“12 Angry Men” (1957) written by Reginald Rose; directed by Sidney Lumet; starring Henry Fonda / Z-View
12 Angry Men (1957)
Director: Sidney Lumet
Screenplay: Reginald Rose based on his 1954 teleplay for Studio One.
Stars: Henry Fonda, Lee J. Cobb, Martin Balsam, John Fiedler, E.G. Marshall, Jack Klugman, Edward Binns, Jack Warden, Joseph Sweeney, Ed Begley, George Voskovec, Robert Webber and Rudy Bond.
Tagline: Life Is In Their Hands — Death Is On Their Minds!
The Plot…
On the hottest day of the year, twelve jurors enter the jury room to determine the verdict in a capital murder case. A teenage boy is accused of stabbing his father to death. A guilty verdict results in a mandatory death penalty. Eleven jurors see the accused as guilty. One isn’t sure.
Tempers will flare and motivations bared as deliberations proceed. A young man’s life hangs in the balance.
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
12 Angry Men was nominated for three 1958 Academy Awards…
- Nominee for Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium – Reginald Rose
- Nominee for Best Director – Sidney Lumet
- Nominee for Best Picture – Henry Fonda, Reginald Rose
12 Angry Men is considered a classic. It currently has a 9 out of 10 rating on IMDb. It has an 100% reviewers rating and 97% user rating at Rotten Tomatoes. Surprisingly, 12 Angry Men was a box office disappointment. Henry Fonda had deferred part of his salary and the film didn’t earn enough to pay off. Still, Fonda considered 12 Angry Men one of his best films.
12 Angry Men was Sidney Lumet’s feature film directing debut.
An all star cast (although not all were stars at the time), an exceptional screenplay and a director who knew how to film in tight quarters and get the tension on screen from men talking make for a film classic.
12 Angry Men (1957) rates 5 of 5 stars.
