MUSEUM OF TELEVISION & RADIO LISTENING SERIES, THE: LINDBERGH BABY KIDNAPPING TRIAL
Summary
The Museum presents a listening series featuring the recently discovered and rare radio coverage of the 1935 trial of Bruno Hauptmann for the kidnapping and murder of Charles and Anne Lindbergh's baby. These recordings, featuring the commentary of famed defense attorney Samuel Leibowitz, offer not only a fascinating summation of each day's testimony, but penetrating insight into the judicial system in America at that time. This series includes only a portion of the recordings in the Museum's possession. The others can be heard in their entirety in the Museum's library.
The Radio Coverage: Charles Lindbergh was one of America's greatest heroes at the time of the trial, possibly the closest thing to royalty the country had. As a result, news organizations clamored for information about the trial, and most radio stations and networks provided some form of coverage. On NBC's Blue Network, Walter Winchell held forth with daily commentaries and updates; but even before the trial began he had declared Hauptmann guilty, and potential jurors were disqualified if they admitted to listening to his broadcasts. The opinionated and controversial Boake Carter was heard every evening on CBS, accusing New Jersey politicians of "playing political checkers" with Hauptmann's life. Gabriel Heatter's trial reports on WOR and Mutual were so popular that he had paid sponsors weaving their commericals into his commentaries.
Amidst all the fanfare there was one commentator who provided a rather balanced summation of each day's proceedings. Samuel Leibowitz has been asked to defend Hauptmann but declined, saying that due to the nature of the crime he couldn't in good conscience take the case, and that "what Hauptmann needs is not a lawyer; he needs a magician." Leibowitz was then hired by New York's WHN radio to offer daily commentary on the trial proceedings. Rather than focus on the more sensational aspects of the case or speculate on the defendant's guilt or innocence, Leibowitz discussed the ins and outs of the legal system and how the trial was going for both the defense and the prosecution. After the jury reached its verdict, Leibowitz admitted that he, too, felt Hauptmann was guilty, but that despite the prosecution's claims to the contrary he felt that Hauptmann had not worked alone. Leibowitz was again involved in the case when he was hired to try to save Hauptmann from the electric chair. Believing his client to be guilty, Leibowitz felt the only way to save Hauptmann's life was to get him to confess to the crime and name the others who had worked with him. He met with the convicted murderer three times in early 1936, but Hauptmann, who stuck to his story, was eventually executed.
Details
- NETWORK: N/A
- DATE: November 30, 2002
- RUNNING TIME: 1:47:00
- COLOR/B&W: N/A
- CATALOG ID: R:26685
- GENRE: N/A
- SUBJECT HEADING: N/A
- SERIES RUN: N/A
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Boake Carter
- Bruno Hauptmann
- Gabriel Heatter
- Samuel Leibowitz
- Charles A. Lindbergh
- Walter Winchell