... is the question for Ralph Fanning (Leslie Nielson) when he is fished out of the water minus his boat and minus the family who were passengers on his boat. The problem is, three months earlier he had been accused of throwing two Cuban refugees overboard. The refugees were never found, but their friends swear vengeance against Fanning, believing he murdered them. When the little girl of the family is also found alive in the water and accuses Fanning of shooting them all, Fanning is placed under arrest for murder. Attorney Clinton Judd (Carl Betz) defends him.
This was the second episode of the two season series "Judd for the Defense", so the character of Clinton Judd is still being established. That initial character was that of a Texas criminal defense attorney based in Houston, Texas. So in the first few episodes - including this one - he is wearing a western tie, sometimes a cowboy hat. But he never speaks with any kind of Southern or Texas accent. Maybe that would have been just too kitschy, even 54 years ago. Initially the Texas atmosphere of the show is emphasized, but as the episodes wear on more socially relevant topics appear to the point that the show could have taken place in any state in the union, reflecting the turbulent times of the late 1960s.
Things I noticed here. Judd has a complete bar in his office during the first few episodes, and seems to take a belt every time he returns to the office from somewhere else. I can't figure out what he is paying his young attorney assistant for, because he never seems to do anything but argue. The judge has some giant random law book on his bench which he never opens - and nothing else. You are also seeing the tail end of conventional family values 50s style at this point in TV. Defendant Fanning is considered an unlikeable weirdo who might go around killing people because he is middle aged and is romancing long term but refusing to marry pseudo girlfriend Dorothy Shaw (Beverly Garland) - Oh the horror! The biggest plot hole is all of this coming and going between Cuba and the U.S. There was a very cold war going on between the U.S. and Cuba at the time, and it wasn't just like traveling to Oklahoma, although you'd never guess that from the script.
There are better episodes of this old series later on, in particular "Weep the Hunter Home" with guest star Richard Dreyfuss. If you can find a copy of that one it is completely worth it. This one is worth it to see Leslie Nielson, who was known later in his career as a madcap comedian, playing it straight.
This was the second episode of the two season series "Judd for the Defense", so the character of Clinton Judd is still being established. That initial character was that of a Texas criminal defense attorney based in Houston, Texas. So in the first few episodes - including this one - he is wearing a western tie, sometimes a cowboy hat. But he never speaks with any kind of Southern or Texas accent. Maybe that would have been just too kitschy, even 54 years ago. Initially the Texas atmosphere of the show is emphasized, but as the episodes wear on more socially relevant topics appear to the point that the show could have taken place in any state in the union, reflecting the turbulent times of the late 1960s.
Things I noticed here. Judd has a complete bar in his office during the first few episodes, and seems to take a belt every time he returns to the office from somewhere else. I can't figure out what he is paying his young attorney assistant for, because he never seems to do anything but argue. The judge has some giant random law book on his bench which he never opens - and nothing else. You are also seeing the tail end of conventional family values 50s style at this point in TV. Defendant Fanning is considered an unlikeable weirdo who might go around killing people because he is middle aged and is romancing long term but refusing to marry pseudo girlfriend Dorothy Shaw (Beverly Garland) - Oh the horror! The biggest plot hole is all of this coming and going between Cuba and the U.S. There was a very cold war going on between the U.S. and Cuba at the time, and it wasn't just like traveling to Oklahoma, although you'd never guess that from the script.
There are better episodes of this old series later on, in particular "Weep the Hunter Home" with guest star Richard Dreyfuss. If you can find a copy of that one it is completely worth it. This one is worth it to see Leslie Nielson, who was known later in his career as a madcap comedian, playing it straight.
