It could have been a COLUMBO kind topic, when we already know who the murderer is and how he proceeded, before the cop arrives. Here "COLUMBO" would be Dick Boone. And what a terrific surprise to find out that the murderer is the District Attorney himself. So thrilling and unusual. I love this kind of topic also in the pure James Hadley Chase style, where the lead character is the criminal, planning and pulling the perfect murder whilst the police is on his tail. But late Gordon 156 told the story far better than I could do. Read it very carefully, but beware spoilers.
3 Reviews
Now why would someone just stand on the street taking photos of strangers without their permission?
mark.waltz27 December 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Shady law practices in dangerous attorney Ralph Clanton risks him getting into trouble when medical examiner from an old case returns, leading to murder. Clanton is determined to keep himself out of trouble, but a street photographer snapped his photo which puts him at the scene of the crime. Desperate to get the photo, Clanton is petrified when the card with the photographer's address disappears, removed from his jacket by his wife Eileen Heckart. His desperation to find the photographer to get the picture leads him to become very nervous with raises suspicions and leads to more crimes. It's a ridiculous premise, and the organ music background score is rather old-fashioned and annoying. But it's great to see Eileen Heckart in one of her first TV appearances, having spent her career on stage so this is when is the earliest records of her at work. In trying to be complex, this teleplay ends up just being convoluted, and that makes it pretty unmemorable.
Live Murder
gordonl569 March 2011
Warning: Spoilers
PHOTO FINISH - 1950
A man, Ralph Clanton, slowly rises up from a body lying on the floor. He checks to see if the man is indeed dead, then starts to wipe down the room. Fingerprints, cigarette butts and all trace that Clanton had been there are eliminated. He grabs his hat and coat and slips out the door of the apartment. "Hold it!" a voice booms.
Clanton looks up and sees Don Appell, a street curb photographer, snap his picture. "Only a buck mister and I'll send you three top flight copies! Just fill out this card and send me the buck in coin or stamps." Clanton grabs the card and heads off down the street. At home he burns all the evidence he took from the dead man's apartment. Clanton is soon joined by his wife, Eileen Heckart. She asks how his day was. Clanton responds that he is tired and is calling it an early night. Heckart hangs up Clanton's jacket and finds the photographer's card. She pockets the card.
Next day the scene switches back to the murdered man's room. Police Detective Richard Boone is standing over the body asking the coroner for a time of death. In walks Clanton whom we now discover is the District Attorney. Boone tells Claxton that who ever did the killing knew how to clean up after the deed. The dead man was an ex-medical examiner named Marshall. It seems he had been fired 15 years before for taking bribes to falsify evidence.
Clanton, in private practice at the time, had used the man to help get a client off. Marshall had returned to town several weeks ago and was trying a spot of blackmail on Clanton. This of course did not work out well in Marshall's favor. "I'll keep digging but I doubt we can solve this one." Says Boone.
Clanton leaves and quickly runs into the street photographer again. "Willy Fergus is my name and photos are my game," bellows Appell. Clanton realizes that Appell is a loose end that needs to be taken care of. Clanton returns home to get the photographer's card. Unable to find it he decides to pay Appell a personal visit and retrieve the incriminating evidence. Appell lets Clanton in and then does a look through his files for the photos. The whole time he is yapping about the murder on the street where he works. He finds a picture and pulls it out. Appell looks at the picture, then Clanton, then back to the photo. He sees the address on the wall behind Clanton.
Appell's eyes open wide as he realizes he has a photo of the killer. Clanton reacts quickly and brains Appell with a handy blunt object. Clanton rolls Appell's body out of the way and rifles through the negatives. He finds the card Appell had given him before. It seems wife Heckart had filled out the card and sent it in. The rest of the photos etc had already been mailed to Clanton's house.
Clanton beats the feet home where Detective Boone is waiting with an update on the Marshall case. Heckart enters the room while opening the envelope from the photographer. Clanton grabs for the envelope scattering the contents, which Boone picks up. He looks at the photos, then at Clanton. Boone's eyes narrow as he starts toward Clanton. The game is up! The story was by Robert Stevens and the screenplay by Alvin Sapinsley. The director was vet TV helmsman Robert Stevens.
Again, I'm amazed at how much story can be crammed into a 25 min runtime. An excellent example of early television noir!
A man, Ralph Clanton, slowly rises up from a body lying on the floor. He checks to see if the man is indeed dead, then starts to wipe down the room. Fingerprints, cigarette butts and all trace that Clanton had been there are eliminated. He grabs his hat and coat and slips out the door of the apartment. "Hold it!" a voice booms.
Clanton looks up and sees Don Appell, a street curb photographer, snap his picture. "Only a buck mister and I'll send you three top flight copies! Just fill out this card and send me the buck in coin or stamps." Clanton grabs the card and heads off down the street. At home he burns all the evidence he took from the dead man's apartment. Clanton is soon joined by his wife, Eileen Heckart. She asks how his day was. Clanton responds that he is tired and is calling it an early night. Heckart hangs up Clanton's jacket and finds the photographer's card. She pockets the card.
Next day the scene switches back to the murdered man's room. Police Detective Richard Boone is standing over the body asking the coroner for a time of death. In walks Clanton whom we now discover is the District Attorney. Boone tells Claxton that who ever did the killing knew how to clean up after the deed. The dead man was an ex-medical examiner named Marshall. It seems he had been fired 15 years before for taking bribes to falsify evidence.
Clanton, in private practice at the time, had used the man to help get a client off. Marshall had returned to town several weeks ago and was trying a spot of blackmail on Clanton. This of course did not work out well in Marshall's favor. "I'll keep digging but I doubt we can solve this one." Says Boone.
Clanton leaves and quickly runs into the street photographer again. "Willy Fergus is my name and photos are my game," bellows Appell. Clanton realizes that Appell is a loose end that needs to be taken care of. Clanton returns home to get the photographer's card. Unable to find it he decides to pay Appell a personal visit and retrieve the incriminating evidence. Appell lets Clanton in and then does a look through his files for the photos. The whole time he is yapping about the murder on the street where he works. He finds a picture and pulls it out. Appell looks at the picture, then Clanton, then back to the photo. He sees the address on the wall behind Clanton.
Appell's eyes open wide as he realizes he has a photo of the killer. Clanton reacts quickly and brains Appell with a handy blunt object. Clanton rolls Appell's body out of the way and rifles through the negatives. He finds the card Appell had given him before. It seems wife Heckart had filled out the card and sent it in. The rest of the photos etc had already been mailed to Clanton's house.
Clanton beats the feet home where Detective Boone is waiting with an update on the Marshall case. Heckart enters the room while opening the envelope from the photographer. Clanton grabs for the envelope scattering the contents, which Boone picks up. He looks at the photos, then at Clanton. Boone's eyes narrow as he starts toward Clanton. The game is up! The story was by Robert Stevens and the screenplay by Alvin Sapinsley. The director was vet TV helmsman Robert Stevens.
Again, I'm amazed at how much story can be crammed into a 25 min runtime. An excellent example of early television noir!
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