Rating: 
Summary: Excellent Court Room Drama
Review: Otto Preminger's Anatomy Of A Murder was considered very controversial at the time of its release in 1959. The story revolves around a small town lawyer (Jimmy Stewart) defending a young soldier (Ben Gazzara) who is accused of murder. The defense lies n the fact that Mr. Stewart is trying to prove justifiable homicide as he was reacting to the raping of his wife (Lee Remick). The subject of rape had never been so openly discussed on film before. The use of the word panties was considered quite risqué at the time. While today this sort of stuff appears on public television and seems quite tame, if you put yourself back into that more conservative time, you can see the movie is quite steamy. Aside from the controversy, it is an excellent court room drama with Mr. Stewart at his everyman best. A young George C. Scott is brash and cocky as the big city lawyer who locks horns with Mr. Stewart, Mr. Gazzara is cool and menacing in his role, Ms. Remick plays the classic femme fatale and Eve Arden plays Mr. Stewart's secretary with wisecracking charm. Anatomy Of A Murder is compelling and the ending will not disappoint.
Rating:
Summary: One Of Jimmy's Best! And Lee Remick Cinches The Deal!
Review: This 1959 courtroom drama starring the incomparable Jimmy Stewart is one of my favorite Stewart films. Jimmy's portrayal of a defense attorney is spot-on perfect here, in my view.There's a great supporting cast in force here as well, including Geoge C. Scott, Ben Gazzara, Arthur O'Connell, Eve Arden (hilarious, as always, in the role of Stewart's secretary), Murray Hamilton, Orson Bean, and the always-fetching Lee Remick (whose alluring quality is undeniable in this motion picture). Keep an eye open for Howard McNear (Floyd the Barber in "The Andy Griffith Show") as a witness. It's quite humorous--and maybe even a tad bit unsettling even--to hear Floyd Lawson on the witness stand, speaking of sexual matters. Mayberry-ites would gasp in shock & horror I imagine. LOL. Clocking in at a very lengthy 160 minutes, the film never drags. It moves at a snappy-enough pace to keep our interest the whole way, with a nice combination of scenes both inside and outside the courtroom. There's an outstanding Duke Ellington score to propel the action, and as a bonus on the DVD edition, there's a perfectly-fantastic Photo Gallery section of stills from the film, underscored by Ellington's music from the movie. This is the best and classiest "Photo Gallery" extra you're likely to encounter on any DVD product as of this date. Picture quality on the DVD looks just fine here. Aspect ratio is 1.33:1 (Full Frame), which I know irks the "Widescreen Only" crowd. However, from all the info I can gather, the 1.33 ratio IS indeed the Original Aspect Ratio for this film. So, it's OK by me, if this is the case. If "Anatomy Of A Murder" is not currently in your DVD collection, you should probably be taken to court by lawyer Stewart for overlooking this fine motion picture experience. Get it now -- before Jimmy comes after you with a subpoena. :)
Rating: 
Summary: Good movie, if you haven't read the book. Otherwise, lousy
Review: I had the great misfortune of reading the book before watching the movie. The book was a masterpiece, arguably the best piece of courtroom fiction ever written. John Grisham's a head of lettuce compared to Robert Traver's brilliant, accurate portrayal of the controversial (fictional) trial of Frederic Manion. But if you've read the book, DO NOT WATCH THE MOVIE. It will be a massive dissappointment. You will be put off by the Duke Ellington soundtrack. Sure, it's good music, but this is the story of rural northern Michigan, not the nightclubs of NYC. Duke's jazz does a disastrous job of complementing the setting of the film, and seems quite jarring in spots. You will be put off by the inaccuracies, like Biegler's ability to play the piano, which never happened in the book (and which only happens in the movie to make Duke's score fit). You will feel that the story could have happened anywhere, anytime, whereas the book was distinctively Upper Peninsula in atmosphere. You might agree with me that Jimmy Stewart was miscast. Sure, he does a great acting job as always, but whenever I looked at the screen, I saw Jimmy Stewart: Jimmy Stewart is talking to the bartender, Jimmy Stewart is arguing in a courtroom--as opposed to seeing Paul Biegler. It's like watching a movie where Jimmy Stewart's the lawyer, not Paul Biegler. Jimmy Stewart, defense attorney. The only real highlight, what saves the movie, is the superb acting job by George C. Scott, whoever played the Irishman, and others. If it weren't for them, I'd be giving this movie a one-star review. Perhaps if you haven't read the book you'll delight in the movie. It's a good stand-alone movie. It's fairly enjoyable despite its faults. But if you've read the book first, you'll hate it. And if you haven't read the book, I highly recommend you read it now. It's far superior to the movie in every way.
Rating:
Summary: What is Jimmy Stewart doing with those panties?
Review: An excellent courtroom drama that revolves around a murder case in the small Michigan town of Thunder Bay. James Stewart portrays a small town attorney defending a army sargent accused of killing his wife's rapist. Tense and surprisingly adult in its subject matter and dialouge, this Otto Preminger film features a great score by Duke Ellington and beautiful black and white cinematography. Most of the film takes place in the courtroom and a real judge, not an actor, presides over the trial. A young George C. Scott portrays the ambitious, right wing prosecutor and Ben Gazzara is the accused. Lee Remick is the rape victim and the owner of the infamous panties, a key piece of evidence. It's a great film that features an outstanding performance by Stewart. Don't pass it by.
Rating:
Summary: ENGROSSING !
Review: The best courtroom drama I have ever seen. James Stewart puts forth an almost effortless mastery of acting in his role as a lawyer hired to defend Ben Gazzara who is accused of killing his wife's alleged rapist. I found this film to be extremely interesting because of the way it dealt with sensitive subject matter (rape) in a 1959 major motion picture. I was surprised by the frank language used in the courtroom scenes. The Duke Ellington jazz score is so good I bought the soundtrack on CD. Lee Remick looks completely lustful as the Ben Gazzara's wife, But Stewart is so damn good and natural in his role, its hard to tell if he is even acting or just reciting his lines and being himself. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
Rating:
Summary: Wears surprisingly well
Review: Otto Preminger, who produced and directed this fine courtroom drama starring James Stewart, Lee Remick, George C. Scott and Ben Gazzara, had a knack for translating best-selling mid-cult novels to the screen (The Man with the Golden Arm (1955); Exodus (1960); Advise and Consent (1962) and others) usually in a nervy manner, sometimes heavy-handed, sometimes pretentious, but always worth a look. Part of his secret was star power. Like Hitchcock, he liked to go with big names supported by fine character actors. And part of his secret was his long experience in both the theater and films going back to the silent film era. He knew how to put together a movie. But more than anything it was his near-dictatorial control over the production (something directors seldom have today, and never in big budget films--Preminger's were big budget for his day) that allowed him to successfully capture the movie-going audience at midcentury. This and Laura (1944) are two of his films that go beyond the merely commercial and achieve something that can be called art. Seeing this for the first time forty-three years after it was released I was struck by the fine acting all around and the sturdy, well-constructed direction. James Stewart's performance as the Michigan north country lawyer Paul Biegler might shine even more luminously than it does except for a certain performance by Gregory Peck three years later as a southern country lawyer in the unforgettable To Kill a Mockingbird (1962). Lee Remick, in a frank, but imperfect imitation of Marilyn Monroe, co-stars as Laura Manion, the wife of army Lt. Frederick Manion (Gazzara) whom Bielger is defending on a murder charge. The defense is temporary insanity because the man he shot raped his wife. Bielger slyly gains sympathy for his client by deliberately allowing it to come out that Laura is sexy and flirtatious enough to drive any man crazy. Indeed, he tricks the prosecution into doing his work for him. George C. Scott plays Claude Dancer, a big city prosecutor, with snake-like precision while Gazzara manages to combine introspection and cockiness as the young lieutenant. Fine support comes from Eve Arden (best known as Our Miss Brooks on TV and in the movie of that name) as Biegler's loyal secretary and Arthur O'Connell as his alcoholic mentor. Kathryn Grant, who gave up a promising film career to marry Bing Crosby and have children, has a modest role as the murdered man's daughter. I've seen many courtroom dramas, some real, some fictional, since this film first appeared, but I have to say it stands up well. The action (for the most part) feels realistic and the tension is nicely created and maintained. The resolution is satisfying and the ending is as sly and subtle as any country lawyer might want. Incidentally, if this movie had more total votes cast at IMDb, it would rank in the top one hundred of all time, which is where it belongs. See this for James Stewart whose easy, adroit style under Preminger's direction found full range. Although he gave many fine performances, I don't think Stewart was ever better than he was here.
Rating:
Summary: Court-Room Masterpiece
Review: Preminger's 'Anatomy of a Murder' has stood the test of time. The black and white cinematography remains superb; Ellington's score a reminder of how film music has lost atmosphere and style, and the direction completely engaging and focusing. James Stewart, stalwart as ever, convinces as the humane and vulnerable attorney, and Lee Remick shines as the teasing, taunting rape-victim-or-not -- a fabulous portrait of complexity and range. George C Scott has the Mount-Rushmore grandeur of a figurehead of legal absolutness, and Eve Arden comments sagely in her secretarial capacity. At 160 minutes, you might think it's a long haul. In fact it's a centred journey into stylistic, haunting movie-making. Very engaging. END
Rating:
Summary: Suspenseful and sensual courtroom drama
Review: This tense courtroom drama combines elements of suspense, sensuality, comedy, and intellect to deliver a wonderfully captivating film. The characters are the driving force of this film, with James Stewart obviously leading the cast as defense attorney Paul Biegler. Lee Remick is perfect in the role of flirtatious, sexy, lower-class blond Laura Manion, whose husband murdered the man who raped her. Ben Gazzara plays Frederick Manion, who pleads temporary insanity to the murder, although both Stewart and the audience know his crime was quite deliberate. George C. Scott delivers a cutting performance as the big-city lawyer who lashes into Manion, only to have Manion lash back. Eve Arden plays Biegler's loyal secretary, and Arthur O'Connell rounds out the cast as Biegler's alcoholic friend. Unlike many Hollywood courtroom dramas that FEEL like Hollywood courtroom dramas, this film possesses a realism that most others lack. The film was very controversial at the time of its 1959 release because of the "graphic" descriptions of the rape. I find trivia like this especially interesting because it helps me see the evolution of film over the decades. I love movies that strive for elements of realism; however, I hate contemporary films that feel compelled to shock audiences beyond belief in their "realism." This film accomplishes that goal without the grotesque and obscene style of many of today's courtroom dramas. Overall, this is a wonderful piece of cinematic art with top-notch writing and characterization. A must-see for any film aficionado.
Rating:
Summary: The Soldier's Wife
Review: Otto Preminger is probably one of the least understood and under appreciated directors from the 1940's -1960's, but truth be known he was responsible for some of the most interesting, popular and well made movies from this era: Anatomy of a Murder, Carmen Jones, The Man with the Golden Arm, Laura, Advise and Consent. He was one of the few directors that could handle serious subject matter with style and grace without becoming preachy and maudlin.
"Anatomy of a Murder" is one of his best: perfect, spot-on casting, eloquent screenplay, truthful performances, and gorgeous black and white photography. Jimmy Stewart, who seemed to be able to realistically portray anyone from any era and social status, plays a small town lawyer hired to defend a soldier, Ben Gazarra for murdering a man accused of raping his wife, Lee Remick. Gazzara and Remick are first rate but it is a non-actor, real judge Joseph N. Welch who almost steals the movie away from all three principals, which only proves that Preminger was a smart cookie...a smart cookie, indeed.
Rating: 
Summary: Oscar-winner movie
Review: Allowing for the difference in movie-making over the past 40-50 years, it is easy to see why this film picked up some Oscars in its day. Excellent performances and a twist ending make the viewing sheer pleasure.
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