Although the names have been changed, this is a fairly faithful telling of the infamous Loeb and Leopold case in which two wealthy college students were brought to trial for the murder of a colleague in 1924. Dean Stockwell and Bradford Dillman are excellent as the two utterly amoral killers but they are overshadowed by Orson Welles, who gives a grandstanding bravura performance as their defence lawyer. It's a tense and absorbing drama and full of suspense even for those familiar with the case and its outcome. Director Richard Fleischer keeps a firm grip on the story, which is well scripted from Meyer Levin's original novel by Richard Murphy. The courtroom scenes, especially, are electrifying.

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