Henry Fonda is excellent as Clarence Earl Gideon, a man imprisoned for five years for petty crime, in a case that changed legal history. A poor illiterate, he couldn't afford a lawyer and initially had to defend himself, but took up the fight for the right to a lawyer and the right to a second trial. In 1963 the US Supreme Court guaranteed anyone, regardless of status, this right and David W Rintels' screenplay follows the story. Gideon's able new lawyer in Washington is played by José Ferrer (another fine performance). Well constructed, the drama doesn't oversimplify the matter. Look out for Fay Wray as Gideon's landlady - and not a monster gorilla in sight. Good stuff.

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