The New Breed (TV Series) Lady Killer (1961) User Reviews

The Student from Berkley

[kapelusznik18 · 5/10 · 13 February 2015]

****SPOILERS**** Real life lady-killer in the romance department Robert Redford plays on the run lady-killer and Berkley University drop-out Arthur Honniger who's a honey of a guy in getting women to let him in their houses and ends up assault and raping them. It's when Arthur tries to do the same to housewife Noguchi Gladstone, Tsuruko Koboyashi, things go terribly wrong as she drops dead of a heat attack before he can get the job, rape her, done. It's then when the Metro Squad headed by Let. Price Adams, Leslie Nielsen, springs into action.

As it turned out one of "Pretty Boy" Honniger's victims Phyllis Eberhardt, Anne Francis, can not only identify him but is also a professional artist who can draw his picture for the police to use in wanted posters plastered all over the state. With Honniger realizing that Phyllis can finger him he makes an attempt to pay her a visit for a second time and not be the nice guy, by just raping her, that he was before! This time around he's gonna shut her up for good and put her six feet under!

****SPOILERS*** It's Phyills' estranged husband Frank, Martin Balsam, who at first felt that she asked for it, in her being raped, that soon saw the error of his way and later corrected it. That's when Honniger held her hostage Frank put his life on the line by offering himself up as his victim in order to save her life. Honniger who became unhinged in what he was seeing, a husband willing to change place with his "cheating" wife, lost control giving Metro Squad sharp shooter Sgt. Vince Cavelli, John Beradino, all the time he needed to get a shot in putting Honniger away for good!

P.S As we soon found out from Honniger himself, before he got blasted, that his actions were the result of his big sister, who brought him up from childhood, deserting him when he needed her most. That was for some dirty beatnik type artist who sweet talked her into taking off with him for far off New York's Greenwich Village. That had Honniger flip out and take out his anger on women whom he targeted who reminded him of his big sister since she was too far away for him to get to her!

Leslie Nielsen plays it Straight

[gordonl56 · 8/10 · 10 January 2014]

THE NEW BREED – Lady Killer – 1961

This is episode 11 of the 36 episode run of the Police series, THE NEW BREED. This series which starred, Leslie Nielsen, ran during 1961 and 1962. It is about the cases of a special unit of the L.A. Police department that deals with serial killers and other crazy types.

There has been a string of murders up and down the California coast. They all have the same pattern. In each case a woman is strangled with a tie during the day while her husband is out at work. LA Police, LT Price Adams (Leslie Nielsen) and his unit get involved when a local, Tsuruko Kobayashi, becomes the latest victim.

The police soon decide to make the killings known to the public in a hope to rustle up some witnesses. This tactic soon has Anne Francis calling in to talk with Lt. Nielson. Francis had been attacked in her home but the killer had fled when the mailman showed at the door. The reason Francis had never told the Police about the assault, was that she was scared of what her husband, Martin Balsam, would think.

Nielsen asks Francis if she can supply a description of the lunatic. She can do better than that. She gives the Police a spot on sketch of the villain. Francis is an artist who does work from home.

Copies of the drawing are soon sent to all the Police services and plastered all over the newspapers. The man they are looking for is played by future star, Robert Redford. Redford has a few screws loose in the brainpan area and suffers from mother abandonment issues. He is seeking revenge on all women, particularly blonde bimbo types.

When the husband of Francis, Martin Balsam, finally hears about the attack, he tosses her and his step-son out of the house. The way he sees it, it has to be the woman's fault.

Meanwhile, the Police have discovered a further pattern. In each case, Redford had been hitchhiking and been given a lift by the husband of all of the victims. Redford had gleamed info on the drivers life just through casual conversation. He would then target the man's wife. Nielsen and his unit decide that Francis could still be in danger. She is the only woman to survive an attack.

Of course by this time, Redford, having seen the papers, knows that the Police are on to him. He decides that he must indeed return and finish what he has started. Balsam, after a hard talking to by Nielsen, has welcomed Francis and his step son home. Just in time it turns out for Redford to burst in and drag Francis off at the point of a blade.

Nielsen and his squad are summoned and do the nick of time bit. Redford is dispatched with a rifle shot after Balsam distracts Redford's attention away from his wife.

An interesting episode of a series I had never heard of till I stumbled across a few on DVD.

Also cast as part of the Police unit are, John Beradino, Greg Roman and John Clarke. The director was long time television man, Walter Grauman. Grauman worked on various series from 1957 to 1996.

Efficient, yes but not exceptional

[searchanddestroy-1 · 27 October 2015]

Well this episode remains interesting because we have here a young Robert Redford before he was known, a young Marty Balsam and also the already star at this time Ann Francis. And Bob Redford kidnapping Ann Francis is after all very unusual. The rough and accurate directing of Walter Grauman is also worth watching. Fast paced episode that grabs you from the beginning to the end. But if you consider closely the overall scheme, and I don't speak of Redford's presence, there is nothing really unusual here, but a very foreseeable topic without any great surprise nor twist ending of any kind. But, I repeat, a great directing and camera work. Yes it may not be the best of the series but for anyone who would not know this show, this would be the first episode to see.