Carlmar helped rejuvenate a national industry with successful melodramatically tinged works, and Damage Shot reflects her willingness to confront fraught issues of social concern. An intriguing moment in her career came with this look at a troubled husband whose melancholia tips over the edge into a dark depression as problems at home hit a crisis point. While the treatment he receives may be an artifact of the time, the way people around him respond reflect Carlmar’s interest in the tensions and fears that can arise when a life grounds to a halt.