The World Was His Jury

David Carson, a veteran sea captain, faces manslaughter charges after a catastrophic fire on his cruise ship kills 162 people. The story follows the courtroom fight to determine responsibility, as investigators, survivors and surviving family members give conflicting accounts. Carson's personal life and reputation come under intense scrutiny, while his wife Robin and the Barrets get pulled into the legal and emotional fallout. The film balances testimony and flashback-like reconstructions to show how a single disaster can splinter truth, memory and public opinion, without revealing how the trial ends.

Directed by Fred F. Sears and based on work by Herbert Abbott Spiro, the 1958 picture stars Edmond O'Brien as David Carson, with Mona Freeman, Karin Booth, Robert McQueeney and Paul Birch in key roles. It was produced during the late studio era, reflecting the efficient, no-frills crime dramas Sears was known for.

Box office totals for The World Was His Jury aren't well documented, and it didn't register as a major commercial hit. Contemporary releases and later reissues suggest it had a modest theatrical run typical of mid-tier 1950s crime dramas, without a big studio push.

Though it never achieved wide renown, the film fits into the 1950s wave of courtroom and maritime disaster pictures, and it keeps popping up in retrospectives of Edmond O'Brien's work. Its scenes of hearings and depositions reflect period attitudes toward responsibility and media spectacle, so it has some niche interest for fans of the era's genre cinema.

Critics gave mixed responses, noting solid performances, especially O'Brien's, alongside a script that relies on procedural conventions. Major themes include accountability, the clash between public perception and private truth, and how legal systems handle mass tragedy. The pacing and staging emphasize testimony over action, so viewers who like character-driven legal conflict will find it engaging, while those expecting a suspense thriller may feel it unfolds too methodically.