Indiana University Libraries Moving Image Archive

Decision: the Constitution in action

7 episodes, 1959, Steven Sharff Productions, Inc.

From WNET:

"Each program in the series deals with a US Supreme Court decision of recent history involving a question of constitutional interpretation.  The cases are reenacted by many of the real-life people involved and filmed on location in communities across the nation to underscore the proposition that these have been issues affecting everyday people in the course of their normal lives.  The series focuses on the stresses which the Constitution has undergone and the conflicting issues involved in interpreting this document.  The programs were produced by the Center for Mass Communication of Columbia University Press.  Herbert Wechsler, Columbia University Professor of Law and formerly Assistant Attorney General of the US, was consultant.  Erik Barnouw, national chairman of the Writers Guild of America, was writer and executive producer for the series.  Stephen Sharff, documentarian, winner of awards at Edinburgh and Venice Film Festivals, was producer-director."