Academy Award winning actor Rod Steiger guests in "Welcome to the Wedding" the eighth episode in season three of Route 66. Mr. Steiger's talents are not wasted as it is one of the darkest and most dramatic episodes in the entire series.
Portraying character Justin Lezama, a twice convicted murder, Steiger brings true menace to the part of a desperate convict seeking freedom in hopes he may, for once, feel something - anything. Lezama is demented having absolutely no conscience or emotions. He manipulates a transfer where he has a layover in Cleveland's central train station. Tod becomes a hapless victim/hostage as he is approached by the officer transporting Lezama, played by Ed Asner, to retrieve the prisoner's brother for a kind of humanitarian meeting during the layover. The ensuing hour, or so, is fraught with tension created by Steiger's truly cold and detached performance.
This is one of the better episodes of Route 66's crime based drama type vignettes directed by seasoned TV and film director George Sherman. Milner is in most every scene, but it is Steiger's performance, portraying what he calls a "monster", that shines (Maharris is along, but is seen sparingly). A must see episode.
Portraying character Justin Lezama, a twice convicted murder, Steiger brings true menace to the part of a desperate convict seeking freedom in hopes he may, for once, feel something - anything. Lezama is demented having absolutely no conscience or emotions. He manipulates a transfer where he has a layover in Cleveland's central train station. Tod becomes a hapless victim/hostage as he is approached by the officer transporting Lezama, played by Ed Asner, to retrieve the prisoner's brother for a kind of humanitarian meeting during the layover. The ensuing hour, or so, is fraught with tension created by Steiger's truly cold and detached performance.
This is one of the better episodes of Route 66's crime based drama type vignettes directed by seasoned TV and film director George Sherman. Milner is in most every scene, but it is Steiger's performance, portraying what he calls a "monster", that shines (Maharris is along, but is seen sparingly). A must see episode.