Crime of the Century (1996 film)

Crime of the Century is a 1996 HBO television film directed by Mark Rydell. It presents a dramatization of the Lindbergh kidnapping of 1932. The film stars Stephen Rea as Bruno Hauptmann and Isabella Rossellini as his wife Anna.

Crime of the Century
GenreCrime
Drama
Based onThe Airman and the Carpenter by Ludovic Kennedy
Screenplay byWilliam Nicholson
Directed byMark Rydell
StarringStephen Rea
Isabella Rossellini
J. T. Walsh
Michael Moriarty
Bert Remsen
Scott N. Stevens
Theme music composerJohn Frizzell
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
Executive producersBarbara Broccoli
Amanda Schiff
ProducerMike Moder
CinematographyToyomichi Kurita
EditorAntony Gibbs
Running time114 minutes
Production companiesAstoria Productions, Ltd.
HBO Pictures
Original release
NetworkHBO
ReleaseSeptember 14, 1996 (1996-09-14)

Plot

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The film, like Ludovic Kennedy's 1985 book The Airman and the Carpenter upon which it is based, presents Bruno Richard Hauptmann as not guilty of the Lindbergh abduction and murder for which he was tried and executed. It suggests at least one of the perpetrators was Isidor Fisch, an associate of Hauptmann's who had conned several of the local German community out of money and who returned to Germany after the Lindbergh baby was found.

Cast

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Awards

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The film earned five Golden Globe nominations in the "Mini-Series or Motion Picture made for TV" categories. The film was nominated for the Outstanding Casting for a Miniseries or a Special, Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries or a Special, Outstanding Editing for a Miniseries or a Special - Single Camera Production and Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries or a Special at the 49th Primetime Emmy Awards.

See also

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References

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