{"id":14112,"date":"2016-01-01T20:00:07","date_gmt":"2016-01-02T00:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/craigzablo.com\/?p=14112"},"modified":"2020-08-11T18:40:03","modified_gmt":"2020-08-11T22:40:03","slug":"z-view-anatomy-of-a-murder","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/craigzablo.com\/?p=14112","title":{"rendered":"Z-View: “Anatomy of a Murder”"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

Anatomy of a Murder <\/strong>(1959)<\/p>\n

Director: Otto Preminger<\/strong><\/p>\n

Screenplay: Wendell Mayes, John D. Voelker <\/strong>(based on his novel written as Robert Traver)<\/p>\n

Stars: James Stewart, Lee Remick, Ben Gazarra, Arthur O\u2019Connell <\/strong>and George C. Scott<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Pitch: \u201cLet\u2019s make a movie based on the best-selling novel Anatomy<\/u> of<\/u> a<\/u> Murder<\/u>!\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Tagline: <\/strong>\u201cLast year’s No.1 best-seller … This year’s No.1 motion picture.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers\u2026<\/p>\n

Stewart<\/strong> plays small town attorney Paul Biegler<\/strong> who\u2019d rather be fishing than practicing law.  Biegler\u2019s<\/strong> mentor is Parnell McCarthy<\/strong> (Arthur O\u2019Connell<\/strong>) who\u2019d rather be boozing it up than just about anything.  When Biegler<\/strong> is offered the chance to defend Fredrick Manion (Ben Gazara)<\/strong>, against a murder charge, he sees it as a way to get McCarthy<\/strong> off the booze.  Manion<\/strong> is a soldier accused of murdering the man who raped his wife (Lee Remick<\/strong>).<\/p>\n

We spend the first part of the movie learning about the case.<\/p>\n

Biegler<\/strong> meets Manion<\/strong>, a quick-tempered, hard-to-like soldier who admits to killing the man who raped his wife about an hour after finding out about it.  This wasn\u2019t a heat of the moment murder.  After meeting Manion\u2019s wife<\/strong> who is sporting a beat-up face and a casual attitude, Biegler<\/strong> finds himself in a case where nothing is clear cut.<\/p>\n

Manion<\/strong> is a jealous, thuggish man who likes his wife to dress provocatively and then gets jealous when men give her attention.  Laura Manion<\/strong> likes men, booze and fun.  Being married doesn\u2019t stop her from having a good time where she can find it.  She married Manion<\/strong> three days after divorcing her first husband and admits that Manion<\/strong> was the reason for the divorce.<\/p>\n

Was Laura<\/strong> raped?  She was beat-up, but did that happen during the rape or when he husband found out she had been with another man.  The clinical evidence is inconclusive.  Something happened but under what circumstances?<\/p>\n

The second part of the movie takes us into the courtroom for one of the best courtroom dramas ever filmed.<\/p>\n

The acting across the board is excellent.  Stewart<\/strong> (Best Actor), O\u2019Connell<\/strong> (Best Supporting Actor) and Scott<\/strong> (Best Supporting Actor) were all nominated for Academy Awards<\/strong>.  I\u2019m surprised Lee Remick<\/strong> wasn\u2019t as well, because she is that good.  The film went on to be nominated for seven Oscars<\/strong> as well as other honors.<\/p>\n

To the movie\u2019s credit, the jury comes back with a verdict, but knowing the evidence of the case and the things that we see that the jury doesn\u2019t, the audience may come away with a different verdict.  At the very least, there is room for discussion.<\/p>\n

The last scene is a treat and adds another layer to the puzzle.<\/p>\n

Watch for cameos by: Howard McNear<\/strong> [Floyd the Barber<\/strong> from The Andy Griffith Show<\/strong><\/em>] and Duke Ellington<\/strong>!<\/span><\/p>\n

Awards Won<\/u><\/strong>:<\/p>\n

New York Film Critics Circle Awards \u2013<\/strong><\/p>\n