The Lawyer (film)

1970 film by Sidney J. Furie

The Lawyer

Directed by| Sidney J. Furie
Written by| Sidney J. Furie
Harold Buchman
Produced by| Brad Dexter
Starring| Barry Newman
Diana Muldaur
Harold Gould
Cinematography| Ralph Woolsey
Edited by| Argyle Nelson Jr.
Music by| Malcolm Dodds

Production
company

Furie Productions

Distributed by| Paramount Pictures

Release date

* March 10, 1970 (1970-03-10) (New York City)

Running time

| 120 minutes
Country| United States
Language| English

The Lawyer is a 1970 American courtroom drama film loosely based on the Sam Sheppard murder case in which a physician is charged with killing his wife following a highly publicized and sloppy investigation. The film was directed by Sidney J. Furie and stars Barry Newman as the energetic, opportunistic defense attorney Tony Petrocelli and Diana Muldaur as his wife Ruth Petrocelli.,[1]

The film is the source of the role that Newman reprised in the television series Petrocelli.

## Plot[edit]

Tony Petrocelli is a Harvard-educated attorney of Italian heritage who practices in an unidentified part of the American Southwest. He works (and drives) at a frenetic pace, not only because he is a zealous advocate for his defendants (mostly drunks and other small-time criminal cases) but also because of the vast distances of western prairie that he must cross in order to meet clients, investigate his cases and make court appointments.

A major case lands in his lap when he is asked to defend a young, prosperous physician who expects to be charged with the bludgeoning murder of his socialite wife.

## Cast[edit]

* Barry Newman as Tony Petrocelli
* Harold Gould as Eric P. Scott
* Diana Muldaur as Ruth Petrocelli
* Robert Colbert as Jack Harrison
* Kathleen Crowley as Alice Fiske
* Warren J. Kemmerling as Sergeant Moran (as Warren Kemmerling)
* Booth Colman as Judge Crawford
* Ken Swofford as Charlie O'Keefe
* E. J. André as F.J. Williamson
* William Sylvester as Paul Harrison
* Jeffery V. Thompson as Andy Greer (as Jeff Thompson)
* Tom Harvey as Bob Chambers
* Ivor Barry as Wyler
* Melendy Britt as Ann Greer
* John Himes as Myro McCauley
* Ralph Thomas as Mike Peterson
* Mary Charlotte Wilcox as Wilma Harrison (as Mary Wilcox)
* Gene O'Donnell as Judge Swackhammer
* Walter Mathews as Mr. Andre
* Ray Ballard as Mr. Canon
* James McEachin as Striker
* Robert L. Poyner as J.C. Hornby
* Michael Murphy as Intern in Legal Office (uncredited)

## References[edit]

1. ^ New York Times movie review by Vincent Canby

## External links[edit]

* The Lawyer at IMDb
* The Lawyer at the American Film Institute Catalog
* The Lawyer at the TCM Movie Database

* v
* t
* e

Films directed by Sidney J. Furie

* A Dangerous Age (1958)
* A Cool Sound from Hell (1959)
* Doctor Blood's Coffin (1961)
* The Snake Woman (1961)
* Three on a Spree (1961)
* During One Night (1961)
* The Young Ones (1961)
* The Boys (1962)
* The Leather Boys (1964)
* Wonderful Life (1964)
* The Ipcress File (1965)
* The Appaloosa (1966)
* The Naked Runner (1967)
* The Lawyer (1970)
* Little Fauss and Big Halsy (1970)
* Lady Sings the Blues (1972)
* Hit! (1973)
* Sheila Levine Is Dead and Living in New York (1975)
* Gable and Lombard (1976)
* The Boys in Company C (1978)
* The Entity (1982)
* Purple Hearts (1984)
* Iron Eagle (1986)
* Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987)
* Iron Eagle II (1988)
* The Taking of Beverly Hills (1991)
* Ladybugs (1992)
* Iron Eagle on the Attack (1995)
* Hollow Point (1996)
* Top of the World (1997)
* The Rage (1997)
* Married to a Stranger (1997)
* In Her Defense (1999)
* My 5 Wives (2000)
* Cord (2000)
* Under Heavy Fire (2001)
* The Fraternity (2002)
* Global Heresy (2002)
* Partners in Action (2002)
* Detention (2003)
* Direct Action (2004)
* American Soldiers (2005)
* The Veteran (2006)
* Conduct Unbecoming (2011)
* The Dependables (2014)

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template