IMDb RATING
7.4/10
7.8K
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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
Watching this 1959 Richard Fleischer confirmed something I've always known. Dean Stockwell is a superb actor and an extraordinary presence on the screen. So, I think it's strange that he's not regarded as one of the greatest actors that ever lived. He started as a kid. He was Gregory Peck's son, twice. He was in musicals with Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra. He was directed by Elia Kazan. He made allegorical movies like "The Boy With Green Hair" directed by black listed Joseph Losey. He was Edmond in "Long Day's Journey Into Night" sharing the screen with Katharine Hepburn, Ralph Richardson and Jason Robards. No to mention his work in "Sons and Lovers" or the movies with Wim Wenders and David Lynch. Here, in "Compulsion" his performance is worthy of an Oscar and in fact he go the accolades at the Cannes Film Festival sharing the acting honors with Orson Welles and Bradford Dillman. But, looking at it now he is the one that comes out as the one who passed in triumph the test of time. His performance is so rich so perfectly modulated that you go straight into the human center of his sick, appalling character. "Compulsion" deserves to be rediscovered and Dean Stockwell's performance should be the main reason.
- uhmartinez-phd
- Nov 14, 2007
- Permalink
Details
- Runtime1 hour 43 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1
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