User Reviews

Robert Duvall stars as an ex-con named Barney Sonners in this installment of "The Naked City". Sonners is trying to get his life together. He's got a wife and kid and loves them. However, he's been approached to help a group of hoods rob his place of business. He's no dummy and contacts the cops--who capture the gang and put an end to their plans. The problem now is that the gang knows who turned them in and until they are incarcerated for good, Barney is nervous. It gets even worse when he and his wife start getting threatening phone calls. And, worse still when someone tries to kill his kid. Will Barney live to testify against these creeps? And, just as important, who is making these phone calls?

This is a particularly good show. Duvall's acting is quite nice and he makes for a very sympathetic character. Not action-packed, that's for sure but a nice portrait of a scared man who has finally had enough.

***SPOILERS*** Being in debt to the mob bartender Barney Sonners, Robery Duvall,is given an offer that he can't refuse by gangster Charley Breggs, Sandy Baron, to be the inside man at his place of work Slate's Place in a robbery he and his boys are planning to pull off. Reporting Breggs planned robbery to the police the cops arrest him and his gang before they could rob the place. But with Breggs boss toy manufacture Link Toland, Alfred Ryder, providing him with high priced New York shyster lawyer Harold Lowenson, Murray Matheson, he and his boys are out on the street on bail in less then 24 hours. Which isn't good new for Barney and his wife Penny, Barbara Loden, and the couple's new born child!

It's now up to Barney to stay alive and testify against Breggs before he and his gang get to both him and is wife and children. While doing that Braney has to come up with the rent money to pay his landlord before he and his family are thrown out on the street. The police do give Barney 24 hour around the clock police protection but for some strange or better yet stupid reason don't pay his rent which is a lot cheaper and in fact would do more to protect him, besides his family members, so he can stay alive long enough to testify!

**SPOILERS*** It these very strange and threatening phone calls that really starts to get under Barney's nerves and has his wife Penny and the kids check out to her mom's place in the suburbs leaving him all on his own. It's almost by accident that Barney finds out who's making the threatening phone calls and he's non other then Link Toland who was supposed to have lost his voice in a car accident. After Barney disarmed the cop Det. Adam Flint,Paul Burke, who was protecting him he goes to not only see Toland but blow his brains out with it.

With the gun pointed to Toland's head Barney gets second thoughts of whacking the guy in knowing by doing that he's no better then he is. As well as ending up behind bars and leaving his wife and family out on their own without him being around to protect them. That while having to protect himself from the convicts in the lock-up, prison, who'll be out to ice or get him for being a rat fink against one of their own.