Jackie Cooper plays a wrongfully convicted man on death row… and when the governor decides to commute his death sentence, he has a heart attack before he complete the call to stop the hanging. Luckily, a reluctant witness comes forward, after the hanging, but before Cooper’s character is killed. It is a strange story because you can’t tell if this is some dead man’s narration used for dramatic effect, or if it really is the character, somehow still alive. You get the sense it’s the latter because of his dislike of clocks (from waiting for the final walk from death row and the time to the actual hanging) and his discomfort of the idea of anything around his neck. Oh, sorry, forgot to mention the spoiler alert. It is often more interesting to hear how the writer managed the twists and turns of the storytelling, even if you are aware of the conclusion.
Louis Pollock wrote the story. He was an active writer in Hollywood for radio, movies, and television. He was caught in the Hollywood Blacklist because a different "Louis Pollock" refused to testify to the House Un-American Activities Committee. That other “Louis Pollock” was in the clothing business. One of the names writer Louis Pollock used in the Blacklist period was “Joe Madison” so as to not be confused with the other. One of his screenplays was for the 1950 The Jackie Robinson Story. He wrote for many of the most popular 1960s television dramas.
The original title of the story was “The Rope and the Clock.” Only one recording of the episode has survived. It is Armed Forces Radio Service recording (#154) and is in low quality sound. It is not known from which network coast broadcast was the source. It is still listenable. The script was repeated about 18 months after this broadcast, in the weeks after the Roma Wines sponsorship ended. The network recording of that broadcast is much better than this premiere presentation.
Execution by hanging was still legal in many states at the time of this broadcast, and in some states it is remains an alternative for capital punishment. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hanging_in_the_United_States&oldid=1159581373
This was Jackie Cooper’s first appearance on Suspense. His movie career began in the late 1920s, and in 1931 was the youngest actor ever nominated for the best actor Oscar. His career spanned decades, some of it as a studio executive as well as a performer. He did not do much radio except for some of the movie series like Lux, and variety programs where he usually was a guest performer as himself. His vast career has an overview at Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackie_Cooper
He appeared on the Suspense television series three times, performing live.
Go Home, Dead Man https://youtu.be/z-kHOuf1ZQM
Murderers’ Meeting https://youtu.be/Aw84td-79ac and https://archive.org/details/Murderers_Meeting--Suspense
Invisible Killer https://youtu.be/WF55zGR1-lY
LISTEN
TO THE PROGRAM or download in FLAC or
mp3
https://archive.org/details/TSP460509
THE CAST
JACKIE COOPER (Henry Gilford), unknown (Judy), Bill Johnstone (D. A.), Elliott Lewis (Joe / Executioner), Howard Duff (Detective), Wally Maher (Trolley car man / Warden Barnes), Junius Matthews (Bailey Hall / Priest), Joe Kearns (Signature Voice / McGill), Lou Merrill (Jury foreman), Paul McVey? (Governor / Judge)
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