Gideon's Trumpet
Synopsis
True story of Clarence Gideon's fight to be appointed counsel at the expense of the state. This landmark case led to the Supreme Court's decision which extended this right to all criminal defendants.
Top Cast
Explore Star Directory →
Henry Fonda
Clarence Earl Gideon
José Ferrer
Abe Fortas
John Houseman
Chief Justice / Offscreen Narrator
Fay Wray
Edna Curtis
Dean Jagger
6th Supreme Court Justice
Sam Jaffe
1st Supreme Court Justice
Nicholas Pryor
Jacob
William Prince
5th Supreme Court Justice
Lane Smith
Fred Turner
Richard McKenzie
Judge Robert McCrary
Dolph Sweet
Charlie
Ford Rainey
2nd Supreme Court Justice
David Sheiner
Abe Krash
J. Patrick McNamara
Harris
Les Lannom
Bobby Earle
Malcolm Groome
John Ely
Allan Rich
Tobias Simon
Richard Lineback
Lester Wade
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Robert L. Collins
- Screenplay & Story
- David W. Rintels, Anthony Lewis
- Original Score
- Joseph Weiss
- Original Title
- Gideon's Trumpet
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- German, English
- Runtime
- 1h 44m
- Production Studios
- Gideon Productions, Worldvision Enterprises
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Robert L. Collins
David W. Rintels, Anthony Lewis
Joseph Weiss
Donald H. Birnkrant
Frank Bracht
John Houseman
Department Leadership Roster
Frank Bracht
Editor
Donald H. Birnkrant
Director of Photography
Edward C. Carfagno
Production Design
Robert L. Collins
Director
Joseph Weiss
Original Music Composer
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Gideon's Trumpet.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring Gideon's Trumpet.
500 best 80's movies
MovieLens[30K:40K]
Emmy Award Nominated Titles - IMDb
Prime Video US - History Movies
Curated list of Most Popular on Amazon Prime (US). Updated frequently. Last updated August 28, 2026.
Hallmark & Family Movies
A list of most of the Hallmark Movies and similar ones (mostly family friendly movies and a lot of christmas related ones)
Courtroom Dramas
Similar Titles to Gideon's Trumpet
Movies sharing stylistic DNA, tone, and thematic storytelling
7.5
7.6
7.1
6.8
7.5
6.8
6.9
7.5
6.2
5.7
7.2
7.2
5.7
7.2
5.9
7.4
6.8
6.3
2.5
More Like Gideon's Trumpet
Recommended titles matching themes, cast, and genres.
Frequently Asked Questions About Gideon's Trumpet
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Gideon's Trumpet about?
True story of Clarence Gideon's fight to be appointed counsel at the expense of the state. This landmark case led to the Supreme Court's decision which extended this right to all criminal defendants.
Who directed Gideon's Trumpet?
Gideon's Trumpet was directed by Robert L. Collins.
Who stars in Gideon's Trumpet?
The principal cast of Gideon's Trumpet includes Henry Fonda, José Ferrer, John Houseman, Fay Wray, Dean Jagger.
When was Gideon's Trumpet released and how long is it?
Gideon's Trumpet was released in 1980 with a total runtime of 1h 44m.
Who composed the musical score for Gideon's Trumpet?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Gideon's Trumpet was composed by Joseph Weiss.
Is Gideon's Trumpet based on a book or true story?
Gideon's Trumpet is adapted from the following source material: Novel: "Anthony Lewis".