Bellero Shield, The

Synopsis: US cult science fiction drama series. In this episode Richard Bellero’s experiments with a laser-beam gun capture a traveler from a "world" of light. This "laser creature" has the power to, in an emergency, encase itself in a clear, bell-shaped, plastic-like shell that is impervious to anything on Earth. Bellero’s ambitious wife, Judith, kills the creature in an unshielded moment and plans to credit her husband with the invention in order to capture world fame. While demonstrating the shield to Bellero’s wealthy industrialist father, she realises she doesn’t know how to remove the shield and begins to face an agonizing death in her impenetrable tomb.

The plot of an easily controlled male and an ambitious wife has led critics and fans to find parallels with Macbeth. Writer Stefano himself is quoted as wanting to write a ‘haircut’ of Macbeth for Sally Kellerman, Martin Landau’ s scientist, and the Lady Macbeth analogy is made clear in the line ‘lust is what becomes of an aspiration when it is allowed to grow and become ambition’ (cf Macbeth IV iii).
Series: Outer Limits, The
Language: English
Country: United States
Medium: Television
Transmission details: 10 Feb 1964 (Channel: ABC)
Duration: 60 mins