The Snowball

Episode aired Jan 15, 1963
52m

IMDb RATING

7.8/10

YOUR RATING

Paul Picerni, Robert Stack, and Adam Williams in The Snowball (1963)

Action Crime Drama

Jack Parker is an up and coming young hustler who wants to become part of Frank Nitti's organization. He thinks there's an untapped market on university and college campuses but Nitti thinks... Read allJack Parker is an up and coming young hustler who wants to become part of Frank Nitti's organization. He thinks there's an untapped market on university and college campuses but Nitti thinks he's just a nickel and dimer and isn't interested. Parker has been making his own booze a... Read allJack Parker is an up and coming young hustler who wants to become part of Frank Nitti's organization. He thinks there's an untapped market on university and college campuses but Nitti thinks he's just a nickel and dimer and isn't interested. Parker has been making his own booze and selling it through Benny Angel, who hangs around the campus actually selling the stuff ... Read all

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.8/10

YOUR RATING

3User reviews

See production info at IMDbPro

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Trivia
Robert Stack says in his biography that he never met Robert Redford on the set. Only several decades later, once Robert Redford became a star, did Stack realize Redford worked with him on this story. He also added that, on this TV show, the supporting characters and guest stars seldom met the lead ones. However, in the last scene, after the body of the character Redford plays has been dumped from a passing car, Stack kneels by his lifeless corpse.

Goofs
College-educated Jackson Parker explains to his cohort that "summa cum laude" means, "with high honor". Actually, "summa cum laude" means, "with highest honor". The proper term for "with high honor" is, "magna cum laude".

User reviews3

Featured review

9/10

Handsome man with an ugly soul.

Jackson Parker (Robert Redford) is a very handsome, well educated man. However, despite his college education and fine manners, he's a jerk...a nasty and sanctimonious jerk. He has an assistant in his alcohol-peddling business who is slow...and Parker treats him like he's garbage. He also has ambitions of striking it rich by getting Nitti to help finance him in selling hooch to college students. But to get Nitti's attention, Parker is willing to say, do or hurt anyone...and he does it with a smile. Even when he deliberately poisons a few of his customers with wood alcohol, leaving several blind or dead, this cool guy doesn't even seem the least bit bothered! Will this pretty-boy ever get his comeuppance?

I really liked this episode. Picking such an incredibly handsome man and having him playing such a dark character was very striking. It is very well written and well worth your time.