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The Public Defender (TV series)

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The Public Defender
Created by
  • Mort Lewis
  • Sam Shayon
Directed byBudd Boetticher
StarringReed Hadley
Country of originUnited States
Production
ProducerCarroll Case
Production companyHal Roach Studios
Original release
NetworkCBS
ReleaseMarch 11, 1954 (1954-03-11) –
June 23, 1955 (1955-06-23)

The Public Defender is an American legal drama television series that was broadcast on CBS from March 11, 1954, to June 23, 1955.[1]

Premise

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Reed Hadley had the title role of public defender Bart Matthews. Each episode opened with him in a courtroom setting explaining the role of a public defender and the increase in the number of public defenders from the first one (created in January 1913). In each episode Matthews sought to show that his client was not guilty or to at least obtain a shorter sentence if the person was guilty. He sometimes had to investigate to learn more facts about the client's situation.[1] Hadley portrayed Matthews as "such a character as butter will not melt in his mouth. His hollow eyes and sepulchral voice are enlisted in the defense of parties at odds with the law by force of circumstances."[2]

Episodes were adapted from actual cases that occurred across the United States when people accused of crimes who could not afford an attorney were provided with one at no charge to them.[3] Matthews defended clients whose crimes ranged from bullying and hazing in schools to murder. Some of them ended up going to jail, while some who were guilty avoided punishment.[4] Producer Hal Roach Jr. initially was concerned that the series might encounter a shortage of ideas for stories, but as it progressed "a rich vein of dramatic material" was found to be available.[5]

At the end of each episode, a real-life public defender was recognized for outstanding work in that profession.[6]

Community involvement

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Members of the public sometimes contacted Hadley, requesting his help with legal matters. He received 30 requests of that type per week when the show was most popular.[7] He and Edward N. Bliss Jr. of the Los Angeles County Public Defender's Office, who was the series's technical advisor,[1] traveled around the United States for 20 days in early 1955 speaking to groups of people about the work of public defenders[8] and advocating the creation of additional public defenders' offices.[7]

Cast

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Episodes

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Season 1 (1954)

[edit]
No.
overall
No. in
season
Title Directed by Written by Original air date
11"The Case of the Parolee"Erle C. KentonHoward J. GreenMarch 11, 1954 (1954-03-11)
22"The Unfit Mother"UnknownUnknownMarch 18, 1954 (1954-03-18)
33"Lost Cause"UnknownUnknownMarch 25, 1954 (1954-03-25)
44"The Forger"James TinlingMarianne MosnerApril 1, 1954 (1954-04-01)
55"The Prize Fighter Story"Budd BoetticherUnknownApril 8, 1954 (1954-04-08)
66"The Clown"Erle C. KentonJerry D. LewisApril 15, 1954 (1954-04-15)
77"Behind Bars"UnknownUnknownApril 22, 1954 (1954-04-22)
88"Two Brothers"UnknownUnknownApril 29, 1954 (1954-04-29)
99"Badge of Honor"UnknownUnknownMay 6, 1954 (1954-05-06)
1010"Let Justice Be Done"UnknownUnknownMay 13, 1954 (1954-05-13)
1111"Pauper's Gold"UnknownUnknownMay 20, 1954 (1954-05-20)
1212"Step Child"Budd BoetticherMarianne MosnerMay 27, 1954 (1954-05-27)
1313"Auto Accident"UnknownUnknownJune 3, 1954 (1954-06-03)
1414"Confession of Guilt"UnknownUnknownJune 10, 1954 (1954-06-10)
1515"Hobo Story"UnknownUnknownJune 17, 1954 (1954-06-17)
1616"The Modern Fagin"UnknownUnknownJune 24, 1954 (1954-06-24)
1717"Third Floor Rear"UnknownUnknownJuly 1, 1954 (1954-07-01)
1818"Out of the Past"UnknownUnknownJuly 8, 1954 (1954-07-08)
1919"A Call in the Night"Budd BoetticherDavid DortortJuly 15, 1954 (1954-07-15)
2020"Escape"UnknownUnknownJuly 19, 1954 (1954-07-19)
2121"High Stakes"UnknownUnknownJuly 26, 1954 (1954-07-26)
2222"Lisa"UnknownUnknownAugust 2, 1954 (1954-08-02)
2323"Baby for Sale"UnknownUnknownAugust 9, 1954 (1954-08-09)
2424"Think No Evil"Budd BoetticherUnknownAugust 16, 1954 (1954-08-16)
2525"Little Egypt"Erle C. KentonJohn Tucker BattleAugust 23, 1954 (1954-08-23)
2626"The Last Appeal"Budd BoetticherDonald S. StanfordAugust 30, 1954 (1954-08-30)

Season 2 (1954–55)

[edit]
No.
overall
No. in
season
Title Directed by Written by Original air date
271"Return of the Dead"UnknownUnknownSeptember 6, 1954 (1954-09-06)
282"Road to Nowhere"UnknownUnknownSeptember 13, 1954 (1954-09-13)
293"The Big Race"Harve FosterWilliam E. RaynorSeptember 20, 1954 (1954-09-20)
304"The Fire Bell"UnknownUnknownSeptember 27, 1954 (1954-09-27)
315"Bertha Polaski"UnknownUnknownSeptember 30, 1954 (1954-09-30)
326"The Do-Gooder"UnknownUnknownOctober 7, 1954 (1954-10-07)
337"Where Credit is Due"UnknownUnknownOctober 14, 1954 (1954-10-14)
348"Crash Out"Erle C. KentonAl C. WardOctober 21, 1954 (1954-10-21)
359"Destiny"Erle C. KentonFrank L. MossOctober 28, 1954 (1954-10-28)
3610"Hot Rod"Harve FosterEdward E. Seabrook & Homer McCoyNovember 4, 1954 (1954-11-04)
3711"Color Blind"Erle C. KentonJerry D. LewisNovember 11, 1954 (1954-11-11)
3812"Hijacked Truck"UnknownUnknownNovember 18, 1954 (1954-11-18)
3913"Circumstantial Evidence"UnknownUnknownNovember 25, 1954 (1954-11-25)
4014"Murder Photo"UnknownUnknownDecember 2, 1954 (1954-12-02)
4115"Open Season"UnknownUnknownDecember 9, 1954 (1954-12-09)
4216"Socrates"UnknownUnknownDecember 16, 1954 (1954-12-16)
4317"Moonshine"UnknownUnknownDecember 23, 1954 (1954-12-23)
4418"The Man Who Couldn't Remember"UnknownUnknownDecember 30, 1954 (1954-12-30)
4519"Another World"Erle C. KentonJerry D. LewisJanuary 6, 1955 (1955-01-06)
4620"Deep Ditch"UnknownUnknownJanuary 13, 1955 (1955-01-13)
4721"Gunpoint"UnknownUnknownJanuary 20, 1955 (1955-01-20)
4822"Your Witness"UnknownUnknownJanuary 27, 1955 (1955-01-27)
4923"The Director"UnknownUnknownFebruary 3, 1955 (1955-02-03)
5024"Mama's Boy"Erle C. KentonJerry D. LewisFebruary 10, 1955 (1955-02-10)
5125"Big Steel"Harve FosterLee LoebFebruary 17, 1955 (1955-02-17)
5226"Jackpot"UnknownUnknownFebruary 24, 1955 (1955-02-24)
5327"A Knowledge of Astronomy"UnknownUnknownMarch 3, 1955 (1955-03-03)
5428"The Hitchhiker"UnknownUnknownMarch 10, 1955 (1955-03-10)
5529"Brutality"Erle C. KentonJerry D. LewisMarch 17, 1955 (1955-03-17)
5630"Cornered"Harve FosterWilliam P. RousseauMarch 24, 1955 (1955-03-24)
5731"Time to Kill"UnknownUnknownMarch 31, 1955 (1955-03-31)
5832"The Sapphire Mink"UnknownUnknownApril 7, 1955 (1955-04-07)
5933"Stepfather"UnknownUnknownApril 14, 1955 (1955-04-14)
6034"A Pair of Gloves"UnknownUnknownApril 21, 1955 (1955-04-21)
6135"End of the Line"UnknownUnknownApril 28, 1955 (1955-04-28)
6236"Clifford Pike"UnknownUnknownMay 5, 1955 (1955-05-05)
6337"Charge It, Please"UnknownUnknownMay 12, 1955 (1955-05-12)
6438"Condemned"UnknownUnknownMay 19, 1955 (1955-05-19)
6539"Operation: Fleet"UnknownUnknownMay 26, 1955 (1955-05-26)
6640"In Memory of Murder"UnknownUnknownJune 2, 1955 (1955-06-02)
6741"The Bad Ones"UnknownUnknownJune 9, 1955 (1955-06-09)
6842"The Jockey and the Nun"UnknownUnknownJune 16, 1955 (1955-06-16)
6943"The Failure"UnknownUnknownJune 23, 1955 (1955-06-23)

Production

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Mort Lewis and Sam Shayon created The Public Defender, which was produced by Hal Roach Studios/Official Films.[1] Carroll Case was the producer.[4] Directors included Budd Boetticher.[1] The show was filmed in black-and-white.[9]

The show debuted as the summer replacement for Philip Morris Playhouse. It was initially sponsored by Philip Morris cigarettes,[1] and in March 1955, Revlon Products Corporation became the alternate-week sponsor.[10] "Grand Canyon Suite" was the theme.[1] It was initially broadcast from 10 to 10:30 p.m. Eastern Time on Thursdays. In July 1954 it was moved to 9-9:30 p.m. ET on Mondays[11] as the summer replacement for I Love Lucy.[5] In September 1954 it returned to its original time slot.[11]

Critical response

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Hal Erickson, in his book, Encyclopedia of Television Law Shows: Factual and Fictional Series About Judges, Lawyers and the Courtroom, 1948-2008, wrote, "Public Defender was distinguished by a mile-wide streak of maudlin sentimentality."[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Erickson, Hal (September 29, 2009). Encyclopedia of Television Law Shows: Factual and Fictional Series About Judges, Lawyers and the Courtroom, 1948-2008. McFarland. pp. 235–236. ISBN 978-0-7864-3828-0. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
  2. ^ Ladd, Bill (March 13, 1955). "He's An Old Baddie (Hiss) Daily at 5, But A Goodie (Cheer) Thursday Nights". The Courier-Journal. Kentucky, Louisville. p. 7. Retrieved April 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ a b Pitts, Michael R. (September 17, 2015). Charles Bronson: The 95 Films and the 156 Television Appearances. McFarland. p. 302. ISBN 978-1-4766-1035-1. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
  4. ^ a b Nott, Robert (September 13, 2018). The Films of Budd Boetticher. McFarland. pp. 171–172. ISBN 978-1-4766-3521-7. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
  5. ^ a b "'Lucy' Discontinues Repeats; Reed Hadley TV'er Replaces". Contra Costa Gazette. California, Martinez. June 25, 1954. p. 11. Retrieved April 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ Irvin, Richard (October 28, 2022). Pioneers of "B" Television: Independent Producers, Series and Pilots of the 1950s. McFarland. pp. 33–34. ISBN 978-1-4766-8996-8. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
  7. ^ a b "Reed Hadley, Actor, Is Dead at 63; Buffalo Native Noted for TV Roles". The Buffalo News. December 14, 1974. p. 6. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
  8. ^ Sullivan, Elizabeth L. (March 6, 1955). "Hadley Groans at TV Screen When He's on It". The Boston Globe. p. 69. Retrieved April 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ Aaker, Everett (2006). Encyclopedia of early television crime fighters : all regular cast members in American crime and mystery series, 1948-1959. Jefferson, N.C. : McFarland. pp. 615–616. ISBN 978-0-7864-2476-4. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
  10. ^ "New Network Sponsorships". Ross Reports on Television including The Television Index. January 30, 1955. p. 15. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
  11. ^ a b Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle (1999). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946-Present (7th ed.). New York: The Ballentine Publishing Group. p. 831. ISBN 0-345-42923-0.
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