Bellero Shield, The

Synopsis
US cult science fiction drama series. In this episode Richard Bellero’s experiments with a laser-beam gun capture a traveler from a "world" of light. This "laser creature" has the power to, in an emergency, encase itself in a clear, bell-shaped, plastic-like shell that is impervious to anything on Earth. Bellero’s ambitious wife, Judith, kills the creature in an unshielded moment and plans to credit her husband with the invention in order to capture world fame. While demonstrating the shield to Bellero’s wealthy industrialist father, she realises she doesn’t know how to remove the shield and begins to face an agonizing death in her impenetrable tomb.

The plot of an easily controlled male and an ambitious wife has led critics and fans to find parallels with Macbeth. Writer Stefano himself is quoted as wanting to write a ‘haircut’ of Macbeth for Sally Kellerman, Martin Landau’ s scientist, and the Lady Macbeth analogy is made clear in the line ‘lust is what becomes of an aspiration when it is allowed to grow and become ambition’ (cf Macbeth IV iii).
Series
Outer Limits, The
Language
English
Country
United States
Medium
Television
Transmission details
10 Feb 1964 (Channel: ABC)
Duration
60 mins

Credits

Director
John Brahm
Cinematographer
Conrad Hall
Writer
Joseph Stefano; Lou Morheim
Cast
Martin LandauRichard Bellero (Macbeth)
Sally KellermanJudith Bellero (Lady Macbeth)

Additional Details

Production type
Television and Radio Drama
Historical period
Future
Plays
Macbeth
Keywords
Shakespeare, William (1564-1616); Science fiction (television)

Notes

Notes
Available on DVD (region 1) under the title THE OUTER LIMITS - THE ORIGINAL SERIES. SEASON 1
History
Season 1, episode 20.

Production Company

Name

Daystar Productions

Name

Villa di Stefano

Sponsor

Name

United Artists Television

Online Retailer

Name

amazon.com

Web
http://www.amazon.com External site opens in new window

How to cite this record

Shakespeare, "Bellero Shield, The". https://learningonscreen.ac.uk/shakespeare/search/index.php/title/av66371 (Accessed 26 Nov 2024)