Gideon's Trumpet (1980) (TV)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Robert E. Collins

Writers:

Anthony Lewis (book)
David W. Rintels (teleplay)

Release Date:

30 April 1980 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

True story of Clarence Gideon's fight to be appointed counsel at the expense of the state. This landmark...

Plot Keywords:

Supreme Court | Cross Examination | Indigent Counsel | Justice | Indigent

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Primetime Emmys. Another 1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Henry Fonda	...	Clarence Earl Gideon
José Ferrer	...	Abe Fortas
John Houseman	...	Chief Justice / Offscreen Narrator
Fay Wray	...	Edna Curtis
Sam Jaffe	...	1st Supreme Court Justice
Dean Jagger	...	Sixth Supreme Court Justice
Nicholas Pryor	...	Jacob
William Prince	...	5th Supreme Court Justice
Lane Smith	...	Fred Turner
Richard McKenzie	...	Judge Robert McCrary
Dolph Sweet	...	Charlie
Ford Rainey	...	2nd Supreme Court Justice
David Sheiner	...	Abe Krash
J. Patrick McNamara	...	Harris
Les Lannom	...	Bobby Earle

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:L

Filming Locations:

California Institution for Men - 14901 Central Avenue, Chino, California, USA

Company:

Hallmark Hall of Fame Productions

Trivia:

Fay Wray's final screen appearance.

Goofs:

Continuity: After Gideon wins his second trial and leaves the courthouse a reporter asks him a question. As Gideon leaves the reporter scribbles something on his notebook. However the reporter’s notebook is closed throughout the shot.

Quotes:

Abe Fortas: [discussing a person's right to have an adequate defense during a trial] What I'd like to say to the Court is: "Let's not talk; let's go down there and watch one of these fellows try to defend themselves".

Interesting.

I wouldn't define this movie as being great. It was good, but not great. It was interesting though. I had to watch this for my criminal justice class, and I was riveted to it. I learned a lot about how our courts worked and how reforms in them were made so people who couldn't afford an attorney still had the right to have one. Based on a true story, Clarence Gideon was convicted of a crime he did not commit. But the movie centers around how he was deprived of his right to an attorney, and how he fought in prison to make clear that he did not have a fair trial. I thought it was well done, and Henry Fonda was very good in the role of Clarence Gideon. Only drawback, this should have been released in theaters. The camerawork of the courtroom and the long shots of Clarence Gideon confessing his history are great. The opening shot is the best scene of the film, which is seen in it's entireity later. Henry Fonda looks right into the camera, right at you, and as Clarence Gideon, he gives you his background. Ingenious. I wish there could be more movies with scenes as subtle and as profound as this. The other scene I liked was when Gideon is retried with an experienced lawyer, and when the first witness falsely claims Clarence Gideon is the culprit, the lawyer cuts him down with words and facts. This movie is good, but it's not a monumental achievement. I would highly recommend it to you though. It's got the qualities a good film should have: a good story and good acting. And lawyers or people involved in law alike will find it very interesting.