Change Your Image
Rock-10
Reviews
Studio One: The Defender: Part 1 (1957)
Not As Great As Sliced Bread
While the acting is superb, it is inconceivable that anyone other than a first year law student would have the conscience issues of the veteran attorney portrayed by Ralph Bellamy. Making it more absurd is that it takes a didactic oration from the prosecuting attorney (Martin Balsam)to get Bellamy to absorb that the defense attorney's role does not include judging his client. Finally, that the prosecuting attorney does not perceive the courtroom stunt is totally unbelievable.
What is scary is how old the actors appear. Ian Wolfe, who played the judge, while 65, looked 90. Bellamy looks far older than his 54 years. Vivian Nathan, who played McQueen's mother, was only 36. Even Shatner looks older than 26 and McQueen much older than 19.
You may purchase this video on DVD from Amazon. It can be played with and without commercials. The Westinghouse commercials are incredibly campy. Does the viewer really care that WH created a breaking system for weaving machines? Apparently, in the 1950s, Madison Avenue thought they did.
Perhaps time has tarnished the golden age of television.
The Masked Marvel (1943)
Holy Unrealistic?
Perplexing? It is never revealed how the Masked Marvel acquired his aura.
He doesn't possess magical powers, super brains, or any particular crime fighting skills. He does sport a mask. But what for? What's he trying to hide? He's truly not much, if all, different from the other three good guys.
One thing is clear. Men's hats must have been surgically attached. No amount of fighting, falling, leaping out of cars or boats, can dislodge the hats.
It appeared all of the serials many pugilists were in tremendous physical condition. How many blows to the chin, back flips, kicks, hurling into walls could you take? They are simply indefatigible.
The Masked Marvel serial makes Steven Segal foes seem like pre-schoolers.