Turning hit TV shows isn’t a new thing. Long before “Charlie’s Angels” arrived in theaters this weekend, studios were transferring programs from the small screen to the big screen. In fact, one of the first such transformations was made way back when the small screen was very small, the big screen was very big, and both of them were in black and white.
“12 Angry Men” was an Oscar-nominated, star-studded movie in 1957, but three years earlier, it was an episode of Westinghouse’s “Studio One” anthology series, written for the small screen and performed live for a national audience. It wasn’t a landmark hour of television, but it had potential, and in 1957, “12 Angry Men” hit theaters with sharper direction, a punchier script and a very impressive cast.
It kept the same plot, though, because in whatever format, it’s the perfect setup for drama: On a hot New York afternoon, 12 jury members debate the guilt of a young man charged with murdering his father. At the start, it’s 11 to one, with only a lone man in a white suit, played by Henry Fonda, arguing that they should at least discuss the case before condemning the guy to the chair. But slowly but surely, as the day goes on and tensions rise, Fonda’s arguments win over more and more of his fellow jurors. It’s the sort of movie where you know the ending going in, but with this script, this direction and this cast, it doesn’t matter.
This week, Will and Billy cover all aspects of “12 Angry Men,” from the arguments in the case to the tense, sweaty direction by a young Sidney Lumet to that incredible cast, which also includes Lee J. Cobb, Jack Klugman, Jack Warden, Martin Balsam and even John Fiedler, the voice of Piglet from Disney’s “Winnie the Pooh.” They also talk about the original TV version of the story and the appliance commercials — also performed live — that aired during it. And, as a bonus, they recommend one of the great movies about moviemaking, the fascinating (and gorgeous) cinematography documentary, “Visions of Light.”
