Murder in the First (film)

Murder in the First

Company type	Film
Industry	Film industry
Founded	1995 (1995)
Founder	Marc Rocco (director), Dan Gordon (screenwriter)
Headquarters	United States
Products	Legal drama film

Murder in the First is a 1995 American legal drama film directed by Marc Rocco, with a screenplay by Dan Gordon, featuring performances by Christian Slater, Kevin Bacon, among others. The story centers on the trial of Henri Young, a minor offender incarcerated at Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary and accused of first-degree murder. Promoted as "the case that brought down Alcatraz," the movie received mixed critical responses but garnered acclaim particularly for Bacon's portrayal.

Plot

At age 17, orphaned Henri Young steals five dollars from a grocery store to provide for himself and his sister Rosetta, resulting in his arrest and sentencing to Leavenworth Penitentiary. Subsequently transferred to Alcatraz, Henri endures severe mistreatment under associate warden Milton Glenn, including extended solitary confinement and physical abuse aimed at crushing his will. After three years of isolation, Henri’s mental health deteriorates significantly.

Once returned to the general prison population, Henri experiences a psychotic breakdown and kills fellow inmate Rufus McCain with a spoon. He faces trial in San Francisco for first-degree murder, a case initially considered clear-cut by district attorney William McNeil and public defender Mr. Henkin’s office. Defense attorney James Stamphill, a recent Harvard Law graduate assigned to the case, anticipates a swift conviction leading to execution.

However, Stamphill uncovers evidence revealing the harsh realities of Alcatraz’s conditions, challenging the institution’s reputation and effectively putting the prison itself on trial. Despite resistance from his peers and the presiding judge, Stamphill reveals the abuse Henri suffered, including testimonies from former guards implicating Glenn in torture methods. The courtroom battle becomes highly politicized as Stamphill argues that Alcatraz’s environment was responsible for Henri’s insanity.

During the trial, Stamphill locates Rosetta, now living comfortably and having named her child after Henri. Although Henri contemplates pleading guilty to avoid returning to Alcatraz, he places faith in Stamphill’s defense strategy. Ultimately, Henri is convicted of involuntary manslaughter instead of first-degree murder; the jury also recommends a federal inquiry into Alcatraz’s practices.

Stamphill intends to appeal for Henri’s transfer and seeks to reopen his original case. Narration reveals that Henri later dies in his cell with the word "victory" inscribed on the walls, symbolizing that his death was not in vain. Following a Supreme Court decision six months later, Alcatraz’s isolation cells are closed; Glenn is found guilty of prisoner abuse and prohibited from working in corrections.

The film concludes by noting that Alcatraz permanently shut its doors in 1963 and has since become a prominent tourist destination attracting over one million visitors annually.

Cast

• Christian Slater as James Stamphill, defense lawyer representing Henri Young and narrator of the film.
• Kevin Bacon as Henri Young, a young inmate sent to Alcatraz for petty theft.
• Gary Oldman as Milton Glenn, associate prison warden at Alcatraz.
• Embeth Davidtz as Mary McCasslin, colleague and attorney working with James.
• William H. Macy as D.A. William McNeil, prosecutor in Young’s trial.
• Brad Dourif as Byron Stamphill, James’ brother and legal professional.
• R. Lee Ermey as Judge Clawson, presiding over Young’s court case.
• Stephen Tobolowsky as Mr. Henkin, Stamphill's superior.
• Mia Kirshner as Rosetta Young, fictional sister of Henri Young.
  • Amanda Borden portrays young Rosetta Young.
• Ben Slack as Jerry Hoolihan
• Stefan Gierasch as James Humson, warden of Alcatraz and Glenn's superior.
• Kyra Sedgwick as Blanche, a prostitute who visits Henri.
• Charles Boswell as Derek Simpson, an Alcatraz guard involved in torture.
• David Michael Sterling as Rufus McCain, inmate involved in escape attempt.
• Michael Melvin as Arthur "Doc" Barker, participant in escape attempt.
• Tony Barr as Winthrop
• Stuart Nisbet as Harv
• Gary Ballard, Randy Pelish, Neil Summers, Sonny King as Alcatraz guards.
• Theo Mayes as prison barber
• Wally Rose as grocery store shopkeeper
• Eve Brenner as Winthrop's secretary
• Clay Davis as courtroom photographer

The street characters were portrayed by Bill Barretta, Randy Dudly, William Hall, Sheldon Feldner, Fred Franklin, and Joseph Lucas.

Filming

To embody his character, Kevin Bacon underwent intense preparation, including spending a night in isolation and shedding twenty pounds. Principal photography commenced on December 13, 1993, in Los Angeles, beginning with scenes set in the courtroom. Shooting at Triscenic Production Services located in Sylmar was briefly interrupted by the 1994 Northridge earthquake but resumed after a two-week pause. In February 1994, the production shifted to Alcatraz Island, where filming took place during nighttime hours to minimize interference with visitors. More than 300 crew members operated in confined spaces within the prison cells. The filming process wrapped up on March 12, 1994.

Historical accuracy

The movie takes significant liberties with historical facts. Contrary to the film’s portrayal of Henri Young as being imprisoned for stealing $5 to aid his sister, the real Young was a seasoned bank robber who had taken a hostage and committed murder in 1933. Before arriving at Alcatraz in 1936, he served sentences in Montana and Washington state prisons and spent 1935 incarcerated at McNeil Island Corrections Center prior to his transfer.

Unlike the movie’s depiction of Young dying in Alcatraz’s dungeons, he actually stayed in the main cell block until 1948 before being relocated to the United States Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in Missouri until 1954. The dungeons had been closed nearly ten years before. In 1954, Young began serving a life sentence at Washington State Penitentiary related to his 1933 murder conviction.

Young was paroled in 1972 at age 61 but subsequently absconded and has not been located since.

According to court documents reported by the San Francisco Examiner on April 16, 1941, Young endured over three years of solitary confinement before stabbing McCain eleven days after his release, which formed part of the defense argument that prolonged isolation affected his mental state.

The film excludes two of the four inmates involved in the escape attempt alongside Young; one omitted prisoner, Dale Stamphill, shares a last name with Young’s attorney. Much of the storyline is drawn from newspaper coverage of the trial, including the jury’s manslaughter verdict and calls for an investigation into Alcatraz conditions.

Release

Premiering on January 20, 1995, across 1,237 theaters throughout the United States and Canada, the film opened with $4.7 million at the box office. It ultimately garnered $17.4 million domestically and $29.5 million worldwide against a production budget of $20 million.

Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, Murder in the First holds a rating of 54% based on reviews from 39 critics, averaging a score of 5.5 out of 10. The consensus remarks: "Although featuring a talented cast and a storyline inspired by true events, Murder in the First remains a second-tier effort."

While Kevin Bacon’s portrayal received commendation, reviewers criticized the use of handheld camera techniques, graphic violence, and underdeveloped character arcs. Mick LaSalle from the San Francisco Chronicle noted that the film "lacks an essential emotional core," with the relationship between lawyer and client feeling more contrived than authentic.

Roger Ebert awarded it two stars out of four, commenting that Slater appeared "too young for this part" and lacked nuance. Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly observed that the film fails to reveal Henri’s inner turmoil effectively, leaving much of the drama confined within his mind.

Screenwriter Dan Gordon, unhappy with how his screenplay was adapted for film, later transformed it into a novel and subsequently adapted it into a stage production.

Awards and nominations

Kevin Bacon earned the Critics' Choice Award for Best Actor and was also nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award in the category of Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role.

External links

• Henri Young—Alcatraz Killing