder?  Answer »
  • "Anatomy of a Murder" from 1959 is one of my favorite courtroom dramas of all time. Can you name the two lead actors?  Answer »
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