Death Sentence story

ahp3x30 · 1958-04-27

Norman Frayne grew up in an orphanage and feels undeserving of his wife Paula. Al, a man from Norman's past, arrives and blackmails Norman over a crime that they committed 12 years earlier. Norman believes that Al is having an affair with Paula and plans to blow them up with dynamite. When Paula insists that it is untrue, Norman lets himself be blown up so that Paula will be free from Al's threats and Norman's past. Directed by: Paul Henreid. Story by: Miriam Allen deFord, Joel Murcott.

17 total · 9 major · 8 minor

Theme	Level	Motivation
blackmail	major	Al came out of nowhere to blackmail Norman out of $50,000 over a crime that they'd committed 12 years earlier.
coping with an unwelcome house guest	major	Al blackmailed Norman into letting Al live in his guest room and made it clear he had no plans to leave anytime soon.
friendship	major	A childhood friend paid Norman a visit and turned his life up side down.
having a skeleton in the closet	major	Norman's life was turned upside down when a man out of his past threatened to reveal Norman's role in a second degree murder to the police.
husband and wife	major	Norman and Paula Frayne are at the center of the story.
murder	major	Al had killed a night watchman and received life in prison for the trouble. Norman's role in a second degree murder that'd happened 12 years earlier came back to haunt him. Norman planned to blow up Al and Paula with dynamite.
romantic jealousy	major	Norman was exceedingly jealous over Paula, whom he suspected of having an affair with Al.
romantic love	major	The story concluded with the remark, by the police chief, that Norman must have loved Paula very much in order to do what he did. She concurred.
sacrifice for a loved one	major	The story concluded with Norman blowing himself up in order to save Paula from continued blackmail by Al.
beating one's self up	minor	Norman was beating himself up after he lost a real estate contract to an opponent.