They Stand Accused

They Stand Accused
Also known as Cross Question
Genre Dramatized court show
Starring Charles Johnston
Narrated by Harry Creighton
Country of origin United States
Original language English
Production
Camera setup Single-camera
Running time 48 minutes
Original release
Network DuMont
Release September 11, 1949 –
December 30, 1954

They Stand Accused (also known as Cross Question) is an American dramatized court show 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.

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. 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.

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". He complimented the program's combination of documentary and dramatic styles and its way of having a natural appearance despite its "careful preparation".

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.

See also