Guad42 Reviews

The Rat Patrol: The Truce at Aburah Raid (1967) Season 2, Episode 1

Good opening for the second season

[8/10 · 12 May 2024]

A nice episode. It opens with Dietrich chasing our guys with a variety of vehicles, including to M-20 armored cars. They end up at an oasis and an Arab girl falls in a well and the mother wants help. A truce is agreed to and the two sides join forces to get the girl up. It gets complicated when a second group Of Germans arrive, and a brief firefight erupts. Tully is wounded at the beginning of the fight. Dietrich insists the truce is honored. It is until the girls is rescued and then the second group starts the fight anew. The Rats escape and only Dietrich survives the second fight.

A good outing. I recommend it.

The Rat Patrol: The Delilah Raid (1967) Season 1, Episode 32

Stop me if you've heard this one. The Rats are captured and ...

[7/10 · 12 May 2024]

This is the last episode of the first season and a bit different from the usual characters we see on the show. A pretty woman is found wounded in a convoy hit by our guys. She swears she is a French resistance fighter captured while trying to destroy this very convoy carrying radar equipment for a new German installation. While the Rats take her with them along with two German trucks to haul the jeeps. While offloading the jeeps, she runs away in a truck. The guys grab her but are then captured by her German lover. They are confined and, as usual, escape and destroy the German camp in the process. A poignant ending when the German lover just on a grenade to save his woman. The Rats escape and the woman is left holding her dead lover.

I've noticed there are two types of viewers for this series. Those who enjoy the escapist entertainment while admitting it is totally unrealistic and those who spend their viewing time saying, "That would never happen." "The Germans are awful shots." "No way they should do that tactic." Etc., etc.

If you like The Rat Patrol, you will like this episode. If not, you won't.

The Rat Patrol: The Double or Nothing Raid (1967) Season 1, Episode 28

Good episode if you're a fan

[7/10 · 5 May 2024]

This is a typical Rat Patrol outing with explosions, lots of gunfire, and crazy driving. I even like the dirt on the camera lens as the jeeps drive away after kidnapping the German officer early in the episode. I loved this show as a kid, and I can still see why. It is fast paced action without a great deal of moralizing or deep dialogue.

Of course, the Germans are the worst shots ever and it is clear now that the show ran out of plots by the end of the first year but that's okay. A redeeming factor was German Captain Dietrich had a sense of honor and Hans Gudegast, now Eric Braeden, was an excellent choice to portray him.

In this outing, the Germans have a wounded Moffitt and Troy grabs a German to exchange for him. Unfortunately, this officer gets the jump on our boys and they have to kill him. Now there is nobody to trade. Troy dresses as the German and the exchange goes forward. The guys rescue Moffitt and, after a brief gunfight in the middle of a smoke screen they make their escape. The last scene is Moffitt in the hospital with a pretty nurse.

Much Like Sgt Saunders, the Rats all recover quickly from their wounds and the gang will be back at it soon. Good episode for fans but if you hate the Rat Patrol, this episode has plenty to point to as proof of your disdain. I like it as a guilty pleasure,

PS Is that the Hogan's Heroes watch tower with searchlight in the opening fight? I think so.

Combat!: The General and the Sergeant (1964) Season 2, Episode 18

John Dehner's episode

[9/10 · 5 May 2024]

A bit of a companion piece to the episode with Eddie Albert as a shell-shocked World War I American vet. The plot has been covered by others so just few comments.

John Dehner was one of those actors who seemed to be in everything back then. Comedy, dramas, westerns, detectives - you name it, he did it. Much like William Windom, he never seemed to give a bad performance regardless of the character or quality of the script. Always projected gravitas when doing authority figures, I bet he had fun with this role. He plays it straight but with a slight twinkle in the eye. You will be glad he comes out ahead at the end of the episode. One of the best guest stars to appear on the show.

Watching Combat as a kid, Kirby was one of my favorites as I liked the BAR. Now I notice that Kirby is a non-stop complainer and his unsolicited advice to Saunders is usually wrong. A good fighter but would wear on me after a while. Now Cage is the guy you want with you when the going gets tough or hanging out in the rear. Doc too.

This is a good episode. Do see it.

12 O'Clock High: Underground (1966) Season 2, Episode 18

Good outing

[8/10 · 15 November 2023]

I agree with the two earlier reviewers. This is a bit of a reach but an enjoyable episode that will hold your attention. The plot has been covered so a few comments.

The acting is well done but then it should be. Whit Bissell was in everything back then and the other supporting players, many natives of Germany and France, all made the rounds of the 1960s WWII shows. They are old hands at portraying France partisans and German soldiers, not only in the dramas but also the comedies such as Hogan's Heroes and McHale's Navy. Just look at Claudine Longet's credits. Speaking of which, she is doing her typed cast role of a shy, innocent young girl who is thrust into a dire situation through no fault of her own. As always, she finds the courage and determination to do the right thing and see the mission through. Who is not typed cast here is Robert Walker Jr. Back in the 60s, he seemed to be locked into the role of earnest, semi crazy man-child who wants to be accepted but just can't fit in. See his roles in Combat and Star Trek for examples. In this episode, the earnestness seeps out at times but this is a different character for him and he does well.

Three observations of no particular importance. First, the real wartime footage of the target spliced into show at the beginning and end is clearly on the seashore. As Joe Gallagher took off from Britain and bombed a target on the shore, how he ended up bailing out over Switzerland is interesting. Second, most of Joe's crew bail out also. (The radio operator is dead.) Yet, they disappear from the script. Joe, as pilot in command and group CO, has an obligation to find out their fate but he does nothing in that regard, not even a mention. Bad leadership, Joe! Third, as always, the entire episode is in English for the viewer's benefit. In an episode like this, that really stands out. It is especially helpful to Joe at the end as he overhears two German officers discussing the truth about what is really going on. Since it is in English, this allows Joe to learn the truth and to take immediate drastic action to correct the situation.

Minor observations about a fine episode. Do see it.

Hawaii Five-O: The Second Shot (1970) Season 3, Episode 3

One of my favorite episodes

[9/10 · 3 November 2023]

A good story from start to finish. It begins with an assassination attempt and keeps you involved throughout. Eric Braeden is always good. He brings a gentle gravitas to all his roles, and I can't remember ever seeing him give a bad performance. John Marley and Charlene Polite are excellent also. All veteran actors who bring their "A" game.

The plot is a bit out there as it seems like a lot of work to get close to the target and Steve refuses to buy into the setup. A lucky break with fingerprints is the clincher and Steve shows up just in time to prevent a murder. A minor point - silencers do not work with revolvers.

An entertaining outing for even the casual fan of the series. I highly recommend it.

Tales of Wells Fargo: Doc Holliday (1959) Season 3, Episode 34

Typical 50s western

[5/10 · 4 October 2023]

For about a 18-year stretch, westerns ruled television. We all remember the successful series such as Bonanza, Gunsmoke, Maverick, and Cheyenne among others, but there seems to be a thousand other western series that aren't remembered today. Some died quickly and others were just formula rehashes. Tales of Wells Fargo is in the latter category. It had a good five year run and Dale Robertson had a long career, mostly in westerns but there is nothing about the show that stands out. This episode is a typical example. Doc Holliday (Martin Landau) is the main character here. This was routine for shows back then to have famous western names in an episode. Of course, these characters do things that the real person never did. Usually, the character is much nicer and upstanding than the historical figure could ever hope to be. This outing is basically fiction using an historical name to bring viewers in. Landau is fine. Robertson is a bit wooden. Whitney Blake overacts. Nothing particularly good or bad here. Most of the episodes of this series is in this vein. Helps pass thirty minutes but an hour later you won't remember the show.

Mannix: Quartet for Blunt Instrument (1975) Season 8, Episode 19

Good episode as series winds down

[8/10 · 13 September 2023]

The plot has been covered by other reviewers so a few comments. As already stated, since the dead man killed himself, we should have seen it as part of the beginning of the show. Joe pulls the idea out of midair about halfway through and, as always with Joe's gut hunches, this works out. If an episode is going to veer off track that way, we need to see the man's death in such a way as suicide is a possibility. My working theory was the dead man discovered the process didn't work and told his wife and the investors. One or more of them then killed the guy so they would get the insurance money. It was a good hypothesis until it wasn't. The police actually save Joe at the end. LAPD - take note! Good to see the sheriff was not in on the plot as in many of Joe's small-town adventures.

The acting is good. I could watch Kathy Justice read a phone book. Pippa Scott as wife is suitably bad. She doesn't miss her dead husband or dead brother and wants her lover to commit murder. Do not lower your guard around her.

Of course, no pay for Joe. I hope he took Perry the hitchhiker all the way to San Diego. The guy deserved a break of some kind. A good outing. Do see it.

12 O'Clock High: The Hotshot (1965) Season 2, Episode 6

Episode belongs to Warren Oates

[8/10 · 24 August 2023]

If a show has an episode of conflict between the hero and a villain, the villain needs to be good in the role. Fortunately, Warren Oates was made for such roles. As Lt Col Troper, he understands his orders but doesn't agree with them so is largely on his own agenda. He comes across as a rebel who is successful at his job so others follow him. A clash with the tightly wrapped Gallagher was inevitable. Of course, Troper is winning at first but Gallagher gets Troper's pilots to see the light and the new method of operations is proven successful. A sequel episode would have been interesting.

This episode was preceded by an outing with Jack Lord as Gallagher's brother. Lord had a series named Stoney Burke a few years earlier and Oates played his sidekick in that series. Coincidence of course but I thought I would mention it.

Warren Oates had a great career cut short by his untimely death at 53. He went back and forth between TV and movies and was a favorite of Sam Peckinpah who used him a lot and gave him lead roles. Many character/supporting actors suffer from "I know the face but not the name" syndrome. You definitely knew who Warren Oates was. He stands out in every scene regardless of the movie or TV show. He reminds me of Strother Martin in that regard. It's a shame he never got a role that would have gotten him a best supporting actor nomination for an Oscar. When you look at actors who did get nominated from that era, you see names like Nick Adams, Richard Jaeckel, Mako, Ben Johnson, and Robert Stack. Johnson even won for "Last Picture Show". There are others so Oates would have fit right in with no problem. So would have Strother Martin. Alas, it was not to be. Too bad. Maybe the role would have happened if Oates had just lived longer.

This is a good episode. Do see it.

Combat!: The Losers (1966) Season 5, Episode 2

Excellent episode

[9/10 · 24 August 2023]

The plot has been covered by others so just a few comments. I think the script was nicely written and accomplished two things very well. The four jailbirds all get enough dialogue and screen time to establish themselves as individual characters. It was smart to have only Littlejohn with Saunders. Any more squad members would have cut into that time for the guest stars.

The second great thing was Saunders is only 50% successful in getting these jailbirds to see the light. Any other script would have had Lennon (John Considine) leaped up and rush into the final fight to kill a few Germans and save some of our guys. You could see it coming when the scenes cut to him listening to the gunfire as he sat doing nothing. Yet, it didn't happen. Kudos to the writer, Ed Lasko, for that. Take a look at that guy's credits. He did some serious writing. The other non-redeemer was Kline (Bill Bixby). He was a con artist at the start and a con artist at the end. Well, even Sgt Saunders can't win them all.

As always with Combat, the acting is superb. The guest stars make the show and all four come through here. Considine and Billy Gray are still alive at this writing. Bixby died way too young. He was a fine director as well as an actor. Michael Caffey's direction is works well and the action scenes are excellent. Caffey directed the previous episode and did 12 episodes in all. I can see why. He gets it done. He also has a long list of TV credits.

My one complaint is a common one for season 5. There is a blood bath of German casualties. The Americans suffered one man wounded and kill a couple of dozen Germans. Not too realistic.

Still a great episode upgraded by being in color. Highly recommended.

12 O'Clock High: Big Brother (1965) Season 2, Episode 5

Brothers! What can you do?

[7/10 · 13 August 2023]

The other reviewers have covered this episode well so just a few stray comments. One thing I like was the fact that Joe actually outranked his older brother. In WWII it was a bone of contention within the "real army" (the non-fliers) that the air corps officers were promoted faster than their ground comrades. There were even cartoons and comments about it in Stars and Stripes. I suspect the writers or producers didn't know this, but it was nice to see. Also, the relationship between Jack Lord and Julie Adams would have been much more on the quiet side as such fraternization between the ranks was officially frowned upon. I realize it happens on all the TV war series and really did happen during the war. Hell, Ike had an affair with his chauffeur. When it did happen, everyone kept it quiet and if someone was out to get somebody, bringing up such relationships was a good way to do it.

I have never been a big Jack Lord fan as he is an intense actor who tends to play unlikeable characters that are hard to root for. I think that is why "Stoney Burke" lasted one year. He was fine in Hawaii 5-0 as the no-nonsense head of his police unit. That is the kind of role he could excel in - fighting bad guys more unlikeable than him in a beautiful setting with a good supporting cast. I read somewhere that he had been in the running to play James T. Kirk on Star Trek. We dodged a bullet there as I cannot stretch to see that.

The rest of the cast is great, several veteran actors who always bring their A game. I'd watch Julie Adams read a phone book. I wish Robert Colbert had made more than 2 appearances on the show as the same character. Of course, he moved on to "The Time Tunnel" so it might not have been possible. Lee Meriwether was also a 12 O'clock High alumnus (3 eps) who move to that series. Both of them are still alive as of this writing.

In the beginning of the show, Preston is watching his brother, Joe, come in for a landing while being attacked by German fighters. Where did that BAR magically come from and why is it there?

This is a good episode with family conflict in the foreground. Another episode between the brothers would have been interesting. Jack Lord made another appearance on the show as a different character - should have been as Preston. Do see this outing as it is a nice change from the England setting and the usual conflicts within the squadron. Recommended.

The Outer Limits: Expanding Human (1964) Season 2, Episode 4

I concur on the Andes-Homier comments of one reviewer

[8/10 · 26 June 2023]

I remember seeing Keith Andes in an episode of Perry Mason and thinking how much he reminded me of Skip Homeier. Similar appearance and voice. Those two should have been cast as brothers many times but I haven't run across any occurrence of it. Too bad. Anyway, it is good to see I'm not the only one who noticed the resemblance.

I think Homeier had the better career with many movies in the 1950s while both actors were staples on tv in the 1960s. Not sure why Skip retired at the young age of 50. He seemed to have made the decision well before time and casting directors would make the decision for him. Both men were good actors and producers could do a lot worse than have them in the cast.

Mannix: Cold Trail (1971) Season 5, Episode 2

Nicely done outing

[8/10 · 26 May 2023]

A good episode that has two groups chasing the big guy and his young lady companion after the woman's friend is killed on the ski slopes. Which group are the good guys and which are the bad? You will be kept guessing - always a good hallmark for any story.

The plot has been covered by others so a few comments. When one of assassins picks up the wrong woman's unconscious body on the ski slope, he is clearly picking up a dummy. Paul Mantee plays a character named Frank Viola. There was a pitcher in the major leagues named Frank Viola beginning in the early 1980s. He had a good career, including a Cy Young award. Boris Sobelman received a 'story by' credit for this episode. He had died several months before this episode aired. George Voskover, one of the jurors in "12 Angry Men", always reminds me of Eli Wallach.

One thing stayed the same. Joe works for free again. This is well worth your time. Do see it.

Combat!: Billy the Kid (1965) Season 3, Episode 29

Excellent outing

[9/10 · 16 April 2023]

You can always tell classic entertainment because there is a timeless element to it. Combat is roughly sixty years old and it still gets the job done. I enjoyed it as a kid and still enjoy it today.

The plot has been covered by others so a few comments. Andrew Prine as Lt Benton is outstanding. He walks the line between being a gung ho newbie officer trying to prove himself and a man dedicated to accomplishing a tough mission. You will root for the guy. John Milford had a long career playing characters just like the sergeant in this episode. He comes through when it counts. Two excellent guest stars who carry things right along.

I know the last year of Combat! Was done in color but this is one of those shows that just look better in black and white. I highly recommend this episode and the series.

Mannix: Missing: Sun and Sky (1969) Season 3, Episode 12

The sun ain't gonna shine anymore.

[8/10 · 12 March 2023]

Apologies to the Walker Brothers. Couldn't resist it.

Much like the required boxing story, if a PI show lasts long enough, you get a horse story. I know Perry Mason did it a couple of times and Banacek found a stolen horse also. Even the first McHale's Navy movie had the PT-73 gang running a racehorse out to the track. I sure there are other examples.

This is a good Mannix episode. A husband-and-wife team named Greene own a prized racehorse named Sun and Sky. That horse and a second horse are being flown across country. The crew of the plane transporting the two horses are drugged into unconsciousness and the plane is landed in the desert. The horses are stolen. Joe is hired by the insurance company to investigate before the plane is even found. Joe finds the plane and the crew. Their coffee was drugged. Everyone assumes a ransom demand is coming so Joe (actually Peggy) does background checks on all the key players while everyone waits for the ransom call. Joe is visited by Paddy Wright (Richard Davalos) who tries to bribe him to go easy on this case. Of course, it doesn't work. Joe meets a trainer/owner friend of the Greenes named Sam Dallas (Alex Dreier) who is sure there will be a ransom demand because the horse has a tattoo inside his lip so the thieves could never run the horse in races themselves. Sam is a down on his luck but very friendly with everyone. The ransom demand comes in and the bad guys want $753. Hmmm. Joe delivers the ransom to an alley trashcan and gets beat up by Paddy's henchmen as Paddy watches. Joe wakes up with four hippies who had saved him by blowing a police whistle. The bad goons had run away and Paddy drops his address book. The hippies had demanded the ransom but had no part in the horsenapping. They give the money back. They settled on $753 because it was a cool number. Hippies! What can you do? Meanwhile, Peggy finds out one of the air crew was a bomber pilot in the USAF and worked for Sam Dallas when he had a horse business. Joe consults Paddy's address book and find a connection to Sam Dallas. Joe goes out to Sam's old ranch and catches the bad guys with the horse. A jeep-horse chase later, the cops show up and the case is over. Sam gives a speech about being a "real horse man" to those damn interlopers, the Greenes, and then he and Paddy are taken away.

A few comments. Why do any bad guys try to bribe Joe? Since he and Paddy know each other, Paddy should have told his boss that it wouldn't happen. How is it nobody knows Joe's reputation? I knew Floyd Brand (Harry Carey Jr) was the bad crewmember based on the "biggest guest star" rule. Harry had a long career and was in the cadre of John Ford actors. I can't see him taking a role that has two or three scenes and five lines of dialogue. The hippie interlude was a severe mood change for the episode, but they were fun. Paddy losing his information book and the hippies finding it was a serious stroke of luck.

Joe gets beat up but he does get paid. Peggy gives solid support. The cops show up in a timely manner, a rarity for Joe. This outing is well worth the hour.

Mannix: Return to Summer Grove (1969) Season 3, Episode 3

You can't go home again except if you're Joe Mannix

[7/10 · 28 February 2023]

Joe takes a case that occurs in his hometown and involves old friends. His old girlfriend, Jean McBride (Vera Miles), is now married to Joe's friend and old football teammate, Troy McBride (Larry Pennell), He is charged with murder of a company coworker who thought Troy was stealing from the company. Troy is in an iron lung due to injuries from a car crash after the crime. Joe goes home, sees the old housekeeper and fights with Dad. He sees an old teammate, Ed Barkley (no relation to The Big Valley Barkleys), for background information. Troy says he did the crime as a way to get Joe off the case. We all know he didn't do it. Joe sees Troy's old girlfriend Lurene Warenski (Marion Ross) who can give Troy an alibi. Joe convinces her to make a statement and they head toward town. However, they end up going off a cliff together in a car with a cut brake line. Why is it that cars with cut brakes always have to go down a steep road? Joe also gets to reminisce with old high school girlfriend Jean and clash with his Dad again. The murderer is easy to figure out as there is only one suspect. When he shows up to kill Troy in his hospital room, Joe returns at the right time and, despite his handicaps, he wins the fist fight and saves Troy. Troy says he can breathe on his own, so it looks good for his recovery.

A couple of comments made by other reviewers that I will reinforce here. Mike Connors does screw up the line about "she and Ed dating..." when he is actually talking to Ed. He clearly meant to say, "she and Troy..." It does make one wonder how that got by everyone. Also, Joe calls Lurene Warenski by her last name all the time. Never seen that from him before. A bit strange but maybe it was a habit left over from high school.

The acting is hit and miss. Vera Miles, still alive at this writing, is excellent as the wife and former girlfriend. Of course, she is always good. Marion Ross is fine in her short screen time. It is easy to forget she had a very busy career before "Happy Days". As pointed out by others, Victor Jory is chewing up some serious scenery. I think his character could have been toned down a little. With a father like that, I would have left home too. For once, the small-town sheriff is on Joe's side. He is played with easy camaraderie by Valentin de Vargas. Lawyer Leo Kolligan (Booth Colman) is a fun character also.

As always, there are some logic gaps. Troy visits Joe in LA to hire him. This is a guy with a severe medical condition and charged with murder and he is allowed to travel in a truck to LA? Nope. Lurene Warenski has carried a torch for Troy for decades but is willing to let him go to trial when she can easily provide him with an alibi? Nope. Troy would have had his fingerprints taken as soon as he was arrested so the case wouldn't depend on old fingerprints from 20 years ago taken in a nearby town. Wouldn't the real murderer wipe the murder weapon of fingerprints? That's basic murderer protocol.

This episode shows the bad people on Joe's high school football and season 4 will air "A Gathering of Ghosts" which will highlight the bad people on Joe's college football team.

The episode "Wine From The Grapes" (5-4) will see Joe go home again. Victor Jory (Dad) and Booth Colman (lawyer) return. The character of Sheriff Madeiros returns but is played by a different actor while Marion Ross returns as a different character. Dad is much more mellow in this episode. I would have liked to see an episode where Dad comes to LA and gets involved in a case.

Of course, Joe would never send a bill to his old friends, so he has to settle for getting to the truth. Peggy does not appear in this outing. Joe suffers arm and neck injuries from his car crash. Despite all the flaws I recommended the episode. The background provided on Joe makes up for some shortcomings in the presentation. I think this story is different enough from a standard Mannix episode to make it is interesting viewing.

The Fugitive: Devil's Carnival (1964) Season 2, Episode 14

See it for the supporting cast

[8/10 · 20 February 2023]

The plot has been well covered by others so a few comments.

Marybeth Thompson, mother/phone operator, is indeed annoying. The shootout at the back of the jail between Haines and the Sheriff should have attracted some attention but didn't. Someone should count the number of episodes where the actions of others bring unwanted police attention on Kimble even though he has done nothing to attract such attention.

I would like to praise the supporting cast in this episode. Oates and Martin are top pros and Woodrow Parfley had a long career. Although Oates and Martin were busy actors with numerous movie credits, it is a shame neither got an Oscar nominee for a best supporting actor. If you look at their movie credits, both appeared a some serious movie productions but never got the right role. I wonder if Martin got any consideration for his memorable role as "the captain" in "Cool Hand Luke". Since George Kennedy won in the same movie, probably not. Oates was kind of pigeonholed playing the characters he played in this Fugitive outing. The friendly good ol' boy who has his own agenda and a violent dark side that comes out quickly. He died at 53 so it would have been interesting to see what roles he would have been given as he got older. Martin's career was a little more varied and he could dominate any scene he was in. Several actors known primarily for television got Oscar nominations. Nick Adams, Pat Morita, Mako, Robert Stack, and Robert Vaughn come to mind, among many others. Either of these two actors would have been a fine addition to the list.

This is a good episode. Do see it.

Mannix: Who Will Dig the Graves? (1968) Season 2, Episode 8

Another lying client. Not the first and won't be the last

[8/10 · 2 February 2023]

Someone with a Mannix DVD set should count how many of Joe's clients hire him with bald face lies. When it happened at Intertect, Joe still got paid. Now, nothing!

Others have covered the plot so a few comments. Linda Marsh, as Susan Ward, is pretty and a fine actress. She makes the most of her somewhat limited screen time. Barry Atwater is suitably evil, as are his henchmen. Charles Robinson as Dr Roanhorse is good, but the role would be played by a Navajo in any remake. I wonder if that is real Navajo being spoken. I assume so but don't know it for a fact. I stated in my review of the last episode that guest Timothy Scott reminded me of Harry Dean Staton and now we have the real thing in this outing. He does fine in a supporting role. I thought he might be the bad guy simply because of who he was. It is easy to forget that he toiled as a supporting player for years before getting bigger roles and the recognition he deserved. This Mannix role was before that time.

I want to echo what another reviewer noted about the cops showing up and arresting the bad guys without a word being exchanged between anybody. It stood out like a sore thumb and made the scene rather ridiculous. The invention of the character of the friendly police lieutenant will correct that problem.

Nice twist involving identities at the end. Well done, writers!

Joe gets shot at, involved in fist fights, and rolls his car. Of course, nobody is around to pay him. Since Susan Ward would inherit everything, maybe she could throw a few bucks his way. A good episode and well worth your time.

Mannix: Edge of the Knife (1968) Season 2, Episode 7

A decent enough episode due to the cast

[7/10 · 30 January 2023]

This is an okay episode but not among the best. The plot is a bit weak in that, in true Mannix mode, the bad guys have a much too complicated plot to achieve their ends. Since Walter (Tim Scott) works in the hospital, why doesn't he just kill the patient with an injection or something? The guest cast is what makes this a viewable outing. Most of the cast has been praised by other reviewers but I will add one more name: Timothy Scott as the car mechanic, hospital orderly, and general all-around bad guy. NIce dialogue and good screen presence here. He reminds me of Harry Dean Stanton in this showing. Check out his credits - he had some great supporting roles in some big-time movies. ("I always love to read my name in the paper, Butch.")

Not sure about hiding the kid at the hospital. Didn't he need to eat or get a bathroom break? It is TV and nobody uses the bathroom in TV land. (At least until "All In The Family" comes along.)

Joe doesn't get shot but he does get beat up. He is also paid so a positive outing for our guy. See this for the veteran cast who are all good here and many go on to other good things.

12 O'Clock High: The Climate of Doubt (1964) Season 1, Episode 5

Well done outing

[8/10 · 30 January 2023]

This is a very enjoyable episode. The plot has been well covered by others so a few observations.

This series had many episodes driven by character conflict. Usually, it is the guest star creating problems and it is all wrapped up in one episode and we never see the character again. (Two exceptions: Joe Gallagher (Paul Burke) and Gus Denver (Gary Lockwood) Both had two appearances as the same character and, of course, Paul Burke would later lead the series after Lansing's departure) The conflict in this outing is between two well established characters who were together before these events and will be together afterward. It is waged in a low-grade unemotional way as opposed to some of the other conflicts seen on the show. There is no obvious right or wrong side, and I can see the reasoning behind each position. I like shades of gray and this show has them.

Bernard Fox is great in his limited screen time. The perfect Englishman with a matching sense of humor. However, Viveca Lindfors as Nicole Trouchard is excellent and she is the driving force here, both with her character's motives and her own acting. Her scenes with Robert Lansing crackle with chemistry. I don't blame Wiley Crowe (John Larkin) a bit. I would fall for her. Lansing, Larkin, and Lindfors are a superb trio here. Of course, in three months Larkin would die of a heart attack and Lansing would be off the show at the end of the broadcasting year and this series would lose something in the transition.

The dialogue throughout is well done. Savage's speech at the board of inquiry is much above average TV wordsmithing. I always thought Lansing was much better than Paul Burke in the role of commander of the 918th. Lansing brings gravitas and depth to it. He is a military leader while Burke seems too emotional and rah-rah for believability. Burke isn't horrible but just a little too much of a lightweight. I can't see him delivering that speech and making me believe it.

One note on the technical side. David White plays a brigadier general (one star) on the inquiry board who does most of the talking and interrogating. In any formal board (Court-martial, inquiry, investigative, etc) the military rules call for all members of the board to be of higher rank than the people being judged since junior people can't pass judgement on their seniors. Since General Crowe is a major general (two stars), the board members must be three stars or two stars with an earlier date of rank than Crowe. I realize this is a minor point in the scheme of things.

One last comment. Not sure I would have had Nicole Trouchard killed off in the final scene. Makes for a nice speech by Crowe but just didn't quite sit right. Maybe because I would have liked to see her character return. I'll let you decide on that final point. A good episode. Do see it.

Okay - one more last comment. I wonder what the show would have been like if Gus Denver (Lockwood) had replaced General Savage rather than Joe Gallagher. I would have liked to see it.

12 O'Clock High: The Duel at Mont Sainte Marie (1966) Season 3, Episode 14

Colonel Gallagher is on a mission from God

[7/10 · 25 December 2022]

Like the previous episode, this is another outing where a bomber squadron commander is coloring way outside the lines. Gallagher is negotiating with German Col Schotten (Edward Mulhare) to quit using a group of nuns for cover to keep his observation post from being bombed. Col Schotten is a cultured chap who understand the dilemma but is not willing to let the nuns go. I think many British actors have played German officers in that sort of way. The episode centers on the interaction between these two colonels. It is actually quite good and the hour moves right along. It will hold you attention. Eventually, the nuns walk out on their own and the German troops refuse to shoot them as they depart. The colonel dies in the bombing of his post.

Despite being on TV for only three years, it is clear the writers are running out of ideas for the show. Understandable in that in a real war, men are trained to do one job and they do it over and over again. Given that, there is not much variety for writers to work with and keep it real. If these writers have it tough, imagine writing for "Rat Patrol" or "Black Sheep Squadron". Given their locations in the desert and on a Pacific island, the realistic writing possibilities are even more restrictive. Some of the later episodes for each show are just ridiculous as the writers are stretched for ideas.

The acting cast is excellent. Mulhare gains a little sympathy for himself. Joseph Campanella is fine as Father Roman but the character is a bit superfluous here. John Milford and Paul Mantee are acting veterans who are always reliable. Of interest is Lilia Skala as Sister Marthe. She had a long career, and this role is in the middle of her "nun phase" as she seemed to play a lot of them in the mid-60s. In fact, she was nominated for an Oscar for playing a nun in "Lillies of the Field". She also did two appearances on "Naked City" with Paul Burke a few years earlier. She is good here. Nice to see General Doud (Richard Anderson) get out from behind his desk and into the cockpit with Frank Overton joining him as copilot.

If Col Gallagher is going to keep doing these "off the wall" type assignments, he should leave Sgt Sandy Komansky (Chris Robinson) behind. The guy is a B-17 gunner for heaven's sake. He gets dragged along on these impromptu commando missions and he isn't trained for that. Robinson gets screen time so I guess it's all for a good cause. A decent episode as the series winds down. Do see it.

12 O'Clock High: Six Feet Under (1966) Season 3, Episode 13

Gallagher is a rambling. gambling kinda guy. Don't fence him in!

[5/10 · 20 December 2022]

I have to agree with the first reviewer. The idea that Col Gallagher would bring anything to this party is laughable. Can't see a realistic scenario where the military would send a bomber group commander to Belgium to read captured documents and he doesn't read German!

I watch this episode on METV and the proceeding hour is two episodes of the "Rat Patrol". When this episode started, I thought I was seeing a third straight episode of that show. Belgium sure looks like a desert here. Not too realistic. Also, the German officer at the start of outing shows a weird lack of interest in all the shooting going on. He would pay for that mistake with his life.

I do like the action and the cast. These are all veteran actors who do the episode justice. Martin Milner did a lot of military roles in his long career. Check out his movies early on. Rudy Solari would be in "Garrison's Gorillas" a year later. Lawrence Montaigne, forever Spock's rival Stonn, was in "The Great Escape". Richard Anderson is always a pro. Everyone gets into the spirit of the thing.

Looks like they raided the "Combat" equipment locker as the halftrack with the added roof/machine gun made two or three appearances in that series. I think Milner is wearing Sgt Saunders camouflaged helmet. That is just wrong!

There are a few things to like here but because of the weak premise, I can't recommend this hour.

Mannix: Hardball (1975) Season 8, Episode 24

Good episode that turned into a swan song

[10/10 · 17 December 2022]

The plot has been covered by others so I will just state that it is tensed and fast paced. Bill Bixby could direct about anything and make it worth watching. A very underrated director.

The acting matches the direction. Has William Windom ever been bad? I can't recall a single time and he has been in everything so had plenty of opportunities to screw it up. He is a little more of a physical, threatening bad guy here than his usual bad guy who is often a "king pin" type bad guy who tells his underlings to kill people. James Hampton, forever F Troop's Dobbs, has a nice turn as a bad guy with a screw loose. Of course, John Ritter makes this all work. It's easy to forget he did many drama roles before making it big in comedy. He and Hampton would be together in "Sling blade" twenty years later. Paul Picerni gives his usual solid support. Too bad his brother Charlie wasn't in this outing so Joe could beat him up one last time.

I think Art Malcolm pulled through. Of course, if his contract was up and Ward Wood wanted more money.... maybe not. As another reviewer pointed out, some of the recent episodes have been very good so the show seemed to be getting a second wind and it would have been nice to see if that would have carried over into a ninth year. Alas, it was not to be. At least Joe went out with one last episode in which he gets knocked out and doesn't get paid again.

Do see this outing and the entire Mannix series. Also, catch Mike Connors as Mannix in an episode of Diagnosis Murder twenty-one years later. The Mannix character still works after all that time. Well worth the hour.

Mannix: Search for a Dead Man (1975) Season 8, Episode 23

Good original plot as series winds down

[8/10 · 16 December 2022]

As already covered, a hitman hits his target, but the body disappears. Masquerading as a potential murder witness, Norman Thompson (John Hillerman) goes to Mannix to get to the bottom of it. Joe takes the case and finds a spent bullet at the scene. Peggy gets the lowdown on who lives in the building there and then adds her own assessment of a high salaried model living there that she has never heard of (and she knows them all). Joe figures out the model Hope 'Angel' Campbell (Mary Wilcox) is the kept woman of a crime boss named Coleman. He seems like a candidate for the disappearing victim, but Angel says he is alive and well. A big, fat lie. Thompson was hired by two partners who front one of Coleman's businesses, Mark Wayborn (Paul Mantee) and Robert Ingram (Robert Symonds). They want Coleman out of the way and Wayborn wants Angel. The two guys tell Thompson that Coleman is in Las Vegas with Angel and Thompson heads out of town in his car with Joe following him. A second hitman, on a motorcycle, shoots and kills Thompson. Joe gives chase but the guy gets away. Investigating Thompson's car reveals he is the original hitman on Coleman. Meanwhile, the second hitman kills Ingram in a parking garage. He leaves a pistol registered to Coleman, so it looks like Coleman is getting revenge as the same pistol was used to killed Thompson. Then a stoolie appears out of nowhere to tell Joe the second hitman is on a boat at the marina. Joe goes there and finds Coleman's body and he beats up the hitman. The hitman talks off camera and Joe goes to Angel's place and rats her out as an accessory to three murders as she and Wayborn had set this up. Coleman would be blamed and then his body would wash ashore, and the case would be over and the two lovers would be free. Who killed Coleman in this scheme was not explained. As Joe finishes his story, Wayborn shows up and then the police come in to clean it all up.

The acting is first rate. Hillerman is especially effective as he puts on a show for Joe as a mild mannered, befuddled witness to a possible murder. When you look at his body of work, you have to conclude he is a better actor than he generally gets credit for. Did you know he is the second cousin of author Tony Hillerman? Wilcox, Mantee, and Symonds are quite good also. The two guys have done this role plenty of times in their careers.

Stray thoughts. As always, some gaps in logic. Why would Joe go to the second hitman's boat by himself and then go to the woman's place alone. I realize the series is called "Mannix" and not "Mannix and the Cops" but show some smarts here. Not the first time Joe has acted alone but it would, alas, be the last. The sudden appearance of Willie the stoolie is out of the blue, but it does advance the story. It comes to light that Thompson was a sniper in the military and his CO was then Captain Ingram but the interaction between Thompson and Ingram is strictly business and has none of the 'war buddy' comradeship that one would expect to see. Seemed odd.

The characters interact slightly differently than in a routine episode. Joe and Art discuss an upcoming golf match. They get hotdogs at the pier. Joe is shown drinking water from a paper cup. He wants coffee and then doesn't. Everyone is a little busier than normal doing routine things and it works. Kudos to the director, Paul Krasny. Beats watching everyone sit around while they move the plot through conversation.

This is an original story but has the same outcome in some ways. Joe has a lying client and no paycheck. See this outing. Well worth the time.

Mannix: Woman in the Shadows (1971) Season 5, Episode 5

Joe has a lying client - who woulda thought?

[6/10 · 17 August 2022]

The plot has been covered by others so a few observations. It is amazing how many lying clients Joe attracts. This particular one, Ina Balin, lies as easily as she breathes. She is not doing it for vindictive reasons as her motives are pure but if she had just come clean in the beginning, the case would have been so much easier. Her good friend, the real Julia Stefen, is dead and you would think that would make the client do all she could to help Joe get to the bottom of it. Her lying makes it hard to be on her side. Joe manages to get her a happy ending.

The acting is up to the usual Mannix standards. Ina Balin is good here. She died much too young. Of note is Eric Braeden. I always enjoy watching him. Regardless of the role, he projects a certain sophistication. You can't help but like him, at least a little, even as the bad guy German in Rat Patrol. See him in the old Hawaii Five-0 episode "The Second Shot". Excellent. In this outing, despite playing a Russian agent, he turns out to be alright. He was busy doing guest shots on many shows back then and it is too bad this is only Mannix appearance. There were several episodes that would have benefited from his presence.

Yet another episode with "Shadow" or a derivative in the title. I need to do a count sometime.

Joe probably didn't get paid again. Maybe the State Dept will cover his expenses. They should, Joe did them a solid on this one. An average episode but the guest stars make it worthwhile.