CBS Radio Mystery Theater - "It's Murder Mr Lincoln" (Old Time Radio, 1975)

CBS Radio Mystery Theater presents "It's Murder Mr Lincoln," a historical legal mystery from 1975 featuring Keir Dullea as a young Abraham Lincoln in 1837 Springfield, Illinois. The episode centers on Lincoln defending Franklin Jones, a man accused of murder after publicly threatening a local businessman. The case appears straightforward—Jones made the threat, a murder occurred, and he's the obvious suspect—but Lincoln must dig deeper to uncover the truth beyond the surface evidence. The episode is framed as a legal mystery that tests Lincoln's early legal acumen and moral reasoning. The production includes a newly recorded contextual introduction by Victor Sterling, the original 45-minute broadcast with restored audio mastering for clarity, and a closing announcement. The episode is part of a larger archival project to preserve and present classic radio drama from the 1970s with improved sound quality and modern framing.

Verdict: A competently produced historical legal mystery with solid casting and restored audio that delivers on its premise, but the show notes provide insufficient evidence of exceptional writing, performance, or narrative tension to distinguish it as essential listening.

Fiction rubric

• Writing 3/5 20%

  Sam Dann's script appears competent as a legal mystery framework, but the show notes provide no evidence of distinctive dialogue or sharp character work beyond the premise.

• Performance and production 3/5 20%

  Keir Dullea's casting suggests solid casting, and the audio has been professionally restored and mastered, but no specific details about acting quality or sound design immersion are evident from the notes.

• Plot momentum 3/5 15%

  The setup of an apparently guilty defendant forcing the lawyer to dig for truth suggests forward momentum, but the notes don't indicate whether the investigation unfolds compellingly or drags.

• Substance 3/5 15%

  A legal mystery with historical framing offers solid content, but the notes reveal only the basic premise without evidence of thematic depth, character development, or substantive exploration beyond the whodunit structure.

• Delivers on its title 4/5 15%

  The title promises a murder mystery involving Lincoln, and the episode delivers exactly that—a murder case with Lincoln as the central figure—though the notes don't clarify how central the historical or biographical elements are.

• Value for time 3/5 15%

  At 45 minutes with a 1-minute introduction and closing, the core broadcast is roughly 43 minutes; reasonable length for a radio drama mystery, though pacing details are unavailable.

How we score Fiction

Worth it if you enjoy classic radio drama, historical fiction featuring Lincoln, or legal mysteries from the 1970s golden age of broadcast storytelling.

Based on the episode description. AI-generated; it can be wrong.