Cover Image: Nothing To Fear

Nothing To Fear

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as someone who has been watching most of hitchcock's films over the past few months this was an interesting look at the story behind the camera

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Delighted to highlighted this new release in “Oscar Ready,” a round-up of new and notable Hollywood-themed titles in the Books section of Zoomer magazine. (see column and mini-review at link)

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Whenever I uncover a book about a movie I’m not super familiar with, I always like to watch the movie in question before or during the time I’m reading the book. In a case like this, it almost felt like I had already watched the movie based on the information I read early on in this book.

Nothing to Fear is a deep dive into the world of Alfred Hitchcock’s 1956 film The Wrong Man, starring Henry Fonda and Vera Miles. The film is based on true events and follows Manny Balestrero (Fonda) as he is falsely accused of holding up a local insurance office in New York. We see Manny visit the insurance office where several workers identify him as the man who had previously held up the office. Manny is then arrested, placed in a line-up for identification, arraigned, and eventually placed on trial. Through all this his wife Rose (Miles) falls deeper into depression and is eventually admitted to a mental hospital while Manny fights the charges against him.

The book covers this film and the case it was based on in three parts. Isralowitz first devotes several chapters to other stories of false arrests and misidentification, mainly throughout New York City in the early 1900s, but in a few other states as well. He then moves into a deep analysis of the Balestrero case itself, followed by a section devoted to analyzing the film itself.

There is plenty to unpack in this book, and while only a third of it directly relate to the film, it was a fascinating read. The details about the procedures used by police and detectives prior to the advent of DNA evidence were startling, and to see them brought to the screen in the way Hitchcock did was depressing. It’s easy to understand why Rose gave up hope when her husband was repeatedly identified as guilty by multiple witnesses.

The book itself is dense and gives lots of information, too much at times. However, for those who are Hitchcock devotees or are interested in elements of social justice, this book will provide plenty on both fronts.

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I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of Nothing to Fear by Jason Isralowitz. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thanks to NetGalley and Fayetteville Mafia Press for this ARC.

Reading the synopsis, I expected the book to be false confessions as seen through cinema. That isn't what I got. Instead, it focused on the history of using confessions when convicting criminals in New York. Especially in situations where people were falsely accused. Also, how the procedures changed throughout time. I found these stories extremely interesting and don't regret reading the book. It just wasn't exactly what I was expecting. I give this book 3.5/5 stars. If you are interested in True Crime then give it a read, if you are more of a cinephile, maybe skip it.

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With Nothing To Fear, Jason Isralowitz has put the subject of Alfred Hitchcock's "The Wrong Man" in broader context. He carefully documents the NYPD's history of relying on low quality eye witness testimony — often leading witnesses — showing how the practice led to the wrongful imprisonment of many.

It's an important addition to our true-crime-obsessed culture.

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This was such a great book about those arrested and convicted dude to eyewitnesses who erroneously claim victims to be perpetrators just like an Alfred Hitchcock‘s film the wrong man in many other films by the great director. Most of the book or stories that haven’t been told before and some kids of quickly and some not so quickly but all seem to have a ripple effect where even though one person goes to jail to family members that person suffer. From mental breakdowns to Panera to destitution due to trying to help the convicted much much more. This is such an interesting book if you love True Crime in truth saving the day you’ll love this book not all stories are saved in time to is not ruined the accused life but they are still all worth reading. What a great book I totally enjoyed it I think it said this happens put books like this that will get it on peoples radar and hopefully change things. I received the book from NetGalley and the publisher but I’m leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

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Defined as a “revelatory book that situates both the Balestrero case and its cinematic counterpart in their historical context”, Nothing to Fear is a neat piece of non-fiction literature that might appeal to many true crime aficionados.

I find that the author, attorney Jason Isralowitz, best presents his work at the outset of the book by describing it in the following terms: “This is the story of New York’s fleeting awakening, more than seventy-five years ago, to the reality of wrongful convictions. It is the story of the falsely accused defendants, whose suffering led to early cries for systemic improvements to protect the innocent. It is the story of how the state’s legal institutions squandered an opportunity for reform. And it is the story of how Hollywood’s most popular director made a work of art that reveals truths that those institutions refused to face.
Yet these tragedies cannot be ascribed simply to chance, or to the fallibility of eyewitnesses. The cases reflected a pattern of institutional failure.”

Readers can find in this precious text an exhaustive and straight-to-the-point depiction of how much of a lie the adage “Innocents have nothing to fear” actually is. Through a clear reconstruction of several cases of wrongful prosecution from the 19th century, Isralowitz sketches out a systemic problem that has less to do with a “bad luck” than with the fallibility of eyewitnesses and “tunnel vision” too-often plaguing state agents.

The work consists of three main parts. While I can see the fil-rouge connecting the distinct sections of the book – that is, the overarching theme of ultimately wrongful conviction – I feel that the chapters talking about previous cases and those dissecting Hitchcock’s film could have pertained to two separate pieces of literature altogether.

The stories related in Part 1 are great and compelling to read for fans of true-crime stories. Never before have I spent this much time shaking my head and scoffing in disbelief as I did while delving into the first part of this piece of non-fiction. While never directly accusing, the author’s phrasing and straight-forward chronicle of the single cases helps the reader understand the unfairness of certain procedures and highlights the very human problems that arise from too much self-assuredness, the unspoken desire to close cases quickly, or the absurd certainty that eyewitnesses – even when shell-shocked and confused – cannot err in their identification of suspect.
To cite and example, Isralowitz recounts that in one such case, two reporters for the American Weekly tracked down the appointed chief of detectives to ask about the state’s handling of the case. “Why didn’t we ask for handwriting experts? Why, the preponderance of the evidence was so great our janitor could have convicted them”, the chief of detectives said. And every story here is of this same tenor, leaving the reader with a pervasive sense of incredulity that an overarching institution like the state could ever treat its citizens with such recklessness.

This first section I liked a lot. Now on to the part that’s devoted to the analysis of Alfred Hitchcock’s movie “The Wrong Man”. “Policemen and the law are my basic fears” Hitchcock once said. Given that the main theme of the book is wrongful conviction and that one of the causes of that is police negligence and/or misconduct of basic investigative procedures, it makes perfect sense that Nothing to Fear includes an examination of how Hollywood’s most famous director has treated the matter of wrongful indictment.

However, this part was not really appealing to me, as I found the examination of the film quite boring. Do not get me wrong, this is an absolutely personal opinion and is not intended to diminish the value of the book and great effort and research of its author. But being a true crime aficionado more than a cinephile, I must say that this part might be more alluring for film-students and movie lovers than it is to regular readers like myself.

All in all, I would definitely recommend the first half of the book to all readers who are looking for an informative piece of literature about a frustrating instance of miscarriage of justice, one that is not thoroughly discussed in true crime clubs and is not well-known amongst the wider public.

Thanks to Fayetteville Mafia Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

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The book had a lot of interesting points, but I felt that the book had some issues. The book's narrative often diverted from what I thought was the central premise - a deeper look at the movie The Wrong Man. While the points made in the book's first half (or so) did have a role in such a discussion, it was unclear what those points were at times since their relevance was not really discussed in relation to the movie until Part 3. On that same point, because the movie was not discussed at length until Part 3, it felt that the book was more of a critique of the NY criminal justice system than a discussion of The Wrong Man.

Second, the book appeared unorganized. Throughout the book, there were many times that the same point was made three or more times since the points that were trying to be made were scattered throughout the book. If this book was organized more by points to be made, I feel that the book would have been an easier read to follow.

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"Each of us has at one time or another been wrongly blamed for something we were innocent of." Alfred Hitchcock made many films featuring wrongly accused protagonists. "Hitchcock's canon-his films usually follow a pattern of the innocent man who gets involved in bizarre situations...Hitchcock's police often hastily reach the wrong conclusion about the hero...are just as bad at unmasking the guilty...their mistakes are tied to eyewitness misidentification." Hitchcock's film, The Wrong Man is arguably an overlooked gem, a true story told "from the point of view of the person who underwent this ordeal."

The year was 1953. Manny Balestrero, a quiet, gentle soul, was a Queens musician who played upright bass in a rhumba band in New York's Stork Club. He lived in Jackson Heights with his wife, Rose and two young sons. On January 13, 1953, Manny visited the offices of Prudential Insurance with Rose's life insurance policy in hand. He needed to ascertain how much he could borrow against the policy for Rose's wisdom teeth extraction.

"That's the man who robbed our office," whispered the employee examining Rose's policy. She fearfully shared her views with several others. Manny was picked up, later that evening, by police detectives. He was not told why. "An innocent man had nothing to fear." A showup was arranged in several stores where robberies had been committed. Manny was told to walk to the back of each store, turn and exit the store. This was a recipe for a presumption of guilt. Brought to the 110th Police Precinct, a faulty lineup with prejudicial identification procedures would ensue. Manny's arrest was sealed when he made a "spelling" mistake while recreating a copy of the holdup note.

The Wrong Man was "one of the most important movies about criminal justice ever made. By capturing the realities of the legal system of the day, Hitchcock and his team, opened a window into New York's history of wrongful convictions...Hitchcock's immediate subject was a single false arrest." "The file shows how the routines of law enforcement transformed eyewitness mistakes into a miscarriage of justice."

Strategically placed in a lineup and viewed by Prudential Insurance employees who stood side by side, Manny was identified based upon mob mentality. When one was unsure, she was influenced by her co-worker thereby making a positive identification. The police had tunnel vision. Fixating on Manny, they "select and filter the evidence that will 'build a case' for conviction..." They use confirmation bias and make a rush to judgement. The prosecution violate their duty to protect Manny's innocence.

Unimaginable family difficulties immerged as a result of false accusation. "Before her husband's arrest, Rose presided over the household with a steady hand...Rose's behavior changed soon after...[with Rose becoming] increasingly withdrawn and unresponsive."

"Not until decades after The Wrong Man's release was the unreliability of eyewitness identification more widely recognized...the protection of the innocent requires searching scrutiny of accusations...". "People have a naive faith in the power of their own innocence to set them free." In Manny's case, the adoption of Miranda Rights was still far into the future (1966). There was no DNA at that time. The newly formed Innocence Project, now helps to exonerate falsely accused and/or imprisoned individuals.

In "Nothing To Fear: Alfred Hitchcock And The Wrong Men" by Jason Isralowitz, Manny Balestrero's true case comes to light. Enhancing the narrative are photos of the real Manny as well as photos from Hitchcock's movie. Author Isralowitz introduces legal cases, as well, that precede the Belestrero arrest, documenting other miscarriages of justice. This very informative, fascinating read of true crime is one I highly recommend.

Thank you Fayetteville Mafia Press and Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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A look into a case that is different from many others as it involves Alfred Hitchcock. The author looks at a crime where an innocent man was convicted and then at how Alfred Hitchcock was involved. An interesting story I’d never heard of.

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