The Murder of Mary Phagan (1987)
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(480 ratings)
The made-for-TV The Murder of Mary Phagan is an account of the real-life events fictionalized in the 1937 theatrical feature They Won't Forget. In 1913, Atlanta-area teenager Mary Phagan (Wendy J. Cooke) is found murdered. Although the evidence points to another suspect (who years later… More The made-for-TV The Murder of Mary Phagan is an account of the real-life events fictionalized in the 1937 theatrical feature They Won't Forget. In 1913, Atlanta-area teenager Mary Phagan (Wendy J. Cooke) is found murdered. Although the evidence points to another suspect (who years later confessed to the crime), the authorities choose to bring charges against Leo Frank (Peter Gallagher), a Jewish "outsider" who owns the pencil factory where Mary worked. Prosecutor Hugh Dorsey (Richard Jordan) capitalizes on the anti-Semitism rampant in the South, hoping to ride the Frank case into a higher political office. He is aided in his scheme by equally unprincipled journalist Wes Brent (Kevin Spacey). Only Georgia-governor John Slaton (Jack Lemmon) perceives the bigotry and opportunism at the base of Dorsey's case. Within the limits of his power, and at the risk of destroying his own political career, Slaton tries to see that justice is served. Alas, the decision has already been made to railroad Leo Frank to the electric chair -- or into the hands of a lynch mob. Originally presented in two parts, The Murder of Mary Phagan was first broadcast January 24 and 26, 1988. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Directed By
- William Hale
- Written By
- Jeffrey Lane, George Stevens
- Genres
- Drama, Television, Mystery & Suspense
PG,
- In Theaters
- Jan 24, 1988 Wide
- Studio
- MGM
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Cast
- Daniel Benzali
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Wendy J. Cooke
as Mary Phagan
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Loretta Devine
as Annie Maude Carter
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Paul Dooley
as William Burns
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Charles S. Dutton
as Jim Conley
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Barbara Eda-Young
as Mrs. Phagan
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Peter Gallagher
as Leo Frank
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Sam Gray
as Montag
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Brent Jennings
as Newt
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Rebecca Miller
as Lucille Frank
- William Newman
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Cynthia Nixon
as Doreen
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Robert Prosky
as Watson
- Brian Smiar
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Kevin Spacey
as Wes Brent
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Kathryn Walker
as Sally Slayton
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Kenneth Welsh
as Rosser
- Jimmie Ray Weeks
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Nicholas Wyman
as Lund
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Richard Jordan
as Hugh Dorsey
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Jack Lemmon
as John Slaton
- Heather McAdam
