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Trial

Released Oct 7, 1955 1h 45m Drama List
Reviews 83% Audience Score 100+ Ratings
When Mexican-American Angel Chavez (Rafael Campos) is arrested for murder on weak evidence, David Blake (Glenn Ford) agrees to defend him to gain the courtroom experience necessary for law school tenure. Bernard Castle (Arthur Kennedy) runs the law firm paying Blake's expenses. While Bernard takes care of fundraising, Blake prepares for trial with alluring secretary Abbe (Dorothy McGuire) but soon begins to suspect that Bernard is a communist trying to manipulate the trial for his own ends. Read More Read Less

Critics Reviews

View All (2) Critics Reviews
Eugene Archer Film Culture This nonsense is filmed with a great deal of technical skill. Mar 29, 2022 Full Review Clyde Gilmour Maclean's Magazine A hard-hitting realistic drama which shows with disturbing clarity how political racketeers skilled in the black arts of showmanship can flourish under the protection of the very laws they despise. Oct 21, 2019 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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steve d Powerful performances and a strong story. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member Trial is a film with depth and an especially strong performance by Arthur Kennedy. His character, a seemingly earnest defense attorney, enlists a law professor (Glenn Ford) to represent a Latino teen accused of murder. Kennedy steals the.film from Glenn Ford who lays things a little too thick at times. Director Mark Robson and legendary cinematographer Robert Surtees more than do justice to the material. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/13/23 Full Review Audience Member unusual portrayal of fund-raising techniques used still used by many advocate groups today, as well as an expose of the national disgrace of racism - thankfully less out in the open today Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/17/23 Full Review s r Fascinating story showing how outside influences can ruin the justice system. Well made and compelling, it might just be Ford's best performance. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Solid Stanley Krameresque social issues film about a poor migrant boy who is accused of murdering a white girl. The courtroom drama involves issues of race, class and politics. Glenn Ford is the crusading lawyer defending the boy. Dorothy McGuire plays his wife. Arthur Kennedy plays a political broker helping Ford and Katy Jurado plays the boys mother. Performances all around are excellent, but the main drag on the film is the anti-communist story elements, which were appropriate to the story, but sadly date the film. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/31/23 Full Review Audience Member good court room drama Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Trial

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Trial

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Movie Info

Synopsis When Mexican-American Angel Chavez (Rafael Campos) is arrested for murder on weak evidence, David Blake (Glenn Ford) agrees to defend him to gain the courtroom experience necessary for law school tenure. Bernard Castle (Arthur Kennedy) runs the law firm paying Blake's expenses. While Bernard takes care of fundraising, Blake prepares for trial with alluring secretary Abbe (Dorothy McGuire) but soon begins to suspect that Bernard is a communist trying to manipulate the trial for his own ends.
Director
Mark Robson
Producer
Charles Schnee
Distributor
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Production Co
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 7, 1955, Original
Release Date (DVD)
Mar 7, 2000
Runtime
1h 45m