The Old, Dark House

THE OLD, DARK HOUSE (BLACK AND WHITE, 1932)    

   

Director: 

James Whale

Cast: 

Boris Karloff, Melvyn Douglas, Charles Laughton, Lillian Bond, Ernest Thesiger, Gloria Stuart, Raymond Massey, Eva Moore, Brember Wills and Elspeth Dudgeon 

Ages: 

10 and up

Plot: 

In a rainstorm, five travellers in two separate vehicles seek shelter in a mansion belonging to the Femm family. The travellers are greeted unwelcomingly by the scarred butler Morgan (Karloff), who can be dangerous when drunk. The travellers have dinner with two members of the Femm family, Rebecca (Moore) and Horace (Thesiger), while 102-year old Roderick (Dudgeon) is bedridden upstairs and scripture-quoting Saul (Wills) is locked up. Over the course of one horrific night, the plot unfolds.

Still of Boris Karloff as Morgan

Why it’s good: 

It’s a wild movie. Although the film was not as well made as the rest of the Universal films like "The Mummy" (1932), there are many unforgettable characters and such funny dialogue which could tickle your funny bones and actually scare you at the same time.

The rest of the Universal horror films were more serious and scary, and this one isn’t scary at all. The scares come from Morgan, the butler, and if not, from Brember Wills who comes out only at the last minute as if he came in and said ‘Boo!’. Then he stays for just 5 minutes throwing knives like a maniac and rushing up and down the steps.

The cast playing the five disoriented travellers are magnificent. It includes Gloria Stuart, who played the old lady in 1997’s Titanic. Raymond Massey was the guy playing Jonathon Brewster in "Arsenic and Old Lace", as the lookalike of Boris Karloff (who appears here).

Parent’s guide: 

A knife comes through the air when Brember Wills goes crazy. A lot of scares for young children including the scene where Lillian Bond and Eva Moore have a fight.

Trivia: 

James Whale, the subject of the film Gods and Monsters, considered this film to be the best of his own works.

If you like this…: 

James Whale directed other horror movies and thrillers for Universal in the early 1930s, including The Invisible man (1933), Frankenstein (1933) and Bride of Frankenstein (1935). 

To Kill a Mockingbird

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD (BLACK AND WHITE, 1962)

Director: 

Robert Mulligan

Cast: 

Gregory Peck, Mary Badham, Phillip Alford, John Megna, Frank Overton, Collin Wilcox Paxton, Rosemary Murphy, Brock Peters, Ruth White, Paul Fix, Estelle Evans, Robert Duvall, James Anderson and Richard Hale

Ages: 

7 and up

Plot: 

Atticus Finch (Peck) is a widower and lawyer in Alabama during the Great Depression. He has two children, Scout (Badham) and Jem (Alford), who befriend their visiting neighbour, oddball Dill (Megna). Atticus is then asked by the sheriff (Overton) to take on an unpopular case where he has to defend a black man Tom Robinson (Peters) who has been accused of raping Mayella (Paxton), the daughter of a white man, Bob Ewell (Anderson). Meanwhile, the three children worry about a slightly spooky neighbour named Boo Radley (Duvall). Later, Atticus proves Tom’s innocence, but he cannot save him from the racist town. It costs Atticus many friendships, but he earns respect from his own children. 

Atticus Finch (Peck) defending Tom Robinson (Peters).

Why it’s good: 

I had just come back from a children's book club discussion this morning where we discussed books. I like reading, yes, and I also like movies, too.   

One of the topics we talked about at the book club was “books made into movies – which one is better, the book or the movie?” The one which came to my mind first was this book and this film, as To Kill a Mockingbird is an all-time classic in American literature.  I mentioned it; and the girl sitting opposite me said she watched it too. And she was about my age. And she liked it. It was black and white, she commented.

So the film is still fondly remembered and it is a really great movie. I read the first few chapters of the novel, and it was a totally great book.

The values in the movie are good. We should not discriminate others by skin colour and that we should always stick to our principles. Are the townspeople right to capture Tom Robinson? Would it be different if the whole thing happened today? All of the movie’s themes are great subjects for debate.

I also learned about the mockingbird from this movie.  "Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy.  They don't eat up people's gardens, don't nest in corncribs, they don't do one thing but sing their hearts out for us.  That's why it's a sin to kill a mocking bird."

And most uniquely, the story is told from a little girl (Scout)'s perspective.  This makes it easy for children to identify with the movie.

Trivia: 

Harper Lee’s only novel and Dill’s character is based on her childhood friend writer Truman Capote (who wrote “In Cold Blood”).

Parent’s guide: 

A dog is shot by Atticus. A boy's arm is broken by another character toward the end of the film, but only some tussling is shown.

If you like this…:

Other dramas which explore similar themes about discrimination against blacks in America: "12 Angry Men" (1957) and "In the Heat of the Night" (1967) .         

Duck Soup

DUCK SOUP (BLACK AND WHITE, 1933)

Director: 

Leo McCarey

Cast: 

The Marx Brothers (Groucho, Chico, Harpo and Zeppo), Margaret Dumont, Raquel Torres, Louis Calhern and Edgar Kennedy

Ages: 

4 and up

Plot: 

In the bankrupt state of Freedonia, Rufus T. Firefly (Groucho) is elected president with the backing of millionaire widow Mrs Teasdale (Dumont). Ambassador Trentino of neighbouring country Sylvania (Calhern) sends in two spies (Chico and Harpo) to spy on Firefly, creating lots of chaos and comedy in the process.  As the Ambassador Trentino attempts to woo Mrs Teasdale, Firefly declares war on Sylvania.  But can Firefly outwit his opponents?

Why it’s good: 

Because this is considered the best of the five films the Marx brothers made for Paramount. Many, many of the classic sequences here have been parodied in many, many other movies.

In this film, the politics is just a parody to the Depression. The year was 1933 during the Great Depression, and the Brothers were ready to give their very best. Once you hear that first musical number, "These Are the Laws of My Administration", you would think that whatever Groucho blabbers applies to any politician you can think of.

There are always a few classic sequences in each Marx Brothers movie, one which is funnier than the rest. Here, it is the mirror scene, where the Brothers start mimicking Firefly. Then they closely mimic each other's action in their best comic moment onscreen.  Click here to watch the classic mirror scene.  It still makes me laugh watching it!  The lemonade battle Chico and Harpo have with a lemonade vendor is just hilarious and rather aggressive.  The battle scenes are not graphic at all.

The "All God Chillun Got Guns" number in Duck Soup.

Trivia: 

This is the only film where Harpo does not play the harp. Mussolini banned the film in Italy.

Parent’s guide: 

Nothing noteworthy, except that the battle sequence is a little scary.

If you like this…: 

The other 4 films the Brothers made for Paramount: "The Coconuts" (1929), "Animal Crackers" (1930), "Monkey Business" (1931) and "Horse Feathers" (1932). Do not mistake the 1931 Monkey Business film for the 1952 film of the same name starring Cary Grant, Ginger Rogers and Marilyn Monroe with a completely different plot.       

The General

THE GENERAL (BLACK AND WHITE, 1926)

Director: 

Buster Keaton and Clyde Bruckman

Cast: 

Buster Keaton, Marion Mack, Glen Cavender, Jim Farley, Charles Smith, Joe Keaton, Tom Nawn and Fredrick Vroom

Ages: 

4 and up

Plot: 

Johnnie Gray (Buster Keaton) is on the Confederate side of the American Civil War. When it starts, he tries to enlist, but since he is an engineer, the Confederates think he is much more useful in that role. A year later, Johnnie's beloved locomotive, "The General", is stolen by Union spies led by General Thatcher (Farley) and Captain Anderson (Cavender) with Johnnie’s girlfriend Annabelle (Mack) in it. Can Johnnie save both of them?

Buster Keaton as Johnnie in The General.

Why it’s good: 

Because Buster Keaton is probably the most representative comedian of the silent movie era, although Charlie Chaplin is probably more famous because of his trademark cane, bowler hat and moustache. Buster didn’t really have such "trademarks" - he is just one of those simple actors who is excellent at acting and did not need an exaggeration.

I think "The General" (1926) is his best work. It is set in the American Civil War and is the least dramatic of his pictures.  If you want to see a dramatic set-piece, look for 1928’s "The Cameraman in Kino" DVD. He is usually misunderstood in his films, always very reserved and here, his girlfriend thinks he is a coward.

Yet all these posturings are just invitations to join in the comedy. The comedy is slapstick, slap-happy and hilarious. Funny comes with a little hardship, you know.

Parent’s guide: 

The two leads kiss when they meet. There is some slapstick violence, e.g. knocking, firing cannons.

Trivia: 

The final scene sparked a fire in the forest, so the cast and crew stopped filming to stop the fire. The two armies were made out of 500 National Guardsman from Oregon. When Marion Mack and Buster Keaton tried refilling the water for the locomotive, Buster Keaton did not say Marion will get wet. When she did, she was shocked.

If you like this…: 

More Buster Keaton films. "The Cameraman, Sherlock Jr." (1924), "The Navigator" (1924), "Steamboat Bill Jr." (1928) and any of the shorts that he made.  

The Big Heat

THE BIG HEAT (BLACK AND WHITE, 1953)

Director: 

Fritz Lang

Cast: 

Glenn Ford, Gloria Grahame, Jocelyn Brando, Lee Marvin, Alexander Scourby, Peter Whitney, Carolyn Jones, Dorothy Green, Linda Bennett and Adam Williams

Ages: 

10 and up

Plot: 

Dave Bannion (Glenn Ford) is a detective sergeant who takes on the case of the death of a fellow officer. The cops think it is suicide, but the cop’s mistress (Green) thinks not. When the mistress ends up dead, who could have done it? Was it Mike Lagana (Scourby), the local mob boss, Mike’s second in-command Vince Stone (Marvin) or Vince’s girlfriend Debby (Grahame)? When Dave’s wife (Brando) is killed, Dave goes seeking for revenge.

Photograph of (from left): Gloria Grahame and Glenn Ford

Why it’s good: 

Violent, complex and amazing. The film-noir presents the opposite perspective from North by Northwest (1959). In the 1959 film, the attitude is ‘Does being someone bad make you good?’

Here it is ‘Does being someone good make you bad?’ Fritz Lang directed and shaped the way it was made. At first, you could see Dave Bannion as a good guy. He is the father of Joyce (Linda Bennett) and the husband of Jocelyn Brando.

But as he moves on, he completely becomes violent; when he starts to investigate the murder (or suicide). At one point, Vince’s girlfriend tells Dave after he made a comment that he would rather have killed a character. “If you did, you would be no more than Vince." Vince is the major bad guy in the film.

The famous scene, though, is the scene where Vince throws a pot of coffee at Gloria Grahame. She then throws it back. That is the most violent scene.

Parent’s guide: 

The scene where Lee Marvin throws a coffee pot at Gloria Grahame. There are also scenes of violence, killings, suicide, murder, etc.

Trivia:
Columbia originally wanted Marilyn Monroe to take on the role of Gloria Grahame. However, the price was too high for 20th Century Fox.

If you like this…: 

"Gilda" (1946), more Glenn Ford and more femme fatales like Gloria Grahame’s. Johnny Farrell (Ford) has been asked to spy on Gilda (Rita Hayworth), his ex-flame, in the film.    

James Stewart and His Wonderful Life

James Stewart was a war hero and maybe the most approachable celebrity. He is my first choice in this list for his versatile acting and real-life heroic acts.  

James Stewart was born with the middle name Maitland and was known to be a shy child. He went to Mercersburg Prep School, which he graduated from in the year 1928. His first play on stage was "The Wolves". He had a vast collection of toy airplanes.  This later inspired him to venture aviation. He was later invited to join the University Players, with Henry Fonda, who later became his best friend.

James Stewart (1908-1997)

His first important role was as David Graham in the comedy-mystery film "After the Thin Man" (1936), which put the actor in the bad guy role. Then, by 1938, he became more famous after shooting comedy films like "You Can’t Take It With You" (1938), "The Shop Around the Corner" (1940), "The Philadelphia Story" (1940) and "Pot o’ Gold" (1941).

After World War II, he came back, made ‘It’s a Wonderful Life" (1946) with Lionel Barrymore and Donna Reed. That was a Christmas classic, but it did not get him anywhere.

Two men, both film directors, saved him. The first was Alfred Hitchcock, who lured him next to Farley Granger and John Dall for "Rope" (1948), "Rear Window", "The Man Who Knew Too Much" (1956) and "Vertigo" (1958).

The other man was Anthony Mann, who lured him into more violent westerns. Their first collaboration was "Winchester 73" (1950) with Anthony Quinn and Dan Duryea, and when Stewart knocked those villains over the bar, it was not what the audiences had seen before.

His lessons for us are that vitality exists, whether or not we are heroes.  

Here are some of his best films:

AFTER THE THIN MAN (BLACK AND WHITE, 1936)
James Stewart isn't the lead, merely a side show, but this was the one which displayed his type of roles and the type of villain he used to play before the Mann westerns or the Hitchcock thrillers.

THE PHILADELPHIA STORY (BLACK AND WHITE, 1940)

Director George Cukor brings in James Stewart as cynical reporter Macaulay Connor, Liz Imbrie, played by Ruth Hussey, is his photographer. Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn, the two other leads pull strings from the sole, as, respectively, C.K. Dexter Haven and Tracy Lord, ex-marrieds who are part of the marriage plot though Tracy’s wanted to marry John Howard’s industrialist.

IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE (BLACK AND WHITE, 1946)

My all-time favourite classic. James Stewart plays George Bailey, the best American hero there was (and is). The supporting cast is excellent – Ward Bond, Lionel Barrymore, Donna Reed, Henry Travers, Beulah Bondi, Frank Albertson and H.B. Warner. This is Stewart’s arguably best role.

ROPE (COLOUR, 1948)

James Stewart stars as Rupert Cadell, the best schoolteacher you will ever see in a movie, though his is more of a psych in this movie confronting the two killers played by Farley Granger and John Dall.

HARVEY (BLACK AND WHITE, 1950)

Elwood P. Dowd, the lead character is played by Stewart, like the Mary Chase play. Josephine Hull plays her sister, Peggy Dow as a nurse, Virginia Horne as Stewart’s niece and Charles Drake as a doctor. The invisible rabbit is unbelievable to adults while children think that it’s half-half.

THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH (COLOUR, 1952)

James Stewart is not the lead, but stars in the movie’s most mellow role as a clown and killer. He was always in clown make-up, other than the photograph a cop gives Charlton Heston, as he asks whether or not he knows that man. Betty Hutton plays Holly the trapeze artist and Gloria Grahame plays ‘Angel’.

THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH (COLOUR, 1956)
Hitchcock made a similar film of the same name in 1934, but now he decided to direct it again. This time shooting in colour, he used the same old plot. The plot takes place in Morocco, when a doctor, Benjamin (James Stewart), and his wife (Doris Day) meet a man on a bus, they get suspicious. After he is killed and their son kidnapped, the plot begins to unravel.  Doris Day's song Que Sera Sera was made famous through this movie.

REAR WINDOW (COLOUR, 1954)

L.B. Jefferies was the photographer Stewart played in this thriller from the master director Alfred Hitchcock. Look for the director’s cameo appearance – as a clock winder. Also notice the vignettes happening in each room.

VERTIGO (COLOUR, 1958)

John Scottie Ferguson is James Stewart’s character, an acrophobic cop who investigates why Kim Novak has been acting so strangely in front of her husband, Gavin, played by Tom Helmore. A Hitchcock movie.

THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE (BLACK AND WHITE, 1962)

Another of my favourite westerns. Director John Ford paired Stewart with actor John Wayne for the first and second-last time. James Stewart is a lawyer, now senator, who goes to the funeral of Tom Doniphan (Wayne) and he recalls the good old days when Tom and himself were fighting for the same girl (Vera Miles) while trying to stop Liberty Valance (Lee Marvin) from terrorising the west.          

The Sound of Music

THE SOUND OF MUSIC (COLOUR, 1965)

Director: 

Robert Wise

Cast: 

Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer, Eleanor Parker, Richard Haydn, Peggy Wood, Charmain Carr, Heather Menzies-Urich, Nicholas Hammond, Duane Chase, Angela Cartwright, Debbie Turner, Kym Karath, Daniel Truhitte, Gilchrist Stuart, Ben Wright and Norma Varden

Ages: 

4 and up

Plot: 

Maria (Andrews) is a nun in 1930’s Austria, but unfortunately failing. The mother abbess (Wood) soon sends Maria on her way to become the governess to the seven children of widower and naval captain Georg Von Trapp (Plummer). Georg is going to marry a widow Baroness (Parker), to Maria's disappointment as she herself has fallen in love with the captain. At the same time, the oldest daughter (Carr) falls in love with a young postman Rolfe (Truhitte), who visits her secretly whenever he can. Georg is an Austrian and is happy to be one, but Rolfe is a Nazi. When Maria fills the family with singing, laughter and joy, Max Detweiler (Haydn) thinks he has found the perfect troupe for his music festival.

The two-disc special edition of the film  

Why it’s good: 

Because it is tuneful and also because I remembered watching this in class during music lesson.

I later found the DVD among the old racks of videos on the shelves in my house. The DVD was faulty, but it didn’t matter and the film became a staple in our movie diet. We watched this for  many weeks before retiring the film. After we did, we would watch it occasionally when there was nothing else to watch.

The songs are well-known; well-known enough it appeared in piano examinations and a commercial advertising Cold Storage Supermarket. The evergreen songs include ‘Edelweiss’, ‘My Favourite things’, ‘Do-Re-Mi’, ‘I Have Confidence’, ‘Maria’, 'Climb Every Mountain' and the title song, ‘The Sound of Music’.

Other than the songs, watch this movie for the beautiful scenery with hills, mountains and churches.  For older children, use the movie to tell them about World War II. Although there are no war scenes, war is brewing in the background,  and Georg Von Trapp shows his children (and the audience) how patriotic he is and how much he loves his country when he sings 'Edelweiss'.

Parent’s guide: 

It is a G-rated motion picture, though there are several Nazis like Herr Zeller (Ben Wright) and Rolfe (Daniel Truhitte), who, at one point, points his gun at a character. There are some alcoholic beverages in the party scene.

Trivia: 

The film was to be directed by William Wyler, who toyed around the script and scouted locations, but was replaced by Robert Wise.

If you like this…: 

Director Robert Wise also directed "The Curse of the Cat People" (1944) and "The Day the Earth Stood Still" (1951). If you can find any other Rodger and Hammerstein musicals, get them - they're an ace team.  Rodger composed the music while Hammerstein wrote the lyrics. See the Musicals chapter for more musical delights.                       

His Girl Friday

HIS GIRL FRIDAY (BLACK AND WHITE, 1940)

Director: 

Howard Hawks

Cast: 

Cary Grant, Rosalind Russell, Ralph Bellamy, Gene Lockhart, Cliff Edwards, Porter Hall, Helen Mack and John Qualen

Ages: 

10 and up

Plot: 

‘Hildy’ Hildegard Johnson (Russell) was once married to Chicago newspaper editor Walter Burns (Grant), who was her boss. One day, however, she tells Walter she is retiring from the newspaper business to marry a good-hearted insurance man Bruce Baldwin (Bellamy). Burns, however, wants Hildegard to report on murderer Earl Williams (Qualen) first. Hildegard is reluctant, and Burns tries all means to get Bruce into lots of trouble, winning Hildegard’s heart in the process.

Still of (from left): Ralph Bellamy, Cary Grant, and Rosalind Russell

Why it’s good: 

It is probably the most speedy screwball comedy of all time. The script was completely made to overlap each other’s rapid-fire dialogue, especially with those cronies in the background set against the dramatic case of John Qualen, the murderer.

John Qualen isn't really important, and solely communicates with Rosalind Russell’s Hildegard and Sheriff Peter B. Hartwell (played by Gene Lockhart from "Miracle on 34th Street"), and the B stands for ‘Brains’ or was it ‘Bull’?            

The answer is both, since the cronies call him the latter and Johnson the former as she says,"Peter B. Hartwell. B for Brains.”

The sheriff also isn't that important, even though the election is. It was based on a play by Ben Hecht, and it was adapted once before, but was a flop. So the light bulbs to make a good picture were a) use a new technique with rapid and overlapping dialogue and b) change the gender of one of the characters (which was Rosalind Russell’s).

So, in short, it is the battle of the sexes.  Watch this movie for its rapid-fire dialogue.  It will blow you away, being twice the speed of our normal speech.

Parent’s guide: 

Cary Grant takes off his shirt in one scene for a medical check-up. Earl Williams’ girlfriend jumps off a building to her near death. Rosalind Russell jumps onto Gene Lockhart’s back and he falls onto the ground. 

Trivia: 

Five actresses, including Ginger Rogers, were asked to play Hildegard Johnson. Ginger Rogers declined, but when Cary Grant was cast as Walter Burns, she came to regret her decision.

If you like this…: 

"The Front Page" (1974) with Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau follows the play more closely without changing the gender. Directed by Billy Wilder, who also wrote the screenplay.                            

Dr. Strangelove

DR. STRANGELOVE, OR: HOW I LEARNED TO STOP WORRYING AND LOVE THE BOMB (BLACK AND WHITE, 1964)

Director: 

Stanley Kubrick

Cast: 

Peter Sellers, George C. Scott, Sterling Hayden, Slim Pickens, Kennan Wynn, Peter Bull, James Earl Jones and Tracy Reed

Ages: 

12 and up

Plot: 

It is the cold war. Insane general Jack D. Ripper (Hayden) has just sent the go code for several planes to go bomb Moscow. His aide, Lionel (Sellers) wants to put a stop to it, and Buck Turgidson (Scott) learns about it in the Pentagon. He tells the President (Sellers again) and an ex-scientist Dr Strangelove (Sellers once more), who both try to find the go code as  Russian Ambassador (Bull) proves that bombing Moscow would mean the end of the world. They do, with Lionel’s help, but the aircraft with Maj. "King" Kong (Pickens) and a lieutenant (Jones) are unable to get the message.

Dr Strangelove, played by Peter Sellers.

Why it’s good: 

Because it is a satire and black comedy about, of all things, nuclear war, cold war and how the communists are trying to "pollute" the Americans (as the insane Jack D. Ripper would say).

And it is also Stanley Kubrick’s least controversial movie. The screenplay was collaboration between him and Terry Southern, which is mighty priceless. The famous line is “Gentlemen, you can’t fight here, this is the war room!” It is just like the “I am your father!” from the movie Star Wars (said by James Earl Jones, who happened to be playing a lieutenant in this film).

Another thing to note is Sellers playing multiple roles. He plays Jack D. Ripper’s aide Lionel Mandrake, the President and Dr Strangelove.

But most of all, the names are all silly, Lionel’s last name is Mandrake, the President’s was Merkin Muffley, George C. Scott’s was Buck Turgidson, Sterling Hayden’s was Jack D. Ripper and Slim Pickens was ‘King’ Kong.

Parent’s guide: 

One of the character’s, assisted by Mandrake, shoots some of his own soldiers who are marching from base to base. There are several scenes where they use nuclear weapons on accident. One character fights with Peter Bull’s insisting he is a Soviet spy.

Trivia: 

Peter Sellers was originally supposed to play the Major, too, but had trouble developing the accent for the character. Thus they had to choose someone else, and they chanced on Slim Pickens, who was never shown the entire script.

If you like this…: 

"Fail-Safe" (1964) is not really a comedy, but a rather dramatic Cold War suspense film with Henry Fonda playing the President. By today’s standards, it is too slow and confusing. I watched only half of it for the reasons above.              

12 Angry Men

12 ANGRY MEN (BLACK AND WHITE, 1957)

Director: 

Sidney Lumet

Cast: 

Henry Fonda, Martin Balsam, Lee J. Cobb, John Fiedler, E.G. Marshall, Jack Klugman, Edward Binns, Jack Warden, Joseph Sweeney, Ed Begley, Robert Webber and George Voskovec

Ages: 

7 and up

Plot:

Twelve jurors, led by juror #1 (Balsam), go into a jury room one hot day to reach a verdict on the case in which a teenage boy, a black, has been charged for stabbing his father. 11 of the jurors rule the son guilty; the one who does not is juror #8 (Fonda) as he thinks there is room for doubt. He then tries to convince the rest of the jurors that the suspect is not guilty.

The 12 Angry Men, stuck in the jury room. They can't leave until they have reached a unanimous decision on this case.

Why it’s good: 

Because it is the best movie in this bunch; it seems real time. There is only one room and then there are 12 men – angry ones. All eager to head home.

Maybe just from the snippet above you would think that kids would get bored with 1 hour and thirty minutes of that as all the action takes place in just one room, the jury room. But it is highly watchable, and you would appreciate the personalities of all the jurors. More importantly, it teaches us to be human and not discriminate others by skin colour. 

Lee J. Cobb has a son in this movie, though never shown, but kept being talked about. Robert Webber keeps jumping around the guilty-not guilty camps. Then there is the lead, Henry Fonda, who acts here wonderfully, and proves that he could play roles other than cowboys.

Not surprisingly, it lost the Best Picture Oscar to 1957’s "The Bridge Over River Kwai". The message, here, though, is very easy to convey and take in. It is not only a good movie, it is also good for you.   

After seeing this movie, I asked some people about the American judicial system, and they told me to go figure. I looked for more courtroom dramas, and I found no other movie like this. Most of the other courtroom drama had the action outside the jury room. So you could say this is more special than the rest.

                   

Parent’s guide: 

In re-enacting how the jury think the murder is committed, they use a knife, and it looks as if they are going to kill each other but the man holding the knife puts it in one of the juror’s ties.

Trivia: 

Henry Fonda was both actor and producer in this film. He was, however, very frustrated being producer and decided never to be one again. Juror #8, as portrayed by Fonda, has been voted one of the American Film Institute's top heroes.

If you like this…: 

The TV movie remake of the same name in 1997 bears much resemblance. It has George C. Scott and Jack Lemmon as two of the many jurors, with the accused being played by Douglas Spain.  "To Kill a Mockingbird" (1962) is another courtroom drama that explores the theme of racial discrimination in America.