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ERA
Did you know
78 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
MoodPlayr · trivia#01
An Act of Murder
"Mercy or Murder? Can you condemn this man?"
1948 1h 31m EN
👍
6.9
SOLID
★6.9TMDB · 22
CrimeDrama
Synopsis
Spoiler shield
A man kills his terminally ill wife to prevent her further suffering.
“Mercy or Murder? Can you condemn this man?”
Cast
Fredric March
Judge Calvin Cooke
Edmond O'Brien
David Douglas
Florence Eldridge
Catherine Cooke
Geraldine Brooks
Ellie Cooke
Stanley Ridges
Doctor Walter Morrison
John McIntire
Judge Ogden
Will Wright
Judge Jim Wilder
Virginia Brissac
Mrs. Russell
Credits
Behind the camera
- Director
- Michael Gordon
- Writers
- Robert Thoeren, Michael Blankfort
- Languages
- English
- Countries
- United States of America
Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.
Did you know?
Fun facts 🍿
2 / 7
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Directed by Michael Gordon, shot by Hal Mohr. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
MoodPlayr · trivia#02
3 / 7
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Editor Ralph Dawson shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
MoodPlayr · trivia#03
4 / 7
CAST
Did you know
Fredric March and Edmond O'Brien and Florence Eldridge carry the top of the cast.
MoodPlayr · trivia#04
5 / 7
FACT
Did you know
Marketing tagline: "Mercy or Murder? Can you condemn this man?".
MoodPlayr · trivia#05
6 / 7
WILD
Did you know
IMDB entry: tt0040072 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
MoodPlayr · trivia#06
7 / 7
WILD
Did you know
Only 22 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
MoodPlayr · trivia#07
Cinephile deep dive
The take
Michael Gordon directs. Hal Mohr behind the camera. Ralph Dawson cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.
Trivia
Things worth knowing
- 178 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
- 2Directed by Michael Gordon, shot by Hal Mohr. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
- 3Editor Ralph Dawson shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
- 4Fredric March and Edmond O'Brien and Florence Eldridge carry the top of the cast.
- 5Marketing tagline: "Mercy or Murder? Can you condemn this man?".
- 6IMDB entry: tt0040072 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
- 7Only 22 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
The technical file
- Cinematography
- Hal Mohr
- Editing
- Ralph Dawson
- Costume design
- Yvonne Wood
- Makeup / hair
- Bud Westmore
- Runtime
- 91 min · 1h 31m
- Status
- Released
- Original language
- EN
- Certification (US)
- NR
Also by
Michael Gordon
Production companies
Who made it
Universal International Pictures
US
Key crew
- NovelErnst Lothar
- Makeup ArtistBud Westmore
- MusicDaniele Amfitheatrof
- Art DirectionRobert F. Boyle
- Camera OperatorHarry Davis
- Set DecorationJohn P. Austin
- Set DecorationRussell A. Gausman
- SoundJack A. Bolger, Jr.
- ProducerJerry Bresler
- HairstylistCarmen Dirigo
- EditorRalph Dawson
- Script SupervisorMilly Vallie
- Costume DesignYvonne Wood
- Production ManagerLew Leary
- Art DirectionBernard Herzbrun
- Assistant DirectorJohn Sherwood
- SoundLeslie I. Carey
Themes & keywords
What it's about, really
- judge
- euthanasia
Release history · US
When it landed
- Theatrical1948-12-05NR
Also known as
International titles
- Live Today for TomorrowUS
