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The Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald

  • TV Movie
  • 1977
  • G
  • 3h 30m
IMDb RATING
6.6/10
169
YOUR RATING
John Pleshette in The Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald (1977)
CrimeDramaThriller

The bizarre story behind Lee Harvey Oswald, the man accused of assassinating U.S. President John F. Kennedy in Dallas, Texas on November 22, 1963, and what might have happened had he been br... Read allThe bizarre story behind Lee Harvey Oswald, the man accused of assassinating U.S. President John F. Kennedy in Dallas, Texas on November 22, 1963, and what might have happened had he been brought to trial, if he had not been murdered by Jack Ruby.The bizarre story behind Lee Harvey Oswald, the man accused of assassinating U.S. President John F. Kennedy in Dallas, Texas on November 22, 1963, and what might have happened had he been brought to trial, if he had not been murdered by Jack Ruby.

  • Directors
    • Gordon Davidson
    • David Greene
  • Writer
    • Robert E. Thompson
  • Stars
    • Ben Gazzara
    • Lorne Greene
    • Frances Lee McCain
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.6/10
    169
    YOUR RATING
    • Directors
      • Gordon Davidson
      • David Greene
    • Writer
      • Robert E. Thompson
    • Stars
      • Ben Gazzara
      • Lorne Greene
      • Frances Lee McCain
    • 12User reviews
    • 2Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Photos6

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    Top Cast56

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    Ben Gazzara
    Ben Gazzara
    • Anson 'Kip' Roberts
    Lorne Greene
    Lorne Greene
    • Matthew Arnold Watson
    Frances Lee McCain
    Frances Lee McCain
    • Jan Holder
    Lawrence Pressman
    Lawrence Pressman
    • Paul Ewbank
    Charles Robinson
    Charles Robinson
    • Melvin Johnson
    • (as Charlie Robinson)
    George Wyner
    George Wyner
    • Ed Blandings
    Mo Malone
    Mo Malone
    • Marina Oswald
    John Pleshette
    John Pleshette
    • Lee Harvey Oswald
    Annabelle Weenick
    Annabelle Weenick
    • Oswald's Mother
    William Jordan
    • James Kleist
    Charles Cyphers
    Charles Cyphers
    • Michael Brandon
    Marisa Pavan
    Marisa Pavan
    • Evita Alesio
    Jack Collins
    Jack Collins
    • Judge Claymore
    Ed Abry
    Jeff Alexander
    David Allyn
    • Courtroom Artist
    David Beidelman
    Maggie Burns
    • Directors
      • Gordon Davidson
      • David Greene
    • Writer
      • Robert E. Thompson
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews12

    6.6169
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    Featured reviews

    8beauzee

    very well done..very compelling

    although the conclusion is plausible, conceivable, it is ultimately useless: I wasn't there, but many credible sources say that there was an approx. 1.5 second interval between 2 of the shots....so if LHO shot a gun that day, he had a "partner", probably to JFK's right; there is MINUS-ZERO evidence LHO was perched at that window as JFK passed.

    tempered by those rational points...I thoroughly enjoyed the layout of the film, the pacing, and esp. the great performance of Lorne Greene.

    buy this movie....watch it as you would watch any "movie house" movie. the "conspiracy" resolution here might not satisfy your curiosity or investigative urges but it will make you stand up off your loveseat!
    8LewisSET-2

    Entertaining and thought-provoking film

    As a serious researcher of the Kennedy assassination (and Lee Harvey Oswald in particular), I was intrigued by this film's title and grabbed it as soon as it became available on VHS.

    The film is based on the supposition that Lee Harvey Oswald was not killed on November 24th, 1963, and lived to stand trial for the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. It was shot on location (that's worth the price in itself) and all of the key people are represented, although many of the names have been changed (possibly to avoid paying royalties to the real witnesses and players, but who knows). This could tend to be slightly irritating to researchers and serious students, but it doesn't detract from the drama as it unfolds.

    I want to point out here that at no time during the film does it show Oswald doing anything illegal. We never see him with the rifle; we never see him in or around the "sniper's nest"; and we never see him shoot Officer Tippit. All conjecture. The film does tend to follow the findings of the Warren Commission Report, so new students to the assassination can get a good start here. Bottom line ... whether you believe in the lone nut theory or conspiracy, it is an entertaining and thought-provoking film.
    6tvlnow

    Kindling For the Fire

    I saw this movie as a kid and then watched it from a library copy a week ago.

    Since my original viewing I have intensely studies the various conspiracy theories, including the Federal Government's conspiracy theory: that a lone nut gunman who happened to be a USMC, Russian speaking defector, with US Naval Intelligence credentials, who flew back from the USSR at the height of the Cold War on a state department ticket, to repatriate in the US without a passport, who enjoyed the company of virulent right-wingers, assassinated the President with a Manlicher-Carcano (known as the Italian "humanitarian" rifle during WW2 because its barrel rifling was so bad) that he bought mail-order from Chicago, when he could have bought something better from just about anywhere in Texas back in 1962.

    Yeah, these conspiracy theorists are real whack jobs.

    Watch this movie to stoke the fires of your interest in discovering the truth. And don't let anyone call you a liberal or leftist just because you won't swallow the propaganda.

    Think for yourself.

    This movie is a good place to start.
    Eric-62

    Better Than "JFK" Ever Will Be

    With all due respect to the previous viewer, what makes this speculative TV movie so effective is *because* it ends up coming down on the side of the Warren Commission conclusions for the most part, which have been vindicated by all subsequent investigations and serious historical analyses, particularly Gerald Posner in "Case Closed." A priceless moment is when the judge berates Oswald's defense attorney (Lorne Greene) for deliberately injecting a grassy knoll gunman during a shooting demonstration.

    Skip "JFK", which is all about making things up out of thin air to fit a biased theory. Watch this instead if you can, along with the 1992 Quantum Leap episode "The Oswald Conspiracy".
    2bux

    'Party-line' tale of what might have happened if...

    This picture has only one thing going for it: Pleshette. The portrayal of Oswald here is the only item worthy of mention. Made for TV, on the threshold of the publishing of the House Select Committee on Assassination's Report, this is yet another apology for the Warren Commission. As with Gerald Posner's book "Case Closed" there was by necessity a myriad of omissions and errors committed to make this story believable. The subject is better covered in Walt Brown's novel "The Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald." As a piece of fiction, this movie moves at a good pace and the acting is fine, as fact, it is only for those that have a yearning to buy the Brooklyn Bridge, or occasionally peer out the window searching for flying pigs.

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    Related interests

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    Storyline

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    Did you know

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    • Trivia
      This TV film has a reenactment of the infamous 'Zapruder' film. Due to censorship issues, it does not depict the President's blood/brain matter being blown-out when he's shot in the head.
    • Connections
      Version of The Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald (1964)

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • September 30, 1977 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Wer erschoß John F. Kennedy?
    • Filming locations
      • McKinney Square, McKinney, Texas, USA(interiors)
    • Production company
      • Charles Fries Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

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    • Runtime
      • 3h 30m(210 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1

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