In 1957, United Artists distributed this film on a double bill with Five Steps to Danger starring Ruth Roman and Sterling Hayden.
In the jury room, the characters are identified by their numbers as they are seated around the table. Only two have their surnames revealed. In an epilogue, Henry Fonda (Juror #8) and Joseph Sweeney (Juror #9) meet briefly on the courthouse steps. Fonda introduces himself as "Davis", Sweeney as "McCardle".
June 2008 Ranked #2 on the American Film Institute's list of the 10 greatest films in the genre "Courtroom Drama".
Most of the hard-working (relatively inexperienced) crew were longshoremen. Because there wasn't enough movie work to feed them all year, they'd have two union cards: their Local 52 cards and their ILA cards.
Nominated for 3 Oscars, the film lost out in all its categories to The Bridge on the River Kwai.
Only two jurors are ever identified by name: #8 Mr. Davis and #9 Mr. McCardle. And all but two are identified by job or profession: #1 High School Football Coach, #2 Bank Teller, #3 Owns Messenger Service, #4 Stock Broker, #6 Painter, #7 Salesman, #8 Architect, #10 Garage Owner, #11 Watch Maker, and #12 Advertising Exec.
Shot in a total of 365 separate takes.
The "unusual-looking knife" in this movie is an Italian stiletto switchblade with a Filipino-style Kriss blade.
The film received a personal recommendation from Eleanor Roosevelt.
The jurors who believe the boy to be not guilty in order are: Juror #8 (Henry Fonda), Juror #9 (Joseph Sweeney), Juror #5 (Jack Klugman), Juror #11 (George Voskovec), Juror # 2(John Fiedler), Juror #6 (Edward Binns), Juror #7 (Jack Warden), Juror #12 (Robert Webber), The Foreman (Martin Balsam), Juror #10 (Ed Begley), Juror #4 (E.G. Marshall), and finally Juror #3 (Lee J. Cobb)
The melody juror #7 whistles before juror #8's reenactment of the handicapped man walking to the door is "Dance of the cuckoos", which is also the theme song for the "Laurel & Hardy" series.
The movie is commonly used in business schools and workshops to illustrate team dynamics and conflict resolution techniques.
Though the final scene in the film primarily involves Juror #8 and #9, the other 10 jurors can all be seen descending the courthouse steps and going their own separate ways.
Upon its release, the film generated enough buzz to warrant a spread in Life magazine.
When first broadcast as a teleplay on TV's "Studio One" on 20 September 1954, the jurors were Norman Fell, John Beal, Franchot Tone, Walter Abel, Lee Philips, Bart Burns, Paul Hartman, Robert Cummings, Joseph Sweeney, Edward Arnold, George Voskovec, Will West. Joseph Sweeney and George Voskovec were the only two actors to reprise their roles for the film.
With the death of Jack Warden (Juror #7) on July 19, 2006, Jack Klugman (Juror #5) is the only one of the twelve stars of 12 Angry Men who is still alive.