Compulsion (1959)

Director:

Richard Fleischer

Writers:

Richard Murphy (screenplay)
Meyer Levin (novel)

Release Date:

May 1959 (West Germany)

Genre:

Biography | Crime | Drama | History | Thriller

Tagline:

Sometimes murder is just a way to pass the time.

Plot:

Two wealthy law-school students go on trial for murder in this version of the Leopold-Loeb case.

Plot Keywords:

Student | Trial | Murder | Defense Attorney | College Student

Awards:

Nominated for BAFTA Film Award. Another 1 win & 4 nominations

Cast

Orson Welles	...	Jonathan Wilk
Diane Varsi	...	Ruth Evans
Dean Stockwell	...	Judd Steiner
Bradford Dillman	...	Arthur A. Straus
E.G. Marshall	...	District Attorney Harold Horn
Martin Milner	...	Sid Brooks
Richard Anderson	...	Max Steiner
Robert F. Simon	...	Police Lt. Johnson (as Robert Simon)
Edward Binns	...	Tom Daly
Robert Burton	...	Charles Straus
Wilton Graff	...	Mr. Steiner
Louise Lorimer	...	Mrs. Straus aka 'Mumsy'
Gavin MacLeod	...	Padua - Horn's Assistant
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ina Balin	...	Mike's girlfriend (scenes deleted)
Edmund Cobb	...	Policeman (scenes deleted)
Frank Conroy	...	(scenes deleted)
Terry Becker	...	Angry Reporter (uncredited)
Russ Bender	...	Edgar Llewellyn - Attorney (uncredited)
Peter Brocco	...	Albert, Steiner's Chauffeur (uncredited)
Alan Carney	...	Globe Newspaper Editior (uncredited)
Harry Carter	...	Detective Davis (uncredited)
Wendell Holmes	...	Jonas Kessler (uncredited)
Kenner G. Kemp	...	Juror (uncredited)
Henry Kulky	...	Tough Waiter (uncredited)
Mike Lally	...	Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
Gerry Lock	...	Emma (uncredited)
Jack Lomas	...	Medical Examiner (uncredited)
Dayton Lummis	...	Dr. Allwyn - Psychiatrist (uncredited)
Hank Mann	...	Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
Frank McClure	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Ralph Montgomery	...	Courtroom Reporter (uncredited)
William H. O'Brien	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Voltaire Perkins	...	Judge Matthews (uncredited)
Jack Raine	...	Professor McKinnon (uncredited)
Jeffrey Sayre	...	Reporter on Telephone (uncredited)
Simon Scott	...	Detective Brown (uncredited)
Nina Shipman	...	Girlfriend (uncredited)
Hal Taggart	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Arthur Tovey	...	Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
Tom Wilson	...	Juror (uncredited)
Wilson Wood	...	Reporter (uncredited)

Directed by
Richard Fleischer

Writing credits
Richard Murphy		(screenplay)
Meyer Levin		(novel)

Produced by
Richard D. Zanuck	....	producer

Original Music by
Lionel Newman

Cinematography by
William C. Mellor

Film Editing by
William Reynolds

Art Direction by
Mark-Lee Kirk
Lyle R. Wheeler

Set Decoration by
Eli Benneche
Walter M. Scott

Costume Design by
Adele Palmer

Makeup Department
Ben Nye	....	makeup artist
Helen Turpin	....	hair stylist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ben Kadish	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Eugene Grossman	....	sound
Harry M. Leonard	....	sound

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Charles Le Maire	....	executive wardrobe designer (as Charles LeMaire)

Editorial Department
Orven Schanzer	....	first assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Earle Hagen	....	orchestrator
Bernard Mayers	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Darryl F. Zanuck Productions

Distributors

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1959) (USA) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1969) (USA) (TV) (original airing) (pan/scan)
• Fox Video (199?) (USA) (VHS) (pan/scan)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD)

Runtime:

103 min | 99 min (FMC Library Print)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (35 mm magnetic prints) (Westrex Recording System) | Mono (35 mm optical prints) (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

USA:Approved (certificate #19194) | Canada:PG (video rating) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles High School - 4650 W. Olympia Boulevard, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Darryl F. Zanuck Productions

Trivia:

In his treatment of the Leopold-Loeb case, _Rope (1948)_, Alfred Hitchcock used his famous "ten minute takes" and segued from one to the other with a "natural wipe" generally focusing on the back of one of the character's suit jackets. Perhaps as an homage to The Master, Compulsion (1959) director Richard Fleischer uses a "natural wipe" focusing on the front of Bradford Dillman's suit to end a scene.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Judd Steiner: To the perfect crime!
Arthur Straus: Crime. Oh, my wealthy fraternity brothers. 67 dollars, and a second-hand typewriter.

Movie Connections:

Version of De strop (1968) (TV)

I agree with Ms. Brown COMPLETELY

I had never even heard of this movie until today.WHERE in the world are the historians?This is on par for courtroom drama with Lionel Barrymore's great dissertation at the end of, "A Free Soul"-1931.This, also, was a fact based portrayal of Adele Rogers St.John's father's career.

I have to concur with Ms. Brown, and ask the question as to why this movie is not shown more often;i saw it on AMC. The bottom line is the line by Mr. Darrow:"You don't stop killing human beings by killing human beings".Mr. Welles was never in finer form, than when he gives this speech... i understand this speech is verbatim of the transcript of the trial.