Defense Attorney

This article is about a radio show. For a profession, see Defense attorney.

Defense Attorney is an American old-time radio crime drama. It was broadcast on ABC from July 6, 1951,^{[1][note 1][2][3][4][5]} to December 30, 1952.^[6][7] It was also known as The Defense Rests.^[7]

Defense Attorney

Mercedes McCambridge
Other names	The Defense Rests
Genre	Crime drama
Running time	30 minutes
Country of origin	United States
Language(s)	English
Syndicates	ABC
Starring	Mercedes McCambridge Howard Culver
Announcer	Orville Anderson
Created by	Cameron Blake
Written by	Cameron Blake Bill Johnston Joel Murcott
Directed by	Dwight Hauser
Produced by	Warren Lewis
Original release	July 6, 1951 (1951-07-06) – December 30, 1952 (1952-12-30)

Characters

The title character was Martha Ellis "Marty" Bryant, "a respected attorney who has a reputation for integrity"^[8] and "who champions causes of the underdog and unjustly accused".^[9] Jud Barnes, a newspaper reporter, was Bryant's boyfriend.^[8] Ron Lackmann wrote in his book Mercedes McCambridge: A Biography and Career Record that Bryant "spent more time solving crimes with her boyfriend ... than she did in the courtroom".^[10]

Personnel

Mercedes McCambridge had the title role, and Howard Culver played Judson Barnes. Tony Barrett portrayed Detective Lieutenant Ed Ledis.^[8] Supporting actors in the program included Paul Fries, Bill Johnston, Kay Wiley,^[7] Harry Bartell, Dallas McKennon, Irene Tedrow, and Parley Baer.^[10] Orville Anderson was the announcer.^[1]

Warren Lewis was the producer, and Dwight Hauser was the director. Cameron Blake (the program's creator),^[11] Bill Johnston, and Joel Murcott were writers. Music was by Rex Khoury^[7] and Basil Adlam.^[2]

Background

Defense Attorney originated with an audition record, The Defense Rests, which was made for a proposed NBC series in April 1951.^[10][1]

TV pilot

In 1953, the trade publication Billboard reported on work on a television version of Defense Attorney. An article in the magazine's March 28, 1953, issue said that Don Sharpe was in New York "to begin sales efforts on his newest film show, Defense Attorney, starring Mercedes McCambridge, and based on his former radio series of the same name."^[12] Fletcher Markle wrote and directed the pilot episode,^[12] which was filmed by Desilu Productions.^[13]

Recognition

McCambridge's work on Defense Attorney led to her receiving honorary membership in the Los Angeles Women's Bar Association and the Favorite Dramatic Actress Award from Radio-TV Mirror magazine.^[10]

Notes

1. Although two old-time radio reference books (On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio and Radio Crime Fighters: Over 300 Programs from the Golden Age) give the starting date as August 31, 1951, The Digital Deli Too gives July 6, 1951, as the starting date. Radio listings in contemporary newspapers also show that the program was first aired on July 6, 1951.