Anatomy of a Murder poster

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Anatomy of a Murder

1959 · Movie · 161 min
A

MEANRANK

85/100

Averaged across 11 ratings · 200.1K votes

Every rating

Platform pages last read 30 September 2026. IMDb’s figure comes from IMDb’s own data file, which we re-read about once a month.

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73–100 out of 100

Mostly agreed

Lowest is Criticker on 73, highest is Rotten Tomatoes critics on 100. Critics average 98, everyone else 83.

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A small-town lawyer agrees to defend a military man who claims he murdered another man because he raped his wife. The lawyer must sift through conflicting testimonies and circumstantial evidence to construct a defense for his client. The trial becomes a complex battle of wits against a shrewd prosecuting attorney, where the truth is elusive and the line between justice and manipulation is constantly blurred.

Details

Based on
Anatomy of a Murder by John D. Voelker
Released
1 July 1959
Country
United States
Language
English
Runtime
161 min
Rated
NR
Budget
$2.0M
Box office
$8.0M
Awards
11 wins, 17 nominations

This title elsewhere

James Stewart

James Stewart

Paul Biegler

Lee Remick

Lee Remick

Laura Manion

Ben Gazzara

Ben Gazzara

Lt. Frederick Manion

Arthur O'Connell

Arthur O'Connell

Parnell Emmett McCarthy

Eve Arden

Eve Arden

Maida Rutledge

Kathryn Grant

Kathryn Grant

Mary Pilant

George C. Scott

George C. Scott

Claude Dancer

Orson Bean

Orson Bean

Dr. Matthew Smith

Awards & nominations

See all 28 →

3 major awards won · 11 wins from 28 nominations across 11 ceremonies

Grammy Awards 1959 Best Soundtrack Album – Background Score from a Motion Picture or Television Anatomy of a Murder – Duke Ellington Winner
Grammy Awards 1959 Best Performance by an Orchestra – for Dancing Anatomy of a Murder – Duke Ellington Winner
Grammy Awards 1959 Best Musical Composition First Recorded and Released in 1959 (more than 5 minutes duration) Anatomy of a Murder – Duke Ellington Winner
Academy Awards 1959 Best Motion Picture Otto Preminger Nominee
Academy Awards 1959 Best Actor James Stewart Nominee
Academy Awards 1959 Best Supporting Actor Arthur O'Connell Nominee
Academy Awards 1959 Best Supporting Actor George C. Scott Nominee
Academy Awards 1959 Best Screenplay – Based on Material from Another Medium Wendell Mayes Nominee
Show all 28 awards across 11 ceremonies

Awards from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA.