My title, "Tortured Criminals," refers not to the torturing of criminals but to the fact that on "Arrest and Trial," many or most of the criminals were tortured souls, people out of step with society. Basically good people whose problems, upbringing or outlook on life led them to a criminal act--maybe just one--or to an acting-out crime spree. These lost souls might be addicts, alcoholics, thrill-seekers, seniors experiencing dementia, misguided youth, all of whom seemed okay when not drunk, on drugs, or otherwise affected at the moment by the idiosyncrasies that set them aside from "normal" people. The in-depth look into the character of these lost souls was the heart of the show. Sometimes it just became too much (for the viewer), too maudlin, too many excuses for the improper behavior, too much theorizing about socialization, rehabilitation, upbringing and family life.
The lead casting was a surprise: Ben Gazzara, who went on to star in "Run for Your Life" immediately after the one-year run of "Arrest and Trial," and Chuck Conners, a former baseball player for the Brooklyn Dodgers (among others) who had just finished a 1958-63 stint as the star of "The Rifleman." They didn't quite fit together, although they didn't actually work together since Gazarra was a cop and Conners a prosecuting or defense attorney. Conners, at 6 ft. 6 in. Towered over everybody and didn't seem to fit in the frame. And after a very iconic role as Lucas McCain, the Rifleman, it is hard for viewers to see him as a lawyer, though his penchant for justice and human kindness remained the same.
The supporting cast reads like a list of up-and-coming Who's Who performers, but an outstanding tour de force was accomplished by Jack Weston in the episode, "Birds of a Feather," in which he donned numerous disguises and played completely different characters; sometimes it took a moment to realize it was the same actor.
The music for "Arrest and Trial" leaned toward piano with orchestral background, and sometimes became a bit much; you either like it our you don't. Many of the episodes were shot in interesting locations, a big plus for the one-season series.
All in all, enjoyable, if you can overlook the over-sentimentalization, ongoing behavioral-theory conversations, and an actor who was constantly hitting his head on the underside of the top of your TV set.
