Murder in the First (1995)
- Starring:
- Christian Slater, Kevin Bacon, (more)
- Director(s):
- Marc Rocco
- Theatrical MPAA Rating:
- R
- Category:
- Drama
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This shocking prison drama was inspired by a true story. In 1938, Henri Young (Kevin Bacon), sentenced to Alcatraz for stealing $5, attempted to escape from prison with three other prisoners. One of the escapees was captured, and to curry favor with Warden Glenn (Gary Oldman), he informed on the others. Young was soon brought back to custody, and was to be punished by spending 19 days in solitary confinement. Nineteen days stretched into three years, in which Young was kept in a pit with no light, no toilet, no furniture, and nothing to read. Young emerged from solitary a vengeful madman, and he quickly murdered the convict who turned him in. Young was put on trial for the killing, and assigned a first-time public defender, James Stamphill (Christian Slater). Stamphill was horrified by Young's tales of the conditions at Alcatraz, and he used them as the basis of his defense for his client, believing that anyone would be driven to madness and murder if they had been treated the same way as Young. Murder in the First also features Embeth Davidtz, William H. Macy, Brad Dourif, and R. Lee Ermey. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Theatrical Feature Running Time:
- 122 mins
Complete Cast:
- Christian Slater - James Stamphill
- Gary Oldman - Associate Warden Glenn
- William H. Macy - William McNeil
- R. Lee Ermey - Judge Clawson
- Tony Barr - Winthrop
- Sheldon Feldner - Man on the Street
- Danny Kovacs - Man on the Street
- Randy Pelish - Alcatraz Guard Wimer
- Wally Rose - Shopkeeper
- Stephen Tobolowsky - Mr. Henkin
- Tim Winters - Alcatraz Guard
- Ben Slack - Jerry Hoolihan
- Rob Lee - Newsreel Reporter
- George Maguire - Inmate #1
- Stefan Gierasch - Warden James Humson
- Eddie Bowz - Alcatraz Guard
- Kevin Bacon - Henri Young
- Embeth Davidtz - Mary McCasslin
- Brad Dourif - Byron Stamphill
- Gary Ballard - Alcatraz Guard Swenson
- Douglas Bennett - Inmate #3
- James Keane - Alcatraz Guard
- Michael Merrins - Alcatraz Guard
- William Hall - Man on the Street
- Michael Melvin - Inmate Arthur "Doc" Barker
- Gary Lee Davis - Giant of a Man
- Neil Summers - Alcatraz Guard Whitney
- Kyra Sedgwick - Blanche
- Stuart Nisbet - Harve
- Mia Kirshner - Adult Rosetta Young
- Charles Boswell - Simpson
- Eve Brenner - Winthrop's Secretary
- Director(s):
- Marc Rocco
- Writer(s):
- Dan Gordon
- Producer(s):
- Marc Frydman, Mark Wolper
- Theatrical MPAA Rating:
- R(Not For Children, Adult Situations, Violence, Adult Language)
- Categories:
- Drama
- Closed Captioning:
- Check All Versions
- Subtitles:
- Check All Versions
- 1995 - Murder in the First - Broadcast Film Critics Association - Best Actor
