Gideon's Trumpet
by Anthony Lewisliterary work· published 1964
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Gideon's Trumpet is a 1964 book by Anthony Lewis describing the story behind the 1963 landmark court case Gideon v. Wainwright, in which the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that criminal defendants have the right to an attorney even if they cannot afford one. In 1965, the book won an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for Best Fact Crime book. A made-for-TV movie, Gideons's Trumpet, based on the book was released in 1980, starring Henry Fonda as Clarence Earl Gideon, José Ferrer as Abe Fortas and John Houseman as Earl Warren (though Warren's name was never mentioned in the film; he was billed simply as "The Chief Justice"). Houseman also provided the offscreen closing narration at the end of the film. Lewis appeared as himself in a small role as "The Reporter".
Adaptations (1)
Gideon's Trumpet was adapted into a 1980 film.
Gideon's Trumpet1980 · film · 104 min · dir. Robert L. Collins · IMDb ↗IMDb7.1True story of Clarence Gideon's fight to be appointed counsel at the expense of the state. This landmark case led to the Supreme Court's decision which extended this right to all criminal defendants.
