seeking justice:
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With the exception of teachers’ courses, all programs and events
are free with Museum admission and free to Breman members.
Screening a Lynching: The Leo Frank Case in Film and TV
a Forum for Lovers of Film and History
presented by Dr. Matthew H. Bernstein
Film scholar Matthew Bernstein
will lead a film series, Screening a
Lynching, that explores how
Hollywood has dealt with the controversial
subject of the Leo Frank
case. Dr. Bernstein is Professor and
Chair of the Department of Film
Studies at Emory University and the
host/moderator of Atlanta’s Key Sunday Cinema
Club. He is also the author of Walter Wanger,
Hollywood Independent (1994, 2000) and editor of
Controlling Hollywood: Censorship and Regulation in
the Studio Era (2000), among other books. This series
is derived from his forthcoming book, Screening a
Lynching: The Leo Frank Case on Film and TV
(University of Georgia Press, 2009).
Special thanks to The Film Studies Department,
Race & Difference Initiative, of Emory University.
Spring Series
Sunday, June 8, 2 p.m.
The Ox-Bow Incident (1943)
Atlanta’s most successful
filmmaker prior to the 1960s,
Lamar Trotti, produced and adapted
his script from Walter Van Clark
Tilberg’s celebrated novel about a
lynching of alleged cattle rustlers
on the western frontier.
Directed by William Wellman, and starring Henry Fonda, supported by Harry Morgan, Dana Andrews, Anthony Quinn, Leigh Whipper and many other fine character actors, The Ox-Bow Incident remains Hollywood’s definitive anti-lynching film. 75 MINUTES.
Fall/Winter Series
The Leo Frank Case on American TV
Sunday, October 5, 2pm
Using clips, Matthew Bernstein will present a one-hour
illustrated lecture on the two major American TV
dramatizations of the Leo Frank case from 1964 and
1988, which shift focus to Governor John M. Slaton’s
difficult decision to commute Leo Frank’s death
sentence to life imprisonment and Frank’s subsequent
lynching. He will discuss how these shows, unlike the
film versions of the 1930s, address the role of
antisemitism and depict Frank’s lynching directly.
Sunday, October 12, 2pm
The Murder of
Mary Phagan
(Mini-series, 1988),
Part One
This stately, big-budget,
two-part mini-series
was shot on location and features Jack Lemmon as
Governor Slaton, Peter Gallagher as Leo Frank,
Kevin Spacey as fictional reporter Wes Brent, Paul
Dooley as Detective William Burns and a host of
other accomplished stage, screen and TV actors in
major roles. The first half takes the story through Leo
Frank’s conviction and decision to appeal.
Sunday, October 19, 2pm
The Murder of
Mary Phagan, Part Two
Like the Profiles in Courage episode, The Murder of Mary Phagan, Part Two focuses
on Governor Slaton’s hearings and re-investigation of
the Frank trial and his decision to commute Frank’s
sentence, particularly as it affects Slaton’s relationship
with Tom Watson and prosecutor Hugh Dorsey.
While this last is one of many fictional aspects of the
series, The Murder of Mary Phagan remains the most
comprehensive dramatization of the Leo Frank case.
Sunday, November 2, 2pm
Profiles in Courage: Governor John M. Slaton (1964)
Still the only TV series adapted from an American
president’s writing, this Peabody Award-winning
series ran for only one season (1963-1964) and
added Georgia’s Governor at the time of the Frank
trial to the list of figures President John F. Kennedy
had discussed in his volume. Governor Slaton
(Walter Matthau) considers his option to run for U.S.
Senate, endures threats from political leader Tom
Watson (Michael Constantine) should he grant Leo
Frank’s appeal for a life sentence, makes that
momentous choice, and deals with the consequences
of his decision. 51 MINUTES.
Seeking Justice: Teaching the Leo Frank Case
Thursday, June 12, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Instructor: Sally Levine, M.S.
Offered in conjunction with our special exhibition Seeking Justice: The Leo Frank Case Revisited, this course will provide teachers with the opportunity to review and evaluate materials and strategies for teaching The Leo Frank Case with special emphasis on primary materials.
Teachers will receive a guided tour of The Breman’s special exhibition, and through scholarly lectures, first person accounts, primary sources from The Breman Archives, films and photographs, readings and discussions, will develop the background necessary to teach about Leo Frank in the context of world history, American history and Georgia history. The course content will be closely aligned with state standards for the teaching of language arts and social studies. more info
The Leo Frank Case: A Study in Ethics & Professionalism
Winter 2008 (Date and time TBA)
This two-hour roundtable session will focus on the legal and ethical aspects of the Frank case. This program is designed not only for attorneys, but for all who are fascinated by history and law.
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