Twelve Angry Men

About This Book

A landmark American drama that inspired a classic film and a Broadway revival—featuring an introduction by David Mamet. "Twelve Angry Men" holds at its core a deeply patriotic faith in the U.S. legal system. The play centers on Juror Eight, who is initially the sole holdout in an 11-1 guilty vote. Eight strives not to prove the others wrong but to get them to look at the situation with clear eyes, unaffected by their biases. Reginald Rose carefully strips away layers of pretense from the jurors to reveal a fuller picture of them—and America, at its best and worst. After the teleplay aired in 1954, it became a cinematic masterpiece in 1957, starring Henry Fonda, for which Rose wrote the adaptation. Recently, the play had a successful and award-winning run on Broadway.