A motion picture, according to a 1952 Large Bay Lumberjack Tavern slaying test around Michigan's Upper Peninsula, was adapted by Wendell Mayes from the novel by Robert Traver (pen name of John D. Voelker, a Michigan Supreme Court judge from 1957-1959). It was filmed around Big Bay (where the very slaying got taken place), & Marquette, Michigan. A bit of scenes were actually filmed inside the Lumberjack Tavern, which is however in being.

A picture show was directed by Otto Preminger. A film was noted for featuring unco frank (for 1959) dialogue, and was among a number 1 Hollywood films that challenged a tight Hays Production Code.

It was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Actor in a Leading Role (James Stewart), Best Actor in a Supporting Role, (Arthur O'Connell), Best Actor in a Supporting Role (George C. Scott), Best Cinematography, Black-and-White, Best Film Editing, Best Picture and Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium. More awards include James Stewart's better actor award at a Venice Film Festival and the New York Film Critics Circle award for 1959.

A role of the judge was offered to each Spencer Tracy and Burl Ives, but eventually was given to Joseph Welch, a real-life attorney world health organization experienced mass produced a title for himself once representing the United States Army in hearings conducted by Sen. Joseph McCarthy (it was he who uttered a noted line, "Have you no sense of decency, sir?" whilst addressing Senator McCarthy when you took a hearings).

A film was too noteworthy for existence among a number 1 to extensively feature jazz in a score--the entire musical soundtrack was played per Duke Ellington Orchestra (Ellington & his associate Billy Strayhorn composed a music, and many of the Ellington band's sidemen, notably Johnny Hodges, Paul Gonsalves, Harry Carney, Russell Procope & Cat Anderson, come heard conspicuously throughout). Ellington when well appears briefly inside the cameo as "Pie-Eye," the creator of a roadhouse which features terpsichore & at which James Stewart & Lee Remick have a confrontation.