THE FRIGHTENED WITNESS

This episode is from Dupont's Cavalcade of America 1952-57 anthology series.

Dan Duryea is the owner-operator of a small neighborhood butcher shop. After a long day he closes shop and heads for home. He has just stepped outside when he sees a man crossing the street get creamed by an oncoming vehicle. The car makes no attempt to stop and speeds away.

A crowd gathers, but the man is dead. Duryea says he caught the plate number and heads for his phone. One of the onlookers (Harold Stone) follows Duryea back into his shop. Several fists to Duryea's face quickly get his attention. Stone "suggests" that he actually did not see the plate.

The "accident" was a mob hit.

Seeing a photo of Duryea and his family, Stone threatens harm to all if Duryea does not play along.

Duryea agrees and tells the police it was too dark to get the plate number. The mob has Duryea followed and parks a car outside his house. This eats away at Duryea, who just wants to protect his family. He knows that once things cool down the mob will come for him anyway.

He decides to fight back and calls the cops. John Law swoops in and grabs up Stone and several of his thugs. A long visit to the State Pen soon gets them out of Duryea's life.





Of note here is the writer Malvin Wald. Wald was nominated for an Oscar for THE NAKED CITY.