Anatomy of a Murder

In Thelma and Louise (October 7, 2018 post), I discussed alternatives to their fleeing the scene after Louise kills Harlan.  She was responding to his obscenities after he tried to rape Thelma.  Could there be a legal justification for what she did?  

In Otto Preminger's 1959 courtroom drama, Anatomy of a Murder, we may have an answer.  The film was nominated for 7 Academy Awards including Best Picture (won by Ben-Hur), but won none.

In the movie, defense lawyer Paul Biegler (James Stewart, nominated for Academy Award for Best Actor, but lost to Charlton Heston in Ben-Hur) is hired by Frederick Manion (Ben Gazzara), a U.S. Army officer, who is accused of murdering Barney Quill, an innkeeper in Thunder Bay, Michigan (Upper Peninsula).  He admits shooting Quill, but only after Quill raped his wife, Laura (Lee Remick).

Laura had been at the bar in Quill's Inn (her husband was home asleep) drinking and playing the pinball machine (while swishing her hips).  After driving Laura near her home, Quill rapes her.  Laura wakes up her husband and tells him what happened.  He goes to the bar and shoots Quill.

Biegler tells Manion his only hope for a not guilty verdict is temporary insanity.  Biegler uses the argument that Manion "may be eligible for a defense of  irresistible impulse (M'Naghten rule), a form of temporary insanity."  This means the accused could not control their behavior even when they knew it was wrong.

The prosecution, led by State Attorney Claude Dancer (George C. Scott, nominated for Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, but lost to Hugh Griffith in Ben-Hur), at first tries to prevent the alleged rape from being introduced by the defense since it is unproven.  Thus, Manion would lack a motive for killing Quill.  

Eventually, Judge Weaver (Joseph Welch - Cowardly Acts post on October 14, 2018) allows the alleged rape into the record.  Then the prosecution claims the sex was consensual, which again hurts the defense.

Near the end of the trial, a witness comes forward to corroborate the rape accusation which again helps the defense.  She is Mary Pilant (Kathryn Grant), Quill's manager of the inn who has inherited it after his death.  She found the missing panties (in the hotel laundry) that had been worn by Laura Manion the night of the rape.  

It was "common knowledge" around Thunder Bay that Mary was Quill's mistress.  On cross-examination, Dancer tries to discredit Mary's testimony by strongly suggesting her belief Quill raped Laura Manion was motivated by jealousy.  Shocked by this accusation, she tries to respond.

"Barney Quill was my..."

Dancer presses forward right in her face, "Barney Quill was what?"

Mary then completes her sentence, "Barney Quill was my father."  

Dancer is struck dumb.  A lawyer should never ask a question to which he doesn't know the answer.  Quill and his illegitimate daughter had kept the true nature of their relationship a secret for years.  

How did this new evidence affect the jury?  We don't know for sure, but Frederick Manion was found not guilty.  Maybe with irresistible impulse, Louise could have earned the same verdict for killing Harlan. 

I recently (2022) read the book (same title) written by Robert Traver which was the basis for the movie.  Important differences between the movie and the book were the Laura Manion's panties found by Mary Pilant and that Barney Quill was not Mary Pilant's father.  Give credit to Otto Preminger, the director, and Wendell Mayes, the screenwriter.