Anatomy of a Murder
A semi‑retired Michigan lawyer fights to free an army lieutenant accused of murder, battling a ruthless district attorney and a mysterious key witness whose hidden secret could tip the scales of justice.
“No search of human emotions has ever probed so deeply, so truthfully as… Anatomy of a Murder.”
Synopsis
Semi-retired Michigan lawyer Paul Biegler takes on the case of Army Lt. Manion, who is accused of murdering a local innkeeper after his wife alleged that he raped her. During an extensive trial, Biegler engages in legal maneuvering with District Attorney Lodwick and out-of-town prosecutor Claude Dancer in an effort to secure his client's acquittal. However, Biegler's defense hinges on the testimony of the victim's enigmatic business partner, who is concealing a dark secret.
Credits
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How many hands made this film
The scale of the collaboration
A crew of 85+ credited
Why a floor?
This is a minimum, not a total. We only count the credits we’ve captured so far, and coverage is uneven — a blockbuster might show a few hundred names while another of the same size shows a couple dozen. The real crews all ran into the thousands. The number here only grows as full credits are enriched — so we frame it as a floor, never a headcount.
Craft leads on file
Edited by Louis R LoefflerShot by Sam LeavittScored by Duke EllingtonDesigned by Boris Leven
Box Office
1959 · Box office
💰 Box-office hit — grossed 4.0× its budget
Why 2.5×?
Cinemas keep roughly half of every ticket sold, and a wide release’s marketing often costs about as much again as the film — so a movie needs to gross around 2.5× its production budget just to break even theatrically. It’s a rule of thumb, not the studio’s ledger (home video and streaming come later).
Worldwide gross
$8.0M
Versions & cuts
- cut· 141 min
Also known as
- Anatomie eines Mordesde
- Anatomía de un asesinatoes
- Autopsie d'un meurtrefr
- Anatomia di un omicidioit
- (Flemish)Ontleding van een moord
Release dates around the world2 countries · showhide
- United StatesJun 29, 1959
- CanadaJul 13, 1959
Production & Distribution
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Cast & Crew
85 unique people credited
Top billed cast
James Stewart
as Paul Biegler
Lee Remick
as Laura Manion
Ben Gazzara
as Lt. Frederick Manion
Arthur O Connell
as Parnell Emmett McCarthy
Eve Arden
as Maida Rutledge
Kathryn Grant
as Mary Pilant
George C Scott
as Claude Dancer
Orson Bean
as Dr. Matthew Smith
Russ Brown
as George Lemon
Murray Hamilton
as Alphonse Paquette
James Stewart Nm0000071
as Paul Biegler
Brooks West
as Dist. Atty. Mitch Lodwick
Supporting cast
18Ken Lynch
as Det. Sgt. James Durgo
John Qualen
as Deputy Sheriff Sulo
Howard Mcnear
as Dr. Dompierre
Alexander Campbell
as Dr. W. Gregory Harcourt
Ned Wever
as Dr. Raschid
Jimmy Conlin
as Clarence Madigan
Royal Beal
as Sheriff Battisfore
Joseph Kearns
as Lloyd Burke
Don Ross
as Duane 'Duke' Miller
Lloyd Le Vasseur
as Court Clerk
James Waters
as Army Sergeant 1st Class
Joseph N Welch
as Judge Weaver
Danny The Dog
as Muff
Duke Ellington
as Pie Eye
Irv Kupcinet
as Distinguished Gentleman
Lawrence K Paquin
as Jury Foreman
Chuck Ramsay
as Orderly
Mrs Joseph Welch
as Juror
Directors
1Writers
2Producers
2Other crew
54Bob Uhl
assistant camera (uncredited)
David Silver
assistant director
Hal W Polaire
assistant director (uncredited)
Ray Taylor Jr
assistant director (uncredited)
John Loeffler
assistant editor (uncredited)
Michael Vittes
assistant editor (uncredited)
Wallace Carr
assistant set dresser (uncredited)
Bert Chaliacombe
best boy (uncredited)
Bill Flannery
boom operator (uncredited)
Al Yaylian
cable (uncredited)
Irving Rosenberg
camera operator
Sam Leavitt
Cinematographer, director of photography
Parents Guide
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