Sentence of Death (1953) was the 46th episode of the fifth season of the Studio One in Hollywood dramatic series, which aired live on CBS on August 17, 1953. Directed by Matt Harlib, Sentence of Death was based on a story by Thomas Walsh, that had been adapted by Adrian Spies, who later wrote for Marcus Welby, M.D., Hawaii Five-O, and Star Trek. The stars were Gene Lyons, Betsy Palmer, Ralph Dunn, and James Dean.

Socialite Ellen Morrison, (Palmer) the "dizzy darling of café society," decides to see how the other half lives. She stops off at a drugstore for a sandwich, having forgotten that she's invited ten people to dinner. While goes into a phone booth to chat with a friend, the owner of the store is gunned down. Although Ellen can't make a positive identification during the police line-up, the owner's wife points out a young man with a minor criminal past, Joe Palica (Dean), who claims that he's innocent.

Det. Paul Cochran (Lyons) wonders if Palica might be telling the truth, but MacReynolds, his older partner, disagrees, saying "We did our job, the DA has it now. If Palica is innocent let his lawyer get him free." Due to the testimony of the owner's wife and two older people whose are thrilled at being witnesses, and whose opinions are easily changed, Palica is convicted and sentenced to die in the electric chair in six weeks. While in a bar, Ellen sees the man that she recognizes as the actual murderer. She tells a friend to keep an eye on him and quickly calls the police, who don't believe her. Can she find the killer in time to save Palica?

According to Betsy Palmer, she and Dean had a romantic relationship for nine months after working together on Sentence of Death. "We were two little kids from Indiana. He was from Indiana, too. And we met just working on the Studio One I think it was. And we sort of dated and I cooked for him and, you know, we just were playmates. His film career had not started at that point. My career was just beginning to start a little bit." While James Dean's career ended with his death two years later, Betsy Palmer's career continued for another sixty years until her death in 2015.

By Lorraine LoBianco

SOURCES:

http://classicshowbiz.blogspot.com/2011/08/interview-with-betsy-palmer.html
http://ejones23.tripod.com/Filmography.html
The Internet Movie Database
http://www.joblo.com/horror-movies/news/interview-betsy-palmer
Tanitch, Robert The Unknown James Dean
Von Schilling, Jim The Magic Window: American Television, 1939-1953