12 Angry Men - Original Live TV Version 1954

[PineappleMafiaPro]

I actually like the acting in this version, unlike most of you guys...

I'm supposed to watch the third act of this version on Tuesday in class, but...well...I just couldn't wait.

[tkondaks]

That makes four versions that I know of: thos one, the Henry Fonda version, the 1997 version, and a Russian version of about 8 years ago.

[brucedavis76]

thanks for posting

[ttt8699]

The old man is the same actor in the film version

[HAMrJHA]

@ttt8699 and the european man is too

[92af]

The 1957 version is much better than this one

[ualflygal]

WoW!!!!! Never knew this version existed!! THANKS for posting!!

[japhyriddle]

Both the '54 and '57 have the foreman played by actors who appeared in Catch 22.

[mydiningroom]

I teach this most every year and this year I ended up handing out the teleplay version instead of the fuller text (which is the 1957 version). We read this and are now looking at differences between the 1954 and the 57 movie which we watched. Next up, the 1997 version. Thank you for this -- I have never seen it before and it was very enlightening!

[profitleads]

The old man next to Cummings is the same actor that appeared, in the same seat, in the movie version with Henry Fonda.

[norristerse]

@profitleads

there's also one other actor who went on to the film version. george voskovec, the one who opens the window after the first vote.

[afischetti1]

To cantabrigidian who put this video up: THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!

[Bystander81]

Crazy that this was live. Actors today couldn't handle it.

[JubalCalif]

Paul Hartman (Juror #7) is probably best known today for playing fixit shop owner Emmett Clark on the classic sitcom "The Andy Griffith Show" after the actor who played Floyd (Howard McNear) passed away and later on it's semi-equel "Mayberry RFD". Very impressive cast...lots of gifted performers & familair character actor faces! THANKS for posting this delightful "blast from the past"! CHEERS! :)

[TheBreaker1902]

12 Angry Men was broadcast live on the CBS program Studio One in September 1954. A complete kinescope of that performance, which had been missing for years and was feared lost, was discovered in 2003. It was staged at Chelsea Studios in New York City.

[JubalCalif]

@TheBreaker1902

Thanks for the background info, Breaker! :)

[scottjo63]

Add Jodie Foster, maybe Betty White as the women. Harrison Ford, Michael Chiklis, (Vic Mackey from The Shield), Brent Spiner (Data from Star Trek:TNG), Tommy Lee Jones. Hell, more women maybe Holly Hunter, or Meryl Streep. Daniel Craig. Those names alone would be a tour de force of drama and acting. Some more names to throw around, George Clooney, Richard Dryfuss, Charlie Sheen (just kidding or maybe...) Martin Sheen. Just to name a few, I'd go watch this in the theaters.

[scottjo63]

Alot of things missing from this live version, but still very good. They seemed angrier in this, however I did miss the eye glasses indentation in the man's face and someone discovering that which is my favorite scene in both movies and the man with the son he was "going to make a man of" which was really shortened. They can make another one of these movies but I have a suggestion, why not add the trial part to it. That would be original, and add a woman or two and call it 12 Angry Jurors.

[CrackerLance]

A young Vincent Gardenia as the court officer. Norman Fell playing the Martin Balsam role. Not the classic film version, but pretty solid.

[hfield07]

acting isn't nearly as solid as the all star '57 crew for the well known version.

[MrFirelotus]

Of course, the beauty of live television - early on, Robert Cummings goes up on a line - much like theater -they just keep moving :)

[MrFirelotus]

In researching the wonderful live anthology series from the 1950s, I recently read a little about this great early take on the Lumet movie later made famous with Henry Fonda