This script was originally used on 1947-03-27 and starred Nancy Kelly. There is no known surviving recording of that broadcast at this time. The Robert L. Richards script is used once more, however. Nancy Kelly is again in the starring role, ten years later, for this second broadcast. She is a criminal defense attorney at the top of her field, and she helps her client avoid a murder conviction. After the acquittal, he tells her that he was actually guilty. He may be smarter than she is: he tells her that they will marry. Is this a ruse? He explains that he has a signed confession that she hid that information during the trial. He says he gave the sheriff a sealed envelope with that document, and he’s relying on double jeopardy to protect him from future prosecution. He’s essentially blackmailing her into marrying the him, and funding his new schemes. After all, she’s making $75,000 a year (more than $1 million in US$2025). It’s at that point that she decides he has to die, but she marries him. She was waiting for a chance to get back at him. It’s at a high stakes poker game where things aren’t working out for her new husband in which she is playing, too. He loses big ($100,000 in US$2025), but she covers his losses. The next day, the gambler running the game is found dead; she did it with her husband’s gun. She had swapped her gun that she carried for protection with her husband’s when she stepped away from the poker table for a moment the night before. She did it to frame him for the murder and end the marriage. What happens next?
The plotline does seem implausible; someone would figure out what was going on a lot sooner than it plays out here.
The 1957 recording is a drama-only aircheck and is in poor sound. Its origin is not known but is likely from an Armed Forces Network radio station from a 1960s replay of the program. The recording that lacks its proper opening and closing segments. Robson’s opening monologue, however, is available from the original script:
Ever since Shakespeare wrote Portia's lines --- “The quality of mercy is not strained---” et cetera, mankind has been fascinated by lady lawyers. And why not? A forensic female is only putting her nascent capabilities to practical purposes --- but a lady criminal lawyer! A distaff mouthpiece! Such a one must indeed be twice blesst, or in failure, thrice-cursed. So a one you will shortly meet as Miss Nancy Kelly stars in “Trial by Jury” which begins exactly one minute from now.
International entertainer and impressionist, and expert on classic radio history, Keith Scott has added his talent to The Suspense Project. For the Suspense episodes that are missing the introductory monologue by William N. Robson, Keith is supplying readings of those openings from the original scripts in the “voice of William N. Robson.” He has been approved by Warner Brothers, Hanna-Barbera, Walt Disney Company, and Universal Studios, for authorized voicings of many of their most famous cartoon characters. Mr. Scott resides in Australia.
The program was recorded on Thursday, June 6, 1957. Rehearsal began at 2:00pm and ended at 5:00pm, followed by recording. The session ended at 5:30pm and editing concluded at 7:00pm.
LISTEN
TO THE PROGRAM or download in FLAC or
mp3
https://archive.org/details/TSP570616
THE CAST
Nancy Kelly (Hilda), Kenny Delmar (Tommy), Parley Baer (Judge), Shirley Mitchell (Foreman of Jury), Larry Dobkin (1st News / Sheriff / Frank), Byron Kane (Sandy / 2nd News), Jerry Hausner (Harry / 3rd News / Foreman), George Walsh (Narrator)
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