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Compulsion

"THEIRS WAS THE PERFECT CRIME they thought! They were too sure...too smart...too careful to leave a clue -- but they did! and it exploded -- The shocking story of two teenagers out for kicks...looking for thrills...and finding them!"

1959-04-01 Crime 1hr 43m

Two close friends' plan to execute a flawless crime is crushed when one of them inadvertently leaves his glasses at the crime scene.

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Compulsion
Amazon Prime Video

Watch on Amazon Prime Video

Storyline

Two close friends' plan to execute a flawless crime is crushed when one of them inadvertently leaves his glasses at the crime scene.

  • Released
    1959-04-01
  • Revenue
    $1,800,000
  • Budget
    $1,345,000
  • Runtime
    1hr 43m
  • Genre
    Crime, Drama
  • Status
    Released
  • Language
    English
  • imdb-logo
    7.4
  • Production
    Darryl F. Zanuck Productions, 20th Century Fox

Crew

Richard Fleischer
Director
Richard Murphy
Screenplay
Richard D. Zanuck
Producer
Keywords:
death penalty based on novel or book police philosophy child murder alibi based on true story lawyer courtroom glasses arrogance superiority

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Cast

Dean Stockwell

Dean Stockwell
Judd Steiner
Bradford Dillman

Bradford Dillman
Arthur A. Straus
Orson Welles

Orson Welles
Jonathan Wilk
E.G. Marshall

E.G. Marshall
District Attorney Harold Horn
Diane Varsi

Diane Varsi
Ruth Evans
Martin Milner

Martin Milner
Sid Brooks
Richard Anderson

Richard Anderson
Max Steiner
Robert F. Simon

Robert F. Simon
Police Lt. Johnson
Robert Burton

Robert Burton
Charles Straus
Wilton Graff

Wilton Graff
Mr. Steiner
Louise Lorimer

Louise Lorimer
Mrs. Straus aka 'Mumsy'
Gavin MacLeod

Gavin MacLeod
Padua - Horn's Assistant
Edward Binns

Edward Binns
Tom Daly
Colin Kenny

Colin Kenny
Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
Raoul Freeman

Raoul Freeman
Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
Herschel Graham

Herschel Graham
Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)

Videos and Photos

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Movie Reviews

Reviews for Compulsion
reviewer avatar

A Review by John Chard 7

Written by John Chard on 2015-08-10

Lets go watch them slaughter the sheep! Compulsion is directed by Richard Fleischer and adapted to screenplay by Richard Murphy from the ... read more

Lets go watch them slaughter the sheep! Compulsion is directed by Richard Fleischer and adapted to screenplay by Richard Murphy from the novel written by Meyer Levin. It stars Dean Stockwell, Bradford Dillman, Orson Welles and Diane Varsi. Music is by Lionel Newman and cinematography by William C. Mellor. Based upon the real life Leopold and Loeb murder trial of the 1920s, Compulsion finds Artie Strauss (Dillman) and Judd Steiner (Stockwell) as two well to do young men attempting to commit the perfect crime - murder! But it wasn't so perfect after all and they soon find themselves on trial for their own lives. Enter famed attorney Jonathan Wilk (Welles), who fights to keep them from the death penalty. Healthily rated in some quarters, it's a film that actually does divide opinions, which when all is considered is unsurprising given the capital punishment core of the story. The story builds superbly, brilliantly photographed and paced by cinematographer and director, and performed with imposing skills by Dillman and Stockwell. Then the crux of the film arrives in the form of Welles, who late in the play has the unenviable job of turning the piece into a soapbox anti capital punishment advertisement. It's also a performance from Welles that has drawn major pros and cons in critical circles. Whatever your thoughts on capital punishment, Welles makes a telling acting mark. The sound mix could have been fine tuned, as Welles is prone to mumble during his speeches, but it remains gripping on court room drama terms, even if there's a little deflation - a feeling of anti-climax - after the build up had been so good. Not really capturing the notoriety of the real case, it's nonetheless a compelling piece and well worth seeking out. 7/10

Read Full Review (The thoughts and opinions expressed here are solely those of the reviewer.)
A Review by John Chard

Lets go watch them slaughter the sheep! Compulsion is directed by Richard Fleischer and adapted to screenplay by Richard Murphy from the novel written by Meyer Levin. It stars Dean Stockwell, Bradford Dillman, Orson Welles and Diane Vars...

reviewer avatar

A Review by John Chard 7

Written by John Chard on 2015-08-10

Lets go watch them slaughter the sheep! Compulsion is directed by Richard Fleischer and adapted to screenplay by Richard Murphy from the novel written by Meyer Levin. It stars Dean Stockwell, Bradf...

read more