12 Angry Men (1957) | *First Time Watching* | Movie Reaction

[@dillwack]

It’s better a guilty man walk free than an innocent man hang. If you ever get false accusations you better pray one of the jury members have seen this movie.

[@Balstrome1]

Life in prison is better than the death sentence. If you are found innocent 30 years later, you can be released from a life sentence.

[@tomloft2000]

@@Balstrome1 That is my only objection to the death sentence- once it's carried out it is irreversible.

[@johannesvalterdivizzini1523]

The Innocence Project was begun in my Law School in the 1980's, and using (among other things) DNA evidence has been responsible for getting hundreds of convicted people acquitted. That's not an option with capital punishment.

[@ChrisJones-cs2zd]

@@johannesvalterdivizzini1523 It should be noted that around 3,000 wrongly convicted persons have been released as a result.

[@ChrisJones-cs2zd]

I had always heard this but never bothered to look for a source. Turns out is it a real thing in criminal law (kind of anyway) call Blackstone's ratio. In many US states there is a "legally acceptably" ratio of wrongly convicted people. I'm not sure how to say the legally acceptable part, maybe legally expected is better wording. Dunno, not an attorney.

[@jamesdrynan]

Towards the end, the rain becomes a character. A masterpiece of acting, directing and cinema.

[@kevinburton3948]

I was 17 years old in 1987 when we watched this in high school law class. We all knew it was a brilliant film back then. Now watching it as a man in my 50s, it is amazing how self aware this film is, calling out the issues facing society. This is one of those rare films in which all the performances are riveting. And to think nearly the entire film takes place in one room, with a minimal soundtrack. Loved your reaction!

[@shallowgal462]

It was first performed live on stage for _CBS Playhouse._ Fonda saw it and decided to make a Hollywood feature film of it, and took Bob Cummings' role for himself. The original teleplay was followed very closely, so it stayed mainly in the jury room.

[@thomasnieswandt8805]

12 angry men, is a so called "perfect film", like Metropolis 1929, Ghostbusters 1984, Das Boot 1981 (the 5.5hour version), the Godfather 1972 and some would argue Alien 1979. A "perfect film" doesnt mean free from mistakes or production problems. It means the so called "lightning strike" When everything fits, actors, plot, setting, time the film was made. The mentioned films are special, because over time, they only get better. Showing how visionary and well thought they had been in the process. Well reviewed when they came out and classics / masterpieses today.... One exaption was Metropolis, today, at 95 years old, its one of the best movies ever made. The "Robot" is an image burned into the collectiv consciousnes of human kind. However when it was released, if failed ******, that movie was so far ahead of time, some people say, that it was made 30-35 years to early.

[@shallowgal462]

@@thomasnieswandt8805 And _My Cousin Vinny_ (1992).

[@charlieinslidell]

"I think that it's much more dramatic that two men could be working out their feelings of anger -- much more dramatic than showing something of gunfire." --Mr. Rogers

[@WanderingRoe]

This was a treat, 12 Angey Men is one of my favorite movies! Thanks so much for watching and sharing with us! 😀 All these years later and it’s still a classic.

[@seanmcmurphy4744]

I also loved the scene of the jurors getting up and standing silently with their backs to the guy spewing hate. I think this is the way people dealt with blatant bias in a more civilized age. I can't imagine that happening today, when we are all trained by social media to attack each other. I think today the room would have degenerated into people yelling insults.

[@FloridaMugwump]

Mid fifties in the North. One racist guy out of twelve white men? Eight percent? Sounds about right

[@clark8712]

@Vlasko60 you have no idea what you're talking about... absolutely zero

[@johannesvalterdivizzini1523]

I was born in that hot summer of 1957. "More civilized age" is a very relative term. Major League Baseball was barely integrated, Jim Crow segregation was typical in virtually the entire South, black and white married couples broke the law by sharing a hotel room. People were still being lynched by a super-judicial KKK. Just turning away in silence isn't standing up for what you believe.

[@ChrisJones-cs2zd]

Three months before this movie was released the KKK forced a kidnapped black delivery driver to jump to his death from a bridge in Montgomery, AL. It is also 5 months after they blew up the home of Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth with 16 sticks of dynamite. Take care how you judge the past, movies were movies then too. RIP Mr. Willie Edwards Jr. -- Jan. 23, 1957 (don''t get me wrong this is an all time favorite film, but this a script, not real life. That was very much a representations of desired behavior not IMHO expected behavior, recall how they were at the beginning. That is probably a more true to life sample of reactions with the back turning scene being part of the moral of the story)

[@seanmcmurphy4744]

@@ChrisJones-cs2zd Yup, there was also Emmett Till's murder 2 years before. All of those events were the actions of violent racist hate groups, not people in a jury room. I'm a boomer and grew up during that era. I remember how people behaved. There was a good deal more decorum, civility, in people's interactions, particularly in official settings like a courthouse. I'm not saying the jurors would stand up like that, but a roomful of citizens silently shunning someone making a racist rant was much more the style in 1957 than today. As you say, this is a script trying to be dramatic, not real life. I'm pretty sure you wouldn't see the yelling and tussling shown in this movie, either in 1957 or today, in a real jury room.

[@jeffwerth2707]

I like how the movie shows 12 people being witnesses to the same evidence, but seeing things that nobody else noticed...the knife - the eyeglasses notches - the old man's walk

[@johannesvalterdivizzini1523]

Great performances all over--fabulous script, direction, cinematography. One thing must be said: that the final breakdown of Lee J. Cobb (Juror #3) is a masterpiece of acting--from stubborn defensive fury to sobbing regret in a minute.

[@Lepidopray]

I've seen several reactions to this movie and it's interesting how many of you young people note that the handwriting is in cursive. At 63 I still write in cursive (sometimes), so it's not unusual to me. Things change 😆. Anyway, nice reaction to a terrific movie.

[@mlbrooks4066]

Young people today are not taught to read cursive, and they don't know how to read an analog clock (the one with 12 numbers and hands). They're just not part of a young person's life now.

[@tomloft2000]

What was once called "longhand"

[@D.D.-ud9zt]

Heck I went to school in the 80s and I can tell from reactions its like another world. We were scared of our teachers and definitely didn't want anything getting back home, had typing class with typewriters and no one worried where we were, we could go around all day in the summer with no mom holding our hand which seems to surprise a lot of young reactors. Not trying to be critical there, not their fault, but its something I would miss completely seeing a movie.

[@alfredroberthogan5426]

The immigrant watchmaker man said, "He DOESN'T even speak good English."

[@richardmark9161]

You recognized Martin Balsam detective Arbogast in PSYCHO . I was hoping you would’ve caught John Fiedler as Mr. Hengist from the STAR TREK episode “Wolf in the Fold”

[@dedcowbowee]

A memorable actor and episode for sure.👍

[@CourtReacts-zm9yv]

I caught him later on after looking at the cast. I thought his voice sounded familiar, but I couldn't place him at the time 🙂

[@richardmark9161]

@@CourtReacts-zm9yv I love when John Fiedler shows up on TV shows and movies. His appearances are always a treat.

[@proofprof50]

John Fiedler is Piglet!

[@rikk319]

@@proofprof50 Yes, he was a great voice actor too!

[@jnagarya519]

The same director, Sideny Lumet, made the excellent 1982 film "The Verdict," one of Paul Newman's absolute best performances.

[@amazinggrace5692]

Thanks for posting that, I’ll have to check it out!

[@shallowgal462]

He also directed the very good 1982 film _Deathtrap_ starring Christopher Reeve, Michael Caine, and Dyan Cannon. Based on a stage play and really well done.

[@jnagarya519]

@@shallowgal462 "Network" gets effusive praise, but it is crushed by Elia Kazan's "A Face in the Crowd".

[@StephenHooper-p1i]

Also "Network" and "Dog Day Afternoon." He was nominated for four Oscars for directing, including this film, his film debut. Lumet is my favorite director.

[@jnagarya519]

@@StephenHooper-p1i "A Face in the Crowd" crushes "Network".

[@scottevans2685]

One of Lee J. Cobb's (Juror #3) greatest performances (by one of the 20th Century's greatest actors), particularly the final scene in which he breaks down and ends the deadlock. Fun fact: When playwrite Arthur Miller wrote "Death of a Salesman," he wrote the character Willy Loman specifically with Lee J. Cobb in mind. If you ever get a chance, watch a performance of this play with Cobb in the lead, or check out the audio version. It's an incredible performance.

[@jnagarya519]

Key question: What does the elderly juror know about what it's like to be elderly? And: the boy -- he is only a boy, regardless his chronological age -- appears to be Puerto Rican. Puerto Ricans are US citizens, not "immigrants". The juror with the moustache is an immigrant -- and better understands democracy and due process than does such as the "all-American" baseball fan.

[@georgeanthony7282]

The actor portraying the boy (John Savoca) was in fact Puerto Rican. This would be his only appearance in the screen... and his whereabouts are unknown today.

[@joakimberg7897]

​@@georgeanthony7282 Really?

[@D.D.-ud9zt]

@@georgeanthony7282 The actor was Italian. He was chosen specifically so his race would be uncertain. He could have passed for an eastern European Jewish boy, a Puerto Rican or an Italian.

[@stevemiller6923]

I don't think they ever used the word immigrant. It was always "them", an even broader bigotry.

[@jnagarya519]

@@stevemiller6923 Correct. The closest to use of that word was when the baseball fan spoke of "they come over here" about the juror with the moustache, who is an immigrant, but who understands democracy and due process better than the spinless "all-American" baseball fan.

[@rbyapok9158]

John Fiedler, who you recognized from Star Trek, was also the voice of Piglet in the Disney Winnie the Pooh cartoons.

[@mlbrooks4066]

Fiedler was a mainstay on TV in the 50s and 60s. He was one of those faces you didn't realize you knew well until you saw him over and over. He got lots of work because he was GOOD.

[@LarryGonzalez00]

He also played Vinnie, one of Oscar's poker buddies in the 1968 film version of The Odd Couple. Speaking of which, Jack Klugman, another juror, played Oscar Madison in the classic 70's T.V. series version of The Odd Couple.

[@lisathuban8969]

Nice glasses! Great reaction. Thanks for watching this film. I got someone out of a tough sentence once as part of a jury. This kind of thing can actually happen. I had to convince people, and I did. It was an awesome feeling. Some people don't want to do jury duty. I feel it's the duty of a U.S. citizen to serve when called.

[@shallowgal462]

When I was working, I had to be excused twice because I couldn't afford to miss work. Now that I'm retired, I look forward to the possibility.

[@oxhine]

Hey, Courtney! This was originally a teleplay for a "Playhouse 90"-type show in the '50's which were basically filmed theatrical productions broadcast during the early days of American TV. Before formulaic sitcoms and dramas became TV staples, actual playwrights were tapped to provide original or adapted content of high quality. The story really works as a theatrical piece with 12 players in one setting. A few years later, the great Sidney Lumet (pronounced Loom-ET) directed it for film. Lumet is considered one of the quintessential New York directors like Woody Allen, Martin Scorsese and Spike Lee. The film is considered one of the greatest courtroom dramas ever made. It is my 11th favorite film of all time! I like how Fonda's chief antagonists are fire and ice: the bombastic Lee J. Cobb and the coolly logical E.G. Marshall. The cast was stacked with some of the best character actors of the day some of which had amazing careers like Martin Balsam, John Fiedler, E.G. Marshall, Jack Klugman, Jack Warden, Ed Begley and Robert Webber. However, it's live-wire Lee J. Cobb who steals the spotlight with his histrionics and rage! When he has his breakthrough and realizes why he's rushed to judgment, his collapse is shattering and brings me to tears every time. Henry Fonda's magnanimity as he helps him to his feet and gives him his coat is equally moving. Foreigner George Voskovec and the elderly Joseph Sweeney were holdovers from the TV production. A remake was made for cable TV with a black Mykelti Williamson portraying a reverse racist. Jack Lemmon had the Fonda role and George C. Scott had the Cobb role. Courtney B. Vance was the foreman, venerable Ossie Davis was the milquetoast, Armin Mueller-Stahl was the logical stockbroker, Dorian Harewood of "Hill Street Blues" was the slum escapee, James Gandolfini of "The Sopranos" was the blue collar guy, Tony Danza of "Who's the Boss?" was the sports guy, the legendary Hume Cronyn was the elderly gent, Edward James Olmos of "Battlestar Galactica" played the foreigner and William Petersen of "CSI" played the ad exec. Despite the heavy-hitters in the cast, it doesn't have the same power as the original. I feel some of the players would have been better served by being assigned different parts. The reverse racist angle was a clever one, though. Another remake was considered by adding women to the mix. The project was abandoned because the inclusion of female energy would change the dynamic of the story and the energy of the room.

[@jnagarya519]

Switchblades were illegal; the store owner who sold it said it was the only one like it he'd seen -- but it turned out not to be. Was he lying, because it was illegal to possess and sell them?

[@gregoryeatroff8608]

We don't know Davis got the knife in the same shop that the defendant did, only in the same neighborhood. Even if it was the only one of that style of knife that particular shopkeeper saw, the important thing is that it isn't really a unique blade, that there was at least one other in the neighborhood and it wasn't wildly expensive. $6 in 1957 equals about $67 in 2024.

[@jnagarya519]

@@gregoryeatroff8608 It also matters that switchblade knives were illegal -- as made clear in the film. Even "Davis" says that in buying the knife he broke the law. It is also the fact that the store owner who sold the knife broke the law. Perhaps that is why his apparent testimony was that it was the only one (like it) he'd ever seen, as if that were the only one he'd ever had and sold. And: the father was a criminal who did time for forgery. Did he have criminal associates who wanted him dead?

[@deenormus1975]

Also the loudmouth was the detective in the Exorcist. Every cast member was fairly huge. Like, all of them. Some serious talent in this movie. Ensemble indeed.

[@CourtReacts-zm9yv]

Looks like I need to put The Exorcist on my list 😁 I have never seen it.

[@joelds1751]

Many people put this movie in the top ten of all time. Yes, high voice guy with glasses was in Star Trek, the attorney who was Jack the Ripper. Been on two juries myself. Everyone should in their life.

[@ArcaneMelodies82]

Every time, the last man who says not guilty, the brokenhearted father, that longs for his son and hides his sorrow with Anger breaking down crying 😢 in the end, gets me every time. This movie had the perfect script.❤

[@jnagarya519]

He is responsible for the estrangement from his son -- not the son. And the whole spiel about being called "sir" simply because he's the "adult" is shown to be all about ego, self-importance, when he shouts down BOTH those perhaps younger than he (at the least physically smaller) AND the elderly juror. His "respect" is wholly one-directional. His "heartbreak" is self-inflicted.

[@ArcaneMelodies82]

​@@jnagarya519 The Regret he has is what makes his breakdown scene so powerful, People make mistakes that they feel they can't take back, and since him as a Father thought he was toughening his son up and all he did was push him away, there are couple scenes his mask comes off, one right after the "Sir" scene, he ends up walking into a corner alone staring at the picture of his son,with sad eyes. Then he puts his mask back on his whole Anger Act, The the last scene,so well acted. Before my father died he had regrets of a few things that he wish he did differently, I got lucky enough and he got lucky enough for him to get to say "sorry",before he left. To see that character instantly regret ripping the photo of his son,the pain in his face was understandable. I even think Henry Fonda's character knew at the last scene what Lee J. Cobb's character was really hurting and that is why he helped in out of the chair and put on his coat.

[@DR-mq1vn]

Excellent movie! My favorite part is when the man is doing his bigoted rant and everyone gets up and turns their back on him. Very powerful!

[@kenschortgenjr7540]

This is a fascinating movie for people of the younger generations to watch because of its historic relevance. Obviously it coming out in 1957 it was ONLY 3 years after the landmark Brown v Board of Education ruling that ended segregation. However it was ALSO about 30-40 years (one generation) after America's largest legal immigration period (1900-1920) where the majority of new immigrants from Southern Europe lived in big city slums (Little Italy, Little Odessa, Hells Kitchen Irish etc...), and the animosity between different cultures in those slums as well as the disdain socio-economically between peoples was vast. When you think about it, these actors not only lived through those periods but also may have experienced both sides of it. In fact the actor who played the old man (McCardle) was born in the 1800s (1878). Also, when Juror number 5 made those remarks about the immigrant watch maker juror this was a really great example of the disdain between a member of one European culture against another... especially since he still had his accent. Anyway, enjoyed your reaction!

[@pirbird14]

Indeed. Immigration was heavily skewed toward middle class (people who could afford the ship's passage) white Europeans. So many young reviewers are fixated on identifying the specific race of the defendant. They are positive that "those people" is a reference to race. It wasn't. This is straight up poor bashing. I grew up in the times before race was regularly talked about in mainstream culture. Think about the movies dealing with slums in the 1950s - West Side Story, On the Waterfront, The Cross and the Switchblade - slums had not yet acquired an association with race. After they did acquire that association, they were no longer called slums, they were ghettos (think Elvis Presley's song "In the Ghetto").

[@jsharp3165]

Modern audiences don't see this as a diverse cast. But in 1957, it was considered very diverse. Especially to urban audiences, as you pointed out. The jury is WASP, Irish, Jew, Italian, Czech, etc. There were still tons of stereotypes and animosities among ethnicities of white people, let alone anyone else. Viewers of the time would have picked up many more subtleties that were written and/or played here.

[@jimuicker4731]

The UNHCR (United Nations High Commission for Refugees) was established in 1950. In their 1951 Refugee Convention, member nations agreed to the cornerstone principle of international law regarding refugees: non-refoulment. According to this principle, a refugee should not be returned to a country where they face serious threats to their life or freedom. The original teleplay for 12 Angry Men was written in 1954 at the peak of American segregation (as the previous comment says, Brown v Board of Education was also decided in 1954). The 1951 Refugee Convention grappled with the recent history of WW2. In 1939, the German ocean liner "St. Louis" arrived in the Americas with 937 passengers, almost all of which were Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi persecution. Cuba, the United States and Canada all refused to accept the passengers (28 were allowed to disembark in Cuba), so the ship returned to Europe, where the captain arranged entry to the UK, France, Belgium and the Netherlands. 254 of those passengers later died in the Holocaust. I expect that immigration was a very controversial topic among the 1957 audience for this movie. Public figures like Joseph McCarthy and, before the war, Father Charles Coughlin were pumping antisemitic and anti-immigrant ideas into the homes of every American. Yet, the horror of of World War 2, and recent disclosures about the murderous regime of Josef Stalin, forced Americans to confront the immorality of these ideas.

[@amazinggrace5692]

This post should be pinned!

[@shallowgal462]

The actor playing the recent immigrant juror was a recent immigrant.

[@RLucas3000]

If you like mysteries and court room dramas, Please consider Witness for the Prosecution from 1957, it’s a masterpiece. Also, it’s July 5th now, but 1776 (from 1972) is an incredible and fun movie about the founding fathers, starring Mr Feeney from Boy Meets World.

[@coolgareth101]

So now we know that you appreciate a black and white, well-written, well-acted courtroom drama from this period. It's time to check out "Inherit the Wind." Fantastic film.

[@RyanTravis23]

Great reaction! Look great in glasses! 🎉

[@davidely7032]

Joseph Sweeney, the eldest juror, was born in 1884. His father grew up during the Civil War and my parents grew up during Sweeney's final years. We are all just 3 or 4 generations away from the Civil War. Weird. Juror 2 was the voice of Piglet. The bigot was the father of Ed Begley Jr. Lumet locked the actors in a small room to run .Ines and amp up the tension and discomfort. A timeless classic that will be great in 100 years. 500. ❤

[@mlbrooks4066]

A lot of famous faces that we who are older recognize easily, while young people don't: Henry Fonda, Lee J. Cobb, Matin Balsam, Jack Klugman, John Fiedler, E.G. Marshall, Jack Warden, Edward Binns, Jack Warden, Ed Begley (Sr.) - incredible cast.

[@D.D.-ud9zt]

I wish I could be considered "young" but none are familiar besides Fonda whom I had seen because our teacher had us watch the Grapes of Wrath sometime before we watched this. I had seen Cobb in the Exorcist but didn't make the connection, I don't think his health was very good at this point.

[@pleasantvalleypickerca7681]

A brilliant masterpiece. More relevant than ever. A group of citizens coming together with their individual predjudices and being forced to examine them. 10/10.

[@tommosley2844]

Would love for you to react to some Sydney Poitier movies. Here's a list of some of my favorites. 1. In the heat of the night 2. A patch of blue 3. A raisin in the sun 4. Guess who's coming to dinner 5. A piece of the action 6. Let's do it again You won't be disappointed.

[@TedLittle-yp7uj]

My favourite Poitier film is "A Patch of Blue." "To Sir with Love" also holds a special place in my heart. "Lilies of the Field" is also great fun.

[@ddiamondr1]

Courtney, some of the best actors in the world did this movie. You might find it interesting to look up the cast. The man who voted not guilty to begin with and persuaded the others is Henry Fonda, a huge star on the order of Tom Hanks in his day. He often acted in, and produced, films of social significance. And reading his biography, I learned that when he was a child he saw a man lynched in the south. It was his father, he said, who taught him about injustice and how everyone must fight against it. He was also a producer on this film.

[@aMulliganStew]

There's a generation or two of people from Omaha who are very very proud to call Henry Fonda one of their own. He also plays the lead in the timeless rendering of John Steinbeck's "Grapes of Wrath."

[@shallowgal462]

He was great in _On Golden Pond._

[@liduck52]

I read his autobiography. I recommend it.

[@jaewok5G]

some of the best actors of their time and an acclaimed director … based on a play written of the author's own jury experience, and less than a decade after ww2 and around the korean 'war,' making race n prejudice issues very relevant.

[@s.jackson8098]

Henry Fonda gave a great performance here. But Lee J. Cobb as Juror #3 (the one with the son) -- his performance was genius level. The thing is, his anger is so overwhelming, it's easy to dismiss him as a one-dimensional loudmouth bully. So it's easy to miss how nuanced his performance is. Vulnerability, uncertainty, sadness, regret, tenderness, fear, empathy, humor, thoughtfulness -- it's all there. It's just perfectly, carefully placed and very, very subtle. A one-man acting masterclass.

[@reichensperger1847]

Thanks for the peek at you in your glasses. You look terrific. This was a very thoughtful review, as usual. You mentioned the "camera work" but one thing you might have noticed is that the camera angles got closer and closer as the movie got more intense, beginning with long shots and slowly turning to extreme closeups as the tension builds..

[@texvor6949]

Two of the jurors in this was in star trek episodes you reacted to. The first one you know about because he was the lawyer in wolf in the fold, but the old man was in the episode bread and circuses when kirk and spock and mccoy landed on a rome like plant and the old man was one of the rebels they met. He was explaining about the religion they followed which is why they became enemies of the state. His name was edward sweeny.

[@jimuicker4731]

When I watch old movies, I like to try to imagine the audience in the theatres. In 1957, when actor Jack Klugman (son of Russian Jewish immigrants) is identified as having grown up in the same slums as the defendant, and Jack Warden's character says, "I'm telling you, they're all alike. They come over here, running for their life, and before they can take a deep breath, they're telling us how to run the show," it reminds me that this audience would have participated in the debates about reforming immigration laws in the wake of the Holocaust, when Jewish refugees were turned back from American shores only to perish in death camps.

[@tinypurplefishesrunlaughin8052]

Turned back?? Says who? Hater of America??? Grow up.

[@gerardcote8391]

Now you have to do Witness for the Prosecution. This movie is a bookend to this one. Different story Different characters, but a court room drama told from the view of the Defense.

[@rmcfete]

They did that on the stage for, if I am correct, 2 years before the movie . Incredible performances. All those actors were great character actors in their own right, some like Fonda and Lee J Cobb were top shelf

[@ScottLovenberg]

I'm less than two minutes in and your reacting, quickly, and get the material more quickly and deeply than anyone I can remember. I don't give comments quick or often for want reactors, but i want to see more of you watching stuff. Subbed and cheers.

[@CourtReacts-zm9yv]

Wow! Thank you so much 😁

[@vincentsaia6545]

Yes, Martin Balsam played Arbigast in PSYCHO.

[@texvor6949]

Good reaction. Great timing when you asked why the same time the juror asked the same thing to the baseball guy who changed his mind in order to get to the game.

[@dionysiacosmos]

And.. besides the episode A Wolf in the Fold from Star Trek, Juror#2 was also the voice of Piglet in all the Disney Winnie the Pooh cartoons!

[@tedrowland8672]

Piglet? Who is Piglet? Do you really believe that a bear would actually name himself Winnie?

[@dionysiacosmos]

Great reaction, Courtney! Now when you need something interesting to do, that'll take you out of yourself for a while, you can look at 12 Angry Men. Both my husband and I have seen it innumerable times since we were teenagers in the 1970s. It has so many layers because of the script and the actors that you'll always see something new.

[@holz_name]

I'm pretty sure that jurors can not bring their own evidence or do any independent research. Him going to the neighborhood and buying a knife, and bringing it into the juror's room is very much a mistrial.

[@rxtsec1]

Was it like that in the 50's though. Now you would get checked before you go in

[@noelleparris9451]

Great reaction. When I listen to younger people like you, I have a little more faith in the future. You have a lot of sense!

[@JohnSipe-jt7bm]

I love your reaction! I read comments loving your glasses but I saw none-thanks for confirming you were not wearing them in this program. 33:30 33:31

[@danielberg7644]

I really enjoyed your reaction. I love this movie too. Another great classic movie I think you will like is "To Kill a Mockingbird" (1963) starring Gregory Peck.

[@markfeggeler3479]

Another amazing ensemble cast movie - also featuring Martin Balsam - is Murder on the Orient Express from the 1970s with Albert Finney as Hercules Poirot.

[@daveking9393]

Great job! I really enjoyed the time spent with you. I don't know why but in the last 6 to 9 months I think I watched a dozen reactors to this movie. All good but I'm wondering it must be hitting the algorithms for everybody to be doing it. Great job again. Thanks for sharing

[@obdiane]

I appreciate your videos always start with thanks to veterans. Thank you and God bless you, sis.

[@CourtReacts-zm9yv]

You are so welcome!

[@ChrisS-no3ft]

One of the greatest, if not the greatest courtroom dramas of all time. Henry Fonda is always spectacular, and it was directed and shot masterfully. And, not for nothing, some of the greatest acting I’ve ever seen. Beats a lot of the slop you get these days. A real classic! Without hitting it right on the head, you have a few bigots in that room. Plain and simple.

[@robertshriver4574]

Enjoyed your thoughtful cometary and your reaction. Subscribed.

[@The.Android]

Yep. Ar-bo-gast from Psycho.

[@gallendugall8913]

If every aspect of the justice system fails you, as it did here, having to rely on a jury to make an informed decision is scary.

[@shallowgal462]

Kudos for recognizing Arbogast from _Psycho_ (Martin Balsam) and the voice actor of Piglet in the Winnie the Pooh movies from _Star Trek_ (John Fiedler)! Other big stars were the last holdout also from _The Exorcist_ (Lee J. Cobb), the man from the slums who was also in several classic _Twilight Zone_ episodes, starred as _Quincy, M.E._ and played Oscar Madison on _The Odd Couple_ (Jack Klugman), the juror who was the only vote for not guilty at the beginning (Henry Fonda) from _The Grapes of Wrath_ and _On Golden Pond,_ the juror who said he never sweats (E.G. Marshall) who was Uncle Art in _National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation_ and the President in _Superman II,_ and the juror in a hurry to get to a ball game (Jack Warden) from _While You Were Sleeping, Problem Child, Shampoo, The Verdict_ and _Heaven Can Wait._ The bigot whom everyone turned their back on was famous at the time, but his son is more famous today (Ed Begley).

[@pauld6967]

Many more classics await you, Courtney. From the days when well-written scripts were far more important than flashy special effects and frantic activity every 2.5 seconds. Since everyone cites _'Casablanca'_ at this point, I will instead recommend to you _'Harvey'_ starring Jimmy Stewart and _'The Bishop's Wife'_ starring Cary Grant.

[@milannesic5718]

"Maybe sunglasses, maybe she was farsighted..." He did not mean that she wore sunglasses in a room. He meant that marks on nose could have been made by other type of glasses. But that is not good argument, as those type of glasses are worn rarely. Could not make those deep impressions

[@chipurBillWhite]

Great film, great reaction. Really enjoyed your low key comment style. You make your point without chattering on. Ty…

[@killgazmotron]

This is like the oldest movie with the most in your face zingers ever. I cant think of any other black and white film where the verbal sniper shots hand out so much precise damage.

[@CoastalNomad]

Great Reaction to this Classic...... I saw this Presented Muliple Times as a play in High School (Early 1980's)....... Shout out to the Legends in this Movie...... Henry Fonda, Lee J. Cobb, Jack Klugman, Martin Balsam, E.G. Marshall, Jack Warden, Ed Begley Director Lumet wrote in an article: "I shot the first third of the movie above eye level, shot the second third at eye level, and the last third from below eye level. In that way, toward the end, the ceiling began to appear. Not only were the walls closing in, the ceiling was as well. The sense of increasing claustrophobia did a lot to raise the tension of the last part of the movie." The kid not remembering the films is a believable statement. Movie houses weren't multi-screen when this movie was made. A cinema showed one or two movies so in the evening you could buy a double feature ticket without ever asking the name of the films. An angry kid wanting to get out of the summer heat buys a double feature ticket and spends the time stewing in anger paying no attention to the films is quite believable. The hand towel machine in the restroom doesn't reuse the same cloth. As you pull it down off the top reel, it wraps around another reel in the bottom. Eventually you pull all the towel off the top reel. At that point, all the used towel is wrapped on the bottom reel and can be removed to be laundered. These still exist today ion some places and there's usually a service company that supplies clean rolls and washes the dirty ones. The "Them" they are refering to in the original script were "Puerto Ricans" who had Immigrated...... Another Classic Movie that (mostly) takes place in one room, is "Arsenic and Old Lace"(1944), It had a long run on Broadway, and the movie was shot using most of the actors from the Broadway Production.....

[@rural_old_dude]

I think the kid was possibly Irish, they were attacked alot back then. Then, at the end, you find out the old man was also Irish, with that last name.

[@scottevans2685]

The kid was probably supposed to be Puerto Rican. The young actor who played him was of Italian ancestry.

[@D.D.-ud9zt]

Anti Irish discrimination was mostly gone by that time. Irishmen are pretty much never dark skinned too. You did bring up a good point though as to why an older white man might have stood up so early. As a young man it is possible he experienced discrimination for being Irish or knew that his father did.

[@rural_old_dude]

@@D.D.-ud9zt there were quite a few darker skinned Irish people. Many were of Portuguese or Spanish origin. Also, the anti Irish sentiment still existed, especially law enforcement. Just my opinion though, only a movie... And I love dissecting movies lol.

[@johnmavroudis2054]

This is such a great film. One of the all-time classics. Great reaction and commentary. Other great b/w films worth your time: "The MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE," "MODERN TMES," "FAIL SAFE," and "7 DAYS IN MAY." Other great, overlooked newer films: "PLEASANTVILLE," "STRANGER THAN FICTION," "GRAVITY," and "CHILDREN OF MEN" Cheers!

[@captainkangaroo4301]

Outstanding cast. A great movie released the year I was born. I’ve seen it a few times but not for 30 . It’s a classic.

[@DR-mq1vn]

Another great court room movie is "Primal Fear" with Edward Norton and Richard Gere.

[@daveking9393]

That first gentleman with the switchblade is named Henry Fonda and has a pretty remarkable career you should look into. Actually A few others are pretty famous as well, especially Jack klugman who played the boy from the slums... You should check out the series he did on television called The odd couple. It was just hilarious

[@seanmcmurphy4744]

It is interesting that there were no ladies on the jury. If there had been, maybe tempers would not have been so high. I looked it up and the 1957 Civil Rights Act gave women the right to serve on Federal juries, but it wasn't until 1973 that all 50 states allowed women on state court juries.

[@kirkdarling4120]

Most states had given women the right to be on juries by the early 40s...a couple even in the late 1800s. However, a "housewife waiver" was easy for a woman to get, and in some states women needed to officially "opt in" to be called for jury duty.

[@bcriswell]

If you look in the background of the jury room, you will see a women's restroom right next to the men's. So at least for this movie, there was a chance a woman or women could have been on the jury. But this time, only men were selected.

[@seanmcmurphy4744]

@@kirkdarling4120 Good to know. And New York, where this movie seems to be set, legalized women on juries in 1937

[@ZeroOskul]

1:28 In _Do The Right Thing_ Spike Lee reminded us that hate is just heat handled poorly. Heat is oppressive and we react to it in the same way.

[@jeanb.5405]

I liked the line about prejudice too but the thing is - the analytical man who said he never sweats, he was prejudice about people who grew up in slums - the old man who was loud and obnoxious referring to people in the slums as "they all and those people" he was outright racist. There is a huge difference. The racist man maybe learned his lesson - we can hope.

[@jeanb.5405]

In those days all eye glasses were made with real glass and they were heavy and if you wore them all day every day you got indintations in your nose that never went away. The angriest jurror tried to say maybe she wore them to read only or wore sun glasses but those were not on the nose long enough to cause the marks. I used to have to wear them.

[@Ebony1Gambler1]

The man that was ranting was a actor doing his part in the movie

[@scottevans2685]

Ed Begley, Sr., father of actor Ed Begley, Jr.

[@markspyrison9659]

I love your insightful commentary.

[@socalpaul487]

The acting talent that's in this room likely won't ever be seen together again. After you finish your Stat trek journey, you should try the original "Twilight Zone" series.

[@dgunn2817]

Great reaction to this classic. I'm subscribed.

[@wiseguymaybe]

I like you, so I'm a subscriber. This movie is one I rate right up there with Shawshank Redemption, and It's A Wonderful Life, These are movies that move you emotionally.

[@kevinjones6435]

I loved your reaction. This movie is indeed one of the greats.

[@raymonddevera2796]

There are two more westerns with along the same lines The Ox Bow Incident with Henry Fonda where three cowboys were lynched w/o a trail the other is High'em High with Clint Eastwood. The were hung for rustling cattle and murder.

[@captainofdunedain3993]

Jurer the 8th is a true hero. The worst type of person for me is the Jurer 7th who seeks the ball game.

[@algee8415]

Ed Begley was only 57 in here. Ed Begley Jr. is 74 today. Have to say he's aged way way better.

[@JohnSipe-jt7bm]

When Juror 8 produces his knife, the case should have been dismissed as a mistrial. 11:42

[@scottevans2685]

That's exactly what would have happened in a real trial.

[@bentels5340]

​@@scottevans2685 Now perhaps. But AFAIK the law prohibiting jurors from investigating on their own, wasn't passed when 12 Angry Men was made.

[@Gort-Marvin0Martian]

Great reaction / review. Spot on!! As we say in Texas; y'all be safe

[@RobinTig]

Thank you for watching this great movie ⚖️👩🏽‍⚖️

[@proofprof50]

E. G. Marshall puts on a masterclass, but Henry Fonda and the rest are awesome. The cinematography is unparalleled here. It starts out as an above shot... the heat and the rain are also characters. Then it goes into a mid-shot and then below. At the end the shot extends, as we all feel relief at being free from the claustrophobia of the jury room.

[@YourXavier]

32:10 For those interested, adjusted for inflation, $5,000 in 1957 is the equivalent of over $55,000 today. EDIT: Reflections aside, the glasses suit you.

[@neutrino78x]

This is one of my all time favorite movies, probably top five!!! Good to see an African-American perspective on it. And always good to see your great beauty, with and without your glasses 😍 I was part of a jury once! Here in "Silicon Valley"... But we didn't get to deliberate, because the prosecution rested their case because they said they could not meet their burden of proof. But I would have voted not guilty. It was about an undocumented immigrant from Mexico being accused of exposing himself to two kids and their babysitter walking by his car. But he swore up and down he was just adjusting his pants. A big part of jury selection was them asking each of us if we could handle presuming someone to be innocent even though they were here "illegally". Of course, it's the San Francisco Bay Area, and we embrace multiculturalism and welcome immigrants, so all of us agreed that it wouldn't be a problem. The guy did run from the police....but I figured that was because he was undocumented. My opinion was that it was in the early evening, not much sunlight, and the lady probably just saw him adjusting his belt and thought he was adjusting something else...I thought there was a lot of reasonable doubt. But, the prosecution dropped their case. I hope the guy is doing ok these days and is on a track to becoming a US citizen.... 🙂

[@perrymalcolm3802]

I like your glasses! Play with adding bright color like yellow orange or pink. Could be fun for u

[@edwinlemus8530]

The kid's father had a not good friends of his own that could have pay him a visit that night and forgot the knife (on the man's chest) when he left.

[@kaig.6367]

OK. Again. In the original stage play juror 3 was not hit by his son but the son tried to stab him with a knife. That is why he was that involved. Don't know why they changed it.

[@CourtReacts-zm9yv]

Oh wow. That detail makes more sense.

[@bigtee]

Excellent review and commentary.

[@CourtReacts-zm9yv]

Thank you so much!

[@GertyColeman-k8c]

Paddy Chayefsky,the Aaron Sorkin of his day.

[@philmullineaux5405]

The movie, isn't about black and white, or the times, or the court system, or the case, or the boy. It's about them, it's about us. Its about u. U become a juror....so were u honest? Did ur past, and experiences, cloud or shade ur judgement? What do we think in life? What are our prejudices? Can we see things differently from one another? Can we really see, right from wrong? What does our past, impose on us? Can we be both right or wrong, or both right and wrong? Can we admit it? In today's culture, the answer for many, particularly on the left, is no. They wouldn't even have this debate. Because being right is their religion. First off, Hollywood royalty acting, all in one room. Secondly, its a critique on u, u become a player. They did a remake about 20 years ago i think with tony Danza, also quite good! The angriest guy here, was a child musical prodigy, mastering violin and harmonca by about 12. Left NY and went to Hollywood as a teen. Went back and forth, several times, trying to make it. Performed several stage plays. He became such a standout that playwrights, began to write stage plays with him in mind. I believe Arthur Miller wrote death of a salesman, specifically for him!😮😮😮😮. The angriest guy was a ling time acting coach and puts on a real clinic here. U hate him the entire movie, until his final dialog! He's also the detective in Exorcist! The director purposely kept doing retakes, to get them mad and more mad, plus he really kept the temperature in the room, higher than normal, or off! All these actors were major stars or character actors, in TV and movies from the 40s through the 70s!! Another absolutely genius part of this is, only the last 2 guys, even know each other's name, yet they decided on life or death!

[@kh884488]

Excellent film and noticing the private investigator from Psycho.

[@MikeBD187]

I really enjoyed your reaction and comments

[@zeezee9670]

@25:58 _Here's how: Underhanded._ This means *the alleged murder weapon is brought into doubt.* It is shown now that the murder weapon is highly improbable to be *a switchblade* because of the stab downward angle.Remember also that the switchblade found was *found clean of fingerprints.* It is just assumed to be the murder weapon with no proof or based clues.

[@gregoryeatroff8608]

I gathered that they found the murder weapon sticking in the victim, and what Jack Klugman showed was that an experienced knife fighter like the defendant wouldn't have used that weapon in that way.

[@zeezee9670]

@@gregoryeatroff8608 There was one account like that from the biased Juror No.3 but I think the movie has established this juror's accounts as unreliable at best. Furthermore two jJurors (nos. 7 & 12) said that "it was not nice to leave the knife sticking out of someone's chest" when they were confronted with the question about wha the accused went back. Thry assumed the accused removed the knife from the wound when he cleaned it. Nevermind all that what what the movie established was only that the switchblade is higly unsuitable for downwardstabbing & that there were nofinger prints at all. The movie didn't establish the knife remaining in the victims chest.

[@timholder6825]

I wear John Lennon type, round, 'granny' glasses. Everyone I've said, here try these, let me see how they look on you, they suit. Male or female, they just work. Maybe consider an alt pair. I've always thought, thick black frames, no matter what the styling, always look a bit severe. Although the thick style Morrissey used to wear look cool. Just a thought. Have an alt pair in a different style.

[@marbanak]

I like your approach. Thanks.

[@pleutron]

always appreciate your reactions Court.

[@neutrino78x]

court I would still love to see you react to "In the Heat of the Night".😃 It has Sidney Poitier as a detective from Philadelphia. He visits his mother (or maybe his grandmother, I always forget) in a very racist town in the deep south. They have a murder in the town, and one of the junior policemen is sent to look for suspicious people who might be the killer. He finds Sidney Poitier waiting for the train, and racially profiles him, and arrests him for Waiting For a Train While Black. The sheriff questions him and calls him the n-word and then figures out that Poitier is a detective, and is very embarrassed. Poitier eventually solves the murder, but it isn't who we thought it was! And the sheriff is less racist at the end, telling Poitier with a smile, "y'all take care" and Poitier says "yeah" and smiles. There's a famous scene in that movie where they are questioning a rich white plantation owner and the owner slaps Poitier for daring to suggest, as a black cop, that a white man could be involved with the murder, and Poitier slaps him right back, much harder, the first time a black guy slapped a white guy in a movie, apparently. 😲 They also made a series from the movie, in the 90s, I watched it all the time in high school. Unfortunately the guy who plays Poiter's character had a drug problem and ultimately had to be fired, and the series wasn't as good after that, but still good. 🙂

[@JoanBelo-h5y]

Great reaction to a classic masterpiece!! 👏👍🎉🤗

[@ryanje8147]

Love this movie and your reaction to it. Thank you for sharing. FYI....You look beautiful with or without your glasses.