''The Lawyer'' is a 1970

courtroom drama A legal drama is a genre of film and television that generally focuses on narratives regarding legal practice and the justice system. The American Film Institute (AFI) defines "courtroom drama" as a genre of film in which a system of justice pla ...

film loosely based on the

Sam Sheppard Samuel Holmes Sheppard, D.O. ( – ) was an American neurosurgeon. He was exonerated in 1966, having been convicted of the 1954 murder of his pregnant wife, Marilyn Reese Sheppard. The case was controversial from the beginning, with extensive ...

murder case, in which a

physician A physician (American English), medical practitioner (Commonwealth English), medical doctor, or simply doctor, is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through th ...

is charged with killing his wife following a highly publicized and sloppy investigation. The film was directed by Sidney J. Furie, starring

Barry Newman Barry Foster Newman (born November 7, 1938) is an American actor of stage, screen and television known for his portrayal of Kowalski in '' Vanishing Point'', and for his title role in the 1970s television series '' Petrocelli''. He has been nomin ...

as the energetic, opportunistic

defense attorney A criminal defense lawyer is a lawyer (mostly barristers) specializing in the defense of individuals and companies charged with criminal activity. Some criminal defense lawyers are privately retained, while others are employed by the various ju ...

Tony Petrocelli and

Diana Muldaur Diana Muldaur (born August 19, 1938) is an American film and television actress. Muldaur's television roles include Rosalind Shays on '' L.A. Law'' and Dr. Katherine Pulaski in the second season of '' Star Trek: The Next Generation''. She als ...

as his wife Ruth Petrocelli. The supporting cast features

Robert Colbert Robert Colbert is an American actor most noted for his leading role portraying Dr. Doug Phillips on the ABC television series ''The Time Tunnel'' and his two appearances as Brent Maverick, a third Maverick brother in the ABC/Warner Brothers ...

Kathleen Crowley Kathleen Crowley (born Betty Jane Crowley; December 26, 1929 – April 23, 2017) was an American actress. She appeared more than 100 times in movies and television series in the 1950s and 1960s, almost always as a leading lady. Biography E ...

(in her final role), and an unbilled bit part featuring an emerging, then-on-the-rise, star Michael Murphy as an intern in a legal office. The film is the source of the role Newman reprised in the

TV series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed b ...

'' Petrocelli''.

Plot

Tony Petrocelli is a Harvard-educated attorney of Italian heritage who practices in an unidentified part of the

American Southwest The Southwestern United States, also known as the American Southwest or simply the Southwest, is a geographic and cultural region of the United States that generally includes Arizona, New Mexico, and adjacent portions of California, Colorado ...

. He works (and drives) at a frenetic pace, not only because he is a zealous advocate for his defendants (which includes a regular run of drunks and other small-time criminal cases) but because of the vast distances of western prairie he must cross in order to meet clients, investigate his cases and make court appointments. A big case lands in his lap when he is asked to defend a young, prosperous physician who expects to be charged with the bludgeoning murder of his socialite wife.

Cast

* Barry Newman as Tony Petrocelli * Harold Gould as Eric P. Scott * Diana Muldaur as Ruth Petrocelli * Robert Colbert as Jack Harrison *

as Alice Fiske * Warren J. Kemmerling as Sergeant Moran (as Warren Kemmerling) * Jeffery V. Thompson as Andy Greer (as Jeff Thompson) * Tom Harvey as Bob Chambers *

Booth Colman Booth Colman (March 8, 1923 – December 15, 2014) was an American film, television and stage actor. In his later years he played older authority figures, such as doctors and lawyers. Colman appeared in films since 1952, when he debuted (uncredi ...

as Judge Crawford *

Ken Swofford Kenneth Charles Swofford (July 25, 1933 – November 1, 2018) was an American film and television actor often cast as a villain or a police officer. Between 1962 and 1995, Swofford's film credits included '' Thelma & Louise'', '' Skyjacked ...

as Charlie O'Keefe * E. J. André as F.J. Williamson * William Sylvester as Paul Harrison * Melendy Britt as Ann Greer * John Himes as Myro McCauley * Ivor Barry as Wyler * Michael Murphy (uncredited) Intern at Legal Office

References

External links

*
New York Times movie review by Vincent Canby
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lawyer 1970 films Films directed by Sidney J. Furie 1970s English-language films