Missing ending scene in 12 Angry Men?

Question

I remember vividly having seen the 1957 film 12 Angry Men in the 1980's on TV (most probably the early 1980's). I remember many specific details of it, including things from the basic plot, and other more specific details such as the basic plot wherein at first everybody except one juror voting guilty, that one saying that he doesn't want to be so quick to condemn a person to death so hastily. Or more specific details, like the part with the knife, and the part where they measure how long it would be taken for a crippled person to walk the necessary distance to the door.

One of my most vivid memories was the ending: When the jurors had finally reached the conclusion, they return to the court room, where the accused is a man who looks like he has lost all hope, looking at the floor in anguish, and whose expression changes to extreme surprise and cautious joy, and his expression clearly brightens, after he hears the "not guilty" verdict. An extraordinary acting performance that really conveyed the emotions of a man who was sure to be sentenced to death suddenly hearing the life-saving news!

I recently re-watched the film, after over 30 years. To my dismay, that last scene never happens! In the actual film the jurors just do a final vote of unanimous not-guilty in the deliberation room, and then the film cuts to them leaving the courthouse, and that's it. The court room and the accused are never even shown in the ending!

As much I would like to joke of this being yet another case of the Mandela Effect, what I think is really happening is that either there's a different version of the movie with that scene, or more probably, I'm conflating something else I have seen with this movie. Maybe I later saw, perhaps, some kind of made-for-TV remake film, or perhaps just a completely unrelated film with such an ending, which I then years later conflated in my memory?

Does anybody have any idea or suggestion where that ending scene might have appeared? Are there alternative cuts to the 1957 12 Angry Men, or are there some minor remakes (I'm pretty much certain that I remember having seen that ending scene in the 1980's, so I don't think it can be much later than that) with that kind of ending, or perhaps some other court room drama with that ending?

Answer 1

Oh boy, I fell down the rabbit hole.

It appears such a scene does not exist.

I started by watching the end of the movie. This is my description of events.

All the jurors leave the Jury room, except #3 (Davis) and #8. Davis grabs 8's coat, puts it on his shoulders, and they both leave. The camera pans over the table as it fades to the outside of the courtroom. Another juror approaches Davis and introduces himself before both leaving.

Then, I started searching scripts of the movie. The one linked in the comments is very different.

3 looks up. Then slowly he goes for his coat. He gets it, puts it on, and slowly walks towards the door. The guard steps out-side. As #3 passes the table he stops, then walks over to it. The knife is sticking in it. He reaches over, pulls it out. He holds it up in front of him and looks at the doorway. Then, with a last burst of anger he flips it into the table. It quivers there, He turns and walks out, slamming the door.

I've found this transcript that matches, as well as this review that DO match the movie, but no actual official and correct script. This article also seems to match my description of events.

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I then searched for other versions of the film. There is the 1954 Studio One teleplay with a matching script.

NO. 3 turns around and sees that they are alone. Slowly he moves toward the door. Then he stops at the table. He pulls the switch knife out of the table and walks over to~ with it. He holds it in the approved knife fighter fashion and looks long and hard at NO. 8, pointing the knife at his belly. NO .8 stares back. Then NO. 3 turns the knife around. NO. 8 takes it by the handle. NO. 3 exits. NO. 8 closes the knife, puts it away and taking a last look around the room, exits, closing the door.

The book is slightly different.

The FOREMAN and the other JURORS collect their jackets, etc., and all except the 3RD and the 8TH JURORS follow him off. The 3RD JUROR remains seated. Finally only he and the 8TH JUROR remain in the room. The 8TH JUROR puts on his own jacket and brings the 3RD JUROR’s jacket to him. The 3RD JUROR rises. The 8TH JUROR helps him on with his jacket. The 3RD JUROR exits. The 8TH JUROR follows, but pauses at the door and looks back at the empty jury room. The knife still sticks into the table. The 8TH JUROR exits. The rain has stopped.

I've also found the 2012 Delray Beach Playhouse play, the 1997 Friedkin film, and the 2004 Broadway play (no video).

None of these have a final scene like the one you described.

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So, as far as I can tell, such a scene does not exist. If you remember that scene, the two likeliest explanations are that there is some version/remake out there which is no longer easily found on-line, or it is a false memory that you created from the initial scene of the movie, where the accused is shown.

As the jury leaves the box and retires to the jury room to deliberate, the camera presents a side-view and then a lingering, silent closeup of the innocent-faced, frightened, despondent slum boy defendant with round, sad brown eyes. His ethnicity, whether he's Puerto Rican or Hispanic, is unspecified.

After my research, I lean towards the second option, but maybe someone else can disprove me.

Gendolkari also points out you may be mixing movies, so you're not confused with an actual remake of 12 Angry Men, but instead of some other courtroom drama movie.