Trial and Error
This is NOT the Birdman of Alcatraz!..It's only Peter Sellers with his sly, sneaky style of humor that creeps up on you and the leaves you wanting more.
1962 | 88m | English
Popularity: 0.6 (history)
| Director: | James Hill |
|---|---|
| Writer: | John Mortimer, Pierre Rouve, Dimitri De Grunwald |
| Staring: |
| After nearly 40 years of waiting for his big chance, Wilfred Morgenhall is given the case of defending Herbert Fowle who is accused of murdering his wife. Despite Fowle's insistence of guilt, Moregenhall will not let go of the opportunity to plead his client as innocent and be a star in the courtroom. | |
| Release Date: | Sep 25, 1962 |
|---|---|
| Director: | James Hill |
| Writer: | John Mortimer, Pierre Rouve, Dimitri De Grunwald |
| Genres: | Comedy, Drama |
| Keywords | lawyer |
| Production Companies | Dimitri De Grunwald |
| Box Office |
Revenue: $0
Budget: $0 |
| Updates |
Updated: May 07, 2024 (Update) Entered: Apr 30, 2024 |
| Name | Character |
|---|---|
| Peter Sellers | Wilfred Morgenhall |
| Richard Attenborough | Herbert Fowle |
| Beryl Reid | Doris Fowle |
| David Lodge | Frank Bateson |
| Frank Pettingell | Tuppy Morgan |
| Audrey Nicholson | Morgenhall's Girl |
| Tristram Jellinek | Mr. Perkins |
| Eric Woodburn | Judge Banter |
| John Waite | Clerk of the Court |
| Frank Williams | Barrister |
| Eric Dodson | Examiner |
| Name | Job |
|---|---|
| James Hill | Director |
| John Mortimer | Writer |
| Pierre Rouve | Screenplay |
| Dimitri De Grunwald | Screenplay |
| Wally Fairweather | Focus Puller |
| Name | Title |
|---|
| Organization | Category | Person | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berlin International Film Festival | Best Supporting Actor | Martin Ritt | Won |
Popularity History
| Year | Month | Avg | Max | Min |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
| 2024 | 5 | 3 | 7 | 1 |
| 2024 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 1 |
| 2024 | 7 | 2 | 6 | 0 |
| 2024 | 8 | 2 | 7 | 1 |
| 2024 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2024 | 10 | 2 | 8 | 1 |
| 2024 | 11 | 2 | 6 | 1 |
| 2024 | 12 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
| 2025 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 1 |
| 2025 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2025 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Trending Position
A more measured effort from Peter Sellers as solicitor "Morgenhall" makes for a better film here than I was expecting. His job is to defend Richard Attenborough ("Fowle)" who is accused of murdering his wife "Doris" (Beryl Reid). Despite being a lawyer for ages, this is his very first case in a cour ... t and oh, for the avoidance of any doubt we, the audience, know his client is as guilty as sin! James Hill allows both Sellers and Attenborough to act here; the rest of the courtroom drama style of production is basic and efficient and that just accentuates the skills on offer - great comic timing amongst them. The dialogue is manna from heaven for Sellers, and by the end I dare anyone not to have quite bit of sympathy for poor old "Fowle". It isn't a great film, you probably won't even remember it afterwards, but it passes 90 minutes engagingly enough.