My Brother, Richard story
District attorney Martin Ross faces a crisis in his campaign for governor when his brother Richard kills the competition, Burton Reeves, and threatens to kill Martin's wife, Laura. Martin makes a deal with Tommy, Burton's caddy, to temporarily confess to the murder in order to save Laura's life. Tommy's mother, mistaking Richard for Martin, begs him to release Tommy, and when Richard refuses, she kills him. Directed by: Herschel Daugherty. Story by: Jay Bennett, Sarett Rudley.
14 total · 1 choice · 9 major · 4 minor
| Theme | Level | Motivation |
|---|---|---|
| personal ethical dilemma | choice | Martin had to choose between obeying the law and protecting his wife. |
| brother and brother | major | Martin's callous brother Richard got him involved in a cold blooded murder. |
| family vs. conscience | major | Martin had to choose between loyalty to his brother vs. reporting a murder (then it turned into blackmail instead). |
| husband and wife | major | Martin and Laura Ross. |
| killing to save a loved one | major | Martin would have to let Tommy hang in order to save Laura. |
| political assassination | major | Richard murdered Martin's competitor for the governor post. |
| the desire for professional success | major | Martin, already a district attorney, had aspirations of becoming governor. |
| trust in a potential foe | major | Tommy deliberated whether to trust Martin and signed a confession. Martin urged Richard to trust him but Richard did not. The word "trust" was bandied around a lot. |
| what if I became accessory to a friend's crime | major | Richard tried to make Martin complicit in the murder plus subsequent cover-up. |
| what if I were being framed for a crime | major | Tommy was framed for murder. |