12 Angry Men (1957) quotes

Director
Sidney Lumet.

Cast
Martin Balsam.
John Fiedler.
Lee J. Cobb.

A jury holdout attempts to prevent a miscarriage of justice by forcing his colleagues to reconsider the evidence.

Let me ask you this: Do you really think the boy’d shout out a thing like that so the whole neighborhood could hear him? I don’t think so – he’s much too bright for that.
– Juror #8
Bright? He’s a common ignorant slob. He don’t even speak good English.
– Juror #10
He *doesn’t* speak good English.
– Juror #11

I beg pardon…
– Juror #11
“I beg pardon?” What are you so polite about?
– Juror #10
For the same reason you are not: it’s the way I was brought up.
– Juror #11

Well, I’m not used to supposin’. I’m just a workin’ man. My boss does all the supposin’, but I’ll try one. Supposin’ you talk us all out of this, and, uh, the kid really did knife his father?
– Juror #6

Hey!… What’s your name?
– Juror #9
Davis.
– Juror #8
My name’s McCardle.
– Juror #9
Well, so long.
– Juror #9
So long.
– Juror #8

You’re talkin’ about a matter of *seconds!* Nobody can be *that* accurate!
– Juror #3
Well, I think testimony that can put a boy into the electric chair *should* be that accurate.
– Juror #8

It’s always difficult to keep personal prejudice out of a thing like this. And wherever you run into it, prejudice always obscures the truth. I don’t really know what the truth is. I don’t suppose anybody will ever really know. Nine of us now seem to feel that the defendant is innocent, but we’re just gambling on probabilities – we may be wrong. We may be trying to let a guilty man go free, I don’t know. Nobody really can. But we have a reasonable doubt, and that’s something that’s very valuable in our system. No jury can declare a man guilty unless it’s sure.
– Juror #8

You think he’s not guilty, huh?
– Juror #6
I don’t know. It’s *possible*.
– Juror #8

It’s hard to put into words. I just think he’s guilty. I thought it was obvious from the word, ‘Go’. Nobody proved otherwise.
– Juror #2
Nobody has to prove otherwise. The burden of proof is on the prosecution. The defendant doesn’t even have to open his mouth. That’s in the Constitution.
– Juror #8