Trial (1955)
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Adapted by Don M. Mankiewicz from his own novel, Trial is a surprisingly timely story of how justice can sometimes be compromised by "special interests". It all begins when Mexican youth Angelo Chavez (Rafael Campos) is placed on trial for the murder of a white teenaged girl. Battling the lynch-mob mentality in and out of the courtroom is relatively inexperienced defense attorney David Blake (Glenn Ford). Believing that anything done on behalf of his client is for the common good, Blake approves the organization of an "Angelo Chavez Society" to pay the boy's court costs and ostensibly see that justice is done in the face of small-town prejudice. Soon, however, Blake discovers that both he and his client are being used as dupes by a Communist lawyer, who hopes that Chavez will be found guilty and executed, thereby creating a martyr for the Red cause. Much was made in 1955 of the fact that the presiding judge is a black man, played by Juano Hernandez. A bit creaky at times, Trial nonetheless still packs a wallop when shown today. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Complete Cast:
- Glenn Ford - David Blake
- Arthur Kennedy - Barney Castle
- Katy Jurado - Consuela Chavez
- Juano Hernandez - Judge Theodore Motley
- Robert Middleton - A.S. "Fats" Sanders
- Richard Tyler - Johnson
- Charles Tannen - Bailiff
- Ann Lee - Gail Wiltse
- John Rosser - Assistant District Attorney
- Dorothy Green - Mrs. Ackerman
- Wilson Wood - Checker
- Grandon Rhodes - Terry Bliss
- Mort Mills - Reporter
- Whit Bissell - Sam Wiltse
- Percy Helton - Youval
- David Leonard - County Clerk
- Michael Dugan - Pine
- Mitchell Lewis - Jury Foreman
- Rodney Bell - Lew Bardman
- Paul Guilfoyle - Cap Grant
- Dorothy McGuire - Abbe Nyle
- John Hodiak - John J. Armstrong
- Rafael Campos - Angel Chavez
- Catherine Neilson - Washerwoman
- Elisha Cook, Jr. - Finn
- Frank Cady - Canford
- James Todd - Minister
- Sheb Wooley - Butteridge
- Frank Wilcox - Lawyer No. 2
- Charles Evans - Lawyer No. 1
- Richard Gaines - Dr. Schacter
- Frank Ferguson - Kiley
- Everett Glass - Dean
- John Maxwell - Benedict
- Barry Kelley - Jim Backett
- Robert Bice - Abbott
- Charlotte Lawrence - Mrs. Webson
- John Hoyt - Ralph Castillo
- Vince Townsend, Jr. - Dr. Abraham Tenfold
- Director(s):
- Mark Robson
- Writer(s):
- Don M. Mankiewicz
- Producer(s):
- Charles Schnee
- Closed Captioning:
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- Subtitles:
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- 1955 - Trial - Hollywood Foreign Press Association - Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
