Many "jail" movies spend an inordinate amount of time dwelling on prison life. Instead this movie dives right into the legal battle fought to guarantee all men the right to council (regardless of their ability to pay). Henry Fonda does an outstanding job of portraying Clarance Earl Gideon a small time hood and drifter falsely accused of robbing a bar/pool hall. Jose Ferrer plays Abe Fortas who argued the case on behalf of the ACLU and then later became a Supreme Court associate justice himself.