Anatomy Of A Murder

MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

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 Biegler. 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

DVD FEATURES:

• Region: 1
• Number of Discs: 1
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 (Pre-1954 Standard)
• Audio: 5.1, PCM Mono
• Screen: Black and White, Pan and Scan
• Subtitle: Spanish, English
• Features:
  • Digitally remastered audio and video
  • Production notes
  • Vintage advertising
  • Photo montage: "Anatomy of a Classic" (featuring the music of Duke Ellington)
  • Talent files
  • Theatrical trailer
  • Bonus trailers

AWARDS

• Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

•     Nominated Best Actor - 1959 (James Stewart)
•     Nominated Best Adapted Screenplay - 1959 (Wendell Mayes)
•     Nominated Best Black and White Cinematography - 1959 (Sam Leavitt)
•     Nominated Best Editing - 1959 (Louis Loeffler)
•     Nominated Best Picture - 1959 (Otto Preminger)
•     Nominated Best Supporting Actor - 1959 (George C. Scott, Arthur O'Connell)

• British Academy of Film and Television Arts

•     Nominated Best British Film - 1959 (Otto Preminger)

• Directors Guild of America

•     Nominated Best Director - 1959 (Otto Preminger)

• Hollywood Foreign Press Association

•     Nominated Best Director - 1959 (Otto Preminger)
•     Nominated Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Pictu - 1959 (Joseph Welch)
•     Nominated Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama - 1959 (Lee Remick)
•     Nominated Best Picture - Drama - 1959

• National Board of Review

•     Nominated Best Picture - 1959

• New York Film Critics Circle

•     Won Best Actor - 1959 (James Stewart)
•     Won Best Screenplay - 1959 (Wendell Mayes)

• Venice International Film Festival

•     Won Volpi Cup for Best Actor - 1959 (James Stewart)

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Director:

  Otto Preminger

• Producer:

  Otto Preminger

• Screenwriter:

  Wendell Mayes

• Book Author:

  Robert Traver

• Cinematographer:

  Sam Leavitt

• Composer (Music Score):

  Duke Ellington

• Editor:

  Louis Loeffler

• Production Designer:

  Boris Leven

• Set Designer:

  Howard Bristol

• Costume Designer:

  Michael J. Harte

• Sound/Sound Designer:

  Jack Solomon

• Makeup:

  Del Armstrong, Harry Ray

• First Assistant Director:

  David Silver

REVIEW:

• Like the court proceedings at its core, Otto Preminger's Anatomy of a Murder moves at a deliberate pace, unwinding its 161 minutes in long, fluid takes. The subject matter (rape and the insanity defense) was controversial in the 1950s, as was Preminger's approach, which was bluntly direct. The film maintains a cool objectivity as it explores both the psychosexual issues of the central characters and the complex legal issues confronted by lawyer Paul Biegler and his client Lieutenant Manion. It raises prickly and complex questions about legal ethics, while challenging the audience to decide for itself the tricky issues of justice and truth. Sam Leavitt's black-and-white cinematography contrasts with the various shades of gray in the moral dilemmas of the characters. Justice appears to be an afterthought in this case in which procedure and self-interest, rather than a pursuit of the truth, control the process. There are no clear-cut good guys and bad guys, and the film's resolution has a willfully ironic edge. An excellent soundtrack by Duke Ellington and superior casting invigorate what could have become a series of methodical courtroom scenes. James Stewart brings a natural integrity to his flawed character, while George C. Scott's gravelly voice and rumpled energy enliven his cinematic debut. Standouts also include Lee Remick, playing somewhat against type as the flirtatious "victim," and Ben Gazzara, who eases effortlessly into his cynical role. In an ingenious piece of casting, noted Boston lawyer Joseph N. Welch, famed for his evisceration of Joseph McCarthy ("Have you no shame, senator?"), is cast as the judge. Nominated for eight Academy Awards (though winning none), Anatomy of a Murder was an envelope-pusher in its day, forcing open some of the tightly locked censorial shutters in prudish 1950s Hollywood. ~ Dan Jardine, Rovi