Narrated by Robert Powell a brand new release entitled ‘Great Crimes and Trials of the Twentieth Century’ has just been released in a four disc DVD box set and is available from Network DVD.
Crime sells newspapers and acts as inspiration for films and television shows,killers intrigue as to their motivations and how they are brought to justice.
We all love detective stories and those they pursue.
The Twentieth Century was an orgy of violence and mayhem nationally with two World Wars and in an unending series of notorious killings, political assassinations and high theatre trials.
The developing media, newspapers, radio, cinema and television fed our ‘need’ to know all about these stories.
Who were the victims?
Who had murdered them?
How were they brought to justice and what happened at the trial?
Each story had its own direction of travel from body found to the outcome of the inevitable appeal.
All of human motivation is presented here.
Our legal system is adversarial with the police and prosecution up against the defendant and his lawyers.
Above them as ringmasters preside the judge and the jury.
The game is a trial played according to the rules of law and procedure.
The winner takes all.
Conviction means punishment ,acquittal means freedom.
All of human nature gets played out at trial.
This well presented DVD box set tells the stories of 26 such crimes.
Who murdered John Lennon and JFK and why?
Who was the ‘Zodiac’ killer?
Who was Dr Bodkin Adams and why was it felt that his acquittal was a travesty of justice?
Who were Saco and Venzettie?
How did an Irishman nicknamed Lord Haw Haw earn himself a hanging for committing treason when he came from a neutral country during the last war?
Each twenty five minute film gallops through the facts and tells you why these stories were notorious and continue to intrigue long after all of the people involved are dead (with the exception of Mark Chapman and Siran Siran).
The producers have dug deep into the archives to present contemporary photographs and film of the people and localities involved.
All of the stories featured seem so contemporary .
As a wise old Barrister once said to me “the faces may change but the stories are always the same “!
In the age of the internet and 24 hour rolling news (O. J Simpson freeway police chase anyone) crime is never going to go out of business anytime soon.
Don’t forget the murder victims.
They never get to read the headlines or hear the jury’s verdict.