Mr. District Attorney

Created, written, and directed by former law student Ed Byron, the series was inspired by the early years of New York governor Thomas E. Dewey.[1] Dewey's public war against racketeering led to his election as governor. Phillips H. Lord, creator of Gang Busters, helped to develop the concept and coined the title. Byron lent an air of accuracy and immediacy to his scripts through close study of crime statistics, a library of criminology texts, following the newspapers and even visiting rough bars to gain tips, background and color from crooks and police.[2]

Produced throughout its run in New York City, the series began as a 15-minute serial, becoming a half-hour, self-contained series three months later as a summer replacement for The Bob Hope Show on June 27, 1939.[3] During 1942, Mr. District Attorney began battling Nazis, leading to conflicts with the FBI when the scripts reflected life too closely.[2]

In December 1949, Mr. District Attorney returned to live broadcasts after 13 weeks of using tape-recorded transcriptions.[4]

The program was sponsored by Bristol-Myers.[5]

• Mr. District Attorney – the nameless title role was played by several actors throughout the series:
  • Dwight Weist (1939 serials)
  • Raymond Edward Johnson (1939 half-hour shows)[6]
  • Jay Jostyn (1940 through 1952; Jostyn also guest-starred in the role in mystery sketches for the game show Quick as a Flash)
  • Tony Randall served as a replacement for Jostyn during the 1940s, because, in his words, he performed "a good Jay Jostyn impression".[7]
  • David Brian (1952–1953 syndication)
• Voice of the Law – the show's signature was the opening announcer known as the Voice of the Law, who defined the creed and duties of Mr. District Attorney. The role was played by Maurice Franklin and also Jay Jostyn prior to taking the lead role.
• Edith Miller – the district attorney's faithful secretary, played throughout the series run by Vicki Vola.
• Miss Rand – the D.A.'s receptionist was played by Eleanor Silver and Arlene Francis.[1]
• Len Harrington – the D.A.'s chief investigator, a former cop, was played by Walter Kinsella, who had been heard in various police roles during the early years, and by Len Doyle from 1940 onward.
• Other supporting players and guests on the series included such noted actors as Paul Stewart and Frank Lovejoy.
• Harry Salter conducted the music.[8]

In three films released by Republic Pictures in the early 1940s, the district attorney was named P. Cadwallader Jones and was assisted by journalist Terry Parker. Different actors portrayed them in each film. The trilogy consisted of Mr. District Attorney (1941) starring Dennis O'Keefe with Florence Rice and Peter Lorre, Mr. District Attorney in the Carter Case (1941) starring James Ellison and Virginia Gilmore and Secrets of the Underground (1942) starring John Hubbard and Virginia Grey.

A fourth film again titled Mr. District Attorney was released by Columbia Pictures in 1947. O'Keefe returned as the lead, now named Steve Bennett.

David Brian in the title role, 1954.

Near the end of the radio run, the series was transferred to television. The first incarnation ran on ABC from October 1, 1951 through June 23, 1952 on alternate Mondays, first with The Amazing Mr. Malone and then Out of the Fog. The radio cast reprised their roles, with Jay Jostyn as Mr. District Attorney, Vicki Vola as Miss Miller and Len Doyle as Harrington.

DC Comics published a Mr. District Attorney comic-book series that ran for 67 issues (January–February 1948 to January–February 1959).[11][12] In 1941, the Whitman Publishing Company published a Big Little Book, Mr. District Attorney on the Job,[13] that included a flip book.[14]

• Can you guess how Mr. District Attorney broke the case of the COP KILLER, a two-page photo story from Radio-TV Mirror, February 1952
• Mr. District Attorney (1951–52) at CVTA
• Mr. District Attorney (1954–55) at CVTA
• Mr. District Attorney (1951–52) at IMDb
• Mr. District Attorney (1954–55) at IMDb