Zane Grey Theatre (TV Series) Trial by Fear (1958) User Reviews

Living in fear

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 4 May 2017]

Robert Ryan is the voice of reason in a town that is looking finally for a chance to nail young fast gun David Janssen who shoots down someone trying to shoot him down. The problem is that the bullet is in the back.

Ryan reluctantly serves on the jury that sheriff Ed Platt picks and does a Henry Fonda only with a six man jury. But ironically his efforts come to naught.

Nice performances all around from Ryan as a man of reason in a hell bent town, from Janssen who knows how disliked he is and from the sheriff Ed Platt.

Ironically it is only the audience that knows the real truth of what happened with Janssen.

An entertaining episode from beginning to end.

[kfo9494 · 8/10 · 1 September 2016]

The episode begins with Todd Owen, a local gunman, riding into town. On top of a nearby building someone tries to shoot Owen. Owen is able to get the best of the shooter, Amos Clegg, and has him dead to rights at gunpoint. Clegg then tries to draw and Owen shoots him when happens to enter Clegg in the back. The Sheriff of the town, who has been trying to convict Owen on any possible violation, now puts Owen on trial for murder. And with a town wanting to see Owen hang, it is going to be difficult to get six honest men on the jury.

Cob Oakley is reluctantly pick to be one of the jurors. After hearing the evidence, he finds some of the testimony strange. But with the other five men voting guilty, it is going to be Oakley that looks at the true facts and must convince the jury to let the notorious gunman off with an acquittal.---But that is not the end of this story. For Owen tries to escape the jail and takes the Sheriff hostage. Who is going to believe that Owen might just be innocent?

An entertaining story that kept the viewers on the edge of their seat the entire time. Robert Ryan was at his best in this production which had everyone watching right in the middle of the action. The only thing that struck me odd about the show was early when Owen rode into the town street and was shot at with a rifle. No one seemed to notice nor investigated the incident But when Owen fired his revolver, all of the sudden people fill the street to see what the shots were about. It did not take away from the episode but was rather unique to make the story work. Overall, a good watch.

Among if not the best so far !!!!

[searchanddestroy-1 · 10/10 · 13 October 2018]

At last a really terrific story in this rather so far tepid western TV show. Among those so predictable and sissies audiences for topics, I really enjoyed this one. Let me explain why, but BEWARE SPOILERS !!! The main lead pulled by an awesome David Janssen, who kills a man n self defense - and which ONLY the TV home audience can be witness of - is put on trial for murder and ONLY Robert Ryan will do his best to save him. At least try to obtain a FAIR trial for Janssen. And the ironical twist ending - so rare in this series - is that is Ryan who kills Janssen, the man he wanted to save !!!! That's what I love in this kind of stories, NOT PREDICTABLE endings, I repeat, so rare in this TV show.

fast gun inspires jealousy and hatred

[MissClassicTV · 10/10 · 17 November 2015]

Robert Ryan has a standout performance in this episode as the clear-headed, fair-minded Cob Oakley, the only man in town who doesn't automatically convict Tod Owen when Owen guns down Amos Clegg. Clegg was on a rooftop with a rifle trying to kill Owen, so really it was self defense. However, everyone in town hates Owen (actor David Janssen) and would like to see him dead. Owen's a fast gun and has killed three people in duels. He can outdraw anyone and that seems to be the root of the townspeople's hatred and rage. Except for Cob, everyone wants Owen to be found guilty of murdering Clegg so they can hang him by sundown.

The jury deliberation scenes are pretty good. Six men on the jury – five want to convict even before the trial. Cob asks a lot of good questions as he tries to raise reasonable doubt.

Meanwhile, Owen escapes jail because he doesn't believe the jury would set him free. He knows the sheriff hates him and the feeling is mutual. And indeed, the sheriff is not a nice person. David Janssen turns in a great performance as a man who always gives his opponent a fair draw but he's an outcast with no friends.

It's a good story. But it's sad, like a lot of Westerns can be.

Trial by Fear

[Prismark10 · 6/10 · 12 October 2022]

The episode opens with Dick Powell talking about the history of cigarettes in the wild west.

The story is about feared gunman Tod Owen (David Janssen) who shoots down Amos Clegg after the latter tried to shoot him down when Tod's back was turned.

With no witnesses, the sheriff sees this as an opportunity to hang Tod who he always viewed as trouble.

The jury is rigged but one of them Cob Oakley (Robert Ryan) is a reluctant juror unconvinced that this is an open and shut case.

Cob talks about a past incident when he thought he had a cattle rustler bang to right but it turned out to be the wrong man.

In essence as rerun of 12 Angry Men morphs into something darker. Tod escapes with a hostage. To be fair I can understand why Tod would not believe the sheriff who despises him.