"Compulsion"
Publication: 1959
The film Compulsion was based on Meyer Levin's 1956 novel of the same name. Both tell the story of the 1924 murder trial of Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb, two wealthy students who kidnapped and murdered 14-year old Bobby Franks. The press was on the story before the killers were identified and helped to thwart the ransom delivery. How could two brilliant young men with everything going for them perform such a criminal act? What did that say about childhood in America?
Title
"Compulsion"
Contributor
Date
Publication: 1959
Description
The film Compulsion was based on Meyer Levin's 1956 novel of the same name. Both tell the story of the 1924 murder trial of Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb, two wealthy students who kidnapped and murdered 14-year old Bobby Franks. The press was on the story before the killers were identified and helped to thwart the ransom delivery. How could two brilliant young men with everything going for them perform such a criminal act? What did that say about childhood in America?
Rights
Copyright; use considered fair according to the ARL Code of Best Practices in Fair Use
Format
Posters
Source
MSS0412, James G. Stahlman Historical Autograph Collection, Leopold, Nathan folder
Files
Citation
“"Compulsion",” Gallery, accessed August 21, 2026, https://gallery.library.vanderbilt.edu/items/show/761.