▁Laura ▁Ma e ▁Brown ▁ ▁Pat ▁But tr am ▁– ▁Cole ▁Cl inton ▁ ▁Jean ette ▁N olan ▁– ▁Amy ▁Cl inton ▁ ▁Ed gar ▁Ste h li ▁– ▁Judge ▁James ▁T ucker ▁ ▁James ▁Bell ▁– ▁Charles ▁Cris pin ▁ ▁George ▁Mitchell ▁– ▁District ▁Att orney ▁Paul ▁Far ish ▁ ▁Don ▁' Red ' ▁Barry ▁– ▁Jud son ▁Elli ot ▁( as ▁Donald ▁Barry ) ▁ ▁Bert ▁Fre ed ▁– ▁Sher iff ▁B . L . ▁' B uck ' ▁Whe eler ▁ ▁Robin ▁Raymond ▁– ▁Ther ese ▁' T ess ' ▁Br aden ▁ ▁June ▁Day ton ▁– ▁V era ▁D ris coll ▁ ▁L inda ▁Evans ▁- ▁Alice ▁Cl inton ▁ ▁Production ▁The ▁film ▁was ▁based ▁on ▁a ▁novel ▁by ▁Al ▁D ew lin ▁which ▁won ▁the ▁McG raw - H ill ▁F iction ▁Award ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 1 . ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Times ▁called ▁the ▁book ▁" abs or bing ". ▁The ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁Times ▁called ▁it ▁" int ens ely ▁comp elling ▁entertain ment ." ▁ ▁Film ▁rights ▁to ▁the ▁book ▁were ▁bought ▁by ▁the ▁team ▁of ▁George ▁Se aton ▁and ▁William ▁Pear l berg ▁who ▁had ▁a ▁unit ▁at ▁M GM . ▁They ▁decided ▁Pear l berg ▁would ▁produce ▁but ▁they ▁would ▁get ▁in ▁a ▁new ▁director ▁while ▁Se aton ▁was ▁making ▁ 3 6 ▁H ours . ▁Henry ▁Den ker ▁wrote ▁a ▁script . ▁In ▁September ▁ 1 9 6 2 ▁Nick ▁Adams ▁signed ▁to ▁star . ▁ ▁In ▁March ▁ 1 9 6