James M. Cain Love’s Lovely Counterfeit

SANWAL

(4.5 stars; 5 reviews)

Love's Lovely Counterfeit By James M. Cain Suspense CBS Net January 17, 1948 Saturday Robert Montgomery (host) About the gangster who rises to the top on the coat-tails of a reform politician. James Cagney stars as Ben Grace, a gangster torn between his love for June Lyons, a reform politician's campaign manager, and his desire for money and power. In Act I, he sets up the arrest of racketeer Sol Caspar, ensuring that June's candidate is elected mayor. In Act II, Ben uses June's love for him and her new influence at City Hall when he takes over Sol's crime syndicate. When June kills Sol, Ben, dying of a gunshot wound, saves her from being tried for murder.  William Spier (producer, director) James M. Cain speaks after the drama. Cast: Wally Maher as Lefty Cathy Lewis as June Lyons With: Jerry Hausner, William Johnstone, Howard McNear, Sidney Miller, Jeanette Nolan. Joe Eisinger (adaptor, billed as Jason James) Robert L. Richards (adaptor) Joseph Kearns (announcer) Music: Lucien Moraweck (composer) Lud Gluskin (conductor) KIRKUS REVIEW: LOVE'S LOVELY COUNTERFEIT BY JAMES M. CAIN  ‧  RELEASE DATE: OCT. 6, 1942 This hasn't the power drive of his previous books; it is less sensational, less emotional, but a cool, hard tale which has a lot of style and speed. It is the story of a chiseler, Ben Grace, who starts out as chauffeur to a mobster and ends up dead. Between times, he rats on his boss, sets up a reform Mayor, appropriates money takes from the town (pinball, horses, etc.) and falls in love for the first time, with the klepto kid of his partner, June, who loves him in her way. If on all counts it is a considerably weaker drink. It's still a very smooth one.

This recording is part of the Old Time Radio collection.