Suspense - Trial by Jury

In "Trial by Jury," Nancy Kelly stars as a criminal defense attorney who gets outwitted by a client.

As the episode opens, Hilda Warren, the top criminal lawyer in the state, is being escorted to the jail cell of her new client, Tommy Esterman. She informs him from the get-go that he is lucky to get her and that she expects to be well paid for taking him on as client. Tommy isn't pleased, but he agrees to her terms.

Hilda lives up to her reputation, and Tommy avoids a murder conviction. After the trial, Tommy informs her that they are going to marry. Hilda laughs, but Tommy isn't joking. He has plans, and Hilda soon realizes that Tommy is smarter than she thought. She also decides that Tommy is going to have to die!

The first time Suspense presented this episode was on March 27, 1947, but there is no known recording of that broadcast. Nancy Kelly starred in that version, and returned to Suspense in 1957 to play the lead role again.

"Trial by Jury" was written by Robert L. Richards and produced/directed by William N. Robson. Nancy Kelly starred. Kenny Delmar played Tommy Esterman. Also appearing were Shirley Mitchell, Lawrence Dobkin, Byron Kane, Parley Baer and Jerry Hausner. This episode aired on June 16, 1957.

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 (Image of Nancy Kelly from Wikipedia)

Comments

[Mike Newton]

Nancy Kelly at this time was best known as the mother of Patty McCormick in the Bad Seed. She played the part on Broadway and in the movies. Kenny Delmar was the voice of Senator Claghorn, the long winded Southern politiican on Allen's Alley. Years ago, he also did the voice of FDR on the March of Time program and also was heard doing the FDR voice on Orson Welles' famous War of the Worlds program.