Murder, Murder Most
Foul-Maybe-Otto Preminger’s “Anatomy Of A Murder” (1959)-A Film Review
DVD Review
By Film Critic Sam
Lowell
[Will the “finds” never
end? As I noted in an introduction to a
film review of It Happened One Night,
the 1930s Gable-Colbert vehicle, which the now retired, somewhat retired it
appears, film critic in this space Sam Lowell (and in the American Film Gazette) had “found” when he was cleaning out his
desk that perhaps he was playing me the fool. In any case I posted the review
and was happy to do so. Then a couple of days ago another “desk” draft review
of All The Pretty Horse appeared on
my desk under his name. I posted that one as well including a mention that for
the past decade or so of our relationship I have been happy to post most of his
material here. Now comes another “desk” draft which he found in what must be an
abyss of a drawer. I post this review as well. My question is whether Sam has
“accidently” found enough reviews to keep his name in lights until he goes to
the great beyond. Just asking, Sam. Peter Markin, site moderator]
Anatomy of a Murder,
starring James Stewart, Lee Remick, Ben Gazzara, George C. Scott, directed by
Otto Preminger, 1959
Having been in a few
court rooms in my time (I won’t say in what capacity although not as a
defendant) where the main motion is “hurry up and wait” it was rather
refreshing to see a drama based on a real live case that despite knowing who
had committed the crime, murder murder one, murder most foul, held me in its
grip for most of the long film, although the non-courtroom scenes were mainly
filler. That was the effect that the 1959 black and white film under review Anatomy of a Murder had on me and I am sure
as well the audiences at the time.
Here’s why. So-called
good old boy country lawyer Paul Biegler, played by James Stewart, had been
approached by the wife, Laura played by Lee Remick, of the alleged murderer
Army Officer Fred Manion played by Ben Gazzara, to defend him in a UP Michigan
court on the charge of murder. After some preliminaries Biegler decided to take
the case figuring that there might be a basis of temporary insanity to get the soldier
off. The reason for that possibility is that Fred had reacted in a frenzy when
Laura had come home to their trailer late one night claiming that she had been
raped by the owner of an inn in town, Bernard Quill, where she had gone alone
after Fred had fallen asleep after supper. Fred, something of a known hothead
and jealous of his wife’s good looks and flirty ways reacted to that charge by
going to the inn and shooting Quill and asking questions later.
The legal play in this
one was a rather unusual one-temporary insanity based on an “irresistible
impulse,” a defense recognized under Michigan law but not used in a long time
as a defense. Of course the prosecution in the inevitable “battle of shrinks”
claimed that Fred was a cold calculated murderer whatever he might have felt
about his wife’s rape charges. The long film goes back and forth between the
clever Biegler and the equally clever Assistant AG Dancer played by George C.
Scott, brought in from Lansing to bolster the county DA’s case. Frankly, and I
can give a wide leeway for cinematic dramatic license since even the
proceedings of a real life murder trial are rather pedestrian, the conduct of
the prosecution would seem to warrant an appealable issue of prosecutorial
misconduct and if Fred had been convicted he could have justly charged that
Biegler had provided ineffective assistance
of counsel. Not to worry though our Paul got the soldier off although by all
measures, except legal ones, Fred was not one of nature’s noblemen-no way but
that “irresistible impulse” defense worked. Worked too when Fred with Laura in
tow took off when it came time to pay the lawyers. Although it is long and slow
in places watch this one.
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