The Judge and His Hangman (Studio One)

"The Judge and His Hangman" is an episode of the CBS television anthology series Studio One consisting of an hour-long adaptation of Friedrich Dürrenmatt's 1950 novel of the same name. The episode was first broadcast November 14, 1955. Adapted by Dick Berg and directed by William H. Brown Jr.,^[1] the episode starred Kurt Kasznar, Charles Korvin, and Luis Van Rooten.^[2]

"The Judge and His Hangman"
Studio One episode
Episode no.	Season 8 Episode 9
Directed by	William H. Brown Jr.
Written by	Dick Berg
Based on	The Judge and His Hangman by Friedrich Dürrenmatt
Original air date	November 14, 1955 (1955-11-14)

Cast

Credits derived from November 12, 1955 issue of TV Guide's Chicago Edition.^[3]

• Barlach – Kurt Kasznar
• Gastmann - Charles Korvin
• Laszlo - Herbert Berghof
• Tschantz – Jamie Smith
• Von Schwendi – George Voskovec
• Lutz – Luis Van Rooten

Premise

In Bern, Switzerland, the deceptively low-key commissioner of police announces that the mystery surrounding the death of a fellow officer has been solved. Exactly how this solution was reached is revealed through a series of flashbacks.^[3]

Reception

Both Ben Gross of the New York Daily News and Post-Gazette TV writer Win Fanning praised Berg's adaptation, but Fanning found it especially valuable as a showcase for Kasznar's "immeasurable talent."^[4][5] Likewise, Hartford Courant critic George Tashman valued, first and foremost, "Kasznar's diabolical portrayal," while deeming the production overall, "an unpleasant little drama [featuring a] highly contrived plot [and] dozens of fluffed lines, [yet one made] enjoyable [by] the acting of Kasznar, Luis van Rooten as the minister of police, and Charles Korvin as Gastmann."^[2]

See also

• End of the Game, 1975 theatrical film based on the same novel