- When mild-mannered Jim McLeery kills an abusive stranger, it seems a clear-cut case of self-defense. But the prosecution reveals that, in his army days, McCleery was trained to kill.
- Jim McCleery is rushing down the street to catch his train at Grand Central when he accidently bumps into Harry Cook. McCleery apologizes but Cook pushes him down to the ground, grabs his brief case and verbally abuses him. When Cook grabs him in preparation to beating him up, McCleery smashes his nose, punches him in the stomach and smashes him on the back of the neck. Cook collapses to the sidewalk and McCleery is stunned when a policeman tells him Cook is dead. The elder Preston gets McCleery - a neighbor of his - out of jail and takes him home. McCleery's wife is distraught - not because of what her husband went through but because her husband killed someone. McCleery can't understand his wife's attitude because she seems to blame him for Cook's death. After Preston and McCleery get to Preston's office, the younger Preston tells them that Cook died of a broken neck. The elder Preston pointedly questons McCleery about whether he has any training in judo. McCleery admits he learned judo in the Army during the Korean War and used it to kill enemy soldiers in combat. McCleery and the younger Preston go to see Cook's wife who regales them with stories of her husband's brutality toward her and their children. Then Cook's brother arrives and orders McCleery and Preston to leave. In the meantime, the elder Preston meets with the District Attorney who tells him that he is going to charge McCleery with manslaughter. At the trial, Cook's wife begins to repeat her stories about what a brute her husband was but is ruled out of order. She continues to complain about her husband while Cook's brother disputes her accusation. He then goes after McCleery. When Cook's brother grabs him, McCleery breaks his nose, punches him in the stomach and is just about to break his neck when the elder Preston snaps him out of it. A psychiatrist testifies that McCleery was trained to kill in war, was suddenly thrown into battle again when Cook and his brother attacked him and is not to blame for his actions. Although the elder Preston is very pleased with the way the case is going, McCleery insists he must plead guilty because he is guilty of killing a man and should be punished for it. McCleery pleads guilty, makes a speech to the Court and everybody tells him how proud they are of him.
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content