The Second Verdict

Episode aired May 29, 1964
48m

IMDb RATING

7.3/10

275

YOUR RATING

S2.E30

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Frank Gorshin and Harold J. Stone in The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (1962)

Crime

Drama

Horror

An ethical lawyer becomes very disturbed about what to do when the client he just got acquitted of murder brags that he committed the crime.An ethical lawyer becomes very disturbed about what to do when the client he just got acquitted of murder brags that he committed the crime.An ethical lawyer becomes very disturbed about what to do when the client he just got acquitted of murder brags that he committed the crime.

IMDb RATING

7.3/10

275

YOUR RATING

Director
- Lewis Teague
Writers
- Alfred Hayes(teleplay)
- Henry Slesar(story)
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6User reviews

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Attorney Ned Murray wins traveling salesman Lew Rydell a not guilty verdict in a murder trial. An hour later, Rydell tells Murray that he murdered the victim, a delivery boy, because he flirted with his wife, Melanie. Murray wants justice and threatens to go to the D.A., contrary to the admonishment of his senior partner, H.E. Osterman, and Osterman's daughter, Karen, Murray's fiancée. Murray also confronts Melanie about Lew's guilt, inflaming Lew's jealousy. Murray has a rather shady friend, Tony Hardeman, who offers to personally administer capital punishment to Lew. Murray discusses the case with Judge Arthur, and decides to leave Lew alone, but rushes to the Rydell apartment, only to discover that Lew has killed Tony. Murray offers to defend Lew at his next murder trial. —Lew Amack

teleplay adapted by author

based on short story

murder trial

jealousy

capital punishment

2 more

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Trivia
This story was retold on the popular radio drama The CBS Radio Mystery Theater. That radio drama was called "After the Verdict" and was first broadcast on February 6, 1974. CBS frequently re-used stories from its television dramas in CBSRMT.

Goofs
During the car ride through the theater district immediately following the courtroom scene at the beginning of the story, identical marquees are repeatedly seen through the rear windows as the car travels.

User reviews6

Review

Top review

One top episode for me

What a thrilling, very clever, brilliant story and so in the typical AH series style. It would remind me Richard Marquand's JAGGED EDGE back in 1986. But just a little, a lawyer defending a finally guilty innocent man... This scheme has although been used before, I assure you. I won't tell much more, than the other two guys have already said about this episode. Just one thing is weird: the director: Lewis Teague, you know the B movies director from the seventies and also eighties, who gave us CUJO, ALLIGATOR, a man who worked for Roger Corman enterprises...So I did not know he began his career with a Alfred Hitchcock Hour episode. And in 1964. And if you check his filmography you'll notice that he did absolutely nothing between this time and the early seventies: acting, directing, producing, editing... Nothing. So what the hell did he do during all that time?

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