In response to a query by Marilyn Robinson concerning the existence of
actuality film footage of court room trials, the Motion Picture Branch of the
National Archives' earliest such footage is from 1933 with actuality
scenes with sound shot in the court room of the verdict and sentencing
of George "MachineGun" Kelly (scenes are included in a re-creation film,
35mm nitrate, titles "The Visualization of the Urschel Kidnaping Showing
the Federal Government's Determined Drive on Crime" (1933).  The
archive item number is 21.08 as received as an exhibit item from the U.S.
District Court in Oklahoma City, as part of case CR10478 "U.S. vs Bates,
et.al" commonly known as the "MachineGun Kelly Case".  Of course, the
collection also has extensive court room actuality footage from
newsreels and government sources of the Lindbergh/Hauptman Trial,
and of the Nuremberg and Tokyo War Crimes trials.  I am unaware of any
earlier actuality court room footage, for example the Scopes Trial, but
would greatly appreciate the verification of the existence of earlier film or
audio coverage prior to 1933.
 
Les Waffen
Motion Picture, Sound & Video branch
National Archives at College Park
e-mail:  [log in to unmask]
 
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