1959 Classic Film Ranked Among 'Best Movies of All Time'
A good crime drama is riddled with tension as lawyers and witnesses try to uncover the truth behind a murder. A screenplay by Wendell Mayes became an on-screen classic, thanks to director Otto Preminger, and became one of the best trial films ever made.
Hollywood legend James Stewart starred as the lead in the 1959 film Anatomy of a Murder, alongside Lee Remick, Ben Gazzara, Eve Arden, George C. Scott, Arthur O'Connell, Kathryn Grant, Brooks West (Arden's husband), Orson Bean, and Murray Hamilton. The film also starred a real-life lawyer during the Army-McCarthy hearing, Joseph N. Welch. Anatomy of a Murder has been tagged by Rotten Tomatoes as one of the "Best Movies of All Time" with a perfect 100% score.
The film is one of the earliest and best examples of a prime trial movie, and for good reason, thanks to its backstory. Anatomy of a Murder was originally a novel of the same name published by Michigan Supreme Court Justice John D. Voelker. He published the book under a pseudonym and developed the storyline based on a real-life 1952 murder case he presided over.
Anatomy of a Murder focuses on small-town lawyer Paul Biegler (Stewart), who takes on the defense of a U.S. Army lieutenant being accused of murdering an innkeeper who allegedly sexually assaulted his wife. Biegler builds a case on temporary insanity acted upon in a moment of rage. As the trail proceeds, conflicting testimonies, questionable motives, and moral ambiguity blur the line between truth and manipulation. The film soon explores the grey areas of justice and what really happened.
"One of cinema's greatest courtroom dramas, Anatomy of a Murder is tense, thought-provoking, and brilliantly acted, with great performances from James Stewart and George C. Scott," said Rotten Tomatoes.
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Critics have called out the film for its length of over two hours, but applauded its ability to deliver a storyline with finesse to keep audiences interested until the final moment. The film did face its hiccups when it was temporarily banned for its use of language not often heard at the time. A court ruled the film used realistic and appropriate language, with words like "contraceptive", (sexual) "climax", and "spermatogenesis" having never been heard before in cinema.
Anatomy of a Murder even led Columbia Pictures to be sued by the daughter of the real-life murder victim in the 1952 case, and was later dismissed. Law professionals have also praised the film for its ability to demonstrate a legal defense, and ranked by the American Film Institute as a classic. It has since been preserved in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.
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This story was originally published April 23, 2026 at 8:28 AM.