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The Murder of Mary Phagan

  • TV Mini Series
  • 1988
  • PG
  • 4h 11m
IMDb RATING
7.4/10
959
YOUR RATING
The Murder of Mary Phagan (1988)
True CrimeCrimeDramaHistoryMystery

In early-twentieth-century Atlanta, the murder of a young girl prompts strong reactions from the community and ultimately leads to the arrest of a man who could actually be innocent.In early-twentieth-century Atlanta, the murder of a young girl prompts strong reactions from the community and ultimately leads to the arrest of a man who could actually be innocent.In early-twentieth-century Atlanta, the murder of a young girl prompts strong reactions from the community and ultimately leads to the arrest of a man who could actually be innocent.

  • Stars
    • Jack Lemmon
    • Richard Jordan
    • Robert Prosky
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.4/10
    959
    YOUR RATING
    • Stars
      • Jack Lemmon
      • Richard Jordan
      • Robert Prosky
    • 26User reviews
    • 3Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Won 3 Primetime Emmys
      • 4 wins & 5 nominations total

    Episodes2

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    TopTop-rated1 season1988

    Photos34

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    Top cast55

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    Jack Lemmon
    Jack Lemmon
    • Gov. John Slaton
    • 1988
    Richard Jordan
    Richard Jordan
    • Hugh Dorsey
    • 1988
    Robert Prosky
    Robert Prosky
    • Tom Watson
    • 1988
    Peter Gallagher
    Peter Gallagher
    • Leo Frank
    • 1988
    Kathryn Walker
    Kathryn Walker
    • Sally Slaton
    • 1988
    Rebecca Miller
    Rebecca Miller
    • Lucille Frank
    • 1988
    Paul Dooley
    Paul Dooley
    • William Burns
    • 1988
    Charles S. Dutton
    Charles S. Dutton
    • Jim Conley
    • 1988
    Kevin Spacey
    Kevin Spacey
    • Wes Brent
    • 1988
    Cynthia Nixon
    Cynthia Nixon
    • Doreen
    • 1988
    Kenneth Welsh
    Kenneth Welsh
    • Luther Rosser
    • 1988
    Thomas Anderson
    • 1988
    Dylan Baker
    Dylan Baker
    • 1988
    Daniel Benzali
    Daniel Benzali
    • Coroner
    • 1988
    Nesbitt Blaisdell
    Nesbitt Blaisdell
    • 1988
    Beeson Carroll
    Beeson Carroll
    • 1988
    William C. Crawford
    • Witness
    • 1988
    David Cromwell
    • 1988
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews26

    7.4959
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    Featured reviews

    Rose-35

    Very good mini-series

    This is one of the best mini-series I've seen in a long time. They get the story right and is acted out very well, esp. by Lemmon and Gallagher. It was also nice to see Kevin Spacey in one of his first roles. If you get a chance, watch this one. It will be worth it.
    9Merely

    Seek out this diamond in the rough

    Wonderfully engrossing drama that is well acted and completely interesting. Is a little gem that by the look of the votes here, was missed by lots. That's a shame. If you ever come across it in the future, is worth a look. I gave it a 9.
    ooohwows

    Groovy

    The movie seemed cool. My best friend's mother told us about Mary Phagan long time ago. There use to be a children's song about her, and her mom use to sing it to us as children. Not until tonight did she tell me her aunt was Mary's best friend. For years we thought the song was a made up story, so it was creepy knowing her aunt knew Mary. Back to my point, it was a good movie.
    10sherlock-34

    Riveting television drama

    This program boasts a great cast, but more importantly it is a textbook case of how a television drama should be mounted. An intriguing but basic courtroom drama that takes on greater significance as the plot develops. Fine characterizations abound in this production. It doesn't get much better than this.
    bob the moo

    Well acted, interesting but over long

    I saw this as a 4 hour movie on UK tv. As it was based on a true story I found it very interesting and most of the 4 hours seemed to go very quick - although some bits did seem to drag on. The acting is excellent in most places and it's fun to see big names back before they were famous (Macy, Gallagher and Spacey). William H Macy doesn't really do very much, Spacey hangs around and does well enough, Lemmon is great but Peter Gallagher does better than I've ever seen him be as the manager of the factory where the murder occurs.

    All in all, a well acted story that manages to keep you interested but over one 4 hour sitting can be quite hard work at times.

    Best Emmys Moments

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    Related interests

    Lee Norris and Ciara Moriarty in Zodiac (2007)
    True Crime
    James Gandolfini, Edie Falco, Sharon Angela, Max Casella, Dan Grimaldi, Joe Perrino, Donna Pescow, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Tony Sirico, and Michael Drayer in The Sopranos (1999)
    Crime
    Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)
    Drama
    Liam Neeson in Schindler's List (1993)
    History
    Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway in Chinatown (1974)
    Mystery

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      At one point, Lucille visits Leo in prison and tells him, "Seems like we spend the best part of our time just saying goodbye." This line is almost identical to Angela's line to George when she visits him in prison for the last time in A Place in the Sun (1951), which was directed by George Stevens, the father of this film's co-writer and producer, George Stevens Jr..
    • Alternate versions
      A sharply abbreviated version also exists online, cutting the running time to the standard length of a theatrical film.
    • Connections
      Featured in The 40th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards (1988)

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    FAQ17

    • How many seasons does The Murder of Mary Phagan have?Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • January 24, 1988 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Der Fall Mary Phagan
    • Filming locations
      • Richmond, Virginia, USA
    • Production company
      • Orion Television
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 4h 11m(251 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1

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