Anatomy Of A Murder

Anatomy of a Murder (1959) is one of Otto Preminger's best films and a compelling courtroom drama starring Jimmy Stewart who plays a small-town Michigan lawyer who takes on a seemingly impossible case. It is the defense of a young soldier (Ben Gazzara) accused of murdering a local tavern owner who he believes raped his  provocative wife (Lee Remick). The most popular film by Hollywood emigre Otto Preminger, was considered groundbreaking for the frank discussion of sex in the film. It Features an outstanding supporting cast: a young George C. Scott as prosecutor gun for hire and the famous real life attorney Joseph N. Welch as the judge. The film includes an influential score by Duke Ellington. It was nominated for seven Oscars, including best picture. The Criterion extras include: a new interview with Otto Preminger biographer Foster Hirsch, critic Gary Giddins explores Duke Ellington’s score in a new interview,  a look at the relationship between graphic designer Saul Bass and Preminger with Bass biographer Pat Kirkham, newsreel footage from the set, excerpts from a 1967 episode of Firing Line, featuring Preminger in discussion with William F. Buckley Jr., excerpts from the work in progress Anatomy of “Anatomy,” behind-the-scenes photographs by Life magazine’s Gjon Mili, trailer, featuring on-set footage, and a booklet featuring an essay by critic Nick Pinkerton and a 1959 Life magazine article on real-life lawyer Joseph N. Welch, who plays Judge Weaver in the film. It is a great package overall, which I've come to expect from Criterion.