The Golden Door (13 Mar. 1963)

An immigrant is jailed for murder. The bias against him adds to the Judge's difficulty defending him. He is found not guilty but when another man is arrested for the crime, his conscious catches up with him as he learns more about US law.

Director:

John Brahm

Writers:

Roy Huggins, Maxwell Shane,

Stars:

James Drury, Lee J. Cobb, Doug McClure

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
James Drury	...	The Virginian
Lee J. Cobb	...	Judge Henry Garth
Doug McClure	...	Trampas
Gary Clarke	...	Steve Hill (credit only)
Karlheinz Böhm	...	Karl Rilke (as Karl Boehm)
Roberta Shore	...	Betsy Garth
Robert Duvall	...	Johnny Keel
Paul Carr	...	Kane
Ilse Taurins	...	Maria Rilke
Russell Thorson	...	Sheriff Stan Evans
Don 'Red' Barry	...	Shorty Downs (as Donald Barry)
Lew Brown	...	Hank
John Bryant	...	Doc Spaulding
Bobs Watson	...	Jeremy, the Hotel Clerk
Henry Hunter	...	Banker

Storyline

Karl Rilke and his pregnant wife Maria are immigrants from Lativa looking for a new life in the United States after his business was stolen from him in the old country. However, they are ignorant of the US legal system and continue to react to events as if they were still in their non-democratic homeland. Trampas and Betsy find a neighbor murdered. A search for the guilty party results in finding the dead man's rifle with Karl. Karl is tried for the murder even as he insists he bought the rifle from a third party. Judge Garth is forced to take on his defense and wins a not guilty verdict but people are still suspicious of Karl. Later another man is caught with the rest of the stolen goods and is tried for the murder. Karl's guilty conscious drives him to admit during the trial that it was he who killed the man when he was threaten with the rifle by the man during a fight over wages he was denied. Karl and Maria, however, find they still have much to learn about the law in the US as ...

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Genres:

Western

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 March 1963 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Revue Studios, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Revue Studios

Technical Specs

Runtime:

75 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

User Reviews

Golden episode

Most TV western episodes that attempted to explore the foreign immigrant experience in the Old West fell back on clichés and stereotypes, but not this bold, engrossing drama featuring acclaimed Austrian star Karlheinz Bohm and directed by veteran, German-born studio artisan John Brahm. Bohm plays a struggling itinerant longing to find meaningful work, a home for his family and acceptance in his new land. He's more often extended a cold shoulder instead of a helping hand though, a clear motivation for his periodic violent outbursts. The young Robert Duvall, already a masterful curmudgeon, symbolizes the pilgrim's anxiety as a homicide victim's hostile son.