They Stand Accused

Last updated
They Stand Accused
Also known asCross Question
Genre Dramatized court show
Starring Charles Johnston
Narrated by Harry Creighton
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
Camera setup Single-camera
Running time48 minutes
Original release
Network DuMont
ReleaseSeptember 11, 1949 (1949-09-11) 
December 30, 1954 (1954-12-30)

They Stand Accused (also known as Cross Question) is an American dramatized court show [1] broadcast on the now-defunct DuMont Television Network from September 11, 1949, to October 5, 1952 and again from September 9 to December 30, 1954. [2]

Contents

Overview

The series was recorded in a courtroom presided over by attorney Charles Johnston and broadcast live from Chicago's WGN-TV, with jurors chosen from the studio audience. [3] On most DuMont affiliates, They Stand Accused aired Sundays at 9pm ET during the 1949-1950 television season, then Sundays at 10pm ET, and then Thursdays at 8pm ET during 1954.

William C. Wines, assistant attorney general of Illinois, wrote the program's dramatizations. [4]

Reception

Reviewer Jack Gould wrote in The New York Times that They Stand Accused was "one of the more remarkable and consistently absorbing programs on television". [5] He complimented the program's combination of documentary and dramatic styles and its way of having a natural appearance despite its "careful preparation". [5]

Episode status

At least two episodes exist: the December 23, 1950, episode is held in the J. Fred MacDonald collection at the Library of Congress, while an episode from late 1954 ("The Johnny Roberts Story") can be viewed online at the Internet Archive. [6]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>The Arthur Murray Party</i> American TV variety series (1950–1960)

The Arthur Murray Party is an American television variety show that ran from July 1950 until September 1960. The show was hosted by dancers Arthur and Kathryn Murray, the show featured various acts and celebrity guests and acted as advertisement for their chain of dance studios. Each week, the couple performed a mystery dance, and the viewer who correctly identified the dance would receive two free lessons at a local studio.

<i>Captain Video and His Video Rangers</i> American TV series or program

Captain Video and His Video Rangers is an American science fiction television series that aired on the DuMont Television Network and was the first series of its genre on American television.

<i>Rocky King Detective</i> American TV series or program

Rocky King Detective is an American action/crime drama series that was broadcast live on the DuMont Television Network on Sundays at 9pm ET for most of its run. The series ran for six seasons, from January 7, 1950, to December 26, 1954. From January 7, 1950, to July 22, 1950, the series was broadcast on Saturdays at 8:30pm ET, and from September 8, 1950, to March 9, 1951, it was broadcast on Fridays at 9:30pm ET, until moving to Sundays.

<i>The Wendy Barrie Show</i> American TV series or program

The Wendy Barrie Show is an American talk show hosted by Wendy Barrie, which aired from November 10, 1948, to September 27, 1950.

Boxing from St. Nicholas Arena was an American sports program originally broadcast on NBC from 1946 to 1948, and later on the now-defunct DuMont Television Network from 1954 to 1956.

The Vincent Lopez Show, also known as Vincent Lopez Speaking, is a 1949-1957 American musical television program hosted by Vincent Lopez and broadcast on the DuMont Television Network, and later on CBS Television. The latter title is a take-off on Lopez's introduction on his longtime radio show: "Lopez speaking!"

Doorway to Fame is an American talent show broadcast on the now defunct DuMont Television Network. The series ran from May 2, 1947, to July 11, 1949.

<i>Okay, Mother</i> American TV series or program

Okay, Mother is an American daytime variety/game show which originally aired on WABD in New York City in 1948.

Front Row Center is the title of two American television programs with different formats that were broadcast on different networks.

Hands of Murder is an American mystery/anthology series that aired on the DuMont Television Network.

TV Shopper, also known as Your Television Shopper or Kathi Norris' Television Shopper, was an early American daytime television series which aired on the DuMont Television Network at 10:30 am ET from November 1, 1948 to December 1, 1950.

Wrestling from Marigold is an American sports program broadcast from the Marigold Arena in Chicago which aired on the DuMont Television Network from Saturday, September 17, 1949, until March 1955. The show lasted for either 90 or 120 minutes, usually on Saturdays at 9pm ET, and continued to be broadcast on WGN-TV as a non-network show until 1957.

Saturday Night at the Garden was an American sports series broadcast by the DuMont Television Network from October 7, 1950, to March 31, 1951. The program aired sports, primarily basketball, horse show, rodeo, and boxing live from Madison Square Garden in New York City. The program aired Saturday nights at 9pm ET and was 120 to 150 minutes long. The series was hosted by sportscaster Curt Gowdy and long time boxing blow-by-blow announcer Don Dunphy.

Boxing from Eastern Parkway was an American sports program broadcast by the DuMont Television Network from May 1952 to May 1954. The program aired boxing matches from Eastern Parkway Arena in Brooklyn, New York. The program aired Monday nights at 10pm ET and was 90 to 120 minutes long. During the 1953-1954 season, the program aired Mondays at 9pm ET.

Boxing from Jamaica Arena is a TV sports series broadcast by the DuMont Television Network from 1946 to 1949. The program aired boxing from Jamaica Arena in Queens, New York. The program aired on Monday and Wednesday nights at 9pm ET and was 90 to 120 minutes long. An earlier program of the same name had aired on NBC from July 8, 1940 until May 18, 1942.

Pro Football Highlights, also known as Football News, Football Highlights and Time for Football, was a 30-minute television sports review program broadcast by ABC (1950–1951) and the DuMont Television Network (1951–1954). The ABC version aired Fridays at 8:30 pm ET and the DuMont version aired Wednesdays at 7:30pm ET from 1951 to 1954.

Amateur Boxing Fight Club was a boxing program aired on the DuMont Television Network beginning in September 1949 as part of DuMont's sports programming. Most of DuMont's boxing programs at this time were hosted by Dennis James. The 60-minute program aired Fridays at 10pm ET.

Boxing From Sunnyside Gardens was a boxing program aired live from Sunnyside Gardens in Queens, New York on the DuMont Television Network beginning in September 1949 as part of DuMont's sports programming. Most of DuMont's boxing programs at this time were hosted by Dennis James. The program aired Thursdays at 9:30pm ET following The Morey Amsterdam Show. Sunnyside Gardens began hosting boxing in 1945, and was demolished in 1977.

<i>Twenty Questions</i> (American game show) American TV series or program

Twenty Questions, based on the guessing game Twenty questions, started as a radio quiz show in 1946. The television series ran on NBC in 1949, on ABC from 1950 to 1951 and on the DuMont Television Network from 1951 to 1954.

References

  1. Hui Kyong Chun, Wendy; Keenan, Thomas (2006). New Media, Old Media: A History and Theory the dayvion Johnson Reader. Psychology Press. p.  151. ISBN   0-415-94224-1.
  2. Erickson, Hal (2009). Encyclopedia of Television Law Shows. McFarland. pp. 259–260. ISBN   978-0-7864-3828-0 . Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  3. McNeil, Alex (1980). Total Television (4th ed.). New York: Penguin Books. ISBN   0-14-024916-8.
  4. "Last Week's Network Changes". Ross Reports. October 12, 1952. p. 2. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
  5. 1 2 Gould, Jack (December 16, 1951). "Television in Review" . The New York Times. p. 121. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
  6. "The Johnny Roberts Story", Internet Archive

Bibliography