The Bellero Shield

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The Outer Limits episode
“The Bellero Shield”

Episode no.	Season 1 Episode 20
Guest star(s)	Martin Landau Sally Kellerman Chita Rivera
Writer(s)	Joseph Stefano (teleplay & story) Lou Morheim (story)
Director	John Brahm
Cinematographer	Conrad Hall
Production no.	23
Original airdate	February 10, 1964
Episode chronology
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“The Invisibles”	“The Children of Spider County”

"The Bellero Shield" is an episode of the original The Outer Limits television show. It first aired on 10 February 1964, during the first season.

1 Opening narration
2 Plot synopsis
3 Closing narration
4 Quotes
5 Trivia
6 Cast
7 References
8 External links

[edit] Opening narration

"There is a passion in the human heart that is called aspiration. It flares with the noble flame, and by its light Man has traveled from the caves of darkness to the darkness of outer space. But when this passion becomes lust, when its flame is fanned by greed and private hunger, then aspiration becomes ambition-by which sin the angels fell."

[edit] Plot synopsis

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

A scientist (Landau) builds a powerful laser weapon. One night an alien from a light world on the top of our galaxy rides the laser down to earth. The scientist's wife (Kellerman) tries to shoot him with a laser gun but he raises a powerful shield. The scientist and the alien share knowledge with one another. When the scientist leaves the wife shoots the alien in order to get his shield technology. During a demonstration she raises the shield but is unable to take it down, thus trapping her. The alien, believed dead, comes to her rescue and lowers the shield before dying. The woman is left insane with guilt at killing an alien that only thought to help her.

[edit] Closing narration

"When this passion called aspiration becomes lust, then aspiration degenerates, becomes vulgar ambition, by which sin the angels fell.

[edit] Quotes

"Great men are forgiven their murderous wives", Richard Bellero, Sr. to Judith, when she reveals to him that she murdered the alien.

[edit] Trivia

There are several similarities in the story's theme, plot, and structure to Shakespeare's Macbeth, and many critics agree it was the series' take on that play.^[1]
This episode is believed by some to have influenced Barney Hill's description, given under hypnosis, of the aliens who allegedly abducted him and his wife in 1961. Hill underwent hypnosis twelve days after "The Bellero Shield" aired; the aliens he described were very similar to the alien which appears in this episode ^[2]. However, Hill's wife, Betty, claimed he was unlikely to have seen the episode.