Production
Both Frank Sinatra and Dustin Hoffman were briefly considered for the role of Frank. Ultimately, Robert Redford was cast to star in this film, but he was uncomfortable with the script (particularly the scene where Frank strikes Laura with a full punch). After several rewrites, director Sidney Lumet realized the story's original grittiness was fast devolving and chose the original script as the one he would direct.
Bruce Willis has an uncredited background appearance as an extra, in one of his first film projects. After the verdict is read for the plaintiff, Willis can be seen to the left of Paul Newman's head and can be seen smiling. Another notable star in this very same instance, but to the right is Tobin Bell.
Read more about this topic: The Verdict
Famous quotes containing the word production:
“... if the production of any commodity necessitates the sacrifice of human life, society should do without that commodity, but it can not do without that life.”
—Emma Goldman (1869–1940)
“An art whose limits depend on a moving image, mass audience, and industrial production is bound to differ from an art whose limits depend on language, a limited audience, and individual creation. In short, the filmed novel, in spite of certain resemblances, will inevitably become a different artistic entity from the novel on which it is based.”
—George Bluestone, U.S. educator, critic. “The Limits of the Novel and the Limits of the Film,” Novels Into Film, Johns Hopkins Press (1957)
“Perestroika basically is creating material incentives for the individual. Some of the comrades deny that, but I can’t see it any other way. In that sense human nature kinda goes backwards. It’s a step backwards. You have to realize the people weren’t quite ready for a socialist production system.”
—Gus Hall (b. 1910)