Actor:           James Stewart, Ben Gazzara, Lee Remick, George C. Scott
Director:      Otto Preminger
Genre:          Drama
Year:            1959
Studio:         Criterion Collection  
Length:        161
Released:   February 21, 2012
Rating:         Unrated (Video)
Format:        DVD
Misc:            Black & White
Language:  English
Subtitles  :  English

DESCRIPTION:

A virtuoso James Stewart (Vertigo) plays a small-town Michigan lawyer who takes on a difficult case: that of a young Army lieutenant (The Killing of a Chinese Bookie’s Ben Gazzara) accused of murdering the local tavern owner who he believes raped his wife (Days of Wine and Roses’ Lee Remick). This gripping, envelope-pushing courtroom potboiler, the most popular film from Hollywood provocateur Otto Preminger (Laura), was groundbreaking for the frankness of its discussion of sex—more than anything else, it is a striking depiction of the power of words. With its outstanding supporting cast—including a young George C. Scott (Patton) as a fiery prosecuting attorney and legendary real-life attorney Joseph N. Welch as the judge—and influential jazz score by Duke Ellington, Anatomy of a Murder is a Hollywood landmark; it was nominated for seven Oscars, including best picture.

Special Features

New high-definition digital restoration

New interview with Otto Preminger biographer Foster Hirsc

Critic Gary Giddins explores Duke Ellington's score in a new interview

A look at the relationship between graphic designer Saul Bass and Preminger

Newsreel footage from the set

Excerpts from a 1967 episode of Firing Line, featuring Preminger

Excerpts from the work in progress Anatomy of "Anatomy": The Making of a Movie

Behind-the-scenes photographs by Life magazine's Gjon Mili

Trailer, featuring on-set footage

PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by critic Nick Pinkerton and more