The Seattle Traveler

There are some stories that always stay with you.  Sometimes the reason is profound, sometimes it’s just the timing of story, and sometimes it carries a message that you need to hear.  Whatever the reason may be, years after we first hear it, the story still resonates.

That’s how I feel about the movie Twelve Angry Men. Originally a play, later adapted to film, director Sidney Lumet produced Twelve Angry Men in 1957.  The black and white film was set entirely in the jury room, with an all-star cast playing the jurors.  The “jurors” were:  Henry Fonda, Lee J. Cobb, Ed Begley,John Fiedler, E.G. Marshall, Jack Warden, Ed Binns, Martin Balsam (jury foreman), Jack Klugman, George Voskovec, Robert Weber and Joseph Sweeney.

The plot of the movie centers on the jury deliberations of man who has been tried for the murder of his father.  Juror #8 (Fonda) casts a not guilty vote, in what appears to be an open and shut case.  It’s not so much that Juror #8 believes in the young man’s innocence, as it is that he believes time and deliberation is important before rendering a verdict.  Thus begins the process of deliberation, forcing all the jurors to take a look not only at the evidence, but also at the personal belief systems and biases that accompanied them into the jury room.

If you haven’t seen the movie, I’m not going to reveal the rest of the plot.  Let’s just say that the process by which the deliberations continue to evolve is an enlightening commentary on the judicial system and on the nature of men.  The movie is considered a classic, and consistently ranks on top movie lists.  If you haven’t seen it, put in on your Netflix list, or get to your video store right away.

The film was remade for television in 1997, with a few minor changes made.  Although there were still 12 angry men (no women), the jury more accurately reflected the ethnic diversity of the world.  The ensemble cast included:  Jack Lemmon in the role previously played by Henry Fonda, and George C. Scott, James Gandolfini, Tony Danza, Ossie Davis, Hume Cronyn, Courtney B. Vance (jury foreman), Armin Mueller-Stahl, Dorian Harewood, Mykelti Williamson, Edward James Olmos, and William L. Petersen. 

Twelve Angry Men returned to Broadway in a production starring Richard Thomas as Juror #8 and George Wendt as the jury foreman.  That production is now touring the country as part of the Broadway Across America tour, and will perform at Seattle’s Paramount Theater, March 20-25th, 2007.

Location:  Paramount Theater, 911 Pine Street.

Dates/Times:  March 20-25th; Tuesday – Thursday at 7:30 pm, Friday at 8 pm, Saturday at 2 and 8 pm, Sunday at 1 and 6:30 pm.

Tickets:  $10-55, depending on seating and performance time.  Tickets can be purchased online through Ticketmaster.

This is one of my favorite stories, one that has stayed with me for a very long time. I don’t know what this company will do with the material, but I can’t wait to find out.  I ordered my tickets as soon as they went on sale.

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