In 1953, an innocent man named Christopher Emmanuel "Manny" Balestrero is arrested after being mistaken for an armed robber.
Acting
Fonda's quiet desperation, Miles' devastating breakdown
Direction
Hitchcock strips away glamour for pure dread
Cinematography
Location shooting in real NYC precincts
Director
Alfred Hitchcock
Henry Fonda
Manny Balestrero
Vera Miles
Rose Balestrero
Anthony Quayle
Frank D. O'Connor
Harold J. Stone
Detective Lt. Bowers
Charles Cooper
Detective Matthews
John Heldabrand
Tomasini
Esther Minciotti
Mama Balestrero
Doreen Lang
Ann James
Laurinda Barrett
Constance Willis
Norma Connolly
Betty Todd
Nehemiah Persoff
Gene Conforti
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
This was Hitchcock's only film based entirely on true events; he even filmed in the actual locations from Manny Balestrero's life.
The film predicted the era's wrongful conviction anxieties that exploded post-Central Park Five, making it feel decades ahead of its time.
US
