3 thoughts on “12 Angry Men 1957 – Henry Fonda

  1. If you’ve not seen this film it’s well worth your time. I first saw this in Las Vegas at MGM, for the 20th anniversary of the films release. The film captivates the audience from the beginning. The tension of the characters draws the audience in from the start. We imagine that the case is open and shut, 11 me saying guilty and 1 not. We feel the discomfort of Henry Fonda as the other characters belittle and mock how he can see any reasonable doubt in the case. But we also share his victories and the enthusiasm as he proceeds to refute or add doubt to the arguments for guilty and are captivated and draw in as other jurors begin to see doubt in the proceedings.
    The film inspired a plot on the “The Andy Griffith Show” in which Aunt Bee Taylor plays the lone holdout juror (exactly like Henry Fonda’s character) who steadfastly votes ‘not guilty’. She repeatedly holds her vote even while up against the anger of the 11 other jurors (all men). In the end, Andy himself pieces together who actually committed the crime based on his interactions with another courtroom observer. The criminal on trial was played by a young Jack Nicholson.

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