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Anatomy of a Murder

Supernova: The Book Chamber; Join date : 2010-06-22
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Post n°1

Anatomy of a Murder

by Supernova Mon May 09, 2011 1:26 am

I'm really surprised we haven't gotten to this one before now:

Anatomy of a Murder B70-13539

(This poster art actually looks a lot like the one used for the movie Saint Joan, but I digress)

This is not your typical Jimmy Stewart movie, not typical 1950s film, it actually gathered so much controversey becase of the language like bitch and slut and talking about sex that Jimmy Stewart's father actually took out an ad in a newspaper telling people not to see it because it was a dirty movie.

Now, this movie which is about a lawyer defending a military man who shot the man who raped his wife, was based on a novel which was based on a real case. And in fact, some years back on the IMDb, somebody posted that their father was on the actual jury and could attest to them actually (like in the film, but nobody knows WHY it was done) bringing in the woman's dog to prove it could carry the flashlight in its teeth, go figure.

Anybody else seen this one?

MandyPerfumeGirl

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Post n°2

Re: Anatomy of a Murder

by MandyPerfumeGirl Tue May 10, 2011 8:52 pm

I didn't know Jimmy's father took out a newspaper ad and all that - he ought not tried to sabotage his son's movie like that!

But anyway, I love this movie! I think it can be kind of long, but very, very good. I have it on DVD and haven't seen it for ages. Bang-up performances by Lee Remick and James Stewart. One of Jimmy's greatest performances, in my opinion. If I'm not mistaken, I think Otto Preminger directed this, and he was always a good director and always one to push people's buttons. He also directed "The Moon is Blue" which was the first movie ever to say "virgin" in it.

Great film!

Alan Smithee

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Post n°3

Re: Anatomy of a Murder

by Alan Smithee Tue May 10, 2011 8:59 pm

Yeah, seen it many times. Great cast.

Alan Smithee

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Post n°4

Re: Anatomy of a Murder

by Alan Smithee Fri May 20, 2011 2:08 pm

I forgot that the judge was played by Joseph Welch. In real life he was the lead council for the U.S. army during the Army-McCarthy hearings in the 50s when Sen. Joe McCarthy lead a witch hunt looking for communists.

On June 9, 1954, the 30th day of the Army-McCarthy Hearings, McCarthy accused Fred Fisher, one of the junior attorneys at Welch's law firm, of associating while in law school with the National Lawyers Guild (NLG), a group which J. Edgar Hoover sought to have the U.S. Attorney General designate as a Communist front organization. Welch dismissed Fisher's association with the NLG as a youthful indiscretion and attacked McCarthy for naming the young man before a nationwide television audience without prior warning or previous agreement to do so:

Until this moment, Senator, I think I have never really gauged your cruelty or your recklessness. Fred Fisher is a young man who went to the Harvard Law School and came into my firm and is starting what looks to be a brilliant career with us. Little did I dream you could be so reckless and so cruel as to do an injury to that lad. It is true that he will continue to be with Hale and Dorr. It is, I regret to say, equally true that I fear he shall always bear a scar needlessly inflicted by you. If it were in my power to forgive you for your reckless cruelty I would do so. I like to think that I am a gentle man but your forgiveness will have to come from someone other than me.
When McCarthy tried to renew his attack, Welch interrupted him:

Senator, may we not drop this? We know he belonged to the Lawyers Guild. Let us not assassinate this lad further, Senator. You've done enough. Have you no sense of decency, sir? At long last, have you left no sense of decency?
McCarthy tried to ask Welch another question about Fisher, and Welch cut him off:

Mr. McCarthy, I will not discuss this further with you. You have sat within six feet of me and could ask – could have asked me about Fred Fisher. You have seen fit to bring it out. And if there is a God in Heaven it will do neither you nor your cause any good. I will not discuss it further. I will not ask Mr. Cohn any more questions. You, Mr. Chairman, may, if you will, call the next witness.
The gallery erupted in applause.

Supernova

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Post n°5

Re: Anatomy of a Murder

by Supernova Fri May 20, 2011 2:53 pm

I had read that the judge was played by a real judge (and people complain he didn't act well as a judge in the movie) but I didn't know he was involved with the McCarthy hearings.

Alan Smithee

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Post n°6

Re: Anatomy of a Murder

by Alan Smithee Fri May 20, 2011 7:28 pm

Supernova wrote:I had read that the judge was played by a real judge (and people complain he didn't act well as a judge in the movie) but I didn't know he was involved with the McCarthy hearings.

Actually, he wasn't a judge. I think he was retired as an attorney at that point and joked that he took the roll because it's the only way he would ever become a judge. He might not ever have sat on the bench but he knew his way around a courtroom.