The Lawyer

Remember Petrocelli, the mid-'70s TV series about a hip and groovy American lawyer? Well, it all started here in the movie version of the Dr Sam Sheppard murder case, where a hot shot attorney battles his way through legal technicalities and a difficult client to defend a doctor accused of killing his wife. Newman takes centre stage as the small town defence counsel grabbing his chance for national attention, though the proceedings go through some familiar moves. Watchable rather than scintillating.