"Boston Legal" Son of the Defender (2007)

Director:

Bill D'Elia

Writers:

David E. Kelley (creator)
Phoef Sutton (written by) ...

TV Series:

"Boston Legal" (2004)

Original Air Date:

3 April 2007 (Season 3, Episode 18)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime | Drama

Plot:

Denny is forced to recount a trial with his father from fifty years earlier when the victim's son--carrying...

Plot Keywords:

Prostitution | Trial | Father Son Relationship | Hostage | Flashback

Cast

James Spader	...	Alan Shore
Julie Bowen	...	Denise Bauer
Mark Valley	...	Brad Chase
Rene Auberjonois	...	Paul Lewiston
Constance Zimmer	...	Claire Simms (credit only)
Gary Anthony Williams	...	Clarence Bell
Candice Bergen	...	Shirley Schmidt
William Shatner	...	Denny Crane (also archive footage)
Meredith Eaton	...	Bethany Horowitz (as Meredith Eaton-Gilden)
Stephen Lee	...	Aaron Sears
Mike Hagerty	...	Wally Bird
Mark L. Taylor	...	Attorney Adam Jovanka
Lawrence Pressman	...	Judge Floyd Hurwitz
Jackie Debatin	...	Jenna Aesop
James Keane	...	Joe Gordon

Runtime:

60 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color | Black and White (flashback scenes)

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Argentina:13

Company:

David E. Kelley Productions

Trivia:

Denny Crane is forced to recall a trial with his father where they defended a murder suspect. It includes flashbacks of a very young William Shatner as the son of Ralph Bellamy. The flashbacks are from a TV show called "Studio One" (1948), and the name of the two-part episode was "Studio One: The Defender: Part 1 (#9.20)" (1957). The Joseph Gordon character, played by James Keane on this show, was played by Steve McQueen in 1957.

Quotes:

Judge Floyd Hurwitz: Step up here, Counsel.
Alan Shore: This is never good when they ask me to step up.
Judge Floyd Hurwitz: You think I'm an idiot?
Alan Shore: Judge, I cannot be held accountable for what I do with straight lines lobbed right over the plate.
Judge Floyd Hurwitz: How would you like to be held in contempt, Mr. Wisenheimer?
Alan Shore: Again, Judge, that was a beach ball straight down the middle.
Judge Floyd Hurwitz: Two days. Put him in the same cell with his client. They can discuss her wedding plans.
Alan Shore: You can't plan a wedding in two days!

Movie Connections:

Features "Studio One: The Defender: Part 1 (#9.20)" (1957)

Black and White footage

The black and white footage is from the "Studio One" show entitled "The Defender" (hence the "Son of the Defender" title of the Boston Legal).

http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0394920/

The father was indeed played by Ralph Bellamy (who would go on to star as Randolph Duke in the Dan Ackroyd/Eddie Murphy comedy Trading Places). The character names are exactly the same as in the "Studio One" episode. The character of Joe Gordon was played by a very young Steve McQueen. The plot of the Boston Legal episode closely parallels the plot of the original Studio One episode and the character names are the same. The only difference is the name of Shatner's character, but everything else, down to the strained relationship between the lawyer and his father are similar.