In 1947 "An Act of Murder" followed very similar paths; namely, is there justification for "mercy killing" in a case where a loved spouse is terminally ill.In that '47 film Fredric March, in one of his best performances, had the task of deciding the fate of his beloved wife, played by Florence Aldridge, who had Alzheimer's.
(Some Spoilers) With his wife Emily, Frances Reid, of 51 years suffering from crippling arthritis and the oncoming of Alzheimers Disease retired engineer Roswell Gilbert, Robert Young, did what he thought was the right and merciful thing to do: Put her out of her misery with two bullets in her brain. As things turned out a Fort Lauderdale jury of twelve men and women found that Roswells actions were anything but merciful.
