Anatomy of a Murder
“Last year's No. 1 best-seller...This year's No. 1 motion picture.”
Synopsis
Semi-retired Michigan lawyer Paul Biegler takes the case of Army Lt. Manion, who murdered a local innkeeper after his wife claimed that he raped her. Over the course of an extensive trial, Biegler parries with District Attorney Lodwick and out-of-town prosecutor Claude Dancer to set his client free, but his case rests on the victim's mysterious business partner, who's hiding a dark secret.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
ANATOMY OF A MURDER [1959] - Official Trailer (HD)Official
Type: Trailer • Published 2021-10-06
Top Cast
Explore Star Directory →
James Stewart
Paul Biegler
Lee Remick
Laura Manion
Ben Gazzara
Lt. Frederick Manion
Arthur O'Connell
Parnell Emmett McCarthy
Eve Arden
Maida Rutledge
Kathryn Grant
Mary Pilant
George C. Scott
Claude Dancer
Orson Bean
Dr. Matthew Smith
Russ Brown
George Lemon
Murray Hamilton
Alphonse Paquette
Brooks West
Dist. Atty. Mitch Lodwick
Ken Lynch
Det. Sgt. James Durgo
John Qualen
Deputy Sheriff Sulo
Howard McNear
Dr. Dompierre
Alexander Campbell
Dr. W. Gregory Harcourt
Ned Wever
Dr. Raschid
Jimmy Conlin
Clarence Madigan
Joseph N. Welch
Judge Weaver
Release History & Theatrical Window
Venice Film Festival
Festival / Special Debut
July 1, 1959
Wide Cinema Exhibition
August 2, 1988
Physical Home Media
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$2M
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$8M
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
4x
+$6M net gain
Theatrical Status
Mega Hit
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Otto Preminger
- Screenplay & Story
- Wendell Mayes
- Original Score
- Duke Ellington
- Original Title
- Anatomy of a Murder
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 2h 41m
- Production Budget
- $2M
- Worldwide Gross
- $8M
- Production Studios
- Carlyle Productions
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Otto Preminger
Wendell Mayes, John D. Voelker
Duke Ellington
Sam Leavitt
Louis R. Loeffler
Otto Preminger
Department Leadership Roster
Louis R. Loeffler
Editor
Sam Leavitt
Director of Photography
Boris Leven
Production Design
Wendell Mayes
Screenplay
Otto Preminger
Producer
Duke Ellington
Original Music Composer
Otto Preminger
Director
Paula Giokaris
Costume Design
Hope Bryce
Costume Design
Vou Lee Giokaris
Costume Design
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
NR: Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
International Certification Matrix
FSK 16 — Restricted to viewers aged 16 and older.
12 Accompanied — Under 12s must be accompanied by an adult.
Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Anatomy of a Murder.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring Anatomy of a Murder.
1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die
1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die (All editions 2003-2024). A cumulative list including films subsequently removed in later editions. Totaling 1,260 films as of Nov 2024. 《1001部死前必看的电影》（2003-2024 全版本累积版）： 包含自2003年首版至2024年11月德语版修订的所有影片。即使在后期版本中被剔除的电影也予以保留。 *注：榜单源数据中包含部分剧集/迷你剧，由于本片单只收录纯电影，故不再收录以下非电影条目：* • [#019] Lovers Rock (2020) • [#418] Dekalog (1989) *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-18 07:40:36 UTC+8)*
Letterboxd's Top 500 Films
Letterboxd's Top 500 Films. Ranks narrative feature films by average member rating (minimum 25,000 ratings). Excludes documentaries, shorts, and TV series. Letterboxd 官方 Top 500 电影榜单： 根据用户平均评分排名的剧情长片（最低2.5万评价门槛）。已排除纪录片、短片及剧集。 *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-18 07:35:27 UTC+8)*
TSPDT - 1000 Greatest Films
They Shoot Pictures, Don't They? (TSPDT) - The 1,000 Greatest Films. A definitive meta-list aggregating thousands of critics' polls, historical rankings, and director top 10s to represent the ultimate critical consensus in cinema history. TSPDT 影史最伟大的1000部电影： 全球最权威的电影元榜单，由该网站汇总世界各大电影刊物历史评选结果及数千名影评人、学者的个人十佳榜单，通过算法加权计算得出的终极共识。 *片单说明：* 本片单只收录纯电影，以下剧集或迷你剧不予收录： • [#335] Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980) • [#514] Twin Peaks: The Return (2017) • [#614] Edvard Munch (1974) • [#703] The Sorrow and the Pity (1969) • [#890] Elephant (1989) • [#925] Heimat (1984) • [#968] Doomed Love (1978) 以下作品在 TMDB 被拆分为多个独立电影条目；本片单按作品/章节顺序连续收录，且每个分拆条目均沿用同一 TSPDT 名次： • [#171] Dekalog (1989) — 展开为 10 部电影 • [#988] Olympia (1938) — 展开为 2 部电影 *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-18 07:30:01 UTC+8)*
Limelight Not Seen
***Retro***
Criterion Collection
The Complete Criterion Collection. The Criterion Collection is a video distribution company that sells 'important classic and contemporary films' in editions that offer the highest technical quality. This list contains only the featured films released on DVD, BluRay and 4K Criterion releases — no supplements are included. Organized by spine number with the newest releases first. CC标准收藏完整收录版： 收录标准收藏（Criterion Collection）发行的重要经典及当代电影。仅包含正片（涵盖 DVD、蓝光及 4K 版本），已排除花絮补充内容。按 CC 发行编号倒序排列（最新发行在前）。 *注：榜单源数据中包含部分剧集/迷你剧，由于本片单只收录纯电影，故不再收录以下非电影条目：* • [#214] Mangrove (2020) • [#215] Lovers Rock (2020) • [#216] Red, White and Blue (2020) • [#217] Alex Wheatle (2020) • [#486] Eight Hours Don’t Make a Day (1972) • [#647] Dekalog (1989) • [#944] World on a Wire (1973) • [#1187] Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980) • [#1338] Fanny and Alexander (1984) • [#1341] Tanner '88 (1988) • [#1371] Scenes from a Marriage (1973) *注：以下影片因 TMDB 尚未收录，暂不在此片单中展示：* • [#531] First (2012) • [#1699] Ulysse (1983) *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-11 07:39:08 UTC+8)*
Similar Titles to Anatomy of a Murder
Movies sharing stylistic DNA, tone, and thematic storytelling
5.2
5.9
6.8
6.8
6.5
6.2
5.7
7.0
5.9
5.4
6.6
6.3
5.7
4.2
7.4
6.4
6.0
6.7
5.7
More Like Anatomy of a Murder
Recommended titles matching themes, cast, and genres.
Frequently Asked Questions About Anatomy of a Murder
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Anatomy of a Murder about?
Semi-retired Michigan lawyer Paul Biegler takes the case of Army Lt. Manion, who murdered a local innkeeper after his wife claimed that he raped her. Over the course of an extensive trial, Biegler parries with District Attorney Lodwick and out-of-town prosecutor Claude Dancer to set his client free, but his case rests on the victim's mysterious business partner, who's hiding a dark secret.
Who directed Anatomy of a Murder?
Anatomy of a Murder was directed by Otto Preminger.
Who stars in Anatomy of a Murder?
The principal cast of Anatomy of a Murder includes James Stewart, Lee Remick, Ben Gazzara, Arthur O'Connell, Eve Arden.
When was Anatomy of a Murder released and how long is it?
Anatomy of a Murder was released in 1959 with a total runtime of 2h 41m.
What was the box office and production budget of Anatomy of a Murder?
Anatomy of a Murder had a reported production budget of $2M and grossed $8M at the worldwide box office (4 return on budget, classified as a blockbuster success).
Who composed the musical score for Anatomy of a Murder?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Anatomy of a Murder was composed by Duke Ellington.
Is Anatomy of a Murder based on a book or true story?
Anatomy of a Murder is adapted from the following source material: Novel: "John D. Voelker".
What is the age rating and content advisory for Anatomy of a Murder?
Anatomy of a Murder holds official age classifications: DE: 16 (FSK 16 — Restricted to viewers aged 16 and older.); FR: TP; GB: 12A (12 Accompanied — Under 12s must be accompanied by an adult.); US: NR (Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.).