The Scales of Justice

For other uses, see Scales of Justice.

The Scales of Justice was a series of 13 British cinema featurettes produced from 1962 to 1967 for Anglo-Amalgamated at Merton Park Studios in London. The first nine episodes were made in black and white, and the last four were made in colour. The final episode, Payment in Kind, was Merton Park's last production.

The Scales of Justice
Genre	Drama
Presented by	Edgar Lustgarten
Composer	Johnny Douglas
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language	English
No. of episodes	13
Production
Producer	Jack Greenwood
Running time	30 Minutes
Production company	Merton Park Studios
Original release
Release	1962 (1962) – 1967 (1967)

They were based on criminal cases, and each film was introduced by crime writer Edgar Lustgarten. The series derives its title from the symbolic scales held by the statue of Justice, which is situated above the dome of London's Central Criminal Court, The Old Bailey. In the opening narration, she is described as having "in her right hand, the Sword of Power and Retribution, and in her left – The Scales of Justice". The opening seenes of the initial six episodes were narrated by Michael Hordern.

The end version of the theme music for the series (by Johnny Douglas) was performed by The Tornados. It was re-recorded and released as the B side of their single "The Ice Cream Man".

The series became widely known in the UK when it was broadcast as a TV series in various ITV regions during the 1970s. In July 2017, the series aired on the television channel Talking Pictures TV.

In October 2012, Network released the complete series as a two-disc DVD set.

Episode guide

Title	Date	Cast	Director	Format	Story
1. "The Guilty Party"	1962	Zena Marshall, Anthony Jacobs, Derek Francis, Jack Gwillim, Wensley Pithey, Kenneth Thornett	Lionel Harris	B&W	Edward Sinclair and his wife Thelma live surrounded by wealth and luxury, but Sinclair is heavily in debt.
2. "A Woman's Privilege"	1962	Bernard Archard, Ann Lynn, Patrick Wymark, Ernest Clark, Noel Hood, Pamela Greer, Gerald Cross	Anthony Bushell	B&W	On a cruise to cheer herself up after a broken romance, Shirley Fawsett meets Joe Ashton. The result is a court case where he sues her for breach of promise.
3. "Moment of Decision"	1962	Ray Barrett, Pat Healy, Marjie Lawrence, Lisa Madron, Mike Sarne, Michael Aspel, Norman Claridge	John Knight	B&W	A nursemaid loses the baby in her charge.
4. "Position of Trust"	1963	Derrick Sherwin, Imogen Hassall, Edward Atienza, Peter Barkworth, Geoffrey Chater, Cyril Luckham, Robert Lankesheer	Lionel Harris	B&W	The extroverted son of a powerful industrialist meets a pretty French girl named Yvonne at a Bohemian night spot, becoming infatuated, gradually growing their relationship resulting in an illicit weekend away from his fiancée. The weekend begins promisingly, but after their first night together, a man barges into their Brighton hotel bedroom, claiming to be a private detective acting for Yvonne's husband.
5. "The Undesirable Neighbour"	1963	Vanda Godsell, Bridget Armstrong, Anthony Newlands, Ronald Hatton, Garfield Morgan, Dorinda Stevens	Gordon Hales	B&W	When a young married couple move into a new home, the wife is popular with the local men, which starts gossip.
6. "The Invisible Asset"	1963	Kenneth J. Warren, Ronald Leigh-Hunt, Annette Carell, Gabriella Licudi, Stanley Morgan, Kenneth Benda, Peter Bathurst, Philip Latham	Norman Harrison	B&W	In a city restaurant, the owner blackmails influential customers by using a hidden microphone on a special table.
7. "Personal and Confidential"	1965	Robert Cartland, Harry Littlewood, Howard Lang, Geoffrey Toone, Jeffrey Segal, Windsor Davies, Patrick Carter, Don McKillop	Geoffrey Nethercott	B&W	Found in the briefcase of the man in Room 755, who fell, or was pushed, from a seventh storey window is a red file, marked "Top Secret".
The Hidden Face"	1965	Christine Finn, Richard Butler, Alex Macintosh, Robert James, Gretchen Franklin, Vernon Dobtcheff, Peter Stephens, David Garth	Patrick Dromgoole	B&W	Jane Penshurst writes a book attacking Ronald Milson MP. When Milsom shoots himself, his son William seeks revenge.
9. "The Material Witness"	1965	Noel Travarthen, Reginald Marsh, Sally Nesbitt, Harry Locke, Hector Ross, John Horsley, Steve Peters	Geoffrey Nethercott	B&W	A young man is the personal assistant to a company executive who has little time for him.
10. "Company of Fools"	1966	Barrie Ingham, Jacqueline Jones, Maurice Kaufmann, Garfield Morgan	Peter Duffell	Colour	Five strangers from varied walks of life investigate the life of a man who has caused them all serious financial losses, and they seek to exact their own private revenge.
The Haunted Man"	1966	Keith Barron, James Ellis, Alexandra Bastedo, Isobel Black, Tenniel Evans, Dallas Cavell	Stanley Willis	Colour	Actor Bill Kenton, injured trying to prevent a raid on a shop, returns to his career, to find that he cannot remember his lines. Forced to leave the theatre, he becomes a man obsessed with finding the thieves.
12. "Infamous Conduct"	1966	Dermot Walsh, Bridget Armstrong, Ewen Solon, Richard Warner, Terry Wale	Richard Martin	Colour	Struck off the medical register, surgeon Anthony Searle meets Dixon, a bank robber on the run, and Dixon wants a "face job".
13. "Payment in Kind"	1967	Justine Lord, Maxine Audley, Brian Haines, Derrick Sherwin, Gwen Cherrell, Henry McGee, Peter Bathurst	Peter Duffell	Colour	The dedicated wife of a struggling businessman falls behind on the hire purchase payments, and the debt collector suggests "payment in kind".

External links

• The Scales of Justice at IMDb