12 Angry Men (1957)

Stars: Henry Fonda, E.G. Marshall, Lee J. Cobb

In his directorial debut, Lumet tells the story of a dissenting juror (Fonda) bent on convincing his fellow jurors that a murder case isn’t as clear-cut as it seems. The film earned Oscar nominations for Lumet and screenwriter Reginald Rose for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay, though it won none.

Serpico (1973)

Stars: Al Pacino, John Randolph, Jack Kehoe

This real-life story about a New York cop (Pacino) who blows the whistle on rampant corruption and drug use put Lumet on the map and drew comparisons with Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola. The film grabbed Oscar nominations for Pacino as Best Actor and Waldo Salt and Norman Wexler for Best Adapted Screenplay, but had to walk away empty-handed.

Dog Day Afternoon (1975)

Stars: Al Pacino, John Cazale, Charles Durning

This true story of an attempted New York bank robbery that becomes a hostage standoff and a media circus cemented Lumet’s reputation as a chronicler of street drama. The movie earned a raft of Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor for Pacino. But Frank Pierson won the only Academy Award for Original Screenplay. The movie was trumped by Jack Nicholson’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, which became the first movie in 41 years to sweep the major categories of Best Picture, Director, Actor and Adapted Screenplay.

Network (1976)

Stars: Faye Dunaway, William Holden, Peter Finch

A searing examination of television reporting that would predate Broadcast News (and Fox News) by decades, Network became one of Lumet’s most memorable films. The movie tells the story of a network executive (Dunaway) planning to exploit a deranged former anchor (Finch) and capture his rants for higher ratings. The movie earned 10 Academy Award nominations and Oscar wins for Finch, Dunaway, Beatrice Straight for Supporting Actress and Paddy Chayefsky for Best Original Screenplay. But Lumet, nominated for his third Best Director statuette, fell to Rocky’s John Avildsen.

The Verdict (1982)

Stars: Paul Newman, Charlotte Rampling, Jack Warden

Lumet’s version of David Mamet’s adapted screenplay cast Newman as a lawyer hoping to salvage his self-respect and career by refusing to settle a malpractice case and taking it to trial. The film earned a handful of Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actor for Newman and Best Director for Lumet. But the movie and Lumet lost to Gandhi and its director, Richard Attenborough.