Glamorous socialite Betsy Palmer (as Ellen Morrison) goes into a "lower class" drug store for a turkey sandwich, but gets ham instead. While accustomed to champagne and caviar, pretty Ms. Palmer decides she likes tasting how "the other half" lives, and makes a call to arrange to have one of her dinner parties at the drug store. While Palmer is in the telephone booth, the pharmacy is robbed - and, the proprietor is shot dead, in front of his hysterical wife. From the telephone booth, Palmer sees the murderer.
Palmer and the victim's wife are joined as eyewitnesses by a couple who saw the killer exit the drug store. When detectives Gene Lyons (as Paul Cochran) and Ralph Dunn (as MacReynolds) arrange a police "line-up", Palmer is late for the party. In her absence, the witnesses identify the killer - it's James Dean (as Joe Palica). Young Mr. Dean has a record, and cannot account for his whereabouts on the night in question. But, Palmer, when asked to corroborate, isn't sure Dean is the killer she saw. Still, Dean receives the "Sentence of Death".
With Dean's execution approaching, Palmer insists he is the wrong man - especially, after seeing, in a bar, the man she claims in the actual killer. The authorities won't revisit the case, but Palmer's insistence causes one of the detectives, Mr. Lyons, to re-investigate, on his own. Palmer's life may be in danger, and Lyons' job is on the line. And, if Dean didn't kill the druggist, can he be saved in time?
This is an intriguing and well-preformed teleplay. Palmer is the star, and she is exceptional. With pages and pages of script to deliver, Palmer has but one faltering moment, which she manages quite nicely. Of course, Dean is the remaining cast's stand-out. He has a featured role, as the accused killer receiving the "Sentence of Death". Dean evokes the sympathy required for the character very well, and with his inimitable style. The ending is a little too rushed and contrived, but this is a very nicely done "Studio One".
******* Sentence of Death (8/17/53) Matt Harlib ~ Betsy Palmer, Gene Lyons, James Dean, Ralph Dunn