IMDb RATING
7.4/10
7.7K
YOUR RATING
Two wealthy law-school students go on trial for murder in this version of the Leopold-Loeb case.Two wealthy law-school students go on trial for murder in this version of the Leopold-Loeb case.Two wealthy law-school students go on trial for murder in this version of the Leopold-Loeb case.
- Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award
- 1 win & 5 nominations total
Robert F. Simon
- Police Lt. Johnson
- (as Robert Simon)
John Alban
- Reporter
- (uncredited)
Don Anderson
- Reporter
- (uncredited)
Brandon Beach
- Courtroom Spectator
- (uncredited)
Terry Becker
- Benson - The Angry Reporter
- (uncredited)
Russ Bender
- Edgar Llewellyn - Attorney
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaAlthough the story was a thinly-disguised recreation of the Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb murder case, the legal department of 20th Century Fox was still concerned about a possible lawsuit from the still-living Leopold. A great effort was made not to mention Leopold or Loeb in the movie, press releases, and interviews. However, there was apparently poor communication with the advertising department, since when the movie came out, newspaper ads stated, "based on the famous Leopold and Loeb murder case." Leopold sued the filmmakers. He did not claim libel, slander, nor anything false nor defamatory about the film. Instead, he claimed an invasion of privacy. The court rejected his claim, in part, because Leopold had already published his own autobiography "Life Plus 99 Years," presenting essentially the same facts.
- GoofsWhen the murdered boy is in the morgue, his uncle recognizes him instantly, and the coroner doesn't mention to the young journalist (who found the glasses) that the kid had acid burned all over his face so he couldn't be identified. In the real life case, his face was burned and, most importantly, at the very end of the movie, Orson Welles as the defending attorney mentions that the murdered boy's face was burned with acid.
- Quotes
Jonathan Wilk: If there is any way of destroying hatred and all that goes with it, it's not through evil and hatred and cruelty, but through charity, love, understanding.
- Crazy creditsOpening credits prologue: CHICAGO, 1924
- ConnectionsFeatured in The Paper Chase: Commitments (1983)
Featured review
"St. Leopold" At the End of His Life
Leopold was paroled after years of being a model prisoner, planning all kinds of prison reforms, and when released did philanthropic work in Puerto Rico. Interesting that Meyer Levin, author of book on which this film is based said, this amazingly redeemed man just a few times gave Levin a chill as it became clear that this character of 'St. Leopold' was just another creation of a true psychopath. The mocking narcissistic smirk was still there under it all.
- poetcomic1
- May 5, 2021
- Permalink
Details
- Runtime1 hour 43 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1
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