12 Angry Men is a 1957 American legal drama film directed by Sidney Lumet in his feature directorial debut, adapted by Reginald Rose from his 1954 teleplay. A critique of the American jury system during the McCarthy era, the film tells the story of a jury of twelve men as they deliberate the conviction or acquittal of a teenager charged with murder on the basis of reasonable doubt; disagreement and conflict among the jurors forces them to question their morals and values. It stars an ensemble cast, featuring Henry Fonda (who also produced the film with Rose), Lee J. Cobb, Ed Begley, E. G. Marshall, and Jack Warden.
An independent production distributed by United Artists, 12 Angry Men received acclaim from critics, despite a lukewarm box-office performance. At the 30th Academy Awards, it was nominated for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Screenplay. It is regarded by many as one of the greatest films ever made.
In 2007, it was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant". Additionally, it was selected as the second-best courtroom drama ever (after 1962's To Kill a Mockingbird by the American Film Institute for their AFI's 10 Top 10 list.
Plot On a hot summer day in the New York County Courthouse, the trial has just concluded of an 18-year-old boy, characterized as a "slum kid", who is accused of killing his abusive father. The judge instructs the jury that if there is reasonable doubt, they must return a verdict of "not guilty". If found guilty by unanimous verdict, the defendant will receive a mandatory death sentence via the electric chair.
At first, the case seems clear. A neighbor who lives opposite testifies to having seen the defendant stab his father, as she lay in bed looking out of her window and through the windows of a passing elevated train into the apartment where the killing took place. A disabled neighbor living below testifies that he heard the defendant threaten to kill his father, then heard the body hitting the floor. He says that on going to his door and opening it, he saw the defendant running down the stairs. The defendant had recently purchased, but claims he had lost, a switchblade of the same type that was found at the murder scene, wiped of fingerprints.
In a preliminary vote, all jurors vote "guilty" except Juror 8, who wants discussion before any verdict. When his first few arguments – including proving that the switchblade, believed to be unique, is in fact not – fail to convince the other jurors, he suggests a secret ballot. This reveals one other "not guilty" vote; Juror 9 reveals that he, too, now agrees there should be more discussion.
Juror 8 argues that the noise of the passing train would have obscured everything the second witness claimed to have overheard. Several jurors question whether the death threat, even if correctly overheard, was simply a figure of speech. Juror 11 doubts that a defendant who was clear headed enough to wipe the blade of fingerprints would risk returning to the crime scene. Jurors 5 and 11 change their votes. After looking at a diagram of the second witness's apartment and conducting an experiment, the jurors determine that it was impossible for the disabled witness to have made it to the door in the time he stated. Infuriated at a comment made by Juror 8, Juror 3 lunges at him and threatens to kill him; all go silent as they realize his words cannot reasonably be taken literally. Jurors 2 and 6 change their votes; the jury is now evenly split.
The victim's stab wound was angled downwards. Juror 5, who has had personal experience with switchblades, points out that such blades are designed to be thrust upwardly, and that a downward thrust from a shorter, experienced assailant is inconceivable, as it would have required the blade to have been repositioned in the killer's hand. Jurors 7, 12 and 1 change their votes, leaving the jurors split 9:3. Juror 10 delivers a prejudiced rant against people from slum backgrounds, and the other jurors distance themselves from him.
Juror 4 states that the evidence from the woman who saw the killing from her bed is incontrovertible, convincing Juror 12 to revert to a guilty vote. After watching Juror 4 remove his glasses and rub the impressions they made on his nose, Juror 9 realizes that the witness was constantly rubbing similar marks on her own nose, showing that she was a regular glasses-wearer despite not wearing them in court. Juror 8 remarks that the witness's evidence must be questionable, as she said she was in bed trying to sleep at the time, when she would not have been wearing her glasses, nor would she have had time to put them on. All jurors apart from Juror 3 now vote not guilty.
Failing to convince the others, Juror 3 explodes in a fit of rage, opens his wallet and rips up a photograph of himself and his son. Seemingly realizing that his strained relationship with his son is the reason for his certainty, he breaks down in tears, and changes his vote. The jurors leave the jury room, now unanimous that the defendant should be acquitted. Juror 8 helps Juror 3 with his jacket. As they leave the courthouse, Jurors 8 and 9 briefly exchange names before parting ways.
Cast
Juror Actor Description 1 Martin BalsamThe foreman; a calm and methodical assistant high school football coach.2John FiedlerA meek and unpretentious bank teller who is easily flustered, but eventually stands up for himself.3Lee J. CobbA loud, hot-tempered owner of a messenger service who is estranged from his son; the most passionate advocate of a "guilty" verdict.4E. G. MarshallAn unflappable, conscientious, and analytical stockbroker who is concerned only with facts, not opinions.5Jack KlugmanA Baltimore Orioles fan who grew up in a violent slum, and is sensitive to bigotry towards "slum kids".6Edward BinnsA tough but principled and courteous house painter who stands up to others, especially over the elderly being verbally abused.7Jack WardenAn impatient and wisecracking salesman who is more concerned about the Yankees game he is missing than the case.8Henry FondaA humane, justice-seeking architect and father of three; initially, the only one to question the evidence and vote "not guilty". The closing scene reveals his surname is 'Davis'.9Joseph SweeneyA thoughtful and intelligent elderly man who is highly observant of the witnesses' behaviors and their possible motivations. The closing scene reveals his surname is 'McCardle'.10Ed BegleyA pushy, loud-mouthed and xenophobic garage owner.11George VoskovecA polite European watchmaker and naturalized American citizen who demonstrates strong respect for democratic values such as due process.12Robert WebberAn indecisive and easily distracted advertising executive.
Other, uncredited actors in the film include Rudy Bond as the judge, Tom Gorman as the court stenographer, James Kelly as the bailiff, Billy Nelson as the clerk, and John Savoca as the defendant.
Themes Professor of Law Emeritus at UCLA School of Law Michael Asimow referred to the film as a "tribute to a common man holding out against lynch mob mentality". Gavin Smith of Film Comment called the film "a definitive rebuttal to the lynch mob hysteria of the McCarthy era".
Business academic Phil Rosenzweig called the jury in 12 Angry Men being made up entirely of white men "especially important", writing: "Many of the twelve would have looked around the room, and, seeing other white men, assumed that they had much in common and should be able to reach a verdict without difficulty. As they deliberate, however, fault lines begin to appear—by age, by education, by national origin, by socioeconomic level, by values, and by temperament."
Production Development Reginald Rose's screenplay for 12 Angry Men, titled Twelve Angry Men, was initially produced for television and was inspired by a jury summons. Although it is unclear what trial he was summoned to, according to Rose, in early 1954, he served as a juror on a manslaughter case in the New York Court of General Sessions. Though he and the other eleven jurors initially attended begrudgingly, Rose was deeply affected by the impassioned and deliberate atmosphere of the trial and the finality of his and the jury's verdict. Rose began writing Twelve Angry Men upon realizing that very few people knew what occurred during jury deliberations and that they could serve as an exciting setting for a drama. While writing the screenplay, Rose cut planned passages of dialogue to account for a fifty-minute time slot on television, leading to the characters to be less nuanced. A live production of "Twelve Angry Men", directed by Franklin Schaffner and starring Robert Cummings as Juror 8 and Franchot Tone as Juror 3, was broadcast on the CBS program Westinghouse Studio One on September 20, 1954, to positive reviews. It received four nominations for the 7th Primetime Emmy Awards, winning three on March 7, 1955: "Best Actor in a Single Performance", "Best Direction", and "Best Written Dramatic Material".
In February 1955, actor Henry Fonda formed Orion Productions under a three-year deal with distributor United Artists. He reportedly first saw Westinghouse Studio One "Twelve Angry Men" as a kinescope in a Hollywood projection room following its success in the 7th Primetime Emmy Awards. He was impressed with the story and wanted to star as Juror 8. In mid-1956, Fonda partnered with Rose to produce a film adaptation of 12 Angry Men. As part of the partnership, Rose formed Nova Productions and combined it with Fonda's Orion Productions to form Orion-Nova Productions, and production of the film was budgeted at $340,000. To develop the screenplay and characters, Rose restored material he had cut for the broadcast and added dialogue that revealed character's backgrounds and motivations.
Fonda and Rose recruited Sidney Lumet to direct 12 Angry Men, his film directorial debut. Lumet had previously directed numerous episodes, including adaptations of Rose's plays, for TV series such as Danger and You Are There. Fonda said he hired Lumet because of his proficient directing skills and because he was "wonderful with actors". Lumet recruited Boris Kaufman as the cinematographer. Kaufman had recently won an Academy Award for Best Cinematography for On the Waterfront (1954), and Lumet believed Kaufman's "realist style" suited the film.
Filming The film was shot in New York and completed after a short but rigorous rehearsal schedule, in less than three weeks, on a budget of $337,000 (). Fonda said in 1957, "We shot this picture in 21 days, for $40,000 less than our modest $380,000 budget....we rehearsed for two weeks before even a thought of shooting. Everybody had a firm idea of what he was to say and do."Carmody, Jay. "The Passing Show: Fonda More Relaxed The Busier He Gets." Washington Evening Star, April 16, 1957, A16. Rose and Fonda took salary deferrals. Faith Hubley, later to be known for her Oscar-winning animated efforts with spouse John, was script supervisor for the film.
Cinematographer Boris Kaufman described the film's longest single take beginning under the opening credits: "The opening scene was the longest single take I have ever done in all my years as a cinematographer. It ran for seven consecutive minutes. It was made up of 18 separate camera movements which actually showed 18 basic fact situations. It also established the basic style and mood of the picture. During the seven-minute take the camera introduces the twelve men in a very casual way as they bump into each other and exchange casual remarks which are not at all related to the case on trial. Yet in this way each character immediately begins to relate to every other man in the room and to the story."Kaufman, Boris. “Filming ’12 Angry Men’ On A Single Set.” American Cinematographer, December 1956, 724-25.