The following year it was adapted by Levin into a stage play of the same title, which premiered at the Ambassador Theatre on Broadway and ran for 140 performances between October 24, 1957, and February 24, 1958.

[1] The narrator, Sid Silver, is on his way to interview Judd Steiner, whose parole is being considered after serving a 30-year sentence for the thrill killing of 12-year-old Paulie Kessler.

Judd Steiner and his cohort Artie Straus were sentenced to life plus 99 years for the infamous murder that was covered extensively by newspapers worldwide.

As a university classmate of Judd's and Artie's, earning his way through college working at a newspaper, Sid Silver had been pivotal in finding incriminating evidence in the case.

In flashback to the time of the murder, close friends Judd Steiner and Artie Straus each believe they fit Nietzsche’s philosophy of a “superman” (Übermensch) and thus are above the law.

From wealthy, socially prominent families, both are brilliant graduate law students, under age 20, who indulge in petty crimes for the thrill of it.

To demonstrate their "superior intellect," and convinced that laws do not apply to them, Artie and Judd decide to commit the “perfect crime” for the thrill of knowing the solution while the victim's family, reporters, and police try to solve the kidnapping and murder.

A neighbor of the Kesslers, a cocky Artie “helpfully” engages with reporters and investigators, spitefully giving them false theories and leads.

Questioned, Judd claims he dropped them a few days earlier when bird watching with his group of ornithology students.

Eager to prove his ability to commit crimes independent of Artie, Judd attempts to rape Ruth, citing his Nietzschean philosophy, which she refutes.

Famed attorney Jonathan Wilk takes their case, saving them from hanging by making an impassioned closing argument against capital punishment.

Directed by Richard Fleischer it starred Orson Welles, Diane Varsi and Bradford Dillman with Stockwell reviving his role from the stage play.

[4] In 1959, Leopold sought unsuccessfully to block production of the film Compulsion on the grounds that Levin's book had invaded his privacy, defamed him, profited from his life story, and "intermingled fact and fiction to such an extent that they were indistinguishable.

"[5][6] Eventually the Illinois Supreme Court ruled against him,[7] noting that Leopold, as the confessed perpetrator of the "crime of the century" could not reasonably demonstrate that Levin's book had damaged his reputation.