WESTINGHOUSE STUDIO ONE SUMMER THEATRE: SENTENCE OF DEATH (TV)
Summary
One in this live dramatic anthology series. In this program, James Dean plays a young troublemaker accused of killing a shopkeeper. The story begins as Ellen Morrison, an inquisitive socialite, stops by a drugstore to see "how the other half lives." While the proprietor, Mr. Sawyer, fills her elaborate sandwich order, Ellen saunters over to the phone booth and rings one of her playboy friends. With her back turned, Ellen gets only an incomplete look at the gunman who shoots and robs Mr. Sawyer. The police assemble the various witnesses, but Ellen refuses to collaborate, explaining to Detectives Cochran and MacReynolds that she will recognize the killer when she sees him. A line-up is arranged, and Mr. Sawyer's wife immediately fingers Joe Palica, a jittery youth who maintains that he was with his girlfriend for most of the night. Detective MacReynolds, hardened by his years on the force, doesn't buy Joe's story and pushes for an indictment. Detective Cochran is troubled by Ellen's refusal to identify Joe, but reluctantly agrees with his partner. Later, after Joe has been tried, convicted, and sentenced to the electric chair, Ellen spots a man whom she believes is the real killer in a trendy, upscale bar. She contacts the district attorney's office, but they defer reopening the case without more substantial evidence. Cochran and MacReynolds visit Joe in Sing Sing prison, where Joe is imprisoned. With less than a month until his execution, Joe seems hopeful and politely asks Cochran for help in obtaining an appeal. Ellen views Joe through a peephole and is convinced that he is not the culprit. MacReynolds vehemently disagrees with Ellen and assures Cochran that she is making the police department look foolish. Nevertheless, Cochran accompanies Ellen to the bar and waits for her suspect to make an appearance. As they wait, an unspoken attraction grows between them, and Cochran becomes as convinced as Ellen of Joe's innocence. Includes commercials.
Details
- NETWORK: CBS
- DATE: August 17, 1953 Monday 10:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:59:21
- COLOR/B&W: B&W
- CATALOG ID: T:33009
- GENRE: Drama, mystery/suspense
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama, mystery/suspense; Drama, police/detective; Capital punishment
- SERIES RUN: CBS - TV series, 1948-1958
- COMMERCIALS:
- TV - Commercials - Westinghouse clothes dryer
- TV - Commercials - Westinghouse portable radio
- TV - Commercials - Westinghouse refrigerator
CREDITS
- John Haggott … Producer
- Matt Harlib … Director
- Thomas Walsh … Based on a story by
- Adrian Spies … Writer
- Paul Brenson … Announcer
- Gene Lyons … Cast, Paul Cochran
- Betsy Palmer … Cast, Ellen Morrison
- Ralph Dunn … Cast, MacReynolds
- James Dean … Cast, Joe Palica
- Virginia Vincent … Cast, Mrs. Sawyer
- Tony Bickley … Cast, Tommy
- Fred Scollay … Cast, Mr. Sawyer
- Henry Sharpe … Cast, Mr. Krantz
- Eda Heineman … Cast, Mrs. Krantz
- Charles Mendick … Cast, Lugash
- Barnet Biro … Cast, the Man