Leopold Release Sound & Silent 3-13-58

Transcript (Download)

A month ago, I begged the members of the parole board for their compassion.

They found it in their hearts to grant it.

Today, I am enjoying the first moment of the supervised freedom which they restored me.

I want now to beg your compassion, yours and your editors and your publishers.

For only a few grand, will that provisional liberty be worth having.

Only then will my life be livable.

In my appearance before the board, I solemnly pledged that I would avoid every form of publicity.

That pledge I will keep to the letter.

I will give no interviews to anyone.

I will talk to no member of the press, radio or television.

Please make it easier for me by not asking me to break that pledge.

Among you are men and women I count my personal friends.

Many of you, I hope all of you, feel that a third of a century spent in prison has been severe punishment and are happy to see me free.

I hope you want to see me succeed, to see me vindicate the trust reposed in me.

Don't then, I beg of you, add to that punishment.

Don't make it impossible for me to succeed.

I appeal as solemnly as I know how, to you and to your editors and your publishers and to society at large, to agree that the only piece of news about me is that I have ceased to be news.

I beg, I beseech you and your editors and your publishers to grant me a gift almost as precious as freedom itself.

A gift without which freedom ceases to have much value.

The gift of privacy.

Give me a chance, a fair chance, to start life anew.

Nathan, can you smile? I'm no expert.

Do you feel your prayers have been answered, Nathan? Do you feel your prayers have been answered now? Yes, sir.

Well, Nathan, do you honestly feel that you can assume that privacy that you wanted now? I hope so.

Would you tell us what you are thinking about now? It's unbelievable.

How do you feel about going to Puerto Rico? Is that where you really wanted to go? I'm very, absolutely where I wanted to go.

That was my first choice.

Who among the people whom you've been associated with and helped you are you thinking of today? Well, I'm very much confused at the moment.

My thoughts aren't clear.

What are you going to do after the five -year parole period is expired? I have no idea.

Will you have to remain in communicado for the whole five years? Is that the agreement? That is correct.

Are you going to hold that time? Are you hopeful that everybody will have forgotten the whole thing? I haven't thought that far.

I haven't thought that far yet.

Do you feel free yet, Mr.

Lambeau? No, I'm a little hinder.

Are you going to have a reunion with your family tonight? I don't know.

I'm in the hands of friends.

I don't know what my own plans are.

Is it over five years? I don't know.

Sir, one question.

Did you receive psychiatric treatment? No.

When you return to Chicago, any time during the next five years? I don't know.

Is it true that you do not know the arrangements that have been made for you? It is true that I do not know the arrangements that have been made for me.

You undoubtedly will travel to Puerto Rico in Cagneyville, is that right? You're saying that.

I don't want to.

I don't either.

But you all say that you want to work alone.

Are you planning any interviews of any sort? Absolutely none.

Absolutely none.

It is part of my parole agreement that I will give no interviews to anyone.

Nathan, are you going to Puerto Rico? You have just written a book called Life of 99 Years.

Is there a possibility that you may write further about Puerto Rico? I have no plans at all.

Nathan, are you planning on going to Puerto Rico? No.

Are you going alone to Puerto Rico? I don't know.

Nathan, do you remember about six months ago you read the Kadesh to us and you said you stood at the grave of your hopes? That's right.

Did you really feel at that time you were at the grave of your hopes? You were there.

Do you think I did, Mr.

Cannon? Nathan, Nathan, for the two of you.

I read the Kadesh to you.

Direct statement up there.

When the governor made his statement at that time and when the parole board granted him every year, I didn't know if I'm getting it.

But you weren't kidding after that day you'd get it? Of course not.

You were serious about your damn life.

What are your feelings now about what you said about that very sacred prayer at that time? I still think it is one of the finest prayers in our entire Puerto Rico.

Let's break it down a hundred and twenty.

We'll have to go.

We'll have to go.

No, he won't be here.

Well, we'll miss him.

Gentlemen, can we have him repeat the things in the TV? Oh, it's so much noise.

Probably for the TV cameras.

Nathan, would you mind reading the statement again? I read it.

I'm asking about it.

Would you mind reading it for the television? Read a portion of it for the TV.

Well, tell us, if you don't mind, we'd like to have...

What the fuck, honey? What the fuck? All right, you might read it.

In my appearance before the board, I solemnly pledge that I would avoid every form of publicity.

That pledge I will keep to the letter.

I will give no interviews to anyone.

I will talk to no member of the press, radio, or television.

Please make it easier for me by not asking you to break that pledge.

Thank you very much.

Identifier

F.2012-03-1102

Date Of Production

1958

Abstract

Nathan Leopold is released from prison and makes a statement to the press saying that as part of his parole, he is not allowed to speak to them in the future. He asks that they help him do this by leaving him alone. He answers a few questions and mentions that he plans to go to Puerto Rico, but he is unsure of his exact plans at the moment.

University of Chicago students Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb were imprisoned for the kidnap and murder of fourteen-year-old Bobby Franks in 1924. They committed the murder in order to demonstrate their intellectual superiority, which they believed made them capable of carrying out the "perfect crime."

Run Time

0:07:48

Format

16mm

Extent

280 feet

Color

B&W

Sound

Optical

Reel/Tape Number

1/1

Has Been Digitized?

Yes

Language Of Materials

English

Element

Negatives

Genre

Crime

Form

Outtakes
Newsreels

Subject

Crimes
Prisons
Murders

Related Collections

SUBSERIES V: Crime & Law Enforcement

Related Places

North America ➜ United States ➜ Illinois ➜ Chicago

Main Credits

Koza, Frank (is filmmaker)

Participants And Performers

Leopold, Nathan (is participant)

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