Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #179 in VHS
• Released on: 1994-06-21
• Rating: Unrated
• Formats: Black & White, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of tapes: 1
• Running time: 160 minutes

Amazon.com essential video
Otto Preminger turned this 1959 courtroom drama, based on the popular novel, into terrific adult drama. James Stewart stars as a small-town lawyer who defends an army officer (Ben Gazzara) accused of murdering a bartender who assaulted his wife (Lee Remick). The taut script, large performance by Stewart, and then-daring elements of the story (words like "panties" are spoken in the context of discussing a sex crime) give the action a certain immediacy--which you don't find very often in today's movies about jurisprudence. Nice work by Remick and Gazzara, as well as George C. Scott, Arthur O'Connell, and real-life judge Joseph N. Welch, who plays the judge in this film. A very good experience all around. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews

CLASSIC COURTROOM DRAMA
This Otto Preminger directed film is vintage Jimmy Stewart who plays a country lawyer recently voted out of the county prosecutors office he held for many years. Fishing seems to have replaced legal work and as the film opens his long time secretary (Arden) is asking for enough money to cover her pay check. He needs a case to bring in some fees. Laura Manion (Remick) shows up looking for a lawyer to defend her Army officer husband, Lt. Frederick Manion (Gazzara) who is accused of murdering a local bartender who apparently raped Mrs. Manion. Nothing seems to be like it appears. A lie detector test on Mrs. Manion says one thing and the forensic evidence taken after the alleged rape seems to say the opposite. They seem to be happily married but Mrs. Manion is often seen in public without her husband and in the company of other men. Lt. Manion seems a solid citizen soldier but is he always that way in private? Can Stewart defend him on the basis of temporary insanity? A great performance by Stewart as well as by everyone else with many surprise turns. As great as Stewart's performance is, the movie would not be what is without a terrific, albeit somewhat minor, performance by Joseph Welch as the retired judge who is filling in for the regular judge. With a dry sense of humor and perfect timing, he makes the courtroom scenes so outstanding. A genuine classic. [...]

This is the movie for actual courtroom procedure viewing.
I was recommended this film as one of only a handful of films that adequately depicts real-life courtroom "skirmishes". Though the film rarely deviates from actual criminal procedures, the excellent screenplay and direction still delivers a fantastic, attention-grabbing thriller. The acting is superb (how could it be otherwise with exellent and hardworking Jimmy Stewart headlining) and the movie's pace keeps you vitally interested. This is one of my favorite movies.

Anatomy of a Murder DVD
The movie was just as good as I remembered it. The acting was superb. It was interesting to see how our idea of "proper" attire has changed.