Studio One (TV Series) A Bolt of Lightning (1951) User Reviews

Nice Historical Piece

[mstomaso · 6/10 · 13 July 2007]

Westinghouse's Studio One presented this dramatization of the life of James Otis, one of America's reluctant Bostonian revolutionaries caught up in the orbit of Sam Adams. A young Charlton Heston plays Otis with characteristic patriotic zeal, and he is supported by a good cast of character actors.

The story portrays the basics of Otis' somewhat tragic life with some exaggeration, but not that much. Otis was an Advocate for the British governor who turned on the British administration because of their refusal to recognize the sanctity of private property. He produced a strong legal argument against the infamous Writs of Assistance, which permitted British agents to search and seize private property without a warrant.

The film is reminiscent of the educational films which were sometimes shown in secondary school classrooms in the 1970s, but is better scripted, performed, filmed and produced than most of these. In short - more entertaining.

The script is economical and keeps the story moving along. The cinematography is nothing special, but the directing and acting are good enough to make it work. There are a surprising number of nicely choreographed and well-acted long shots with pans which are more complex than the average 1951 TV dramatization. The soundtrack is also OK.

Recommended for those interested in the American revolution, Charlton Heston, and Legal history.

Classic anthology of early American drama.

[mark.waltz · 5/10 · 10 August 2016]

Already a rising movie actor if not a star, Charleton Heston was still humble enough to take jobs on that new medium known as television. Here, he is a colonial attorney fighting for liberty in colonial courts still run by those favoring British rule. He gets advice from every fathom of society whether he likes it or not while dealing with issues at home with an imperious wife (British movie star Celia Johnson, "Brief Encounter") and a rebellious daughter (Rita Vale). Heston is sincere with the material he is given as he realizes the impact of his getting involved where other men feared to go, but other actors seem to be overplaying to the camera. Static camera work and cheap kinescope prints will make this difficult to watch for young viewers, leaving this strictly to historians and fans of the genre.

Historical figure would make a great film

[SimonJack · 6/10 · 28 November 2013]

This brief one hour TV episode from 1951 covers an American patriot who is little known today. James Otis had a significant influence in the years before the American Revolution. He was an early champion of freedom and equal rights for all people. This TV production is the only one I know of about Otis. Well, it's somewhat about Otis. But, unfortunately, it touches only a single effort he made on behalf the colonialists. Much of his greater contributions was left out.

This TV production was very "stagey." The cameras clearly showed the sets as such, so one had the feel of watching the stage production. The actors in this Studio One production by CBS were all fine for their parts. Rita Vale's role as Ruth Otis was true to the real character, and Harry Townes played an irascible and gregarious Sam Adams. Charlton Heston was very good with the material given him, but his role was short shrift.

The script tried to develop the main characters well, but it did that to the sacrifice of Otis's achievements. Clearly what is needed is a full length movie on James Otis that would do both. I'm surprised that no one has done such. There is more than ample material for covering his key years as a patriot. I'm sure there are still enough of us left who are interested in history and who would buy tickets to watch a good early American period piece.

Here's a favorite line from the film. Sam Adams, "When defense of liberty becomes treason, then, surely, treason is defensible. More - it's desirable."

Great little snapshot of American Revolutionary history!

[scott-dix · 27 April 2006]

This is a great little story about James Otis and his involvement in in the "Writs of Assistance" controversy of the 1760's. In 1760, Otis received an appointment as Advocate General of the Admiralty Court. He faces a dilemma when his office is sworn to defend the Writs, which he had come to regard as odious. The writs would enable British authorities to enter any colonist's home with no advance notice, no probable cause, and no reason. Heston plays a conflicted James Otis who is torn between defending freedom and disrupting his quiet and comfortable family life. The show takes some liberties with the true story, but nevertheless, it captures the core of James Otis' legacy. The original Westinghouse Studio One show has a short exchange at the end where an American Legion executive thanks a Westinghouse executive for their contribution to furthering the American way of life. I wish more such American history were available now on TV. The Studio One series would be quite novel today, as nothing like it is on network TV.

His death he eerily predicted

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 20 January 2015]

Probably Charlton Heston played more real life characters on the screen than any other player in history. Preservation of this Studio One program yields us another portrayal that of the brilliant, but mad James Otis who was an early on opponent of the British mercantile system and the measures said system took to strangle the economy of those colonies on the North American Atlantic shore.

The same intensity that Heston brings to such roles as Moses, John The Baptist and El Cid and so many others is found here in Otis. He gave up a lot financially and personally for his beliefs. There was many a political discussion that got nasty in the Otis household.

As history teaches us Otis dropped out of the colonial struggle early on as he developed symptoms of what we would now call schizophrenia. In the Disney film Johnny Tremain, Jeff York makes a brief appearance as an aged man in a lucid moment to give counsel. York probably was more like the mad Otis of circa 1774 than Heston was.

It's a choppy script only touching on some highlights in the last 20+ years of Otis's life from the end of the Seven Years war until his death in 1783. If you don't know how he died I won't tell, but it was something he eerily predicted.

Choppy script and all Heston and his supporting cast of some familiar names, best among them Anne Seymour as Mercy Otis Warren as equal a patriot as her brother and husband Dr. John Warren.

Still a good film to show to class about one of the founders of what we call the United States Of America.

Not bad for 1952.

[rpeel · 4/10 · 7 June 2006]

Considering how far to the right Charlton Heston has moved, it is interesting to see him the this TV movie, which tell the story of James Otis a free thinking liberal. A must for Heston Fans.The cheapie DVD I watched gave the complete "Studio One" programme with the Westinghouse commericals included, these were more interesting than the movie and I doubt if the Sponcer would get away with them today, especially the rubbishing of the competitors. But back to the film, produced on a lean budget and very limited sets the director shows some imagination, I liked the use of two soldiers to cover the battle at Bunker Hill. Then at the end the CEO of Westinghouse commits himself to "The American Way", what ever that is.

Leftie Heston Shines

[arfdawg-1 · 8/10 · 8 February 2017]

The Plot. Westinghouse's Studio One presented this dramatization of the life of James Otis, one of America's reluctant Bostonian revolutionaries caught up in the orbit of Sam Adams. A young Charlton Heston plays Otis with characteristic patriotic zeal, and he is supported by a good cast of character actors.

The story portrays the basics of Otis' somewhat tragic life with some exaggeration, but not that much. Otis was an Advocate for the British governor who turned on the British administration because of their refusal to recognize the sanctity of private property. He produced a strong legal argument against the infamous Writs of Assistance, which permitted British agents to search and seize private property without a warrant.

First of all, that idiot rpeel who reviewed this film claiming Heston moved so far to the right shoudl be repealed. Heston just liked rifles. He was actually very liberal. Jerk.

This is a nifty little TV foray made at a time when TV actually still made some redeeming dramas. Not the garbage of today.

It's also done live so it's like watching a play.

Good stuff

Not one of the series' finer moments.

[planktonrules · 4/10 · 3 August 2012]

This episode of the excellent series "Studio One" is a disappointment. I've seen at least two or three dozen episodes and it's clearly not up to the standards of the average show. It's a shame, as the life of James Otis Jr. is rather interesting--and his contribution to the American Revolution are often overlooked today.

The show begins with the governor of Massachusetts authorizing the use of so-called Writs of Assistance--search warrants that clearly violated British law. While Otis worked for the Colony (and thus the Governor himself), he found himself forced to oppose the government. Much of this show concerns this and his eventual public opposition. I really think the show should have ended here, as the final portion drug. Seeing Otis (Charlton Heston) brooding and acting a bit touched really took away from the momentum of the show. In addition, many times during the show there was a tendency to overact--sometimes horribly so. Still, if you do choose to watch it, there is enough to make it worth your time, though Otis' life deserves far better than this limp and occasionally silly show.