Martin Balsam, John Fiedler, Lee J Cobb, E.G. Marshall, Jack Klugman, Ed Binns, Jack Warden, Henry Fonda, Joseph Sweeney, Ed Begley, George Voskovec,...
Runtime:
-
MPAA Rating:
-
In Theaters:
29 July 1957 Sweden
Distribution:
United Artists, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, The Criterion Collection, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, Varus Video
The story begins after closing arguments have been presented in a murder case, as the judge is giving his instructions to the jury. According to American law, the verdict must be unanimous.
The question they are deciding is whether the defendant, a young teenaged boy from the city slum, murdered his father. The jury is further instructed that a guilty verdict will be accompanied by a mandatory death sentence — the electric chair. The jury of twelve move to the jury room, where they begin to become acquainted with each others' personalities and discuss the case.
The problem is their difficulty in reaching a unanimous verdict due, in some cases, to the jurors' prejudices.