Deadly Decision

R.G. Armstrong plays a father with two sons the younger Roger Mobley and the older James Caan in one of his earliest parts. Armstrong has raised a real punk in Caan and he's determined that he not become the controlling influence on Mobley as he seems to be.

He's developed a nice reputation as a fast gun which has turned Caan into a bully. When Mobley complains about how the local school teacher disciplines and how he called him for what he was, Caan beats up teacher Walter Brooke with Mobley looking on.

A few more incidents that end in killings and R.G. Armstrong makes a terrible decision to save one son from the depraved influence of the other.

Rory Calhoun narrates the episode and it features some fine performances by Armstrong, Caan, and Mobley. No father should be forced into what Armstrong does.

The acting here is just fine and it was a treat to see R. G. Armstrong in a rare sympathetic role. James Caan is also good. But if the actors were looking for motivation for their parts, they evidently were good at furnishing what wasn't there.

Why are RG's sons basic sociopaths? He seemed like an attentive and concerned father in attempting to deal with what his sons had become. Were these sons recently adopted?

The theme of a younger sibling idolizing an older sibling is certainly nothing new. But in this episode the younger brother is seemingly beyond redemption. It's nice to have a hopeful ending, but I don't see much basis for hope.