Self Defense

This is about a man who has a violent reaction to gun. His head fills with revenge when one is pointed at him. But it is a kind of mental disease. When a kid points a gun at him while he holds up a liquor store, he fires into the kid's car, seriously wounding him. Because of his messed up state a series of dominos begin to fall. He is kind man for the most part but puffs up with rage when frightened by a firearm. A very strange episode with a violent ending.

After watching this episode, I looked up George Nader's bio. During his career, he was consigned to B grade films. In "Self-defence" George gives an A grade performance in an episode that really works. We feel Gerald Clarke's terror and his regret. He has killed a young man who has attempted to rob a liquor store with an unloaded gun and is guilt-stricken about it.

Audrey Totter is also excellent as the mother of the boy Gerald has killed. The final confrontation scene is loaded with tension and the brutality of the outcome is also palpable.

Some of the episodes in series six are standard fare but this one hits the mark.

First of all, director Paul Henreid has to be congratulated for bringing out two unforgettable performances, both Audrey Totter and George Nader telegraphing what may be their best tv moment. A tough call with Totter in particular, the queen of film noir, in a total role reversal.

Nader plays an everyday guy who happens to be at the wrong place at the wrong time, right in the middle of a store holdup. Fearing guns pointed at him, the psychological result of WWII, he shoots the kid who escapes and he eventually dies.

This is where writer John T. Kelly's story divides; Nader is consumed with grief and depression, confronting the boy's mother (Totter), consumed with growing anger and revenge. Ironically, at first, it was Nader bearing all the signs of anger and revenge. Oil and gasoline most definitely do not mix as you will see.

A haunting story, and I agree with the last reviewer. The term "shell shock" was originally connected to scarred victims of battle for years, before more in depth research and therapy. Kelly, who wrote for DR. KILDARE and the MILLIONAIRE tv series, may have also been attempting to bring light to this subject, more than a decade after the end of WWII.

Best of SEASON 6 Universal dvd box set. 16 hrs total running time. In a class by itself for episodes like this.

The story begins in a liquor store and Gerald (George Nader) goes inside to buy a carton of beer. But it turns out that there's an armed robber there. After brandishing the gun and threatening him and the woman at the counter, the guy leaves with the money. The lady hands Gerald her gun and he then chases the young man...shooting him down as he tried to make his getaway. Later, it turns out that the teen's gun was empty...and Gerald is obviously affected by this and the boy's death.

"Self Defense" is an extremely powerful episode. You learn that Gerald was affected by the incident more than most, as he'd been in WWII and obviously was suffering from PTSD....and how it plays out again at the ending is both frightening and powerful. One of the best episodes of season six...well written and very well acted as well.

By the way, this story starred George Nader, a very talented American actor whose career was cut short in the US when stories about his homosexuality made it to the tabloids. Because of this, he went to Europe and made a string of enjoyable James Bond-type films which are well worth seeing.