Beyond a Reasonable Doubt (1956)

Director:

Fritz Lang

Writer:

Douglas Morrow (story)

Release Date:

5 September 1956 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Film-Noir | Drama

Tagline:

Put them all together they spell M-U-R-D-E-R !

Plot:

Writer sets himself up to take murder rap to show the errors of circumstantial evidence. With a friend...

Plot Keywords:

Trial | Falsely Convicted | Twist In The End

Cast

Dana Andrews	...	Tom Garrett
Joan Fontaine	...	Susan Spencer
Sidney Blackmer	...	Austin Spencer
Arthur Franz	...	Bob Hale
Philip Bourneuf	...	Roy Thompson
Ed Binns	...	Lt. Kennedy
Shepperd Strudwick	...	Jonathan Wilson
Robin Raymond	...	Terry Larue
Barbara Nichols	...	Dolly Moore
William F. Leicester	...	Charlie Miller (as William Leicester)
Dan Seymour	...	Greco
Rusty Lane	...	Judge
Joyce Taylor	...	Joan Williams
Carleton Young	...	Allan Kirk
Trudy Wroe	...	Hatcheck girl
Joe Kirk	...	Clerk
Charles Evans	...	Governor
Wendell Niles	...	Announcer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Phillip Barnes	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Baynes Barron	...	Higgens (uncredited)
Larry Barton	...	Customer (uncredited)
William Boyett	...	Staff (uncredited)
Benny Burt	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Myron Cook	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Tony De Mario	...	Doctor (uncredited)
Franklyn Farnum	...	Spectator at electrocution (uncredited)
Dorothy Ford	...	Tall Blonde (uncredited)
John George	...	Newspaper Vendor (uncredited)
Dorothy Gordon	...	Secretary (uncredited)
Frank Mills	...	Burlesque patron (uncredited)
Frank Mitchell	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Joel Mondeaux	...	Staff (uncredited)
Joey Ray	...	Eddie (uncredited)
Billy Reed	...	Emcee (uncredited)
Jeffrey Sayre	...	Jury foreman (uncredited)
Carl Sklover	...	Taxi driver, photographer (uncredited)
Harry Strang	...	Warden (uncredited)
Hal Taggart	...	Court clerk (uncredited)
Ralph Volkie	...	Photographer (uncredited)
Bob Whitney	...	Bailiff (uncredited)
Dave Wiechman	...	Condemned man (uncredited)
Eric Wilton	...	Clergyman (uncredited)

Directed by
Fritz Lang

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Douglas Morrow		story and screenplay

Produced by
Bert E. Friedlob	....	producer (as Bert Friedlob)

Original Music by
Herschel Burke Gilbert

Cinematography by
William E. Snyder		(director of photography) (as William Snyder)

Art Direction by
Carroll Clark

Set Decoration by
Darrell Silvera

Makeup Department
Ruby Felker	....	hair stylist
Lou LaCava	....	makeup supervisor

Production Management
Maurie M. Suess	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Maxwell O. Henry	....	assistant director (as Maxwell Henry)

Sound Department
Terry Kellum	....	sound
James Thompson	....	sound (as Jimmy Thompson)

Editorial Department
Gene Fowler Jr.	....	editorial supervisor

Music Department
Herschel Burke Gilbert	....	conductor

Other crew
Leo Taub	....	assistant to producer

Production Companies

• Bert E. Friedlob Productions

Distributors

• RKO Radio Pictures (1956) (USA) (theatrical)
• Cable Hogue Co.
• Continental Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Luminous Film & Video Works (video)
• RKO Radio Pictures (1957) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• VidAmerica (video)

Runtime:

80 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.00 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

UK:PG | West Germany:12 (f) | USA:Approved (certificate #18013) | Finland:K-16

Company:

Bert E. Friedlob Productions

Trivia:

The last film that 'Fritz Lang' made in the USA before returning to Germany.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The James Dean Story (1957)

Soundtrack:

Beyond A Reasonable Doubt

good drama wrapped in a B production

"Beyond a Reasonable Doubt" is a curious film - it has the look and feel of a B movie and two stars who had seen better days - Dana Andrews and Joan Fontaine - yet it's a good script directed by Fritz Lang. A novelist (Andrews) and his future father-in-law, a newspaper magnet (Sidney Blackmer) work together to prove that the death penalty isn't justified by framing Andrews for a recent murder.

I thought the story excellent with some exciting twists, though the whole movie has an underplayed (not to mention inexpensive) feeling to it. Fontaine seemed a little old for her role. However, she does a good job as a sophisticate, and Andrews is good as well. Barbara Nichols does a fine job in a typical supporting role for her.

Lang returned to Germany after this film, his last in America. It's an effective plot but one wishes the man who made Metropolis and so many other fine films was given more of a budget for his swansong.