Sam Benedict (1962)

 

Sam Benedict was a 1-hour legal drama which debuted on NBC in September 1962 starring veteran actor Edmond O'Brien in the title role, which was based on legendary San Francisco defense attorney Jacob W. Ehrlich, nicknamed "The Master," who also served as technical consultant on the series. The series tries to thread the needle between the two most popular legal dramas of the day--Perry Mason and The Defenders­--as the Benedict character is a more flamboyant version of the Erle Stanley Gardner creation but the cases he handles are more reality-based thorny legal dilemmas seen on the latter series rather than Perry Mason's whodunit of the week formula. Filling out the cast is Benedict's young, handsome understudy Henry Tabor, played by up-and-comer Richard Rust, and his office manager Trudy Wagner, played by long-time radio dramatist turned TV supporting character Joan Tompkins. Despite the popularity of the two shows Benedict seemed to try to emulate, the series lasted only a single season of 28 episodes, with the first 16 airing in 1962, which will be covered in this post, and the final dozen in 1963. A single color episode, "Nothing Equals Nothing" starring O'Brien's ex-wife Nancy Kelly, aired on October 6, 1962 as a part of NBC's experiment with the emerging color format; all the other episodes were black and white.

The real-life Ehrlich on whom the show's title character was based (though the closing credits disclaimer emphasizes that the stories themselves are fictional) had various traits reminiscent of the fictional Perry Mason--according to Hal Erickson's Encyclopedia of Television Law Shows, of the 63 clients he defended on first-degree murder charges, 59 were acquitted and 4 had their charges reduced to manslaughter, a record almost as enviable as Perry Mason's. His reputation also proceeded him as he was a master not only of legal niceties but also of self-promotion and publicity, defending such celebrities as Billie Holiday and Gene Krupa on drug charges, Errol Flynn and James Mason in their divorce cases, and perhaps most famously City Lights Bookstore owner Lawrence Ferlinghetti on obscenity charges for selling Allen Ginsburg's Howl, a case later dramatized in the movie of the same title starring Jon Hamm as Ehrlich. In fact, Raymond Burr was coached by Ehrlich when he was preparing to take on the role of the TV version of Perry Mason.

But unlike Perry Mason, Sam Benedict handles a much wider spectrum of legal cases than first-degree murder, though these cases are also sprinkled into the lineup as well. The aforementioned "Nothing Equals Nothing" is one such case in which Benedict is recruited by an old friend and judge to defend the daughter of a legendary jurist who is accused of killing her father. The daughter has no recollection of the murder taking place but the facts are clearly against her, so Benedict decides the only way to spare her the death penalty is with an insanity defense, only initial examination by a psychiatrist fails to turn anything up in support of this plea. This episode is perhaps the most like one from Perry Mason in that Benedict has to play detective in ferreting out what really happened, which culminates in a withering cross-examination and witness-stand confession. It is probably no coincidence that this was the episode chosen for the color treatment because of its similarity to the already wildly popular Perry Mason. We also see a witness-stand unmasking in "Twenty Aching Years" (October 20, 1962), though this time it is to destroy a witness' credibility in falsely claiming that a killing was in fact murder. In "Too Man Strangers" (December 8, 1962) Benedict, much like Mason, has to sift through a client's initial fabricated story about what happened during a killing to find out what really transpired and why. Once he has it figured out, Benedict goes against the real-life Ehrlich's famous motto--"Never plead guilty"--and has his client plead guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter because the chances of winning a first-degree murder trial with an unpredictable jury are too risky. And in "Where There's a Will" (December 22, 1962) Benedict loses a first-degree murder trial for client Roger Colby and only learns when he is preparing to appeal that Colby has lied to him about his own guilt, but he must continue with the appeals process after Colby dies in prison in order to secure an insurance payment for Colby's young children which will be denied if their father's conviction is considered his final judgment. Like the other cases depicted in the series, these murder cases demonstrate and tease out a number of the finer points of the law, much like an episode of The Defenders, and are often peppered with grand speeches given by Benedict about the importance of and the foundations of the American legal system. As such, they read almost like educational dramas designed to inform the public about their own rights and those of their fellow citizens rather than the more titillating parlor-game atmosphere of a typical Perry Mason episode.

Other episodes focus on the perhaps less sensational topics of child custody ("Tears for a Nobody Doll" [October 13, 1962) and "The Target Over the Hill" [December 29, 1962]), inheritance ("Hannigan" [September 15, 1962] and "Where There's a Will" [December 22, 1962]), mental competency ("Everybody's Playing Polo" [December 1, 1962]), perjury ("So Various, So Beautiful" [December 15, 1962]), and fraud ("Love Is a Lie, Love Is a Cheat" [November 10, 1962]). Benedict's character comes off as a bit of a social conservative in some of these cases--his says he is against divorce in the sub-plot of "The Bird of Warning" (November 17, 1962) because he says it is an admission of failure. And he pawns off what he considers to be a frivolous divorce request to Tabor in "Nor Practices Make Perfect" (September 29, 1962), having already represented the same woman in a previous divorce case, and is pleased when Tabor reports that he was able to get the woman to reconcile with her fourth husband. He also tells Tabor in "The Target Over the Hill" that he does not like drug addicts and initially resists defending a former addict in a child custody case until Tabor, always ready to come to the defense of a young attractive woman, threatens to take the case himself. To the show's credit, the episode uses this reluctance as a teaching moment for Benedict when he has to talk with the young woman's addiction doctor in building her case, thereby learning about the physiological side of drug addiction and the possibility for rehabilitation despite very steep odds.

The series also takes a sympathetic view of aging, most notably in "Nor Practices Make Perfect" in which Benedict has to persuade another legendary but older attorney not to commit suicide after losing his wife and daughter within a span of 6 months. "Where There's a Will" also comes to the defense of the aging when Tabor takes on a will dispute between two poor old spinsters against a greedy and younger shoe store owner when the latter's dead aunt leaves her fortune to her friends rather than to him. And though the Benedict character is often bombastic with his shouting and finger-waving as well as his often brusque manner with office manager Trudy Wagner in rifling through the phone messages she has taken for him, there is plenty to like about the series in its examination of the remote corners of our legal system. Even hard-to-please TV Guide reviewer Gilbert Seldes gave the show a positive review in the October 20, 1962 issue, citing in particular the even-handed way in which the series portrayed its non-white characters, making them appear no different than their white counterparts rather than resorting to tired stereotypes or self-congratulatory, supposedly broad-minded sympathy.

But despite what the program had going for it, it failed to win enough viewers to make it past its first season. Perhaps there was room for only two popular legal dramas at that time, though there were many more westerns and medical dramas that lasted much longer. Its position on the schedule on Saturday nights at 7:30 put it up against the popular Jackie Gleason Show on CBS but also against the quickly canceled Roy Rogers and Dale Evans Show on ABC. In an October 27, 1962 TV Guide cover story Samuel Grafton seems to be sewing the seeds for the program's demise by harping on how dull O'Brien comes across in interviews. Besides a critically acclaimed theatrical career performing Shakespeare and starring in some of the most classic noir feature films such as D.O.A., White Heat, The Killers, and The Hitch-Hiker, Grafton observes that very few people know who O'Brien is and that he has been ignored by newspapers and magazines. His previous TV series, Johnny Midnight, failed to last past a single season only two years previous. Grafton also notes that his conversation tends to be vague, occasionally punctuated by "universal truths" such as "Man's primary obligation is to home and family." Even talking about his own career results in dour remarks such as "Nobody achieves a real lasting reputation as an actor." He goes on to add that he doesn't think he would enjoy it if Sam Benedict was a hit--"I really don't enjoy crowds"--and that success would require him to stand around signing autographs: "I can't think of anything I'd rather do less right now." As it turns out, O'Brien got his wish and would never again be tortured by having to carry his own TV series.

The theme song and some of the single episode scores for Sam Benedict were composed by Nelson Riddle, who is profiled in the 1960 post for The Untouchables.

The series' one and only season has been released on DVD by Warner Archives.

The Actors

Edmond O'Brien

Born Eamon Joseph O'Brien on September 10, 1915 in the Bronx, New York, O'Brien was the youngest of seven children to a pair of Irish immigrants. From an early age, O'Brien showed an interest in performing, he would later say because he sought attention. An aunt who was a school teacher helped foster an interest in the theater, but at one time he also lived across the street from legendary magician Harry Houdini from whom he learned enough to stage his own magic shows for which he charged admission from the other neighborhood children. His father died when O'Brien was only 4 years old, so he and his siblings worked a number of jobs to help support the family. When working as a delivery boy, O'Brien said he noticed he would get bigger tips if he faked some kind of disability, another sign of his early interest in putting on a show. After high school he enrolled at Fordham University to study English literature but gave it up after only a month because his interest in acting was a detriment to his studies. After returning home he won a scholarship to the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theater, whose other students included actors such as Lorne Greene, Betty Garrett, and Richard Conte. There he was also in the first class taught by legendary acting teacher Sanford Meisner, and in the evenings he would double up by performing in Shakespeare productions with the Columbia Laboratory Players, including the lead role in Othello when he was still only 18. He spent summers performing with summer stock companies in Massachusetts and Yonkers and made his Broadway debut at age 21 in a supporting role in Daughters of Atreus. At age 22 he got a big break when Orson Welles cast him as Marc Antony in his daring production of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, but it was not until his performance as Prince Hal in a Maurice Evans production of Henry IV, Part 1 that O'Brien caught the attention of Hollywood talent scouts. He turned down an initial offer from MGM, but when RKO offered him the part of Gringoire in their 1939 feature version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame starring Charles Laughton, O'Brien accepted, and the success of his performance led to an RKO contract with enough leeway to allow him to continue his theater work during downtimes. The RKO contract was facilitated by silent-film-era star Harold Lloyd, who had noticed O'Brien during his time on the RKO lot and believed in his future potential. Lloyd had O'Brien cast in his 1941 comedy A Girl, a Guy, and a Gob alongside George Murphy and Lucille Ball. O'Brien was already being touted as a future star by the U.S Critics and the Stars of Tomorrow poll in Motion Picture Daily magazine. Though he was considered for several meaty roles at this time, his next feature was the mundane war-time recruitment piece Parachute Battalion, notable only for the fact that it cast O'Brien next to teenage actress Nancy Kelly, then 19. The two had first met when the child actress Kelly was 15 but had fallen out of contact thereafter. However, their work together on Parachute Battalion launched a real romance, and despite frequent arguments and break-ups, the couple eloped to Yuma, Arizona and were married. But marriage didn't change the dynamics of the relationship--they continued to argue and split up until Kelly finally filed for divorce late in 1941, citing O'Brien's cruelty as the grounds, though the only specific acts she cited were his insistence on living in a hotel rather than a home and his frequently being late for dinner. If his transgressions were ever more serious, they were not documented. After appearing in a few more light comedies--Unexpected Uncle, Obliging Young Lady, Powder Town, and The Amazing Mrs. Holliday--O'Brien enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and reported for duty in January 1943. Though he had initially hoped to become a gunner, problems with his eyes which he attributed to a plane crash disqualified him from flight service, so he turned his attention to performing and was recruited to appear in Moss Hart's Air Force theatrical promotion Winged Victory along with other stars such as Red Buttons, Karl Malden, Lee J. Cobb, and Mario Lanza. O'Brien toured with the production for two years and reprised his role as Pvt. Irving Miller in the feature film version in 1944. But upon his return to Hollywood from military service, O'Brien began getting cast in a number of noir crime dramas that would become a hallmark of his career, beginning with Robert Siodmak's The Killers in 1946. This was followed by The Web, A Double Life, An Act of Murder, White Heat, and, most famously, D.O.A. in which he plays Frank Bigelow, a man investigating his own murder. His career as a leading man began to falter in the early 1950s due to problems with his weight but he continued to work as a character actor, expanding into westerns as well as more crime dramas like 711 Ocean Drive, Between Midnight and Dawn, The Hitch-Hiker, and Man in the Dark. After a supporting role in Julius Caesar in 1953, he was cast as press agent Oscar Muldoon in The Barefoot Contessa which won him an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in 1954. In the early 1950s he also starred in the lead role on the radio drama Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar and made his first foray into television on drama anthology series Pulitzer Prize Playhouse in 1951. By the mid-1950s he was working more regularly on TV, mostly in anthologies, though he also continued his feature film work in Pete Kelley's Blues, 1984, and The Girl Can't Help It. After a few TV western guest spots in the late 1950s, O'Brien landed his first TV starring role as the title character in the 1960 crime drama Johnny Midnight, which lasted only a single season. After its cancellation he appeared in a trio of high-profile feature films--The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, Birdman of Alcatraz, and The Longest Day--all appearing in 1962 before being cast in the title role of his second TV series, Sam Benedict.

After failing to carry another series past its first season, O'Brien nevertheless continued to find plenty of supporting roles in increasingly lower-profile feature films such as Seven Days in May, Rio Conchos, Sylvia, and Synanon and occasional TV guest spots. In 1965 he had a recurring role in a supporting part on The Long Hot Summer TV series, but it, too, was canceled after a single season. O'Brien still made his mark in features such as Fantastic Voyage, The Wild Bunch, and the Don Knotts comedy The Love God? in the late 1960s, but the roles began diminishing in the 1970s, with his last TV appearance coming on Police Story in 1974 and final feature role in 99 and 44/100% Dead! the same year. He was cast in the feature film Black Christmas but was replaced by John Saxon due to his failing health, which was eventually diagnosed as Alzheimer's. The disease may have plagued him as early as two decades earlier because director Don Siegel later related that while working with O'Brien on China Venture in 1953 he investigated why O'Brien was continually late for shooting and discovered that he was having a young person read his lines to him right before they were filmed due to his failing eyesight and memory. His daughter Maria remarked in a 1983 interview that he began sleeping with his clothes on and that after he was committed to a veterans' hospital she saw him in a straitjacket screaming and behaving violently. He would die from complications from the disease at age 69 on May 9, 1985.

 

Richard Rust

Born Richard McEwan Walsh Rust on July 13, 1935 in Boston, Rust's mother died when he was 5 years old, and since his father was a U.S. Navy officer, he was sent to live with an aunt. He also lived with his sister Holly and her husband between stays at a Massachusetts boarding school. One of his classmates was the son of actor Frederic March, which is what he credited with beginning his interest in acting. He then attended the University of Miami where he was an archery champion and majored in drama before relocating to New York to study at the Neighborhood Playhouse. His first professional job was with a Connecticut summer stock group in 1951 in a production of The Milky Way. He would appear in a Broadway production of Long Day's Journey Into Night with March's son from 1956-58. After an uncredited appearance in The Phenix City Story in 1955, Rust met and impressed director Ted Post at a Sardis dinner party, leading to a contract with Columbia Pictures in 1958 and supporting roles in feature films such as Post's  The Legend of Tom Dooley, Comanche Station, and This Rebel Breed. He also began getting television guest spots on series like Zane Grey Theatre, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Gunsmoke, Lawman, and Sugarfoot. After developing an interest in painting, he spent part of 1960 living in Mexico to focus on his new-found interest. But he also continued to guest star on American TV series such as The Untouchables, Bronco, Have Gun -- Will Travel, and The Rifleman throughout 1960-61. He was one of 60 actors who tried out for the part of Henry Tabor on Sam Benedict and was chosen for his previous acting experience and educational background.

Rust continued to find TV guest spots after Sam Benedict's cancelation on programs such as Perry Mason, Bonanza, and The Rat Patrol, but the number of such appearances declined quickly after 1963. The same could be said for his feature film career. He had credited parts in Alvarez Kelly in 1966 but nothing more until Naked Angels in 1969, followed by The Student Nurses in 1970 and The Last Movie in 1971. He met and befriended Dennis Hopper while filming Kid Blue in 1973, and that friendship led to a brief resurrection of his career some 15 years later. He had a few more feature films of little note in the mid-1970s as well as playing Jason Vining on General Hospital in 1975. But he did not log another acting credit on film until 1988, when the Hopper association landed him an unnamed role as a hearing officer in the Sean Penn action feature Colors. That led to two more small roles in B-grade features that year but nothing afterward. During his career, Rust had helped found the Canyon Theatre Guild and taught at Pasadena Playhouse. He was also chairman of local chapters of the American Red Cross and Habitat for Humanity. His philanthropy continued in retirement as he was a benefactor to various schools, hospitals, and state parks. He spent his retirement painting, journaling, and playing sports at the Los Angeles Country Club. Rust died of a heart attack on November 9, 1994 at the age of 59.

Joan Tompkins

Born July 9, 1915 in Mount Vernon, New York, Joan Tompkins' early years are not documented. However, she made her Broadway debut at age 20 in a production of Fly Away Home and played Lydia Bennet in a production of Pride and Prejudice later in 1935 as well as appearing in The Golden Journey the following year. She married for the first time to actor Stephen Ker Appleby also in 1936, but the couple divorced 5 years later. She was also a member of stock theater companies in Mt. Kisco and White Plains, NY, where she appeared alongside Henry Fonda in a series of productions. Her last documented appearance on Broadway was playing the part of Helen Wade in My Sister Eileen which ran from late 1940 to early 1943. During this time she married for the second time to actor Bruce McFarlane in 1942; this marriage also ended in divorce in 1951. Sometime in the 1940s Tompkins moved from the stage to radio dramas, appearing in multiple popular series such as Against the Storm, David Harum, Our Gal Sunday, Young Widder Brown, Your Family and Mine, and Lora Lawton and This Is Nora Drake on which she played the title characters. After World War II she took part in a remote orphan "adoption" program which matched her with a crippled Polish boy named Tomasz "Tommy" Machcinski, who would go on to become a critically acclaimed self-photographer like Cindy Sherman. However, the program apparently confused young Machcinski because, according to his biography on redcollectors.com, the boy received an autographed card from Tompkins with the inscription "With love to 'Tommy'" and signed "Mother Joan," Machcinski thought that Tompkins was his real mother, an error that was not corrected until he was 20 years old. This shock would prove the basis of much of his artistic self-photography which had him donning various costumes and alter-identities as a way of teasing out who he really was. Meanwhile, Tompkins met actor Karl Swenson during her radio drama days and the two would marry after both had completed divorces to previous spouses in 1951. Though she had a busy and successful acting career on radio, like many other actors of the era she began making the transition to television in the mid-1950s. After a single appearance on an episode of Ponds Theater in 1954, she was cast as Marion Walker on the soap opera Valiant Lady in the series' final year of 1957. The late 1950s and early 1960s had her making a number of guest appearances on TV series as varied as The Donna Reed Show, One Step Beyond, Maverick, and Route 66--including four turns as Claire Rogers on the sit-com Peter Loves Mary--before she was cast as office manager Trudy Wagner on Sam Benedict.

Her post-Benedict workload continued to be heavy on series such as Perry Mason, Dr. Kildare, The Lieutenant, and Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. until she landed another recurring supporting role as Mrs. Brahms on Occasional Wife in 1966. She finally made her feature film debut in the 1969 Alan Arkin comedy Popi and followed that up with a role as a judge in the 1970 thriller Zig Zag. Meanwhile, she appeared 9 times as Lorraine Miller on My Three Sons between 1967-70 while also guest starring on a number of other series such as Bewitched, Bonanza, and I Dream of Jeannie. In the 1970s her TV guest work continued to be frequent but she replaced theatrical features with a string of TV movies. Husband Karl Swenson passed away in 1978. Her final credits came in 1980 in the TV movie The Night the City Screamed and her third appearance on Eight Is Enough. After retiring from acting, she formed a writing group and herself wrote several books and encouraged other members to publish as well. She died at age 89 on January 29, 2005 in Orange County, California.

Notable Guest Stars

Season 1, Episode 1, "Hannigan": Katherine Bard  (appeared in Johnny Cool, Inside Daisy Clover, and How to Save a Marriage and Ruin Your Life) plays recent widow Patricia Hannigan. Gene Raymond (shown on the left, husband of Jeanette MacDonald, starred in Red Dust, Ex-Lady, Flying Down to Rio, and Mr. and Mrs. Smith) plays her brother-in-law James Hannigan. Donna Douglas (see the biography section for the 1962 post on The Beverly Hillbillies) plays his girlfriend Francine. Tammy Marihugh (Tammy Johnson on The Bob Cummings Show) plays Patricia's adopted daughter Bridgette . Lloyd Bochner (Chief Inspector Neil Campbell on Hong Kong and Cecil Colby on Dynasty) plays probate court Judge Bentham. John Alderson (Sgt. Bullock on Boots and Saddles and Wyatt Earp on Doctor Who) plays liquor store owner George Washington. Sandy Kenyon (Des Smith on Crunch and Des, Shep Baggott on The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters, and Reverend Kathrun on Knots Landing) plays newspaper reporter Hank. Robert Brubaker (Deputy Ed Blake on U.S. Marshal and Floyd on Gunsmoke) plays James Hannigan's lawyer Fallberry.

Season 1, Episode 2, "A Split Week in San Quentin": Jack Weston (appeared in Imitation of Life, The Incredible Mr. Limpet, The Cincinnati Kid, The Thomas Crown Affair, The Four Seasons, and Dirty Dancing and played Wilbur "Wormsey" Wormser on Red Brown of the Rocket Rangers, Chick Adams on My Sister Eileen, Walter Hathaway on The Hathaways, and Danny Zimmer on The Four Seasons) plays stand-up comedian Joey Kent. Joe De Santis (appeared in Deadline - U.S.A., I Want to Live!, Al Capone, and Madame X) plays Benedict's friend Judge Anthony Parrelli. Katherine Ross (shown on the right, starred in The Singing Nun, The Graduate, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Stepford Wives, The Swarm, and Donnie Darko and played Francesca Colby on The Colbys) plays Parrelli's daughter Teresa. Stefan Gierasch (Doc Bernstein on Nichols and Joshua Collins on Dark Shadows (1991) plays expose magazine publisher Jack Milbain. Henry Beckman (Commander Paul Richards on Flash Gordon, Mulligan on I'm Dickens, He's Fenster, George Anderson on Peyton Place, Colonel Harrigan on McHale's Navy, Capt. Roland Frances Clancey on Here Come the Brides, Pat Harwell on Funny Face, Harry Mark on Bronk, and Alf Scully on Check It Out) plays state attorney Gerald Spanglor. George Kane (Link Morrison on Love of Life) plays his associate Rich Wallace. Rex Ingram (starred in The Green Pastures, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Thief of Baghdad (1940), Cabin in the Sky, Sahara, God's Little Acre, and Anna Lucasta) plays the judge for Kent's case, Judge Larkin. Laurence Haddon (Ed McCullough on Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, the foreign editor on Lou Grant, Dr. Mitch Ackerman on Knots Landing, and Franklin Horner on Dallas) plays state attorney Farron. J. Pat O'Malley (see the biographical section of the 1961 post on Frontier Circus) plays wealthy Benedict client Freddie Small.

Season 1, Episode 3, "Nor Practices Make Perfect": Claude Rains (shown on the left, starred in The Invisible Man, The Adventures of Robin Hood, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Casablanca, Phantom of the Opera, Notorious, and Lawrence of Arabia) plays legendary San Francisco attorney Thonis Jundelin. Frank Puglia (starred in My Favorite Brunette, Road to Rio, and 20 Million Miles to Earth and played Bibo on To Rome With Love) plays bar owner Ricco. Joey Scott (Donald Brown on National Velvet) plays dog bite victim Johnny Anneau. Linda Watkins (Robin Crosley on One Life to Live) plays divorce seeker Emma Horngrath. Rupert Crosse (appeared in Shadows, Too Late Blues, and The Reivers and played Det. George Robinson on The Partners) plays Benedict's apartment house doorman Moffat. John Anderson (see the biography section of the 1960 post on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp) plays rival attorney James Bradley. Ed Prentiss (the narrator on Trackdown and played Carl Jensen on The Virginian) plays bar association disciplinary chairman Pete Coburn. Adrienne Marden (Mary Breckenridge on The Waltons) plays dog-bite case Judge L.L. Anders.

Season 1, Episode 4, "Nothing Equals Nothing": Nancy Kelly (Oscar nominee, sister of Jack Kelly, and once married to Edmond O'Brien, starred  in Tail Spin, Jesse James, Tarzan's Desert Mystery, Show Business, and The Bad Seed) plays murder suspect Sarah Wallace Sykes. Karl Swenson (Lars Hanson on Little House on the Prairie) plays state prosecutor Barney Rosvalley. Gage Clarke (see the biography section for the 1961 post on Gunsmoke) plays preliminary hearing Judge Newland. Constance Ford (starred in A Summer Place, Home From the Hill, All Fall Down, and The Caretakers and played Ada Lucas Davis Downs McGowan Hobson on Another World) plays Sarah's friend Margaret Palmer. Ed Asner (shown on the right, appeared in The Satan Bug, The Slender Thread, The Venetian Affair, El Dorado, Change of Habit, They Call Me Mr. Tibbs!, JFK, and Up! and played Lou Grant on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Rhoda, and Lou Grant, Sam Waltman on Off the Rack, Principal Joe Danzig on The Bronx Zoo, Walter Kovacs on The Trials of Rosie O'Neill, George Lahti on Hearts Afire, Gil Jones on Thunder Alley, Carl Dobson on The Closer, Art Barnett on Center of the Universe, Wilson White on Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, Patrick on The Line, Hank Greziak on Working Class, and Dr. Wasserman on Michael: Tuesdays and Thursdays) plays psychiatrist Dr. Everett Colner. Otto Kruger (appeared in Treasure Island, Dracula's Daughter, Saboteur, Murder, My Sweet, and High Noon) plays Sarah's long-time admirer Judge Radcliffe. Robert Bice (appeared in  Thirty Seconds over Tokyo, The Snow Creature, and It! The Terror From Beyond Space and played Police Capt. Jim Johnson on The Untouchables) plays arresting Officer Quint. Henry Beckman (see "A Split Week in San Quentin" above) returns as state attorney Gerald Spangler. Mai Tai Sing (Ching Mei on Hong Kong) plays Chinese bar co-owner Lily Sin. Joe De Santis (see "A Split Week in San Quentin" above) returns as Judge Parrelli.

Season 1, Episode 5, "Tears for a Nobody Doll": Miyoshi Umeki (shown on the left, starred in Sayonara, The Flower Drum Song, and A Girl Named Tamiko and played Mrs. Livingston on The Courtship of Eddie's Father) plays expectant mother Sumiko Matsui. Beulah Quo (appeared in Girls! Girls! Girls!, The Sand Pebbles, and Yes, Giorgio and played Alice Wong on My Three Sons and Olin on General Hospital) plays her mother-in-law Mrs. Matsui. Aki Aleong (appeared in Never So Few, Operation Bikini, Buckskin, The Quest, and House of Sand and Fog and played Dr. Sam Yee on As the World Turns, Mr. Chiang on V, and Mr. Wu on General Hospital) plays Sumiko's brother Arthur Nishibue. Robert F. Simon (Dave Tabak on Saints and Sinners, Gen. Alfred Terry on Custer, Frank Stephens on Bewitched, Uncle Everett McPherson on Nancy, Capt. Rudy Olsen on The Streets of San Francisco, and J. Jonah Jameson on The Amazing Spiderman) plays Matsui attorney Bill Gottlieb. Harold Gould (Bowman Chamberlain on The Long Hot Summer, Harry Danton on The Feather and Father Gang, Martin Morgenstern on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Rhoda, Jonah Foot on Foot in the Door, Ben Sprague on Spencer, and Miles Webber on The Golden Girls) plays psychiatrist Al Walpole. Virginia Gregg (starred in Dragnet, Crime in the Streets, Operation Petticoat and was the voice of Norma Bates in Psycho, Maggie Belle Klaxon on Calvin and the Colonel, and Tara on Space Stars) plays custody case Judge Semmeler. Joanna Barnes (appeared in Auntie Mame, Tarzan, the Ape Man, Spartacus, The Parent Trap, and The War Wagon and played Lola on 21 Beacon Street and Katie O'Brien on The Trials of O'Brien) plays art dealer Cordelia Montagne. Michael Constantine (appeared in The Last Mile, The Hustler, The Reivers, and My Big Fat Greek Wedding and played Jack Ellenhorn on Hey, Landlord, Principal Seymour Kaufman on Room 222, Judge Matthew Sirota on Sirota's Court, and Gus on My Big Fat Greek Life) plays arson case Judge Sherman Tower. S. John Launer (Marshall Houts on The Court of Last Resort and the judge 33 times on Perry Mason) plays state prosecutor Walter Price. Andy Albin (Andy Godsen on Julia) plays mob agitator Stroud.

Season 1, Episode 6, "Twenty Aching Years": Herschel Bernardi (shown on the right, see the biography section for the 1960 post on Peter Gunn) plays 20-year police veteran Tony Delgano. Joanne Linville (Amy Sinclair on The Guiding Light) plays his wife Geraldine. Leonard Nimoy (Mr. Spock on Star Trek, Paris on Mission: Impossible, and Dr. William Bell on Fringe) plays Delgano's partner Joe Shatley. Robert J. Wilke (appeared in Best of the Badmen, High Noon, The Far Country, Night Passage, and Stripes and played Capt. Mendoza on Zorro) plays Delgano's superior Lt. Mike Radich. Paul Carr (Bill Horton on Days of Our Lives, Casey Clark on Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Dr. Paul Summers on The Doctors, Ted Prince on Dallas, and Martin Gentry on The Young and the Restless) plays college student Ralph Towner. Harry Townes (starred in The Brothers Karamazov, Screaming Mimi, and Sanctuary and played Jason Gioberti on Falcon Crest and Russell Winston on Knots Landing) plays deputy district attorney Charlie Daniels. Francis De Sales (Lt. Bill Weigand on Mr. & Mrs. North, Ralph Dobson on The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet, Sheriff Maddox on Two Faces West, and Rusty Lincoln on Days of Our Lives) plays arraignment hearing Judge Kramer. Robert Biheller (Corky on Here Come the Brides) plays juvenile delinquent Reald. Marjorie Corley (Rosemary Dorsey on Mr. Novak) plays the court clerk.

Season 1, Episode 7, "Maddon's Folly": Vera Miles (shown on the left, starred in Wichita, The Searchers, The Wrong Man, The FBI Story, and Psycho) plays daughter of recently deceased San Francisco politician Midge Maddon. Robert Lansing (see the biography section for the 1961 post on 87th Precinct) plays her ex-husband Dr. Owen Scott. Bernard Kates (Lalley on The Asphalt Jungle) plays newspaper reporter Dobmeyer. Woodrow Parfrey (appeared in Planet of the Apes, Dirty Harry, and Papillon and played Holmes on Iron Horse) plays architect Vernon Kurtz. Paul Newlan (Police Capt. Grey on M Squad and Lt. Gen. Pritchard on 12 O'Clock High) plays building committee chairman Judge Quinbury. Richard O'Brien (Capt. O'Farrell on The Smith Family and Chief Roman on S.W.A.T.) plays police deputy Christopher Dane. Joel Fluellen (appeared in Porgy and Bess, A Raisin in the Sun, Roustabout, and The Chase and played Chaba on Ramar of the Jungle) plays the Maddons' butler.

Season 1, Episode 8, "Hear the Mellow Wedding Bells": Zohra Lampert (shown on the right, played Anne on The Girl With Something Extra and Dr. Norah Purcell on Doctors' Hospital) plays expectant wife Sarah Friedman. Larry Blyden (Joe Sparton on Joe & Mabel and Harry Burns on Harry's Girls) plays her husband Mort. Joseph Schildkraut (Oscar winner, starred in Orphans of the Storm, The King of Kings, Viva Villa!, Cleopatra (1934), The Life of Emile Zola, The Shop Around the Corner, and The Diary of Anne Frank) plays Orthodox Rabbi Gottlieb. Darryl Richard (see the biography section for the 1962 post on The Donna Reed Show) plays one of his pupils Leon Katz.  Bernard Fein (Pvt Gomez on The Phil Silvers Show) plays bail bondsman Harry Owens. Lewis Charles (Lou on The Feather and Father Gang) plays courthouse janitor Charlie. Rusty Lane (Harry Moseby on The Clear Horizon) plays court clerk Kelly. Stanley Adams (Lt. Morse on Not for Hire and Gurrah on The Lawless Years) plays used car salesman Square John McWayde. Ross Elliott (see the biography section for the 1962 post on The Virginian) plays state prosecutor Marty Rhodes. Francis De Sales (see "Twenty Aching Years" above) plays the judge in McWayde's case. Barry Kelley (starred in The Asphalt Jungle, The Manchurian Candidate, and The Love Bug and played Charlie Anderson on Big Town, Jim Rafferty on The Tom Ewell Show, Mr. Slocum on Pete and Gladys, and Carol's father on Mister Ed) plays U.S. Senator Condor.

Season 1, Episode 9, "Love Is a Lie, Love Is a Cheat": Audrey Meadows (shown on the left, played Alice Kramden on The Honeymooners and The Jackie Gleason Show, Iris Martin on Too Close for Comfort, and Maggie Hogoboom on Uncle Buck) plays physician Dr. Carrie Morton. Ed Nelson (Michael Rossi on Peyton Place, Ward Fuller on The Silent Force, and Sen. Mark Denning on Capitol) plays con-man Neil Bracket. Joyce Meadows (Lynn Allen on The Man and the Challenge and Stacy on Two Faces West) plays Bracket's secretary Gloria Gorman. John Anderson (see "Nor Practices Makes Perfect" above) plays Bracket's lawyer Jim Bradley. Joe Mantell (appeared in Marty, The Sad Sack, Onionhead, and Chinatown and played Ernie Briggs on Pete and Gladys and Albie Loos on Mannix) plays traveling salesman Fred Stark. Robert H. Harris (Jake Goldberg on Molly and Raymond Schindler on The Court of Last Resort) plays his case's Judge Thomas. Roy Glenn (appeared in Carmen Jones, Written on the Wind, Porgy and Bess, and A Raisin in the Sun and played Roy on The Jack Benny Program) plays U.S. Postal Service supervisor Ernie Miller. Paul Newlan (see "Maddon's Folly" above) returns as Judge Richard Quinbury. Rusty Lane (see "Hear the Mellow Wedding Bells" above) returns as court clerk Joe Kelly.

Season 1, Episode 10, "The Bird of Warning": Diana Hyland (Gig Houseman Malone on Young Doctor Malone and Susan Winter on Peyton Place) plays drunk driver Donna Heistand. Gale Page (starred in Crime School, Four Daughters, You Can't Get Away With Murder, Four Wives, They Drive by Night, and Knute Rockne All American) plays her mother. Henry Beckman (see "A Split Week in San Quentin" above) returns as state prosecutor Jerry Spangler. George Tobias (shown on the right, starred in Sergeant York, This Is the Army, and Yankee Doodle Dandy and played Pierre Falcon on Hudson's Bay, Trader Penrose on Adventures in Paradise, and Abner Kravitz on Bewitched) plays Hungarian cafe owner Max Versterhauzy. Maria Palmer (Mady Stevens on The Young Marrieds) plays his wife Marushka. Robert H. Harris (see "Love Is a Lie, Love Is a Cheat" above) returns as Judge Xavier Thomas. J. Edward McKinley (appeared in The Angry Red Planet, Advise & Consent, The Interns, The Party, and Where Does It Hurt?) plays neurologist Dr. Albert Brunson. Noah Keen (Det. Lt. Carl Bone on Arrest and Trial) plays drunk driving case Judge Travis.

Season 1, Episode 11, "The View From an Ivory Tower": Dan O'Herlihy (shown on the left, played "Doc" Sardius McPheeters on The Travels of Jamie McPheeters, "Boss" Will Varner #2 on The Long, Hot Summer, Lt. Col. Max Dodd on Colditz, The Director on A Man Called Sloane, and Andrew Packard on Twin Peaks) plays arrogant attorney Hart Marbury. Phyllis Avery (Peggy McNulty on The Ray Milland Show: Meet Mr. McNulty, Ann Shelby on The Clear Horizon, and Ruth Wilkinson on Mr. Novak) plays his mistress Betsy Grayson. George Macready (Martin Peyton on Peyton Place) plays the head of his law firm Jason Kirwell. Robert Burbaker (see "Hannigan" above) plays arresting officer Lt. Eubank. Lawrence Dobkin (Dutch Schultz on The Untouchables, the narrator on Naked City, Judge Saul Edelstein on L.A. Law, and Judge Stanely Pittman on Melrose Place) plays murder trial Judge Ryan. Leo Penn (father of Sean, Chris, and Michael Penn, played Dr. David McMillan on Ben Casey, and had at least 87 directing credits including 19 episodes of Ben Casey, 11 episodes of Bonanza, 18 episodes of Marcus Welby, M.D., and 27 episodes of Matlock) plays state attorney George Klaus. Al Ruscio (Paul Locatelli on Shannon, Sal Giordano on Life Goes On, Frank Ruscio on Joe's Life, and Kosta Kanelos on Port Charles) plays waiter Nico Garza. John Zaremba (Special Agent Jerry Dressler on I Led 3 Lives, Dr. Harold Jensen on Ben Casey, Admiral Hardesy on McHale's Navy, Dr. Raymond Swain on The Time Tunnel, and Dr, Harlem Danvers on Dallas) plays the state medical examiner. David Sheiner (Norman Brodnik on Diana) plays newspaper reporter Ben Williams. Vaughn Taylor (starred in Jailhouse Rock, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Psycho, and In Cold Blood and played Ernest P. Duckweather on Johnny Jupiter) plays Deputy D.A. Larry Pine. Grace Lee Whitney (Janice Rand on Star Trek, the Star Trek feature films, Star Trek: Voyager, and Star Trek New Voyages) plays newspaper office clerk Susan Craig.

Season 1, Episode 12, "Everybody's Playing Polo": Burgess Meredith (shown on the right, starred in Of Mice and Men, Mine Own Executioner, Advise & Consent, and The Cardinal and played Martin Woodridge on Mr. Novak, The Penguin on Batman, V.C.R. Cameron on Search, the narrator on Korg: 70,000 B.C., and Dr. Willard Adams on Gloria) plays eccentric millionaire Cyrus Carter. Irene Dailey (Liz Matthews on Another World) plays his daughter Amelia. John Anderson (see "Nor Practices Makes Perfect" above) plays her attorney Jim Bradley. Milton Selzer (Parker on Get Smart, Jake Winkelman on The Harvey Korman Show, Abe Werkfinder on The Famous Teddy Z, and Manny Henry on Valley of the Dolls) plays psychiatrist Dr. Michaels. Joby Baker (David Lewis on Good Morning, World and Col. Harvey Mann on The Six O'Clock Follies) plays pianist Nick Correa. Ted de Corsia (Police Chief Hagedorn on Steve Canyon) plays his father. Yvonne Craig (starred in Gidget, High Time, Kissin' Cousins, Ski Party, and One Spy Too Many and played Barbara Gordon, aka Batgirl, on Batman and Grandma on Olivia) plays his accuser Angela Larkin. Harlan Warde (John Hamilton on The Rifleman and Sheriff John Brannan on The Virginian) plays arraignment Judge Raymond Dewey. Tom Greenway (Sheriff Jack Bronson on State Trooper) plays juvenile detention officer Tom Brelson.

Season 1, Episode 13, "Too Many Strangers": Michael Parks (starred in Bus Riley's Back in Town, The Bible: In the Beginning, The Return of Josey Wales, From Dusk Till Dawn, Kill Bill, and Argo, and played Jim Bronson on Then Came Bronson, Phillip Colby on The Colbys, and Jean Renault on Twin Peaks) plays murder suspect Larry Wilcox. Marsha Hunt (shown on the left, starred in Pride and Prejudice (1940), The Affairs of Martha, and Raw Deal and played Jennifer Peck on Peck's Bad Girl) plays his mother Cora. Judi Meredith (Bonnie Sue McAfee on The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show and The George Burns Show, Monique Devereaux on Hotel de Paree, and Betty Cramer on Ben Casey) plays his "girlfriend" Diane Langley. Harriet E. MacGibbon (see the biography section for the 1962 post on The Beverly Hillbillies) plays his victim's wife Melia Branton. Robert J. Wilke (see "Twenty Aching Years" above) returns as police Lt. Mike Radich. Ross Elliott (see "Hear the Mellow Wedding Bells" above) returns as Deputy D.A. Marty Rhodes. Bernard Fein (see "Hear the Mellow Wedding Bells" above) returns as bail bondsman Harry Owens. Gloria Grahame (starred in It's a Wonderful Life, Crossfire, The Bad and the Beautiful, The Big Heat, The Cobweb, and Melvin and Howard) plays jilted fiance Rita Bain. Barry Russo (Roy Gilroy on The Young Marrieds) plays her ex-boyfriend Perry Lewis.

Season 1, Episode 14, "So Various, So Beautiful": Hazel Court (shown on the right, starred in Devil Girl From Mars, The Curse of Frankenstein, The Raven, and The Masque of the Red Death and played Jane Starrett on Dick and the Duchess, Liz Woodruff on 12 O'Clock High, and Norma Hobart on Dr. Kildare) plays perjury suspect Deborah Bowman. Murray Matheson (Felix Mulholland on Banacek) plays her family tax attorney Larry Wallencott. Theodore Bikel (starred in Moulin Rouge, The Defiant Ones, A Dog of Flanders, My Fair Lady, and The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming! and played Marin Dimitrov on Falcon Crest) plays assistant D.A. Neil Bonney. Noah Keen (see "The Bird of Warning" above) plays perjury case Judge Medford. Richard Loo (appeared in The Purple Heart, Back to Bataan, Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing, The Sand Pebbles, and The Man With the Golden Gun and played Master Sun on Kung Fu) plays restaurant owner Andrew Ling. Bernie Hamilton (Capt. Harold Dobey on Starsky and Hutch) plays upholsterer Van Alston.

Season 1, Episode 15, "Where There's a Will": Frank Overton (starred in Desire Under the Elms, To Kill a Mockingbird, and Fail-Safe and played Major Harvey Stovall on 12 O'Clock High) plays murder suspect Frank Colby. Geraldine Brooks (Lou Carson on Faraday and Company, Angela Dumpling on The Dumplings, and Arden Dellacorte on Love of Life) plays his sister Carol. Susan Gordon (appeared in Attack of the Puppet People, Tormented, The Five Pennies, and Picture Mommy Dead) plays his daughter Edith. Rory O'Brien (Danny Morley on The Farmer's Daughter) plays his son Benjy. Jean Inness (see the biography section for the 1961 post on Dr. Kildare) plays newsstand operator Emmaline Goodrich. Connie Gilchrist (starred in Tortilla Flat, A Letter to Three Wives, and Long John Silver and played Purity Pinker on The Adventures of Long John Silver) plays her friend Hazel Krolick. Norman Fell (shown on the left, see the biography section for the 1961 post on 87th Precinct) plays shoe store owner Alex McConnell. Paul Langton (Leslie Harrington on Peyton Place) plays estate attorney Bruce Richmond. Jan Arvan (Nacho Torres on Zorro and Paw Kadiddlehopper on The Red Skelton Hour) plays McConnell's lawyer Mertner. William Keene (played various reverends on The Andy Griffith Show and Mayberry R.F.D.) plays McConnell's employee Sidney Sheldon. Ed Prentiss (see "Nor Practices Make Perfect" above) plays insurance attorney William Fergus. John Marley (starred in Cat Ballou, Love Story, and The Godfather) plays the appeals court chief justice.

Season 1, Episode 16, "The Target Over the Hill": Inger Stevens (starred in The Buccaneer, A Guide for the Married Man, Madigan, and Hang 'Em High and played Katy Holstrum on The Farmer's Daughter) plays former heroin addict Theresa Stone. Dolores Sutton (starred in The Mugger, The Trouble With Angels, and Where Angels Go Trouble Follows! and played Diane Emerson Soames on Valiant Lady and Luisa Corelli on From These Roots) plays adoption petitioner Sarah Franklin. Arch Johnson (starred in Somebody Up There Likes Me, G.I. Blues, and The Cheyenne Social Club and played Gus Honochek on The Asphalt Jungle and Cmdr. Wivenhoe on Camp Runamuck) plays Sarah's lawyer Frank Drucker. Everett Sloane (shown on the right, see the biography section for the 1961 post on  The Dick Tracy Show) plays adoption case Judge Allan Copeland. Jacques Aubuchon (starred in The Silver Chalice, The Big Boodle, and The Love God? and played Chief Urulu on McHale's Navy) plays addict physician Dr. Arnold Kazlenko. Sidney Clute (Sgt. Same Gerke on Steve Canyon, Det. Simms on McCloud, the National Editor on Lou Grant, and Det. Paul La Guardia on Cagney & Lacey) plays his patient Charlie. Crahan Denton (appeared in The Parent Trap, Birdman of Alcatraz, and To Kill a Mockingbird) plays retired federal narcotics agent Anson Holiday. Edward Mallory (Bill Riley on Morning Star and Bill Horton on Days of Our Lives) plays a drug test doctor.