THE WITNESS (1960-1961) FORGOTTEN TELEVISION

THE WITNESS (1960-1961) – This David Susskind production offered a nice change of pace in a crime drama. It wasn’t a standard police story nor was it a courtroom drama. Instead, it featured a revolving committee of real-life lawyers cross-examining actors (Telly Savalas most frequently) who portrayed real-life criminals, their victims and their accomplices.  

The Witness filled a one-hour time slot with commercials. The committee of lawyers represented “the conscience of the community” and verdicts were dispensed with because the figures being grilled had already been sentenced or killed in real life.   

Some critics disliked the sometimes-disorganized air of the proceedings, since the lawyers were given enough latitude to ad-lib. The program’s Robert Altmanesque overlapping dialogue was ahead of its time for staid early 60s critics, too.

William Griffis and Verne Collett were the only characters in every episode. They played the Court Clerk and Court Stenographer, respectively. Paul Tremaine was the announcer.

THE EPISODES:

ARNOLD ROTHSTEIN – Telly Savalas portrayed the notorious gangster who – among other criminal deeds – fixed the 1919 World Series.

Rothstein was even mentioned in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby and was the inspiration for writer Damon Runyon’s fictional crime boss the Brain.

LUCKY LUCIANO – Who loves ya, baby? Savalas took on the role of New York City’s Mafia Prime Mover Charles “Lucky” Luciano in this episode. Telly with hair is always distracting, however. Anita Dangler played witness Dolly Dayton and Leonardo Cimino portrayed Joe Tosca.

JIMMY WALKER – This “Dynomite!” episode starred Murray Hamilton as New York City’s corrupt Mayor Jimmy Walker from 1926-1932. Elizabeth Allen played Walker’s mistress Betty Compton while Alan Bunce portrayed politician Al Smith. Georgie Jessel appeared as himself in a witness role since he had known the real-life Mayor Walker.

CHARLES BECKER – Becker was a New York City police lieutenant who abused his authority to muscle in on the numbers racket of gangster Herman Rosenthal. Charles murdered Rosenthal when he threatened to expose Becker’s corruption and died in the electric chair in 1915. Nehemiah Persoff starred as the title character while Henderson Forsythe played Governor Charles Whitman.

BUGSY SIEGEL – Larry Blyden starred as Siegel, the New York gangster turned Los Angeles kingpin who went on to oversee organized crime’s dominance in early Las Vegas. Danny Dayton and Herbie Faye were in the guest cast as witnesses.

ROGER TOUHY – “Terrible Touhy” was a rival gangster to Al Capone in Chicago who had spent years in prison and was assassinated by unknown parties after his release. Myron McCormick portrayed Touhy with Telly Savalas and Lawrence Fletcher as witnesses.

LOUIS “LEPKE” BUCHALTER – Buchalter, whose nickname meant Butcher, was one of the gang bosses of Murder, Inc. in New York City. He’s partly remembered for ironically vetoing a hit on New York Prosecutor Thomas Dewey, who went on to send Lepke to the electric chair years later. Sam Levene starred as Buchalter. 

AL CAPONE – Telly Savalas turned in another critically praised performance as the infamous Chicago crime lord who ruled the city with an iron fist before going to prison over tax evasion. 

LEGS DIAMOND – Jack “Legs” Diamond was a criminal rival of Arnold Rothstein, whose murder he ordered in 1928. Fred J. Scollay starred as Diamond and Jean Muir played a witness named Mrs. Clinton.

KID TWIST – Viewers got a unique movie tie-in here as Peter Falk reprised his 1959 role as Murder, Inc. hitman turned stoolie Abe “Kid Twist” Reles. Abe was thrown to his death by criminal associates over his role as an informant to the authorities. Jerry Guardino played Harry Rudolph and Alfred Ryder played Pittsburgh Phil.

DUTCH SCHULTZ – Lonny Chapman starred as New York gangster Arthur “Dutch” Schultz. Dutch was another member of Murder, Inc. and was the man pushing to assassinate Prosecutor Thomas Dewey, prompting Louis “Lepke” Buchalter to order him killed in 1935. Guest starred Robert Q. Lewis as Otto Berman and Molly Darcy as Lillian Roth.   

JIMMY HINES – A leader of the notoriously corrupt Democrat Party political machine running out of Tammany Hall in New York. He was sent to prison by Thomas Dewey for his ties to organized crime. Albert Dekker played Hines, Olive Deering portrayed Mrs. Thompson and Bert Freed was George Weinberg. 

MA BARKER – Another rare non-New York story in this episode. Joan Blondell starred as Arizona “Ma” Barker, who ran a mobile gang comprised of her sons plus other gangsters like Shotgun Ziegler. Roy Poole portrayed Roy Barker and Sheree North played Blossom Knight.

DILLINGER – Warren Stevens portrayed John Dillinger, America’s most notorious Public Enemy, who led a mobile “supergang” in the American Midwest of the 1930s. Richard Hamilton played Homer Van Meter and Carol Bruce was Mildred Hall.

SHOELESS JOE – Biff McGuire starred as Joe Jackson, centerfielder for the Chicago White Sox in the fixed World Series of 1919. This mock probe of the “Black Sox” Scandal also featured Bill Zuckert as Coach William “Kid” Gleason, Royal Bill as Charles Comiskey and Frank Sutton as Billy Maharg. 

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