MovieChat Forums > Anatomy of a Murder (1959) Discussion > Possible Theory

Possible Theory

posted 11 years ago by TheBronxBull9
4 replies | jump to latest

Can it be posited that Laura Manion was flirting with Barney Quill while playing pinball, gave him her panties in an act of flirtation, and then told her husband she was raped?

Think of the following:

1) Ms. Manion tries to give Mr. Biegler her girdle towards the end of the film; this would be similar to her giving Quill her panties.

2) It was stated, when Biegler and Manion are in the car, that she is in an unpleasant marriage - "but I can't leave him." The implication, here, is that Frederick Manion would be furious at such an attempt.

3) As a way to get her husband locked up for good, but also maintaining her 'devoted wife' role to Lt. Manion, she, in a round about way, gets Manion to kill another man. She thinks for sure he will be in prison indefinitely, and she will be freed from the marriage.

[–] CaperGuy 11 years ago

Your theory may be plausible but not probable.
1) Laura gave her girdle to attorney Biegler because before the trial started, he told Laura to avoid bars and to wear a girdle so she wouldn't jiggle too much and attract men's attention. He told her to save her jiggle for her husband. Giving the girdle to the attorney after the trial was Laura's way of telling him to buzz off, thatnshe is going to dress her own way from now on.

2) When the attorney said that he couldn't leave Lt. Manion, he meant that as his attorney, he had an obligation to represent his client. I don't think Mr. Biegler was afraid of Lt. Manion, just concerned about his welfare.

3) Laura semed to be fond of her husband but due possibly to her upbringing and prior abuse, she was an unconventional wife for the 1960s American south. I don't think Laura wanted her husband to go to prison although she had a strange way of showing her support for him.

[–] new_navigator 10 years ago

The OP was referring to Ms Manion not being able to leave the husband, not Mr Biegler.
You are right though. The idea that she was set this all up just to get away from the husband doesnt stand up.

[–] CaperGuy 10 years ago

Oops! Sorry for the confusion on point #2. I must have read it too rapidly and got the pronouns mixed up. You're right. The "I" was referring to the wife, not the attorney. I know how annoying this kind of thing can be and it is embarrassing when I'm the one who made the egregious error. Thanks for putting up with me.

As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he. - Proverbs 23:7

[–] redban (6168) 4 years ago

The movie does portray her as flirtatious, but the movie also does portray her as truthful. I don’t believe she would lie and claim rape.

I think she did flirt with Barney, she did lead him on. But he eventually raped her.