The Moving Impact of "Murder in the First"
- 12 hours ago
- 4 min read
I've often written about American films in the columns I've published on this website. Some of them are set in MLB, while others have no direct connection to baseball or MLB, but contain scenes that reference MLB or major leaguers. This time, I'd like to talk about what I personally consider to be the greatest of the latter. Before I discuss that film, "Murder in the First" (1995), I'd like to first say something:
Even in American films that have no connection to baseball or MLB, there are often scenes that reference baseball, Major League Baseball, or Major League players. Joe DiMaggio is one of the most frequently mentioned Major League players in such films. I don't think anyone would disagree with that.
Take, for example, "The Long Goodbye" (1973). This is a film adaptation of Raymond Chandler's hard-boiled novel of the same name, published in 1953, directed by Robert Altman and starring Elliott Gould as the main character, private detective Philip Marlowe. In this film, Philip Marlowe has the following conversation with his friend: "Who were the three DiMaggio brothers?" "Vince, Don...and Joe?" "Joltin' Joe, yeah." Just to be clear, it is a well-known fact that Joe DiMaggio has two brothers who became major leaguers, Vince DiMaggio and Dom DiMaggio. (The English subtitles on the DVD I have say Don instead of Dom, but I don't know why.) Joe DiMaggio is not mentioned at all in the original novel, but I guess they included this scene because Joe DiMaggio would suit a hard-boiled film.
I think it is quite well-known that Joe DiMaggio's name appears in the film "The Long Goodbye." At least it is widely known among fans of hard-boiled films in Japan, though not so widely known among fans of MLB. I wonder how it is in the United States?
There is an even more famous film in which Joe DiMaggio's name appears: Raymond Chandler's hard-boiled novel, "Farewell, My Lovely," published in 1940. The novel was adapted into a film of the same name (1975). It was directed by Dick Richards and stars Robert Mitchum as the protagonist Philip Marlowe.
In this film, Philip Marlowe is interested in Joe DiMaggio's consecutive game hitting streak, and there are scenes that touch on the hitting streak, including that it ended after 56 games. The original novel was published in 1940, the year before Joe DiMaggio achieved his 56-game hitting streak in 1941, but there is no mention of Joe DiMaggio and his 56-game hitting streak. Nevertheless, just like "The Long Goodbye," it seems that Joe DiMaggio is a good fit for a hard-boiled film.
In Japan, this film is very popular among fans of hard-boiled films and MLB, but what about in the United States?
Now, I'd like to finally talk about "Murder in the First." I absolutely love this movie. It's my favorite of all the movies that feature scenes that touch on MLB or major leaguers. Furthermore, it's in my personal top 20 of all the American movies I've ever seen, regardless of genre. I think the script, direction, and camerawork are all excellent, and the performances by Kevin Bacon, who plays the murderer, and Christian Slater, who plays the young lawyer, are also outstanding.
I would like you to actually watch the movie to find out what it's about, but here I will give a very brief explanation.
A man commits a theft due to poverty, but is imprisoned in Alcatraz prison and suffers unimaginable abuse, which leads to him becoming mentally unstable and killing a fellow prisoner. Everyone thinks he will be sentenced to death for first-degree murder. However, a young, rookie lawyer who graduated from an elite school decides to do his best to save the man. Baseball is an important catalyst for the development of a friendship between these two men from very different backgrounds. Their first and last conversations are about Joe DiMaggio. The ending is hardly a happy one. But both men are pure in soul, noble in heart, and full of pride.
This film is based on a true story from 1941, so not only does it mention Joe DiMaggio's name, but it also touches on the progress of his 56-game hitting streak. For example, there's a scene where the young lawyer says that on June 17th, DiMaggio's consecutive game hitting streak reached 32. However, I think this is incorrect. I think the correct number for the consecutive game hitting streak on June 17th was 30, not 32, and that 32 occurred on June 19th. However, these mistakes do not affect the value of the film in any way...It may be that the film is not wrong in this regard, and that I am. If so, I apologize.
I don't know of any other film that shows such great respect for baseball, MLB, and Joe DiMaggio. However, I think it is virtually unknown among baseball, MLB, and Joe DiMaggio fans in Japan.
I don't know how widely known this film is among MLB fans in the United States, but I would like many MLB fans in the United States to know about it.
This film "Murder in the First" teaches us that MLB and major leaguers have the power to change and support people's lives.
(If I've made a mistake or left out something important, please let me know. I'll try to make corrections or additions.)