Effects on Popular Culture

The Leopold and Loeb case was heavily sensationalized by the media, allowing it to work its way into popular culture.  The media dubbed the legal proceedings were dubbed “The Trial of the Century.”  This can be attributed, in part, to the presence of Clarence Darrow, who was a prolific figure of the time. The pair were compelling figures due to their exceptional intelligence and young age.  The public simply could not stop devouring details about the case.  

From the late 1920’s through Present day, Leopold and Loeb have been the inspiration for many works of theatre, film, and fiction.  For example, the 1929 play, Rope, by Patrick Hamilton served as a basis a Hitchcock film, with the same title, in 1948.  The 1940 novel, Native Son, by Richard Wright was loosely inspired by crime and trial of Leopold and Loeb.  Another novel, Compulsion (1956), by Meyer Levin, fictionalized the actions of the two under pseudonyms.  Like Rope, this piece was also televised and made into a movie.  Leopold and Loeb have been the inspiration for several theatrical works as well, such as the comedy The Agony and The Agony (2006) and the musical Thrill Me: The Leopold and Loeb Story (2005).  More current works that are inspired by the Leopold and Loeb case include numerous Law & Order episodes and the 2005 graphic novel Ice Haven.