MEET McGRAW "McGraw in Reno" 1957
MEET MCGRAW was a Private Investigator television series that starred Frank Lovejoy as P.I. McGraw. The show started as a stand-alone episode of the popular FOUR -STAR PLAYHOUSE in 1954. It took till 1957 before the actual series hit the airwaves. It ran for 42 episodes between 1957 and 1958. This particular episode is the 23rd of the series run.
While visiting Reno, Private Investigator McGraw (Lovejoy) is hired by mobbed up gambler, Harry Landers. Landers would like McGraw to keep an eye on his wife, Angie Dickinson. Landers tells Lovejoy that Dickinson had seen a killing back in Detroit and she is in danger. A fistful of hundreds tossed on the table quickly find their way to Lovejoy's wallet.
Lovejoy introduces himself to Dickinson and explains that her husband has hired him as a bodyguard. Dickinson is not impressed and tells Lovejoy to blow. It seems that Dickinson is in town to get a quickie divorce from Landers. Dickinson and a friend, Jeanne Bates are staying in town till the divorce is settled.
Lovejoy takes his job seriously and sticks like glue to Dickinson. Dickinson however pulls a fast one and bolts out of the hotel garage in her car. Lovejoy follows the woman up into the hill country. There, he sees another car run Dickinson's automobile off a handy cliff. The car needless to say goes up in a big blaze, leaving little to id the corpse.
The Police are called and are not sure what to make of Lovejoy's story of another car. They write the incident off as a spot of poor driving by Dickinson. Lovejoy of course smells a rather smelly rodent in the old cheese cupboard. He roots around tracking down various leads.
He discovers that Dickinson is very much alive and staying at a country cabin. The crispy critter in the car had been her friend, Jeanne Bates. It appears that the whole thing was a play by Landers to kill his soon to be ex-wife. He could not handle that she was dumping him. He had run Bates off the road thinking it was Dickinson in the car. The Police are summoned and Landers is soon up for a long fall with a short rope.
A pretty good episode that has a few nice curves tossed at the viewer. William F Claxton directs with Joe Novak handling the cinematography duties.
Interesting to see Dickinson before she went blonde, the dark hair suits her very well. The then 26 year old is quite the looker!
GENERAL ELECTRIC THEATER "A Little White Lye" 1961
This is an episode of the long running (1953-1962) anthology series, GENERAL ELECTRIC THEATER. There were 300 plus episodes made. This one is episode 19 from season 9.
Five minutes in I realized I had seen the story before. Episode writer Fredric Brown had simply dusted off an old script he had written for a 1953 "Pepsi Cola Playhouse" episode. He made a few name changes and of course the actors are different.
The story has newlyweds, Dorothy Malone and Michael Pate looking for their first home. They find a place that just seems too good of a deal to be real. The real estate agent admits that the reason for the low price was that a murder had happened there some months before. The deal is too good to pass on and they buy the place.
A talkative neighbor (Dot Neumann) soon fills Malone in on the gory details of the murder. A wealthy 45 year-old woman had just married a 27 year old hunk. Soon after-ward the woman was chopped up and the husband had disappeared. The police figure the new hubby was after the cash the woman was known to have hidden in the house.
There is now a series of events that has Miss Malone thinking that maybe her new hubby might have been involved in the murder. Is he? This is a pretty good little episode that keeps the suspense level buzzing right along.
FOR THE PEOPLE "Seized, Confined and Detained" 1965
FOR THE PEOPLE was an American legal drama that aired for 13 episodes during 1965. The series follows the daily grind of a New York City Assistant District Attorney. The lead is played by William Shatner with a 24 year old Jessica Walter as his wife. Howard Da Silva plays Shatner's boss while Lonny Chapman plays an investigator for the D.A.'s office. This episode is the 11th of the production run.
This one starts with a 7 year old child being grabbed by a woman off the street in front of his apartment. The cops are called as is Assistant District Attorney William Shatner. The parents of the child, Ellen Burstyn and Lloyd Bochner are well-known concert musicians.
The phone is bugged and all wait for a phone call. The Police assume the grab was for a ransom. Of course there is a fly in the ointment. The child, Chris Man, suffers from diabetes and is due for his next shot in just 6 hours. A call soon comes asking for 100,000 in cool cash. A meet is arranged and the cops stake out the location.
There is another problem for the Police and DA. The newspaper types are on the story and are hanging around. The meet is buggered up because a newsman is spotted at the meet site. The head DA, Howard Da Silva calls in all the reporters and promises them all equal info if they will back off. The life of the boy is at stake. Da Silva also asks the papers, radio and TV news to put it out that the boy needs his insulin.
Shatner has the Police keep an eye on any drug stores in the area. If someone comes asking for insulin he wants them grabbed. Sure enough, a man hits one of the druggists looking for insulin without a prescription. The man, Don Francks, is gobbled up and tossed into an interview room. The Police "lean heavy" but Francks refuses to play and does a great imitation of a clam.
DA Shatner has a go and tells Francks that if the boy dies, it is a murder rap. Francks breaks a little and admits there is a woman involved. If the Police will not charge his girl, he will arrange for the child to be released.
Again the newspaper types are being a pest. One of the reporters, Logan Ramsey, tumbles to Francks being arrested. He wants to scoop his fellow reporters and queers the deal. Now Shatner and the Police really step into Francks for the location of the boy. Francks finally spills the location and the Police raid the house. The child, in a coma, is rushed off with his father to the nearest hospital. Shatner now walks up to the idiot reporter, Ramsey, and flattens him with a solid punch to the jaw.
This is another intense episode with cast and crew really stepping up their game. Canada is well represented with Shatner, Francks and Bochner hailing from the Great North. The episode's director, Paul Almond, was also from Canada. All four of the men had worked together in Canada in the 1950's.
The stark black and white photography and New York Location shooting really makes this show stand out.
Though the viewer never sees her face, the woman who grabbed the child is played by Diana Muldaur. She and Shatner would work together on several STAR TREK episodes.
The episode I watched came complete with 1965 ads, including one with actor Robert Taylor and his wife, Ursula Thiess, hawking Maxwell House Coffee.
77 SUNSET STRIP "The Well-Selected Frame" 1958
This is the eighth episode of the 1958 to 1964 Private Eye series. The series ran for a total of 206 episodes. Series regulars were, Efrem Zimbalist Jr, Roger Smith, Edd Byrnes and Jacqueline Beer.
P.I. Roger Smith is approached by Peggy Castle with a problem. She informs Smith that she believes that her wealthy husband, Bartlett Robinson is trying to kill her. There has been a series of close calls like a cut brake line on her car. Castle tells Smith that she thinks Robinson is stepping out with his secretary, Frances Fong.
Smith is not all that unenthusiastic about getting mixed up in the case. A retainer of 1000 dollars in cash changes his mind. Smith is to call on Castle and Robinson, posing as a designer for some house renovations Castle is planning. He will stay in a guest room for the weekend.
HONG KONG "Double Jeopardy" 1961
Rod Taylor headlines this 1960-61 series as a newsman who is stationed in Hong Kong. Taylor is constantly in trouble with various shady types who are always involving him in their troubles. It usually takes several round of fisticuffs, a dead body or two and a gun battle before things get settled. This is the 18th episode.
This one starts with pretty, Felicia Farr paying a man, Steve Marlo, a visit in his Hong Kong hotel room. It seems that the two had pulled a con in Manila that has netted the two, 200 large in cash. It is now time to divvy up the proceeds. Miss Farr pours them each a healthy shot of whiskey and hands Marlo a glass. The man wolfs the drink down then reaches for Farr for a cuddle. He does not make it. The drink had a heavy belt of poison in it. Farr grabs up the $200,000, smiles at the stiff and leaves.
Farr hits a bank and stashes the cash in a safe deposit box at a Hong Kong bank. Then it is to the airport to arrange a flight to the States. She buys a ticket for the next morning and checks her luggage. She then turns white as a ghost when she spots a pair of men entering the lobby from the landing field. The men, Mario Gallo and Howard Caine just happen to have been in on the cash grab. They are not amused that they had been left in Manila without their end of the score.
Farr now bolts out the door and leaps in a cab with Gallo and Caine in hot pursuit. She has the driver head downtown while she decides how to throw the two thugs off her trail. She finally has the cab drop at the building of reporter Rod Taylor. She happens to know a mutual friend back in the U.S. Taylor is somewhat surprised by the late night call, but being a gentleman, invites her in.
The next morning, Farr, now in a slinky housecoat, fixes breakfast for Taylor. He is soon off to work and after swapping a bit of spit with Miss Farr, agrees to meet her later at his favorite club. Farr does not show that night, a rather disappointed Taylor is surprised when he sees a poster of Farr in the club. It seems that Farr is part of a twins night club act opening soon. Taylor heads home and finds the place crawling with Police. They point to the bloodied body on the bathroom floor. It is none other than Miss Farr.
Taylor teams up with his pal, Hong Kong Police Inspector, Lloyd Bochner. The two pay a visit to the other sister for a talk. The sister, again played by Farr, tells the men that her sister was a wild and always mixed up with the "wrong kind of men" type stuff.
Needless to say the all the mayhem is being dealt out by Messrs Gallo and Caine. They are now convinced that the surviving sister had to be in on the double cross, and come a calling. It takes a Police sting to draw the two lowlife types out of the shadows. Of course the two refuse to play nice, forcing guns to be quickly drawn and used with deadly results.
Taylor though has smelled a rat here with the last sister. He is sure Farr is the same sister that had paid him the late night visit. He plays a game of his own and sure enough, he is right. This sister had set up her sibling to take the fall for the cash. The cash is recovered and the proper sister is soon under lock and key.
This is a pretty complex little tale for episodic television. The man behind the story is former big screen man, George W. George. He did the story or screenplays for BODYGUARD, THE WOMAN ON PIER 13, THE NEVADAN, RED MOUNTAIN and BIG HOUSE USA.
The director is long-time television stalwart Stuart Rosenberg. Rosenberg would move to the big screen in the mid 60's and score with several well received films. These include, COOL HAND Luke, THE LAUGHING POLICEMAN, THE DROWNING POOL and BRUBAKER.
Felicia Farr, the soon to be Mrs. Jack Lemmon, was seen on screen and television between 1954 and 2014. Howard Cain is remembered by a whole generation of television viewers as the bumbling Gestapo officer Major Hochstetter on the popular 60s comedy HOGAN'S HEROES.
Smith meets Castle and Robinson for drinks and takes an instant dislike to Robinson. Also in the mix here is Castle's drunken brother, Richard Webb, as well as the secretary, Frances Fong. Smith cannot shake that back of the head feeling that something is amiss here. He is sure that Castle is not telling him the whole story.
Castle agrees to fill him in on the details after dinner. They can have some drinks in his room and talk. The two meet, and while Smith is pouring drinks, Miss Castle walks up behind him and clobbers him with a fireplace poker.
When Smith finally comes around, he finds himself on the floor beside the dead as a door-nail, Robinson. He also has his own gun in his hand. There is also Miss Castle and her brother, Webb, standing there holding a pistol of their own. Of course Smith's pistol has no live rounds in it.
Smith feels like a complete chump for not seeing the frame job coming. Castle tells Smith to play along with her story when the Police arrive. Smith and her were having a "friendly fondle" when Robinson burst in and went at Smith with the poker. Smith had to defend himself and shot Robinson. Castle tells Smith it is that, or, she will say that Smith attacked Castle, and that Robinson had been defending her honor.
With Police sirens growing closer, our boy, Smith, decides he does not like either idea. He leaps out a handy window and hotfoots it. The Police are now swarming the estate looking for Smith. He ducks into one of the guest suites. There he finds the pretty, Miss Fong enjoying a bubble bath. He gives her the quick version of what has happened and asks for help. Fong agrees. She does not want to be accused of steeping out with her boss, Robinson.
The Police are looking through all the rooms and are now at Fong's. They take a quick look around and find nothing. Smith had been hiding at the bottom of the bathtub under the bubbles. Smith now calls his partner, Efrem Zimbalist Jr, and fills him in.
Between Smith, Zimbalist and the pretty Miss Fong, they find out some interesting details. Castle and Webb are not brother and sister. They are actually husband and wife and had played Robinson over a 10 million dollar estate. Smith now decides to turn himself in to the Police. He spills all he knows about Castle and Webb and the two are soon looking at life behind bars.
This is a nifty episode with several nice twists and turns. Most will recall Peggy Castle from her bits in the big screen film noir, 99 RIVER STREET and THE LONG WAIT.
NAKED CITY "Fallen Star" 1959
This is the 27th episode of the 1958 to 1963 Police series, THE NAKED CITY. The series covered stories of New York's 65th Precinct. The leads were played by John McIntire, James Franciscus, Harry Bellevar, Paul Burke and Horace McMahon. The first 39 episodes of the 138 episode run were half-hour productions. The remaining episodes were expanded to an hour running time.
Robert Alda plays a former big-time football star who is now a drunk and a not to talented card sharp. Along with Al Morgenstern and Rocky Graziano, they hit the convention crowds looking for suckers. They then fleece the marks in a not so honest poker game.
This time they are pulling the con in a hotel where, bell boy Arnold Merritt is working. Merritt knows Alda and looked up to the man as a hero back when Alda was a star. Merritt is trying to convince the man to quit the racket and go straight. Alda is too much of a drunk to quit.
Shortly after Merritt leaves the room, the mark, Guy Sorel, figures out he is being played and threatens to call the Police. The muscle, Rocky Graziano, clocks the guy with a solid punch. Sorel goes down like a sack of potatoes smashing his head on a handy bit of furniture. The man is dead. The three card sharps grab up their take and split.
The next day, the cops are called when the body is discovered. Detectives James Franciscus and Harry Bellaver are called to look into the death. The detectives are soon having a word with bell boy, Merritt, who had been on shift the night before. Merritt tells the cops he does not know anything about the matter. The Police have also pulled some prints from the hotel room, those of Alda.
Matters quickly come to a head when Morgenstern decides to make sure that Merritt remains quiet. He intends to bump the kid off. He has Alda call up the kid for a meeting. A gun is jabbed in Merritt's ribs and he is forced to walk outside. Morgenstern intends to drop the lad off a high building.
Detective Franciscus has however been following Merritt and puts a stop to the plan, but not before Alda goes for a wingless bit of flight. Alda had tried to stop any harm coming to Merritt. The Detective has to put four rounds into Morgenstern to stop him. Graziano surrenders without a fight.
This is an interesting episode that has former big screen director John Brahm at the helm. Brahm is well known for a string of film noir he directed, such as LET US LIVE, THE LODGER, GUEST IN THE HOUSE, HANGOVER SQUARE, THE LOCKET and THE BRASHER DOUBLOON.
Ex-pug Graziano became a bit player after his days as a boxer ended. His story was turned into the 1956 film SOMEBODY UP THERE LIKES ME, with Paul Newman playing Graziano.
All of the YouTube versions of the NAKED CITY series seem to have been colorized...
Responses