He explains his past crime and his early parole from prison after being convicted of self-defense manslaughter in a drunken, bar-room brawl:I've been in the penitentiary for four years.The speech ends with a montage of a closeup of his ranting face delivering powerful and thundering words, superimposed over flames, in many future rallies, as Burden frantically types up further stories about the populist candidate:My friends." The city's new Assistant DA (Rachel Dawes) was increasingly frustrated by rulings made by Arkham Asylum psychiatrist Dr."Major star Kirk Douglas [Note: Richard Burton and James Mason were also considered for the role], with his own production company (Bryna), insisted on pushing ahead with financing for the unpopular film project (this was Bryna's second film following afterThe Indian Fighter (1955)) and played the lead role as lawyer-trained Colonel Dax compelled to defend hree of his court-martialed men against hopeless odds.