Outrage!

Robert Preston's farewell performance is in this fine made for TV movie Outrage! If you watch this film outrage is exactly what you will feel.

The film opens with Preston buying 38 caliber pistol after being assured it will 'do the job' in a state with less stringent gun control laws then coming back to New York City and after tracking him down, emptying the pistol into the body of Stan Haze who got off on a technicality after raping and killing Preston's daughter Susan Mackin who is only seen in flashback.

After committing this act Preston walks into a police station and gives himself up and waives counsel and makes a full statement as to what he did and why.

Judge Burgess Meredith in a move who truly regrets asks young attorney Beau Bridges recently of the DA's office to take the case and defend Preston. A lawyer is supposed to defend his client zealously, but not quite as zealously as Bridges does when he put the system on trial itself.

Preston is a truly broken man, he's got one surviving child, a son who became a priest and lives and works in a remote part of South America, one son killed in Vietnam and this daughter who died. His wife Selma Archerd dies shortly after the dismissal of charges in the daughter's case. Preston feels he's got nothing to live for. Makes him a truly dangerous man to one he hates.

Purportedly the object of our legal system is justice. Justice went quite a bit awry here. When Bridges questions the whole system that led to this Outrage! he walks on the fighting side of Burgess Meredith.

Colleagues do stick together and the 'system' is what these guys live by. And as Meredith says after many contempt citations judges have long memories. His colleague on the original rape case is played by Mel Ferrer. For his defense strategy Bridges borrows from what Clarence Darrow did to William Jennings Bryan in the Scopes Monkey Trial.

Some good performances come from Linda Purl as Bridges wife and big breadwinner in the family at this point, William Allen Young as the Assistant District Attorney, and most of all from Anthony Newley.

Newley is one of those bottom feeding agents who wants the rights to Preston's and Bridges story. He's already spending his agent's commission on book and movie rights to be. He's loathsome, but he might prove necessary for the future.

This is one outstanding made for TV film and as good a one for Preston to go out on as The Shootist for John Wayne and The Misfits for Clark Gable.

This is a film that makes us realize there is sometimes a difference between justice and the law. Robert Preston shines as the grief-stricken father, who, after a miscarriage of justice, takes matters into his own hands, and is put on trial for it. Beau Bridges, as his attorney, realizes there's something to the fight Preson is making. Mel Ferrer, as the judge who had to let a criminal go, is outstanding. His conscience bothers him, but he abides by the law he's sworn to protect. And Burgess Meredith is a crusty as ever. Some great old pros in this one.If this film doesn't make you think, you need to watch it again.

The most stunning thing about "Outrage" is not so much the intriguing storyline, but rather the fact that it was produced by Irwin Allen, the "Master of Disaster" of '70s cinema, and also responsible for erstwhile sci-fi TV series of the '60s like "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea" and "Lost In Space." His productions are usually criticized for their lack of attention to the finer details like the script and dramatic performances. But here, he surprises his critics (and fans) with a taut, and timely subject that is more "Law and Order" than "Poseidon Adventure." No action sequences, no explosions or people running around in rubber monster suits. Just good acting with a provocative plot line.

My only complaint is that Robert Preston's character seemed a bit 'dated' by 1986 in the way he lived through his religion....I mean, I didn't know many New York Irish Catholics in the '80s that were THAT religious (particularly a man). I assume the director wanted his Catholicism 'played to the hilt" to emphasis Preston was above reproach to further the courtroom dramatics.

Admittedly, I haven't seen this film in years. And when I did, I totally missed (as there was no "cymbal crash or drum beat alert" when "Produced by Irwin Allen" appeared on the screen credits. (Irwin LOVED to have his name announced by musical instrument pause or noise).

After Irwin's prior 3 feature films all tanked (The Swarm, Beyond The Poseidon Adventure, When Time Ran Out...), Irwin just kinda faded from the scene...and began making TV shows again, a few "last gasp TV disaster movies", a VERY strange musical adaptation of "Alice in Wonderland"...and THEN came the "renamed for 1985 TV airing" "Earth's Final Fury" (this was the Original "When Time Ran Out..." RENAMED as it was so bad, they had to rename it with a few new scenes added/others edited in post, etc...to get it on TV. 5 years after it competed with "Raise the Titanic!" And "Inchon!" (Also with "!") for "worst films to see a theater between 1980 and 1981.

"Alice" (while very weird and with terrible songs) WAS "pure vintage Irwin Allen" (it had more stars in it than ALL his previous films combined and was very faithful to the story, plot-wise. (Even better than Disney). Too bad he made it a "musical". But it was rather successful nonetheless.

Then..while still kinda "just treading water" and seeking some sort of "comeback"...(As Irwin was not only an Oscar and Emmy Winner for work prior...but 2 of his films (Poseidon Adventure and Towering Inferno are the GREATEST disaster films of all time)...while his "bombs" have become cult classics now (wish Irwin would have lived long enough to see "The Swarm" become a BELOVED cult classic. But he didn't, sadly). For around the time this (strange for Irwin Allen...yet STILL "Irwin Allen-ish ENOUGH to recognize it as an Irwin Allen film"...as it has all of his "same road company players and crew" as he always had) film "OUTRAGE!" came along, his health was starting to fail.

However...to go out on a note like THIS...for Irwin Allen? Is quite admirable.

A taut, thought-provoking, well written COURTROOM drama? With some vigilante justice mixed in? This was strange area for Irwin Allen.

And as a fan of Irwin Allen to begin with...while I miss the "spectacle factor" that made him so famous...I also think Irwin MAY have been a better "mind for movie trends" than he gets credit for.

As it wasn't long after this little known/rarely seen B Movie (it is what it is) that nearly EVERY WEEK...there seemed to be a "new courtroom drama movie released". Between about 1987 and 2000. Hollywood churned em out like candy, they did.

But Irwin here, was a few years before the real trend hit. Kudos to him as Preston is excellent here. Meredith (as always) is as well...and even MEL FERRER (who, by this time in his career was "paying the bills in Italian Made slasher films of Grade Z fodder")...and it was good to see him actually ACT again.

Of course Irwin had a cast in this that was 15 years past their primes (he always did). But...he DIDN'T "direct". Thank God. (Irwin Allen...AMAZING Producer. AWFUL director)...and he left the "directing chops" to a workmanlike and capable director.

For Irwin Allen "completists", this is like "The Story of Mankind". Gotta have it. And while that one was a hokey nonsense film...THIS one is actually a straightforward and well written and well acted courtroom drama.

Both films kind of "stick out" like sore thumbs when you look at Irwin's Filmography. Yet BOTH are amazing curiosity pieces.

Irwin Allen was truly one of a kind.

He either (his whole career) "boomed or busted". There was no "in between" for him.

However THIS one...is his "in between".

It is a 'good film'. Not legendary. Never will be a "classic"...but an "in between" film that you can watch and enjoy and is well made.

Part of me wishes that Irwin could have lived another 10 years...to see "the disaster film revival" and made one of his OWN...during the mid 90s, and "go out on that one".

But he didn't. So in true Irwin Allen style...he ended on this one. (Something you truly didn't expect to see...from Irwin Allen).

Just like The Poseidon Adventure. Only on the opposite spectrum.

Hollywood said "zig"...and Irwin usually "zagged". That is what a showman does.

I recommend this one, and I understand my personal review here is "more about Irwin Allen" than it is about "Outrage!". Why? Because for HIM? This is so against his own grain, that you can tell Irwin was trying to "reinvent himself" as the man was a MAJOR player in 1960s and 1970s Hollywood. By the Mid-80s...he was simply "hanging on" and awaiting the moment that (sadly) he wouldn't live long enough to see...but DID come around. The REVIVAL of "The Disaster Movie".

For this era...while "treading water"...Irwin produced a nice little picture here to enjoy, while dreaming of a star studded (another "musical"...uggh!) Version of "Pinocchio" that never got made.

Not his schtick...but still Original.

Good film here, produced by a legendary movie maker.

Be it Dino DeLaurentiis or Irwin Allen...these 2 legends were certainly ORIGINAL.

Robert Preston portrays a grief-stricken dad who kills the man who raped and murdered his daughter. Beau Bridges is the lawyer who defends the man's actions in court. This film raises some deep issues about the justice system. It especially questions the notion that criminals seem to have more rights than victims and their families.