Legal Eagles
A natural breeding ground for tension, suspense and witty repartee, the courtroom has long been an obvious choice for filmmakers. Here you will find murder ('In Cold Blood', 'Murder in the First'), injustice ('The Trials of Darryl Hunt', 'In The Name of the Father'), corruption ('Runaway Jury', 'Damages'), bigotry ('To Kill A Mockingbird', 'The Accused') and a few laughs as well ('Legally Blonde'). All be seated! Court is now in session!
Pictured: Brock Peters and the inimitable Gregory Peck who won the Oscar for his protrayal of Atticus Finch in 'To Kill A Mockingbird'.
Rumpole of the Bailey: Series 5 (1988)
8.5/10
Director: Various
Starring: Leo McKern, Marion Mack
Q.C. John Mortimer's satirical look at criminal law and the Old Bailey continues in this fifth series. Horace Rumpole makes his way through six compel... Read more
The Accused (1988)
7.1/10
Director: Jonathan Kaplan
Starring: Jodie Foster, Kelly McGillis, Bernie Coulson
A young woman is gang-raped in a bar while onlookers cheer on the attack. The subsequent court trials question her 'easy' lifestyle and whether she in... Read more
Suspect (1987)
6.6/10
Director: Peter Yates
Starring: Cher , Dennis Quaid, Liam Neeson, John Mahoney, Joe Mantegna
Cher stars as an attorney who becomes involved in a case that takes her outside of the law when juror Dennis Quaid provides information about drug tra... Read more
Jagged Edge (1985)
6.5/10
Director: Richard Marquand
Starring: Glenn Close, Jeff Bridges, Peter Coyote
A publishing magnate (Jeff Bridges) is accused of the ritualistic slaying of his wife; an attorney (Glenn Close) is hired to defend him. They fall in... Read more
Rumpole of the Bailey: Series 3 (1983)
8.5/10
Director: Various
Starring: Leo McKern
Leo McKern returns for a third series as the curmudgeonly defence lawyer Horace Rumpole. While crime doesn't exactly pay, at least it's a living. This... Read more
The Verdict (1982)
7.8/10
Director: Sidney Lumet
Starring: Paul Newman, Charlotte Rampling, Jack Warden, James Mason, Milo O'Shea
Paul Newman gives one of his finest peformances as a Boston Lawyer who's hit bottom, until a medical negligence case gives him a chance to restore his... Read more
Rumpole of the Bailey: Rumpole's Return (1980)
8.5/10
Director: John Glenister
Starring: Leo McKern, Peter Bowles, Patricia Hodge, Patsy Smart
In a stand alone feature-length episode that follows on from the end of series 2, Rumpole (Leo McKern) has retired and moved to Florida to be closer t... Read more
Rumpole of the Bailey: Series 2 (1979)
8.5/10
Starring: Leo McKern
Opinionated and set in his ways, the portly and curmudgeonly Horace Rumpole (Leo McKern) powers forth in his daily quest for justice. In this second s... Read more
And Justice For All (1979)
7.4/10
Director: Norman Jewison
Starring: Al Pacino, Jack Warden, John Forsythe, Lee Strasberg, Jeffrey Tambor, Craig T Ne...
In a system where criminals go free, lawyers and judges make deals and the innocent sometimes go unprotected, young lawyer Arthur Kirkland (Al Pacino... Read more
Rumpole of the Bailey: Series 1 (1978)
8.5/10
Director: Herbert Wise, Graham Evans
Starring: Leo McKern, Derek Benfield
Leo McKern stars as 'the Old Bailey hack' Rumpole, in his best-known and best-loved role. The portly Rumpole refuses to prosecute in the cases he acce... Read more