12 Angry Men (1957) | |
| Director(s) | Sidney Lumet |
| Producer(s) | Henry Fonda, George Justin (associate), Reginald Rose |
| Top Genres | Drama |
| Top Topics | Based on Play, Courtroom, Justice, Prejudice |
Featured Cast:
12 Angry Men Overview:
12 Angry Men (1957) was a Drama - Black-and-white Film directed by Sidney Lumet and produced by Henry Fonda, Reginald Rose and George Justin.
SYNOPSIS
This is perhaps the most famous classic-movie courtroom drama. The jurors get their instructions in a murder case and enter a hot, close jury room to begin deliberating. The first count shows only Fonda holding out for acquittal. Then the fireworks begin, fueled by fatigue, heat, and the different personalities and experiences of the jurors. In Lumet's debut, he breaks every rule of cinema action, setting his story in one claustrophobic room and using multiple takes from different angles to provide movement. Originally a teleplay, this was Fonda's only experiment with producing. Remade for cable TV with Jack Lemmon.
(Source: available at Amazon AMC Classic Movie Companion).
.12 Angry Men was inducted into the National Film Registry in 2007.
Academy Awards 1957 --- Ceremony Number 30 (source: AMPAS)
| Award | Recipient | Result |
| Best Director | Sidney Lumet | Nominated |
| Best Picture | Henry Fonda and Reginald Rose, Producers | Nominated |
| Best Writing | Reginald Rose | Nominated |
BlogHub Articles:
12 Angry Men – Take 2 – Henry Fonda
By Virginie Pronovost on Feb 2, 2019 From The Wonderful World of CinemaI had already written about 12 Angry Men (Sidney Lumet, 1957) on this blog when I wrote about Lee J. Cobb’s paternal roles in this film and in Golden Boy (Rouben Mamoulian, 1939). But there’s another 12 Angry Men’s actor that obviously deserves to be discussed: Henry Fonda, juror #... Read full article
DOUBLE BILL #13: Witness for the Prosecution (1957) and 12 Angry Men (1957)
By Carol Martinheira on Apr 12, 2018 From The Old Hollywood GardenDOUBLE BILL #13: Witness for the Prosecution (1957) and 12 Angry Men (1957) On April 12, 2018 By CarolIn Uncategorized Courtroom dramas never disappoint. They?re tense, gripping, dramatic and emotional and, more often than not, they grab you by the throat and they don?... Read full article
What I Learned from 12 Angry Men
By 4 Star Film Fan on Oct 16, 2016 From 4 Star FilmsRecently I got the chance to sit down with a group of friends and watch 12 Angry Men together. Many of them had never seen it and hearing their reactions was immense fun for me. But as we talked for a few minutes afterward, I began to realize that really each of these characters represents something... Read full article
What I Learned from 12 Angry Men
By 4 Star Film Fan on Oct 16, 2016 From 4 Star FilmsRecently I got the chance to sit down with a group of friends and watch 12 Angry Men together. Many of them had never seen it and hearing their reactions was immense fun for me. But as we talked for a few minutes afterward, I began to realize that really each of these characters represents something... Read full article
12 Angry Men (1957)
By Beatrice on Jun 1, 2016 From Flickers in Time12 Angry Men Directed by Sidney Lumet Written by Reginald Rose 1957/USA Orion-Nova Pictures Repeat viewing/Netflix rental #333 of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die Lumet gathered all the great character actors of the 50’s into one room with Henry Fonda and made a stage play work com... Read full article
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Quotes from
Juror #10: You didn't prove it at all. What're you talking about?
Juror #8: But supposing he really did hear it. This phrase, how many times have all of us used it? Probably thousands. "I could kill you for that, darling." "Junior, you do that once more and I'm gonna kill you." "Get in there, Rocky, and kill him!" We say it every day. That doesn't mean we're going to kill anyone.
Juror #3: Wait a minute. What are you trying to give us here? The phrase was "I'm gonna kill you." The kid yelled it at the top of his lungs! Don't tell me he didn't mean it. Anybody says a thing like that the way he said it, they mean it.
[after Juror #10 explains that he believes the boy is guilty because of the testimony of the woman across the street]
Juror #8: I'd like to ask you something: you don't believe the boy's story; how come you believe the woman's? She's one of 'them', too, isn't she?
Juror #10: You're a pretty smart fella, aren't you?
Juror #2: It's hard to put into words. I just think he's guilty. I thought it was obvious from the word, 'Go'. Nobody proved otherwise.
Juror #8: Nobody has to prove otherwise. The burden of proof is on the prosecution. The defendant doesn't even have to open his mouth. That's in the Constitution.
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Facts about
Sidney Lumet had the actors all stay in the same room for hours on end and do their lines over and over without taping them. This was to give them a real taste of what it would be like to be cooped up in a room with the same people.
June 2008 Ranked #2 on the American Film Institute's list of the 10 greatest films in the genre "Courtroom Drama".
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