Hands of Murder

Hands of Murder originated as an episode of Dumont's Program Playhouse. the show ended on March 11, 1952. and was a prime time mystery/anthology series. The title changed to Hands of Mystery with the September 8, 1950, broadcast. The series originated from WABD. Producers included Charles Parsons Menkin and Charles Speer were the writers. Lew White composed the music, which the trade publication Radio Daily described as "complete scores, as is done at motion picture studios", rather than "merely providing background and bridges". Most of the actors on the show had experience performing on Broadway and on TV, and most were not well-known. ==Episodes==

• July 9, 1950 - "Too Old to Live" ==Production==

Hands of Murder used production techniques that differed from other TV programs of its era. One was the use of "30 to 45 short, intimate scenes" presented "in rapid-fire order", which created an effect similar to watching a full-length film in a half-hour. A related technique was the use of "block impressions", such as moving from a scene of a man in his house to a scene showing him at a pharmacy, eliminating the need to show him in transition from one place to the other. Use of closeup reduced the size of sets and focused attention more on actors' actions than on activity around the actors. The show used no film because, Caddigan said, "Film destroys the intimacy between the viewer and the actors." Also, actors wore no makeup in order to create more intimacy. Menkin said the lack of makeup created "an atmosphere of stark reality." ==Critical response==

A review of the August 31, 1949, episode in Billboard praised the program's variation from the norm for TV production. "For here, at last," it said, "is a half-hour show which leaves the audience as satisfied and emotionally exhausted as a 90-minute movie. Isn't that what TV has been groping for?" The review said that instead of using cameras on a stage play the show created "a picture story, told by the camera". The acting and the script also were complimented. ==See also==