Guilty or Innocent: The Sam Sheppard Murder Case (1975 TV Movie) User Reviews

The best part of the movie is George Peppard's performance

[climbingivy · 7/10 · 19 February 2012]

Guilty or Innocent:The Sam Sheppard Murder Case was actually not a very good made for television true story semi docu-drama.The best thing going for this movie is the fact that George Peppard played the part of the accused doctor Sam Sheppard.I had heard of Doctor Sam Sheppard off and on as I was growing up and I did not know a whole lot about the case or the circumstances in the murder case.I was able to procure a VHS tape recording of the movie from an old history channel airing.I also taped the 1998 made for television sequel "My Father's Shadow The Sam Sheppard Story" with Peter Strauss as Sam Sheppard.I have always heard that the 1960s television series "The Fugitive" with David Janssen was based on the Doctor Sam Sheppard story.I do not know if this is true or not.I have this movie.

compelling and chilling

[dtucker86 · 15 October 2002]

George Peppard gives a great performance as the real life "Fugitive". The film follows Doctor Sheppards story from the 1954 circus trial to his death in 1970, a broken man destroyed by one of the most obscene miscarriages of justice in the history of the American legal system. This man was convicted by a vindictive press. I do not think I have ever heard of a case where the press played executioner the way it did with Sheppard. Sheppard admitted that he had affairs, but that did not mean he killed his wife. People looked down on adultery in the 1950s the way they condone it today. I cannot understand why this man was convicted at all. They had x-rays and medical proof that he had been seriously injured by the intruder who killed Marilyn. There were many character witnesses who testified to his good nature and the fact that he was a loving, devoted family man. The murder scene was awash in blood, but except for one small stain on his pants, Sheppard had none on him. Two of Marilyn's teeth were pulled from her mouth in a manner that says she bit her attacker, and yet Sheppard had no open wounds on his person. There were eyewitnesses who said they saw a man near the house that morning that matched the description Sheppard gave of the intruder. There was a cigarette butt found in their toilet, yet the Sheppards didn't smoke. There were scraps of cloth found at the scene that showed the prescene of a third party. This movie really brings the injustice to life. I highly recommend it and wish they would show it more often.

Just as good as any documentary about the case.

[yenlo · 20 August 1999]

A fine made for TV movie about a famous 50's murder case. George Peppard delivers a solid performance as Sam Sheppard the Doctor accused of brutally murdering his wife. The film covers several years and has a documentary style to it. Some of the characters actually speak directly to the viewing audience at times recounting various aspects of the Sheppard case and his life. There are actual documentary programs about the Sheppard murder case, which use actual news footage, and this movie is just as good as those.