Mickey Rooney is outstanding in this character, a comic stage actor who realizes that he has to choose between a better career to give his family a better life, and this very same family. This kind of scheme, I already saw it in a PLAYHOUSE 90 episode, which I don't remember the title and the lead star. But both stories are strong character studies, a deep analysis of actors and the dedication they have to give to their audiences and the part they also have to save for their owns. You also have the surprise to have Ross Martin - Bob Conrad's sidekick in WILD WILD WEST series, Arthemus Gordon, remember? - as Mickey Rooney's best friend. It's a rather painful story, when you see all the difficulties that poor fellow have to fight to survive. The scene, in the café, when a crooked official gives him a check so that our poor lead abandon the charges against those who cheated him, this sequence is terrific. Look out for the final court room scene, with Mickey Rooney making his show, to get the court mansuetude, look out for the camera movements, look out for the public and judge and attorney's faces. This is absolutely unforgettable. Painfully unforgettable.
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