Main Cast: Henry Fonda, John Houseman, José Ferrer, Fay Wray
Release Year: 1980
Country: US
Run Time: 104 minutes
Plot
In the tradition of his earlier work in Grapes of Wrath and Twelve Angry Men, Henry Fonda played another social-protest role in the Hallmark Hall of Fame TV presentation Gideon's Trumpet. Clarence Earl Gideon (Fonda) is a poor, ill-tempered Florida handyman who is arrested for petty larceny in 1961. Unable to afford a lawyer, Gideon is sentenced to five years in prison. His treatment by the Florida judicial system, a clear violation of the Fourteenth Amendment, is brought to the attention of the Supreme Court. As a result, a landmark decision is reached, assuring free legal representation for anyone accused of a crime in the United States. Also appearing are Jose Ferrer as Gideon's attorney Abe Fortas, John Houseman (who also produced) as the Chief Justice, and Fay Wray as the owner of the lodging establishment where Gideon lived. Gideon's Trumpet premiered on April 30, 1980. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
Gideon's Trumpet is among the few films to treat the law as a serious subject. The real-life history behind this case is perhaps even more amazing than the film: occasional handy man and convicted petty thief Clarence Gideon sent a handwritten petition to the U.S. Supreme Court that forced a major, long-overdue change in the law. Unlike docudramas that present a simplistic view of their subjects, Gideon's Trumpet does not falsely make its protagonist into a likable hero, and Henry Fonda's powerful performance is one of the few times that he played a character so obviously flawed as a person. It is among his best late-career performances. Despite its origins as a made-for-television movie, Gideon's Trumpet contains inventive camera work and an overall sheen of quality that belie its TV-movie status. It ranks with the best films of the early 1980s, despite not having had a theatrical release. ~ Richard Gilliam, All Movie Guide
Paul Benjamin - Artis; James Brodhead - Court Crier; David Clennon - James Fitzpatrick; Frederic Cook - Leo Stafford; Seamon Glass - Prison Guard; Malcolm Groome - John Ely; Gary Grubbs - Deputy Hamilton; Jerry Hardin - Mel Cobb; Dean Jagger - 6th Supreme Court Justice; Les Lannom - Bobby Earle; Richard Lineback - Lester Wade; J. Patrick McNamara - Harris; Clifford A. Pellow - Justin Pike; William Prince - 5th Supreme Court Justice; Nicholas Pryor - Jacob; Ford Rainey - 2nd Supreme Court Justice; Timothy Scott - Toby; David Sheiner - Abe Krash; Lane Smith - Fred Turner; Dolph Sweet - Charlie; Gwen van Dam - Mrs. Lawrence; Michael Cavanaugh - Stocker; Sam Jaffe - 1st Sumpreme Court Justice; Edmund H. North - Supreme Court Justice; Liam O'Brien - Supreme Court Justice; Allan Rich - Tobias Simon; John Miller - Judge Robert McCrary; Jon Locke - Supervisor; Don Draper - Bailiff; James O'Connell - Warden; Henry Proach - Guard
Credit
David W. Rintels - Co-producer, Robert H. Justman - Co-producer, Robert E. Collins - Director, Frank Bracht - Editor, John Houseman - Executive Producer, Joseph Weiss - Composer (Music Score), Edward C. Carfagno - Production Designer, Don Birnkrant - Cinematographer, Robert J. Koster - Production Manager, David W. Rintels - Screenwriter, Anthony Lewis - Book Author
