Compulsion (1959)
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- Approved
- 1h 43min
- Biography, Crime
- 01 May 1959 (Romania)
- Movie
Two wealthy law-school students go on trial for murder in this version of the Leopold-Loeb case.
Director:
Writers:
Stars:
Awards:
- Nominated for 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 1 win & 4 nominations.
- See more »
Photos and Videos
Cast verified as complete
| Orson Welles | ... |
Jonathan Wilk
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| Diane Varsi | ... |
Ruth Evans
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| Dean Stockwell | ... |
Judd Steiner
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| Bradford Dillman | ... |
Arthur A. Straus
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| E.G. Marshall | ... |
District Attorney Harold Horn
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| Martin Milner | ... |
Sid Brooks
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| Richard Anderson | ... |
Max Steiner
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| Robert F. Simon | ... |
Police Lt. Johnson
(as Robert Simon)
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| Edward Binns | ... |
Tom Daly
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| Robert Burton | ... |
Charles Straus
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| Wilton Graff | ... |
Mr. Steiner
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| Louise Lorimer | ... |
Mrs. Straus aka 'Mumsy'
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| Gavin MacLeod | ... |
Padua - Horn's Assistant
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| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
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John Alban | ... |
Reporter (uncredited)
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| Don Anderson | ... |
Reporter (uncredited)
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Brandon Beach | ... |
Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
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| Terry Becker | ... |
Benson - The Angry Reporter (uncredited)
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| Russ Bender | ... |
Edgar Llewellyn - Attorney (uncredited)
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Arthur Berkeley | ... |
Juror (uncredited)
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Paul Bradley | ... |
Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
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| Peter Brocco | ... |
Albert - Steiner's Chauffeur (uncredited)
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Boyd Cabeen | ... |
Reporter (uncredited)
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| Alan Carney | ... |
Globe Newspaper Editor (uncredited)
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| Harry Carter | ... |
Detective Davis (uncredited)
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| Albert Cavens | ... |
Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
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Jack Deery | ... |
Juror (uncredited)
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Raoul Freeman | ... |
Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
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Ben Frommer | ... |
Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
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Jack Gordon | ... |
Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
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| Herschel Graham | ... |
Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
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| Wendell Holmes | ... |
Jonas Kessler (uncredited)
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| Kenner G. Kemp | ... |
Juror (uncredited)
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| Colin Kenny | ... |
Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
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Henry Kulky | ... |
Tough Waiter (uncredited)
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Joseph La Cava | ... |
Juror (uncredited)
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| Mike Lally | ... |
Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
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Gustave Lax | ... |
Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
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Gerry Lock | ... |
Emma (uncredited)
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Jack Lomas | ... |
Medical Examiner (uncredited)
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Dayton Lummis | ... |
Dr. Allwyn - Psychiatrist (uncredited)
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| Hank Mann | ... |
Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
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| Frank McLure | ... |
Reporter (uncredited)
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| Hans Moebus | ... |
Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
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| Ralph Montgomery | ... |
Courtroom Reporter (uncredited)
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| William H. O'Brien | ... |
Waiter (uncredited)
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Voltaire Perkins | ... |
Judge Matthews (uncredited)
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Murray Pollack | ... |
Cameraman (uncredited)
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Ray Pourchot | ... |
Reporter (uncredited)
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Paul Power | ... |
Reporter (uncredited)
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| Jack Raine | ... |
Professor McKinnon (uncredited)
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Tony Regan | ... |
Reporter (uncredited)
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| John Roy | ... |
Juror (uncredited)
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| Paul Russell | ... |
Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
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| Jeffrey Sayre | ... |
Reporter on Telephone (uncredited)
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| Simon Scott | ... |
Detective Brown (uncredited)
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| Nina Shipman | ... |
Girlfriend (uncredited)
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Robert Strong | ... |
Reporter (uncredited)
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Hal Taggart | ... |
Reporter (uncredited)
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Arthur Tovey | ... |
Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
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| Tom Wilson | ... |
Juror (uncredited)
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Wilson Wood | ... |
Reporter (uncredited)
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Directed by
| Richard Fleischer | ||
Written by
| Richard Murphy | ... | (screenplay) |
| Meyer Levin | ... | (based on the novel by) |
Produced by
| Richard D. Zanuck | ... | producer |
Music by
| Lionel Newman | ||
Cinematography by
| William C. Mellor | ... | director of photography |
Editing by
| William Reynolds | ||
Editorial Department
| Orven Schanzer | ... | first assistant editor (uncredited) |
Art Direction by
| Mark-Lee Kirk | ||
| Lyle R. Wheeler | ||
Set Decoration by
| Eli Benneche | ... | (set decorations) |
| Walter M. Scott | ... | (set decorations) |
Costume Design by
| Adele Palmer | ... | (costumes designed by) |
Makeup Department
| Ben Nye | ... | makeup artist |
| Helen Turpin | ... | hair stylist |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
| Ben Kadish | ... | assistant director |
| Al Murphy | ... | second assistant director (uncredited) |
Sound Department
| Eugene Grossman | ... | sound |
| Harry M. Leonard | ... | sound |
Costume and Wardrobe Department
| Charles Le Maire | ... | executive wardrobe designer (as Charles LeMaire) |
| Ed Wynigear | ... | wardrobe (uncredited) |
Music Department
| Earle Hagen | ... | orchestrator |
| Bernard Mayers | ... | orchestrator (uncredited) |
| Lionel Newman | ... | conductor (uncredited) |
Production Companies
- Darryl F. Zanuck Productions (presents)
Distributors
- Twentieth Century Fox (1959) (Canada) (theatrical) (as 20th Century-Fox Film Corporation)
- Twentieth Century Fox (1959) (United States) (theatrical) (as 20th Century-Fox Film Corporation) (distributed through)
- Twentieth Century Fox Film Company (1959) (United Kingdom) (theatrical)
- Centfox (1959) (West Germany) (theatrical)
- Cinemascope (1959) (Mexico) (theatrical)
- Hispano Foxfilms S.A.E. (1963) (Spain) (theatrical)
- American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1969) (United States) (tv)
- 1ère chaîne ORTF (1974) (France) (tv) (dubbed version)
- Fox Video (1995) (United States) (VHS) (pan/scan)
- 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2006) (United States) (DVD)
- KSM (2012) (Germany) (DVD)
- Indaco Pictures (2015) (Italy) (tv) (digital)
- Kino Lorber (2017) (United States) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
- Renaissance Content Group (2023) (World-wide)
Special Effects
Other Companies
- Bausch & Lomb (CinemaScope lenses by)
- International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) (this picture made under the jurisdiction of: affiliated with A.F. of L.)
- Twentieth Century Fox (Cinemascope is the registered trademark of)
Storyline
| Plot Summary |
In 1924 Chicago, Artie Strauss and Judd Steiner are friends and fellow law students who both come from wealthy backgrounds. They have few true friends as they believe all their contemporaries are intellectually inferior. Within their relationship, Artie is the dominant and Judd the submissive who says he will do whatever Artie tells him. Although Judd acts intellectually arrogant to others, he also shows signs of weakness and reticence most evident to Artie. Part of their goal in life is to experience how it feels to do everything. As such, they plot to commit what they consider the perfect crime - a kidnapping and murder - not only so that they can experience the sense of killing for killing's sake, but also taunt the law with the knowledge of it and their superiority after the fact. They believe their crime is above the law. Their murder of young Paulie Kessler is not so perfect, with evidence at the scene uncovered by one of their law school colleagues, Sid Brooks, who also works for the Globe newspaper. As Artie and Judd try to manipulate their way out of how the evidence may implicate them, their manipulation ultimately backfires and they are charged with the murder. The most famed trial lawyer in town, Jonathan Wilk, is hired to defend the pair despite his atheism being against the families' sensibilities. Jonathan, renowned for his ability to manipulate juries, has to decide how best to defend his clients in the overwhelming face of evidence against them. The testimony of Ruth Evans, Sid's girlfriend, may have some impact on the trial's outcome. Written by Huggo |
| Plot Keywords | |
| Taglines | Sometimes murder is just a way to pass the time. See more » |
| Genres | |
| Parents Guide | View content advisory » |
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Did You Know?
| Trivia | Although the story was a thinly-disguised recreation of the Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb murder case, the legal department of 20th Century Fox was still concerned about a possible lawsuit from the still-living Leopold. A great effort was made not to mention Leopold or Loeb in the movie, press releases, and interviews. However, there was apparently poor communication with the advertising department, since when the movie came out, newspaper ads stated, "based on the famous Leopold and Loeb murder case." Leopold sued the filmmakers. He did not claim libel, slander, nor anything false nor defamatory about the film. Instead, he claimed an invasion of privacy. The court rejected his claim, in part, because Leopold had already published his own autobiography "Life Plus 99 Years," publicizing essentially the same facts. See more » |
| Goofs | When the murdered boy is in the morgue, his uncle recognizes him instantly, and the coroner doesn't mention to the young journalist (who found the glasses) that the kid had acid burned all over his face so he couldn't be identified. In the real life case, his face was burned and, most importantly, at the very end of the movie, Orson Welles as the defending attorney mentions that the murdered boy's face was burned with acid. See more » |
| Movie Connections | Featured in Commitments (1983). See more » |
| Crazy Credits | Opening credits prologue: CHICAGO, 1924 See more » |
| Quotes |
Jonathan Wilk:
If there is any way of destroying hatred and all that goes with it, it's not through evil and hatred and cruelty, but through charity, love, understanding. See more » |