Classic Courtroom Dramas.

My top 5 favorite courtroom dramas by some of the greatest actors in some of their best performances.

1. To Kill a Mockingbird(1962).
The film tells the story of a Alabama lawyer, Atticus Finch, defending a back man of the assault of a young white woman. One of Gregory Peck's best performances. Robert Duvall makes his film debut in a non-speaking role of Boo Radley. You will never forget the bigotry and hate that makes the film more compelling.

2. 12 Angry Men(1957).
What appears to be an open-and-shut case of a young Puerto Rican man accused of murdering his father. One juror sees things differently, played brilliantly by Henry Fonda, who is not comfortable making a decision without even debating his case, much to the frustration of the other jurors. Sidney Lumet, directs an all-star cast in this courtroom classic movie..

3. Witness for the Prosecution(1957).
A classic of courtroom suspense, this film keeps the viewer guessing right up to the very surprising end . Tyrone Power plays the prime suspect, in his final film, and Charles Laughton, who plays his defense attorney grabs the spotlight, with his performance, bringing a few smiles, to this serious film.. Based on the Agatha Christie novel.

4. Anatomy of a Murder(1959).
Jimmy Stewart plays a cleaver small-town attorney defending an army lieutenant who shoots a bar owner for allegedly raping his wife. Stewart gives a wonderful performance in this courtroom drama that maybe overlooked.

5. I Want To Live!(1958).
Susan Hayward plays a convicted prostitute who finds herself framed for murder and facing the death penalty. The film is based on the true story of Barbara Graham and journalist Ed Montgomery, who helped convict her then tries to save her. Susan Hayward, totally deserved the best actress Oscar she won for her role in the film..

Witness For The Prosecution(1957).

Witness For The Prosecution(1957). Courtroom drama, based on a short story by Agatha Christie dealing with the trial of a man accused of murder. Cast: Tyrone Power, Marlene Dietrich, and Charles Laughton, and features Elsa Lanchester, Laughton's wife. Director: Billy Wilder.

Just after leaving the hospital Sir Wilfrid Robarts, returns to his office with his overbearing nurse, Miss Plimsoll, when Mayhew and his client, Leonard Vole, come to see him about an important case.

Mayhew believes that Leonard will be charged with the murder of wealthy widow Emily Jane French because it was well known that he was with her the day she was killed. Leonard says that he was in the army and stationed in Germany, where he met his wife German actress, Christine.

Leonard says that he is had been trying to find someone to help finance his new eggbeater invention and that is when he first met with Mrs. French. He had hoped that Mrs. French would finance his work.

Later, Sir Wilfrid questions Leonard on what happened on the night of the murder and his relationship with Mrs. French. Leonard does not change his story, making Sir Wilfrid believe he is innocent.

The case becomes complicated when Vole's only alibi is his wife, who agrees to be a witness for the prosecution.

Dietrich character is very calculating and she and Tyrone are the star attractions, but... Charles Laughton steals the show with his whit. The plot has many twists 'n' turns...


Fun Facts:

This was the final film for Tyrone Power.

This was Una O'Connor's last big screen motion picture.

William Holden was the first choice for Leonard, but he was unavailable. Other actors considered for the role included Gene Kelly, Kirk Douglas, Glenn Ford, Jack Lemmon, and even Roger Moore. Eventually, Tyrone Power accepted the role when he was offered both Witness for the Prosecution (1957) and Solomon and Sheba (1959). Before he could complete Solomon however, Power had a fatal heart attack and was replaced by Yul Brynner.

Ava Gardner and Rita Hayworth were also considered for the role of Christine Helm.

Elsa Lanchester (28 October 1902 – 26 December 1986). Studied dance as a child and began performing in theater and cabaret. She met the actor Charles Laughton in 1927, and they were married two years later. She began playing small roles with Laughton in, The Private Life of Henry VIII (1933).

Her role in, Bride of Frankenstein (1935), came to be one of the roles most closely associated with her throughout her life.

She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for, Come to the Stable (1949) and Witness for the Prosecution (1957), the last of twelve films in which she appeared with Laughton.

Following Laughton's death in 1962, Lanchester made appearances in Disney films: Mary Poppins (1964), That Darn Cat! (1965) and Blackbeard's Ghost (1968). The horror film, Willard, (1971) and one of her last roles was in, Murder By Death (1976).