Bob Readick and Joan Lorring star in a two-actor psychological drama by Ben Kagen. Suspense had some exceptional dramas in this genre, but this is not one of them. There is little character depth, and is mainly exchanges of accusations and fears, and an attempt of one to do away with the other. Ho-hum.
Lorring plays “Julia,” an insecure woman who comes from a wealthy family. Readick plays “Tony,” a struggling artist with a drinking problem, who seems to be interested only in her money, especially a monthly annuity payment she receives. They marry only three weeks after their first meeting. It seems their relationship was a very bad idea, a mismatch, with quarreling over trivial matters and suspicions about motives and actions. Julia travels to visit her parents, and Tony refuses to go, expecting his life to be scrutinized and criticized. She returns from the trip, and he accuses her of having an affair, and continuing it on the short trip. When she returns, he accuses her of meeting up with Jim Copeland, an old boyfriend, from whom a letter was delivered while she was away. Tony opened it, of course, and makes all kinds of accusations.
Julia becomes paranoid when she learns that Tony had a book about poisons and read it while she was away. She even calls a pharmacy to be sure that a prescription she has is not poison. Despite their assurance, she believes it is. She calls Copeland, possibly to ask for help, but the call is short. Tony steps into the room and he seems more intimidating than before, and his platitudes to calm her seem very hollow. He gives her a pill to relax, and she refuses. Julia starts to pack her things to leave him. Tony demands an answer as to why she is leaving, and in response he tells her she is suffering from hallucinations about him. Then it is revealed that she eavesdropped on a call he had with a woman named Gina, with whom he is plotting against her. Julia had written a letter to her lawyer that Tony was trying to get the annuity by either killing her or having her declared insane; Tony intercepted the letter before it could be mailed. He gives the letter back to Julia, and presses her further, making her seem trapped. Frustrated, Julia pulls out a gun and shoots, and in the tension of the moment, she is off target. He demands the gun, they scuffle, and she falls from the apartment window. The phone rings… it is Gina… and he tells her he is now free. Their plans have to be delayed, he says, and then he collapses, presumed dead, and that Julia’s shot did actually hit him.
There is no script cover available for this episode. The data and time of recording is not known.
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THE CAST
Robert Readick (Tony Cooper), Joan Lorring (Julia Cooper)
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