The Penguin Classics debut that inspired a classic film and a current Broadway revival Reginald Rose's landmark American drama was a critically acclaimed teleplay, and went on to become a cinematic masterpiece in 1957 starring Henry Fonda, for which Rose wrote the adaptation. A blistering character study and an examination of the American melting pot and the judicial system that keeps it in check, Twelve Angry Men holds at its core a deeply patriotic belief in the U.S. legal system. The story's focal point, known only as Juror Eight, is at first the sole holdout in an 11-1 guilty vote. Eight sets his sights not on proving the other jurors wrong but rather on getting them to look at the situation in a clear-eyed way not affected by their personal biases. Rose deliberately and carefully peels away the layers of artifice from the men and allows a fuller picture of America, at its best and worst, to form.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
12 angry men:
I bought this for my niece but did not realize it was a play not a book. She did not like it and has not read it
Great!:
I teach this play in high school, and students just love it. If you use the book with the movie, they can study the texts and learn a lot about what is the truth and the value of fighting for it and overcoming our laziness. It also explains well the jury system and racism in the 1950s. Overall you teach them a lot about character and a lot about America. The movie is also excellent.
Reasonable Doubt on Trial:
On April 24, 2008, I was fortunate enough to see a mesmerizing production of "Twelve Angry Men," the professional Equity touring company of the Roundabout Theatre's 2004 rendering of the play. The road company starred Richard Thomas as Juror Number 8, but this play is an ensemble acting piece, not a single star vehicle.
In the play the all-white jurors have no names:
#1 is the foreman, a high school football coach
#2-a fairly neutral guy whose kid has the mumps
#3-sadistic, has... more info
Best courtroom drama ever written!:
Long before any John Grisham novel, there was Twelve Angry Men. I had to read this play in grade school, and it is the reason why I am hooked on both mysteries and plays to this day. As you read, you imagine yourself sitting in that jury room and how you would be thinking and reacting in the same situation. The movie, too, is just as superb!
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12 Angry Men from MGM (Video & DVD) (DVD) - Usually ships in 24 hours
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