Click here for the previous episode review.
Season #2, Episode #4
That He Should Weep for Her
Original Air Date: November 6, 1964 (unlike previous and subsequent episodes, this episode appears to have aired on a Friday instead of Thursday).
Setting/Time: A small California town near the Mexican border in the present.
Plot/Review/Discussion -
This episode is fairly typical of many KST episodes. It features one or more major stars, takes place in a small town and focuses more on resolution of personal conflict than action or adventure.
Milton Berle plays a middle aged jeweler (Sam Morris) who is fair (but firm) with his customers. One night his store is robbed by two masked men from the Hispanic part of town. Morris' assistant tries to fight the robbers while Morris pleads, "Give him the money!" Morris retrieves a gun and, in a near panic, shoots to protect his assistant. He ends up killing the younger of the two robbers. The other robber escapes.
The major conflict revolves not around finding the robber. The audience knows who it is (even though the other characters do not). The conflict occurs between Morris and the dead robber's sister (Marta). Morris is plagued by guilt for the death of the robber, while Marta is angry and bitter at Morris for shooting her brother. Morris spends much of the episode trying to express his remorse to Marta, while Marta tries to punish Morris with her anger.
They begin to talk and see each other more often while continuing the fight over what happened. (I am simplifying the description to avoid plot spoilers.) Gradually Marta's anger subsides and she and Morris become close. In addition to the tragic circumstances of how they met, Morris wrestles with the age difference between the two.
The Morris-Marta relationship is more plausible than I am making it sound. It takes a great deal of subtlety to depict a relationship the way the writers depicted this relationship over the course of one show. Modern shows would not be content with showing a mere relationship such as the one that evolved between Morris and Marta. Modern writers would feel compelled to add intrigue, mystery and implausible complications. In doing so, they water down the main story and the fictional relationship suffers. There was a time when one simple story was enough for one episode. Such a story, if subtle and deep enough, would be thought provoking and satisfying to the viewer. But when too much is added, the whole product becomes superficial. Sometimes, less is more.
Marta's friend Juano is the surviving robber (unknown to Marta). He was older than Marta's brother and was supposed to look out for the brother while Marta was living out of town. Juano cannot tell Marta the truth. He remains quiet while Marta rages about the unknown man that led her brother to join the robbery. Juano becomes angry as Morris and Marta grow closer together.
The plot proceeds to the final conflict as Morris and Marta work out their situation while Juano interferes and acts as the catalyst for the story's resolution.
The writer is Irv Pearlberg, whose writing credits include episode 1.25 and many police and law stories. Even though the background for this story involves a crime, the main focus is on the relationship between Marta and Morris. The crime is only a tool to get to the real story. The same was true of episode 1.25.
The title comes from Hamlet, and it contains the implicit question that the episode tries to answer. What is Marta to Morris that he should be sympathetic to her situation and her grief? Morris spends most of the episode asking that question. The ultimate answer and the plot resolution is credible.
Cars
At one point, the viewer can spot a 1964 Dodge on the street. I am not sure of the make, because the Dodge is difficult to distinguish from the 1964 Plymouth. Juano drives a 1955 Ford. (This follows one of the lessons from 1.15). Morris drives what looks like a 1961 Ford Galaxie.
Actors
Milton Berle played Morris. It is unusual to see him in a dramatic role, but he had more than a few of those in his career.
Carol Lawrence played Marta. She had recently achieved stardom on Broadway in West Side Story. At the time this episode aired, she was married to KST actor Robert Goulet. Her acting/broadway career continues at this time. Her acting credits include multiple roles on KST spinoff Run For Your Life.
Alejandro Rey played Juano. His most famous role was as a regular on The Flying Nun in the late 1960's.
Berkeley Harris played a friend of Juano whose interference advanced the plot to its resolution. This episode was his third appearance on KST.
Norman Leavitt played a farmer buying jewelry at Morris' store. Leavitt's transaction established Morris' fairness as a businessman. Leavitt was playing in the second of his three KST episodes.
Showing posts with label Run for Your Life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Run for Your Life. Show all posts
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Milton Berle and Carol Lawrence 1964 publicity photo for this episode of Kraft Suspense Theatre
Friday, April 19, 2013
Kraft Suspense Theatre; A Lion Amongst Men; James Whitmore; Tommy Sands, Peter Duryea
Click here for the previous episode review.
Season #2, Episode #3
A Lion Amongst Men
Original Air Date: October 22, 1964
Setting/Time: A small rural/mountain/western town (Cedar Bay) in the present (in late October).
Plot/Review/Discussion -
James Whitmore plays "the Major," a Korean War veteran that emphasizes preparedness and physical fitness in his daily living. He and his army friends have built a training center at their mountain cabin retreat. The Major believes that the rest of society, particularly the young people in high school, have gone soft. The conflict is established early, as the Major confronts some smart-alec students who show no respect to the Major and his friends.
The writer faced some difficulty in creating a balanced conflict among the characters. Ordinarily, smart-alec teenagers do not make for sympathetic characters - especially when they confront or oppose military veterans. So the writers gave the Major some unpopular traits. He disliked ethnic students. He used sneaky methods. He spoke in favor of "real Americans" and against "their kind." The Major was Archie Bunker nearly a decade before All in the Family. These traits balanced the negatives of the teenagers.
The Major's animus toward ethnic students and use of non-PC buzzwords served no purpose in the plot, as it played no role in the final confrontation. That character trait existed just so that the writers could present a political view.
The local teenagers, led by the high school quarterback named Riccio, go on a rampage of vandalism on Halloween eve. Their last stop is the Major's house. The teens' vandalism included cherry bombs. The noise from the cherry bombs sent the Major into an episode of post traumatic stress disorder. He began suffering flashbacks to the Korean War.
The Major captured Riccio and took him prisoner in the house while the other teenagers escaped. The Major began berating Riccio for various aspects of unAmericanism, while slowly slipping into a delusion that both of them were fighting in Korea a decade earlier.
The Major then began blaming his former superiors for orders that resulted in the death of the Major's soldiers in a particular Korean War battle. The Major took Riccio to the mountain retreat where his breakdown became complete. He eventually began firing his gun into the night air while Riccio tried to run away. This confrontation took place while the other teens and the sheriff raced to the retreat to rescue Riccio.
The main point of the story appears to focus on post traumatic stress. The Major's confrontation with Riccio brings that issue to the forefront, while the prejudice issue appears to serve no purpose. The "generation gap" also looms in the background, but is overshadowed by the other issues. At the end, Riccio gains a new appreciation for the Major and what he endured in the war. The episode was a learning experience for both characters, but the political issues got in the way.
The story could have been much more effective and dramatic had the writers not injected the political and PC elements into the story. In 1964, Americans were not yet tired of seeing fictional bad guys made obvious with dialogue that referred to "real Americans" while criticizing "their kind." The Archie Bunkers of television were still considered controversial and had not yet become mere parodies of themselves. Today, Americans have grown weary of the "race card." It has become too easy for a writer to place a "racist" label on a character by having him insult someone's ethnicity. For this reason, this episode has not aged well.
Just as importantly, both the war on terror and recent economic troubles in the U.S. and Europe have created a new emphasis on preparedness. The Major does not seem as out of place today as he would have been in 1964. As I watched this episode, I had to remind myself from the beginning that the Major would soon emerge as the bad guy. The Major's emphasis on preparedness probably caused the 1964 audience to peg him as the bad guy much sooner.
The Sheriff doubled also as the high school football coach. But he did not provide sports updates or serve as an art critic.
Cars
The Sheriff drove a 1964 Ford Galaxie. There also appeared to be a 1964 Dodge or Plymouth, which was somewhat common for this and other shows of that era. The high school kids drove a 1957 Dodge convertible.
Actors
James Whitmore played the Major. This was his second appearance on KST. His acting career spanned almost 60 years and featured such TV shows as Twilight Zone, Big Valley, KST spinoff Run For Your Life and The Virginian. He played a prominent role in 1970's Tora! Tora! Tora!
Tommy Sands played Riccio. Sands was, at the time, Frank Sinatra's son-in-law. He made guest appearances on such shows as United States Steel Hour, Wagon Train and Hawaii Five-0. He enjoyed a successful music career as a teen idol in the 1950's, singing in an episode of Kraft Theatre in 1957.
Star Trek connection
Peter Duryea played Palchek - one of Riccio's teenage friends. Little more than one month after this episode aired, Duryea began filming his role in Star Trek's first pilot episode - "The Cage." Duryea is one of many actors from that particular episode to be featured in KST.
Season #2, Episode #3
A Lion Amongst Men
Original Air Date: October 22, 1964
Setting/Time: A small rural/mountain/western town (Cedar Bay) in the present (in late October).
Plot/Review/Discussion -
James Whitmore plays "the Major," a Korean War veteran that emphasizes preparedness and physical fitness in his daily living. He and his army friends have built a training center at their mountain cabin retreat. The Major believes that the rest of society, particularly the young people in high school, have gone soft. The conflict is established early, as the Major confronts some smart-alec students who show no respect to the Major and his friends.
The writer faced some difficulty in creating a balanced conflict among the characters. Ordinarily, smart-alec teenagers do not make for sympathetic characters - especially when they confront or oppose military veterans. So the writers gave the Major some unpopular traits. He disliked ethnic students. He used sneaky methods. He spoke in favor of "real Americans" and against "their kind." The Major was Archie Bunker nearly a decade before All in the Family. These traits balanced the negatives of the teenagers.
The Major's animus toward ethnic students and use of non-PC buzzwords served no purpose in the plot, as it played no role in the final confrontation. That character trait existed just so that the writers could present a political view.
The local teenagers, led by the high school quarterback named Riccio, go on a rampage of vandalism on Halloween eve. Their last stop is the Major's house. The teens' vandalism included cherry bombs. The noise from the cherry bombs sent the Major into an episode of post traumatic stress disorder. He began suffering flashbacks to the Korean War.
The Major captured Riccio and took him prisoner in the house while the other teenagers escaped. The Major began berating Riccio for various aspects of unAmericanism, while slowly slipping into a delusion that both of them were fighting in Korea a decade earlier.
The Major then began blaming his former superiors for orders that resulted in the death of the Major's soldiers in a particular Korean War battle. The Major took Riccio to the mountain retreat where his breakdown became complete. He eventually began firing his gun into the night air while Riccio tried to run away. This confrontation took place while the other teens and the sheriff raced to the retreat to rescue Riccio.
The main point of the story appears to focus on post traumatic stress. The Major's confrontation with Riccio brings that issue to the forefront, while the prejudice issue appears to serve no purpose. The "generation gap" also looms in the background, but is overshadowed by the other issues. At the end, Riccio gains a new appreciation for the Major and what he endured in the war. The episode was a learning experience for both characters, but the political issues got in the way.
The story could have been much more effective and dramatic had the writers not injected the political and PC elements into the story. In 1964, Americans were not yet tired of seeing fictional bad guys made obvious with dialogue that referred to "real Americans" while criticizing "their kind." The Archie Bunkers of television were still considered controversial and had not yet become mere parodies of themselves. Today, Americans have grown weary of the "race card." It has become too easy for a writer to place a "racist" label on a character by having him insult someone's ethnicity. For this reason, this episode has not aged well.
Just as importantly, both the war on terror and recent economic troubles in the U.S. and Europe have created a new emphasis on preparedness. The Major does not seem as out of place today as he would have been in 1964. As I watched this episode, I had to remind myself from the beginning that the Major would soon emerge as the bad guy. The Major's emphasis on preparedness probably caused the 1964 audience to peg him as the bad guy much sooner.
The Sheriff doubled also as the high school football coach. But he did not provide sports updates or serve as an art critic.
Cars
The Sheriff drove a 1964 Ford Galaxie. There also appeared to be a 1964 Dodge or Plymouth, which was somewhat common for this and other shows of that era. The high school kids drove a 1957 Dodge convertible.
Actors
James Whitmore played the Major. This was his second appearance on KST. His acting career spanned almost 60 years and featured such TV shows as Twilight Zone, Big Valley, KST spinoff Run For Your Life and The Virginian. He played a prominent role in 1970's Tora! Tora! Tora!
Tommy Sands played Riccio. Sands was, at the time, Frank Sinatra's son-in-law. He made guest appearances on such shows as United States Steel Hour, Wagon Train and Hawaii Five-0. He enjoyed a successful music career as a teen idol in the 1950's, singing in an episode of Kraft Theatre in 1957.
Star Trek connection
Peter Duryea played Palchek - one of Riccio's teenage friends. Little more than one month after this episode aired, Duryea began filming his role in Star Trek's first pilot episode - "The Cage." Duryea is one of many actors from that particular episode to be featured in KST.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Kraft Suspense Theatre; The World I Want; Leonard Nimoy; Sal Mineo
Click here for the previous episode review.
Season #2, Episode #1
The World I Want
Original Air Date - October 1, 1964
Setting/Time - A modern city in the present.
Plot/Review/Discussion -
This episode is somewhat melancholy and sweet at the same time.
The main conflict in this episode is between an elderly cabinet maker and his wife. The man suspects that his wife is planning to kill him. He wants to disinherit her and leave his money to his orphaned niece. The conflict between the man and his wife escalates as the wife begins to suspect the husband's plans.
The title refers to the state of mind of the niece and the underlying conflict in the story. The niece has befriended a deaf and mute cousin that lives with the family. The growing conflict between her aunt and uncle upset her to the point that she would rather retreat into her fantasy world in which both she and the cousin are safe and happy and the conflict does not exist.
The niece takes on a larger role in the episode as the story goes on, as her fantasy world clashes directly with the aunt/uncle conflict when she and the cousin are forced into a final violent confrontation.
I am being vague as I wish to avoid plot spoilers and I have not seen this episode in well over a year. If RTV broadcasts this episode again, I will look for specific examples of scenes supporting the niece's longing for the "world" that she wants. As I recall, her desire for a different world is expressed both through her conversations with the cousin and her unhappiness with the growing strife in the household.
The underlying conflict in this story is the secret desire of the niece for her "world" versus the harsh reality in which she lives. Despite her desire for this world, the niece is not a child. I recall her being in her late teens or early 20's (as is the cousin). The outcome of the violent struggle helps determine the outcome of the niece's own desire for her world.
The idea of a separate "world" apart from the conflict of the aunt and uncle is reinforced by the living arrangements of the cousin. He lives below deck in a boat on the property of the aunt/uncle. The niece is never so happy as when she is visiting the cousin in his cramped quarters.
Halsted Welles received writing credits for this episode. His television writing credits span nearly thirty years, including four episodes of KST. His other KST episodes seemed to have the melancholy undertones that characterized this episode, although the plots were in no way similar.
Cars - I cannot remember the vehicles used in this episode, as most of it took place in and around the home. There were a few street scenes, so I am sure that cars played some role in the background. I will provide an update if RTV reruns this episode.
Actors
Albert Dekker played the uncle. He performed mainly character roles for over thirty years in movies and television, including Bonanza, Mission Impossible, Rawhide and KST spinoff Run For Your Life. He acted in 1955's East of Eden with future KST star Julie Harris and 1954's The Silver Chalice with KST actor Ian Wolfe. He had previously served as a Democrat state representative for the Hollywood district. He died in 1968 from what the coroner labeled autoerotic asphyxiation.
Jo Van Fleet played the aunt. She acted for over 35 years, including three episodes of Kraft Theatre in the 1950's and guest roles on shows such as Hitchcock, Route 66, Bonanza and Police Woman. In 1955, she acted in East of Eden with Albert Dekker.
Sal Mineo played the cousin. Mineo was 25 years old at the time. He was in a transition phase of his career. He was too old to play teen idol types and had begun playing darker characters.
Patricia Hyland played the niece. Her career appears to have been brief.
Star Trek connection -
Leonard Nimoy played the attorney that helped the uncle with his will. There were other Star Trek actors that played bigger roles on many KST episodes, but there was no KST guest star that was ever as high up on the Star Trek totem pole as Nimoy in this (and one later) episode.
Season #2, Episode #1
The World I Want
Original Air Date - October 1, 1964
Setting/Time - A modern city in the present.
Plot/Review/Discussion -
This episode is somewhat melancholy and sweet at the same time.
The main conflict in this episode is between an elderly cabinet maker and his wife. The man suspects that his wife is planning to kill him. He wants to disinherit her and leave his money to his orphaned niece. The conflict between the man and his wife escalates as the wife begins to suspect the husband's plans.
The title refers to the state of mind of the niece and the underlying conflict in the story. The niece has befriended a deaf and mute cousin that lives with the family. The growing conflict between her aunt and uncle upset her to the point that she would rather retreat into her fantasy world in which both she and the cousin are safe and happy and the conflict does not exist.
The niece takes on a larger role in the episode as the story goes on, as her fantasy world clashes directly with the aunt/uncle conflict when she and the cousin are forced into a final violent confrontation.
I am being vague as I wish to avoid plot spoilers and I have not seen this episode in well over a year. If RTV broadcasts this episode again, I will look for specific examples of scenes supporting the niece's longing for the "world" that she wants. As I recall, her desire for a different world is expressed both through her conversations with the cousin and her unhappiness with the growing strife in the household.
The underlying conflict in this story is the secret desire of the niece for her "world" versus the harsh reality in which she lives. Despite her desire for this world, the niece is not a child. I recall her being in her late teens or early 20's (as is the cousin). The outcome of the violent struggle helps determine the outcome of the niece's own desire for her world.
The idea of a separate "world" apart from the conflict of the aunt and uncle is reinforced by the living arrangements of the cousin. He lives below deck in a boat on the property of the aunt/uncle. The niece is never so happy as when she is visiting the cousin in his cramped quarters.
Halsted Welles received writing credits for this episode. His television writing credits span nearly thirty years, including four episodes of KST. His other KST episodes seemed to have the melancholy undertones that characterized this episode, although the plots were in no way similar.
Cars - I cannot remember the vehicles used in this episode, as most of it took place in and around the home. There were a few street scenes, so I am sure that cars played some role in the background. I will provide an update if RTV reruns this episode.
Actors
Albert Dekker played the uncle. He performed mainly character roles for over thirty years in movies and television, including Bonanza, Mission Impossible, Rawhide and KST spinoff Run For Your Life. He acted in 1955's East of Eden with future KST star Julie Harris and 1954's The Silver Chalice with KST actor Ian Wolfe. He had previously served as a Democrat state representative for the Hollywood district. He died in 1968 from what the coroner labeled autoerotic asphyxiation.
Jo Van Fleet played the aunt. She acted for over 35 years, including three episodes of Kraft Theatre in the 1950's and guest roles on shows such as Hitchcock, Route 66, Bonanza and Police Woman. In 1955, she acted in East of Eden with Albert Dekker.
Sal Mineo played the cousin. Mineo was 25 years old at the time. He was in a transition phase of his career. He was too old to play teen idol types and had begun playing darker characters.
Patricia Hyland played the niece. Her career appears to have been brief.
Star Trek connection -
Leonard Nimoy played the attorney that helped the uncle with his will. There were other Star Trek actors that played bigger roles on many KST episodes, but there was no KST guest star that was ever as high up on the Star Trek totem pole as Nimoy in this (and one later) episode.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Kraft Suspense Theatre; The Sweet Taste of Vengeance; John Forsythe; Diana Hyland; Brazilian Carnivale
Click here for the previous episode review.
Season 1, Episode #24
The Sweet Taste of Vengeance
Original Air Date - April 30, 1964
Setting/Time - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in the present.
Plot/Review/Discussion
I have not seen this episode (although I know that RTV has aired this episode at least once in the past 2+ years). I have read three plot descriptions online - each one with a somewhat different description.
The story seems to involve a wealthy divorced American woman who travels to Brazil, while being followed by detectives sent by her ex-husband. The plot is complicated by a playboy that she meets in Brazil. The story takes place against the backdrop of the Brazilian "Carnivale" celebration.
The remaining details are disputed among the various reviews I have read. None of them explain where "vengeance" fits in to the story. Obviously, I will have to fill in more details if RTV ever broadcasts this episode again.
Frank Fenton enjoyed writing credits for this episode, having previously received writing credits for KST episodes "My Enemy, This Town" - 1.15 and "Name of the Game" - 1.10 as well as four episodes of KST spinoff Run For Your Life and Kraft Mystery Theatre's "Shadow of a Man." While I have seen several of these episodes, they have no common theme that would provide a clue as to the plot of this episode, unless Forsythe's character bears a resemblance to Jack Kelly's character in "Shadow" or "Name of the Game" - or unless this episode involves gambling or casinos.
Actors
John Forsythe plays a prominent role in the first of his two KST episodes.
Diana Hyland also played a prominent role (probably the ex-wife). She acted until her death in 1977 at the age of 41, just as her starring role in Eight is Enough was getting underway.
Jack Weston played (most likely) a detective in his second KST role, having acted previously in One Step Down - 1.06.
It is difficult to be certain which actors match which roles.
Season 1, Episode #24
The Sweet Taste of Vengeance
Original Air Date - April 30, 1964
Setting/Time - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in the present.
Plot/Review/Discussion
I have not seen this episode (although I know that RTV has aired this episode at least once in the past 2+ years). I have read three plot descriptions online - each one with a somewhat different description.
The story seems to involve a wealthy divorced American woman who travels to Brazil, while being followed by detectives sent by her ex-husband. The plot is complicated by a playboy that she meets in Brazil. The story takes place against the backdrop of the Brazilian "Carnivale" celebration.
The remaining details are disputed among the various reviews I have read. None of them explain where "vengeance" fits in to the story. Obviously, I will have to fill in more details if RTV ever broadcasts this episode again.
Frank Fenton enjoyed writing credits for this episode, having previously received writing credits for KST episodes "My Enemy, This Town" - 1.15 and "Name of the Game" - 1.10 as well as four episodes of KST spinoff Run For Your Life and Kraft Mystery Theatre's "Shadow of a Man." While I have seen several of these episodes, they have no common theme that would provide a clue as to the plot of this episode, unless Forsythe's character bears a resemblance to Jack Kelly's character in "Shadow" or "Name of the Game" - or unless this episode involves gambling or casinos.
Actors
John Forsythe plays a prominent role in the first of his two KST episodes.
Diana Hyland also played a prominent role (probably the ex-wife). She acted until her death in 1977 at the age of 41, just as her starring role in Eight is Enough was getting underway.
Jack Weston played (most likely) a detective in his second KST role, having acted previously in One Step Down - 1.06.
It is difficult to be certain which actors match which roles.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Kraft Suspense Theatre; Doesn't Anyone Know Who I Am?; Cornel Wilde; Kathryn Crosby; Malachi Throne, Willoughby
Click here for the previous review.
Season 1, Episode #17
Doesn't Anyone Know Who I Am?
Original Air Date - February 27, 1964
Setting/Time - Most likely the present [update - April 26, 2013 - the present in [1] a suburb of Seattle and [2] a small northwestern town some hours away].
Plot/Review/Discussion
I have not seen this episode, as I do not believe RTV has run it over the past two years. IMDB.com includes the following plot description:
This description makes me want to see this episode. It appears from the description that the main character will face a choice. The best episodes feature difficult choices between right and wrong.
The description makes the episode sound like it could qualify as an episode of Twilight Zone or Hitchcock Presents. But I have higher expectations for "Doesn't Anyone Know Who I Am?" Hitchcock episodes always suffered from self-congratulatory cleverness, which reduced the realism of the program. Twilight Zone would have used some unexplained supernatural event to create the predicament that faces the main character. While I am all in favor of science fiction being used to create dramatic situations, KST plots result from naturally occurring scenarios that are resolved through difficult choices of the characters instead of cleverness or supernatural intervention. We can identify with KST episodes more easily as a result.
I hope only that this episode lives up to its description.
[Update – April 26, 2013 - I have now seen this episode (twice). I can say that it does live up to its description.
This episode is one that makes the viewer envy the main character (despite all that he went through). He was able to disappear into a small town, leave his troubles behind him, and start a whole new life with a new wife and a less stressful job. All of the responsibilities of the old life were gone – so long as he preferred it that way.
Cornel Wilde plays Eric Blaine/George Press, the executive that finds a new life in a small town with a new girlfriend and a new job after being assaulted and suffering amnesia. The main conflict in this story is internal to Eric/George. The plot is basically as described at IMDB.com (quoted above). Eric/George spends the episode fighting against himself. After the amnesia takes away his past, he struggles to remember his old life, but he refuses to take steps that would help him learn the truth. Specifically, he refuses to go to the police and access their records (which pale in comparison to modern databases, but which are considerable nonetheless). He visits a psychiatrist (Malachi Throne), but resists Throne’s advice and seems impatient with Throne’s techniques for accessing old memories.
By visiting a local doctor, Blaine/Press discovers that he has very high blood pressure – to the point of being uninsurable. He later learns that his blood pressure has become perfectly normal after he has become acclimated to his new life. There are hints that his refusal to go to the police may result from fear of what he may find out about his real past (and maybe fear of whatever caused him to develop high blood pressure).
While amnesia has been a common theme of television shows in the past, amnesia is only the tool for the writers to create a conflict for the main character in this episode. When Eric/George later learns the truth, he must choose between his two lives – thus continuing the George v. Eric conflict. The amnesia makes it possible for the character to face such a choice. KST is best when the characters face difficult choices instead of mere physical danger or other such confrontation. Without the amnesia, Eric’s/George’s choice would not have been possible unless he had willfully abandoned his family and committed adultery. Amnesia thus helped the writers maintain audience support for Eric/George while letting the writers open up this whole new world for him.
This episode reminds me of the Twilight Zone episode entitled, “A Stop at Willoughby,” in which an executive dreams of a fictional, peaceful small town where he can get away from the people and problems that make his life miserable. In this KST episode, Eric/George does more than dream and Willoughby is a real place. While the “Willoughby” episode was satisfying and complete, it left the audience wanting more. This KST episode takes the next step and allows the audience to experience life in “Willoughby.” Where the audience would be sympathetic to the executive in “Willoughby,” the audience might be envious of the executive in this KST episode.
This episode has also been compared to a 1949 movie named Impact, which I have not seen.
The title has two meanings. Not only does George/Eric need to know his real name, he needs to know who he really is. Even after regaining his memory (and thus his name, address, executive position, etc.) he still must discover his true identity and where he belongs in this world. A name and other matters of record are not the same as what establishes and creates a true identity. Eric/George must learn what makes him truly happy, productive and healthy. The answer to those questions will determine which life he will choose for himself.
Eric’s/George’s situation is truly enviable. Whichever life he chooses, he has a ready-made job, wife, friends, family, etc. waiting for him. Even if he chooses a new life, he does not need to spend years of uncertainty before he makes a stable, comfortable life for himself. That level of security exists no matter which life he chooses. Both lives are waiting for him. He need only choose where he truly belongs and discover who he truly is.]
Actors
Cornel Wilde appears to play the main character. [Update - April 26, 2013 - Wilde, indeed, plays the main character - Eric Blaine/George Press.] He acted in TV and movies for over 50 years, including guest roles in several well-known series in the 1980's.
Kathryn Grant (AKA Kathryn Crosby) played a major role also - [update - April 26, 2013 - Crosby played the new girlfriend in the small town where Eric/George ended up after the assault that caused the amnesia]. She is the widow of Bing Crosby. Her acting since the late 1970's was limited to the stage until 2010. A new movie in which she appears is now in post-production.
Martha Hyer plays in the first of her two KST roles. [Update - April 26, 2013 - Hyer plays Eric's/George's original wife in the suburb of Seattle. She is a gossip who brags about her husband's career and the status it brings. She is bitter, petty and vicious when her status is in jeopardy.]
Charles Alvin Bell makes the second of his two KST appearances in a small role.
[Update - April 27, 2013 - Paul Newlan played Doc Pierson (see the film excerpt above). Newlan's 40 year included many movies and television roles, including guest roles on Twilight Zone and KST spinoff Run For Your Life. His longest running role was as a police captain on M Squad in the late 50's and 1960.
Barney Phillips played a co-worker of Eric/George. He played many, many roles in movies and television from the late 1930's until his death in 1982, including regular guest work on Ozzie and Harriet, Have Gun Will Travel and many others. What I consider his most famous part (and the one for which he is usually instantly recognizable) is his role as a three-eyed lunch counter attendant on Twilight Zone.]
Cars
[Update - April 26, 2013 - Before he lost his memory, Eric Blaine drove a white Lincoln from sometime between 1962 and 1964. An identical car can be seen parked on the street of the small town later in the show, but it was not intended to be the same car. Eric/George sees what appears to be a black Lincoln from the same era later in the episode, but it is difficult to tell, as viewers do not get a good look at most of the cars in this episode. One also sees a blue 1964 Ford Thunderbird parked on the street near the white Lincoln.
One car that is seen clearly is (probably) a 1953 Chevy driven by Crosby's character. The difficulty in identification comes from damage and wear to the car's exterior - especially the front grill. The following excerpts and photos are from this episode.]
Star Trek Connection
Malachi Throne is this episode's Star Trek connection. Throne made the second of his three KST appearances here. Throne's Star Trek role is more prominent and historic than that of most guest stars. As I wrote in my review of The Machine That Played God:
Season 1, Episode #17
Doesn't Anyone Know Who I Am?
Original Air Date - February 27, 1964
Setting/Time - Most likely the present [update - April 26, 2013 - the present in [1] a suburb of Seattle and [2] a small northwestern town some hours away].
Plot/Review/Discussion
I have not seen this episode, as I do not believe RTV has run it over the past two years. IMDB.com includes the following plot description:
An overly stressed, financially strapped, high powered businessman goes on a sales trip and wakes up suffering from amnesia after being assaulted. He settles in a small town, meets a nice girl and gets a simple satisfying job. Then his memory returns. He goes back to his old life and finds unhappiness. What will he do?
This description makes me want to see this episode. It appears from the description that the main character will face a choice. The best episodes feature difficult choices between right and wrong.
The description makes the episode sound like it could qualify as an episode of Twilight Zone or Hitchcock Presents. But I have higher expectations for "Doesn't Anyone Know Who I Am?" Hitchcock episodes always suffered from self-congratulatory cleverness, which reduced the realism of the program. Twilight Zone would have used some unexplained supernatural event to create the predicament that faces the main character. While I am all in favor of science fiction being used to create dramatic situations, KST plots result from naturally occurring scenarios that are resolved through difficult choices of the characters instead of cleverness or supernatural intervention. We can identify with KST episodes more easily as a result.
I hope only that this episode lives up to its description.
[Update – April 26, 2013 - I have now seen this episode (twice). I can say that it does live up to its description.
This episode is one that makes the viewer envy the main character (despite all that he went through). He was able to disappear into a small town, leave his troubles behind him, and start a whole new life with a new wife and a less stressful job. All of the responsibilities of the old life were gone – so long as he preferred it that way.
Cornel Wilde plays Eric Blaine/George Press, the executive that finds a new life in a small town with a new girlfriend and a new job after being assaulted and suffering amnesia. The main conflict in this story is internal to Eric/George. The plot is basically as described at IMDB.com (quoted above). Eric/George spends the episode fighting against himself. After the amnesia takes away his past, he struggles to remember his old life, but he refuses to take steps that would help him learn the truth. Specifically, he refuses to go to the police and access their records (which pale in comparison to modern databases, but which are considerable nonetheless). He visits a psychiatrist (Malachi Throne), but resists Throne’s advice and seems impatient with Throne’s techniques for accessing old memories.
By visiting a local doctor, Blaine/Press discovers that he has very high blood pressure – to the point of being uninsurable. He later learns that his blood pressure has become perfectly normal after he has become acclimated to his new life. There are hints that his refusal to go to the police may result from fear of what he may find out about his real past (and maybe fear of whatever caused him to develop high blood pressure).
While amnesia has been a common theme of television shows in the past, amnesia is only the tool for the writers to create a conflict for the main character in this episode. When Eric/George later learns the truth, he must choose between his two lives – thus continuing the George v. Eric conflict. The amnesia makes it possible for the character to face such a choice. KST is best when the characters face difficult choices instead of mere physical danger or other such confrontation. Without the amnesia, Eric’s/George’s choice would not have been possible unless he had willfully abandoned his family and committed adultery. Amnesia thus helped the writers maintain audience support for Eric/George while letting the writers open up this whole new world for him.
This episode reminds me of the Twilight Zone episode entitled, “A Stop at Willoughby,” in which an executive dreams of a fictional, peaceful small town where he can get away from the people and problems that make his life miserable. In this KST episode, Eric/George does more than dream and Willoughby is a real place. While the “Willoughby” episode was satisfying and complete, it left the audience wanting more. This KST episode takes the next step and allows the audience to experience life in “Willoughby.” Where the audience would be sympathetic to the executive in “Willoughby,” the audience might be envious of the executive in this KST episode.
This episode has also been compared to a 1949 movie named Impact, which I have not seen.
The title has two meanings. Not only does George/Eric need to know his real name, he needs to know who he really is. Even after regaining his memory (and thus his name, address, executive position, etc.) he still must discover his true identity and where he belongs in this world. A name and other matters of record are not the same as what establishes and creates a true identity. Eric/George must learn what makes him truly happy, productive and healthy. The answer to those questions will determine which life he will choose for himself.
Eric’s/George’s situation is truly enviable. Whichever life he chooses, he has a ready-made job, wife, friends, family, etc. waiting for him. Even if he chooses a new life, he does not need to spend years of uncertainty before he makes a stable, comfortable life for himself. That level of security exists no matter which life he chooses. Both lives are waiting for him. He need only choose where he truly belongs and discover who he truly is.]
Actors
Cornel Wilde appears to play the main character. [Update - April 26, 2013 - Wilde, indeed, plays the main character - Eric Blaine/George Press.] He acted in TV and movies for over 50 years, including guest roles in several well-known series in the 1980's.
Kathryn Grant (AKA Kathryn Crosby) played a major role also - [update - April 26, 2013 - Crosby played the new girlfriend in the small town where Eric/George ended up after the assault that caused the amnesia]. She is the widow of Bing Crosby. Her acting since the late 1970's was limited to the stage until 2010. A new movie in which she appears is now in post-production.
Martha Hyer plays in the first of her two KST roles. [Update - April 26, 2013 - Hyer plays Eric's/George's original wife in the suburb of Seattle. She is a gossip who brags about her husband's career and the status it brings. She is bitter, petty and vicious when her status is in jeopardy.]
Charles Alvin Bell makes the second of his two KST appearances in a small role.
[Update - April 27, 2013 - Paul Newlan played Doc Pierson (see the film excerpt above). Newlan's 40 year included many movies and television roles, including guest roles on Twilight Zone and KST spinoff Run For Your Life. His longest running role was as a police captain on M Squad in the late 50's and 1960.
Barney Phillips played a co-worker of Eric/George. He played many, many roles in movies and television from the late 1930's until his death in 1982, including regular guest work on Ozzie and Harriet, Have Gun Will Travel and many others. What I consider his most famous part (and the one for which he is usually instantly recognizable) is his role as a three-eyed lunch counter attendant on Twilight Zone.]
Cars
[Update - April 26, 2013 - Before he lost his memory, Eric Blaine drove a white Lincoln from sometime between 1962 and 1964. An identical car can be seen parked on the street of the small town later in the show, but it was not intended to be the same car. Eric/George sees what appears to be a black Lincoln from the same era later in the episode, but it is difficult to tell, as viewers do not get a good look at most of the cars in this episode. One also sees a blue 1964 Ford Thunderbird parked on the street near the white Lincoln.
One car that is seen clearly is (probably) a 1953 Chevy driven by Crosby's character. The difficulty in identification comes from damage and wear to the car's exterior - especially the front grill. The following excerpts and photos are from this episode.]
1953 Chevy and 1964 Thunderbird
Crosby and Wilde in the 1953 ChevyStar Trek Connection
Malachi Throne is this episode's Star Trek connection. Throne made the second of his three KST appearances here. Throne's Star Trek role is more prominent and historic than that of most guest stars. As I wrote in my review of The Machine That Played God:
He portrayed the voice of Star Trek's first villain in the original pilot ["The Cage"]. His voice was dubbed out before that episode aired, but Throne played a more pivotal role in the final product, which became Star Trek's only two-parter.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Kraft Suspense Theatre; Leviathan Five; Arthur Kennedy; Hobbes; Harold Stone; Andrew Duggan; Robert Webber; Frank Overton; Frank Maxwell
Click here for my previous episode review.
Season #1, Episode #14
Leviathan Five
Original Air Date - January 30, 1964. This was the 4th episode aired during 1964. Twenty-nine (29) total episodes were aired during 1964 - more than any other year and almost half of all KST episodes.
Season #1, Episode #14
Leviathan Five
Original Air Date - January 30, 1964. This was the 4th episode aired during 1964. Twenty-nine (29) total episodes were aired during 1964 - more than any other year and almost half of all KST episodes.
Setting/Time - (1) a courtroom in a modern (unnamed) American state and (2) a nearby underground research facility (via flashback).
Plot/Review/Discussion -
Four scientists and a security guard are trapped by an accidental explosion in an underground laboratory. (I do not remember how deeply underground they were, but I recall the elevator clearly indicating a descent of more than 1,000 feet.)
After the explosion, the scientists calculate how long their limited air will last and how long it will take rescuers to reach them and reopen the air vents to the surface. They determine that they cannot survive unless they kill one man quickly. They devise a method where one man will be selected by lottery either to commit suicide or kill one of the others at his own discretion.
The story takes place in a courtroom as the surviving four men are placed on trial for the murder of the fifth man. We do not see exactly how the man died or who killed him, but that is not the point of the trial. All of the survivors face trial, even though only one man presumably pulled the trigger.
Many of the KST episodes focus on a choice between right and wrong. This episode includes the same focus but with a different emphasis. In "Leviathan Five" the choice has already been made and the characters must fight over whether that choice was right or wrong. The survivors' very method of choosing one among them to die is the basis for the charges against all of them. There is no obvious bad guy, only a near impossible situation and plausible arguments on both sides of the issue.
The survivors defend the charges on the basis that they were cut off from society and had to create new rules. They argue that they were not subject to the laws of their (unnamed) state anymore. [The writers' avoidance of any reference to any particular state is a source of awkwardness.] The issue comes down to whether it is right for a small group to kill one of their members if it will save the rest and if they are cut off from civilization. In this episode, the question depends also on the fact that all five men voluntarily took part in the plan.
The story is not as scientific or philosophical as I am making it sound. Other reviewers (at IMDB.com) have focused on Hobbes or an article by a Harvard law professor, but one need not be familiar with these works in order to enjoy this episode. The dispute is presented thoroughly through crisp and simple dialogue - mainly the cross-examination between the prosecutor and the lead scientist.
The writers needed to separate the scientists and the guard from civilization in order for the plot to work. In doing so, the plot lost some credibility. They never made clear why the scientists needed to perform their duties so far underground in the first place. All the audience sees of the underground laboratory are books, papers, a wall control panel and some living quarters.
More interesting is the question of why they needed an armed guard so far underground (aside from the fact that the presence of the guard and his gun are important to the plot). Who was the guard expecting to shoot? What kind of trouble was he expecting 1,000 feet below ground? Is scientific work prone to erupt in violent arguments? If not each other. who was the guard protecting the scientists from? There already were guards and a checkpoint at the entrance to the facility. Notwithstanding the protection above, were they expecting prowlers to make the long journey down the shaft?
If the scientific work involved something so dangerous that it had to be kept more than 1,000 feet below the surface, was it really safe to risk gunplay down there? [This is never explained, but maybe that is what caused the explosion - a guard in another underground shaft at the same facility got trigger happy - with disastrous results.]
And speaking of safety, why did the scientists wear labcoats (aside from the television/movie stereotype of scientists wearing labcoats as some sort of uniform)? They did not seem to be doing anything that could get their clothes dirty (aside from dealing with the consequences of the explosion that trapped them all below ground with limited air). Maybe the facility owners would have been better advised to spend their safety money on preventing explosions instead of issuing useless labcoats.
And not to be overly picky, but the motorized golf cart that carried the scientists from the elevator down the long hallway (the guard would later reveal the exact distance) seemed to be pointless too. Come to think of it, they could have done without that entire hallway. There did not appear to be any other offices down there. Why not simply place the lab near the base of the elevator and avoid some very difficult tunnel construction (not to mention the expense of maintaining the golf cart)?
While others (for example Star Trek fanatics) might try to explain these points with reference to some implausible scenario (e.g. 'this is how laboratory work is done in a parallel universe'), I am content to suspend disbelief just enough to enjoy the plot despite these questions. In fact, a viewer is not likely to notice these things upon seeing the episode for the first time.
I noted also that the courtroom objections seemed to be handled correctly, especially the judge's treatment of the hearsay rule and the fifth amendment (although the main character's use of the fifth amendment would turn out to be improper and might result in contempt charges). This contrasts sharply with modern courtroom dramas.
This episode is one of three KST episodes in which William P. McGivern received a share of the writing credits. His writing focus was usually on crime and police work. I suspect he contributed some of the courtroom and legal knowledge to supplement "Leviathan's" philosophical conflict.
Cars
As far as classic cars are concerned this episode featured quantity over quality.
The opening to the flashback featured a shot of a full parking lot of early 1960's models. The only one you see actually moving is a 1962 Dodge Dart station wagon that carries the lead scientist from his home to this facility. And this brings to mind another question about plot awkwardness. The scientist testifies that he drove, even though he had a driver in the car with him. This is never explained, although it does place the "driver" in the same category as the armed guard. The scientist should have suspected trouble at this point, seeing that he had a driver that served no purpose. This fact should have tipped him off that the armed guard that met him at the shaft entrance would serve no purpose either - except to fill a plot hole that might involve shooting.
As the Dart wagon moves through the parking lot, we catch glimpses of two early-mid-1960's Ford Thunderbirds and a 1963 Mercury Monterey (among many others). Those were all definitely quality cars, but it is much less fun when you see them parked instead of moving along the highway.
Actors
Arthur Kennedy played the lead scientist, who provided the testimony during the trial. Kennedy acted for fifty years until his death in 1990. He received five Oscar nominations.
Harold Stone played another of the scientists. Stone played numerous roles on television and movies for almost 40 years, including guest roles on Big Valley (with fellow KST actor Steve Ihnat) and KST spinoff Run For Your Life. I remember him as gangster Frank Nitti in The St. Valentine's Day Massacre in 1967.
Robert Webber played the prosecutor. Webber was a well-known character actor for almost forty years until his death in 1989. This was the first of his two KST appearances. I remember him as a drug kingpin in Revenge of the Pink Panther (1978). He guest-starred in many of the most famous TV shows of his time.
Frank Maxwell played the armed guard in the first of his three KST appearances. He did character work for almost 50 years, including guest and regular appearances on network television. His roles usually were authority figures (police, military, etc.).
Andrew Duggan portrayed another of the scientists in the first of his two KST appearances. He is known for playing presidents, including Eisenhower and Johnson numerous times. He also played military leaders in modern settings and in westerns, such as Big Valley. He enjoyed many starring roles in television for nearly 40 years until his death in 1988.
Star Trek connection.
This episode's Star Trek actor is Frank Overton, who played the defense attorney. Overton starred in Star Trek's "This Side of Paradise" (directed by KST's Ralph Senensky). Overton played in one of the more well-known episodes of Twilight Zone, opposite KST's Gig Young. His IMDB "trivia" bio mentions his Star Trek appearance to the exclusion of the remainder of his 20 year career.
Friday, July 16, 2010
A Truce to Terror; Kraft Suspense Theatre; Steve Forrest, John Gavin, Frank Silvera, William McGivern; Michael Ansara
Click here for the previous episode review.
Season #1, Episode #12
A Truce to Terror
Original Air Date - January 9, 1964.
Setting/Time - Los Angeles in the present.
Plot/Review/Discussion -
A businessman finds himself in an altercation with a hispanic man on a downtown street, resulting in an injury to the businessman. The businessman decides to seek revenge. We see the businessman's attempts to find the hispanic man in East Los Angeles. The situation escalates as his search intensifies. The plot culminates in a gun battle on the street and in a basement near the businessman's office.
In this episode, the businessman faces a choice between hunting down his attacker or forgetting the issue. The police, his business partner and a local community leader advise him to let it go. He presses on anyway. We see and hear his decision making process as he resists and ignores everyone's advice. The suspense is more about his decision than about the action that follows. There is no right or wrong decision, but we see the consequences as he presses forward and the conflict escalates.
The story is essentially an anti-war message, as reinforced by the written text on the screen at the conclusion of the show. The politics of the show detract from the plot. The message comes across as naive in light of the events of the past five decades.
The running gun battle/chase scene near the end is the closest (in the entire series) that KST comes to literally recreating the action and the atmosphere of the silhouette images in the opening credits.
William P. McGivern was the writer. He was mainly a crime novelist and mystery writer (even though this episode was not a mystery). He had been a police reporter and was noted for his realistic protrayal of urban life. That background comes through in this episode. This was the first of three episodes that he wrote for KST. He also wrote for police dramas such as Kojak, Adam-12 and other shows.
Cars - I did not recognize most of the vehicles, as they were older models from the 1940's in the hispanic section of the city. I did see the obligatory 1963-1964 Plymouth Fury taxi.
Actors -
Steve Forrest plays the businessman in the first of his two KST appearances in this episode.
John Gavin plays Forrest's hispanic antagonist. His most famous roles were in Psycho and Spartacus. Gavin later served as Ronald Reagan's ambassador to Mexico in the 1980's.
Frank Silvera plays the policeman that advises Forrest to abandon his search. His dialogue with Forrest in their second conversation is crisp and entertaining. He later starred in "That Time in Havana" with Forrest in the second of each of their two KST appearances. Silvera guest starred in many of the major television programs of the 1960's, including Rawhide, Hawaii Five-0, Gunsmoke, Hitchcock, The Flying Nun and KST spinoff Run For Your Life.
Star Trek Connection - The Star Trek connection is Michael Ansara, who plays the community leader/bar owner in the Mexican neighborhood. He advises Forrest's character to back off of his search (somewhat more forcefully than Silvera's character). He also helps Forrest's character and advises him as the situation escalates. Ansara played Kang on the "Day of the Dove" Star Trek episode. His other roles included small parts in Ten Commandments and Julius Caesar as well as larger roles in what seems like every major television program of the past sixty years, including a reprise of his Kang role on various Star Trek spinoffs. His original role on Star Trek, once the only thing I knew of him, now seems minor in light of the body of his work.
---------------
click here for the next episode review.
Season #1, Episode #12
A Truce to Terror
Original Air Date - January 9, 1964.
Setting/Time - Los Angeles in the present.
Plot/Review/Discussion -
A businessman finds himself in an altercation with a hispanic man on a downtown street, resulting in an injury to the businessman. The businessman decides to seek revenge. We see the businessman's attempts to find the hispanic man in East Los Angeles. The situation escalates as his search intensifies. The plot culminates in a gun battle on the street and in a basement near the businessman's office.
In this episode, the businessman faces a choice between hunting down his attacker or forgetting the issue. The police, his business partner and a local community leader advise him to let it go. He presses on anyway. We see and hear his decision making process as he resists and ignores everyone's advice. The suspense is more about his decision than about the action that follows. There is no right or wrong decision, but we see the consequences as he presses forward and the conflict escalates.
The story is essentially an anti-war message, as reinforced by the written text on the screen at the conclusion of the show. The politics of the show detract from the plot. The message comes across as naive in light of the events of the past five decades.
The running gun battle/chase scene near the end is the closest (in the entire series) that KST comes to literally recreating the action and the atmosphere of the silhouette images in the opening credits.
William P. McGivern was the writer. He was mainly a crime novelist and mystery writer (even though this episode was not a mystery). He had been a police reporter and was noted for his realistic protrayal of urban life. That background comes through in this episode. This was the first of three episodes that he wrote for KST. He also wrote for police dramas such as Kojak, Adam-12 and other shows.
Cars - I did not recognize most of the vehicles, as they were older models from the 1940's in the hispanic section of the city. I did see the obligatory 1963-1964 Plymouth Fury taxi.
Actors -
Steve Forrest plays the businessman in the first of his two KST appearances in this episode.
John Gavin plays Forrest's hispanic antagonist. His most famous roles were in Psycho and Spartacus. Gavin later served as Ronald Reagan's ambassador to Mexico in the 1980's.
Frank Silvera plays the policeman that advises Forrest to abandon his search. His dialogue with Forrest in their second conversation is crisp and entertaining. He later starred in "That Time in Havana" with Forrest in the second of each of their two KST appearances. Silvera guest starred in many of the major television programs of the 1960's, including Rawhide, Hawaii Five-0, Gunsmoke, Hitchcock, The Flying Nun and KST spinoff Run For Your Life.
Star Trek Connection - The Star Trek connection is Michael Ansara, who plays the community leader/bar owner in the Mexican neighborhood. He advises Forrest's character to back off of his search (somewhat more forcefully than Silvera's character). He also helps Forrest's character and advises him as the situation escalates. Ansara played Kang on the "Day of the Dove" Star Trek episode. His other roles included small parts in Ten Commandments and Julius Caesar as well as larger roles in what seems like every major television program of the past sixty years, including a reprise of his Kang role on various Star Trek spinoffs. His original role on Star Trek, once the only thing I knew of him, now seems minor in light of the body of his work.
---------------
click here for the next episode review.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Kraft Suspense Theatre; The Deep End; Travis McGee; Whit Bissell; Tina Louise; Ellen Burstyn; Clu Gulager; Aldo Ray
Click here for the previous episode review.
Season #1; Episode #11
The Deep End
Original Air Date - January 2, 1964. The Christmas/New Year season apparently did not interupt the original broadcast schedule for KST.
Setting/Time - A modern small California town and nearby lake.
Plot/Review/Discussion -
The story opens with a dramatic murder. The main character is a private investigator who is not satisfied that the victim's death was a suicide or an accident. By investigating the death, he becomes embroiled in small town intrigue, including financial disputes and romantic tension involving the victim's boyfriend's company.
This episode is essentially a mystery/crime story. There is some discussion of the motivations and internal conflicts of the killer, but those factors are too extreme in this case for the audience to identify with.
Part of the story deals with solving the mystery of the murder. The identity of the murderer becomes known well before the end of the episode. The episode then focuses on trapping and catching the murderer.
The original story is based on a novel by John D. MacDonald, the author of the Travis McGee mystery series. This story contains similarities with other MacDonald writings.
The ending is somewhat clever (maybe too clever) and adds a new layer of complexity to the plot. The story differs from a Hitchcock story of that era only in the absence of some vague supernatural connection and the absence of the smugness that characterizes the Hitchcock plots. [I would explain further, but this blog is not about Hitchcock.]
MacDonald wrote one Hitchcock story in the early sixties. He also wrote the story upon which Cape Fear was based as well as the novel for one episode of the KST spinoff Run for Your Life.
The final moments of the episode reminded me (too much) of Psycho.
Jonathan Hughes wrote the teleplay, as he did for the first season episode "Knight's Gambit," which was similar in some ways with the mystery and investigative aspects of "Deep End."
Cars
The main character drives a 1963 Mercury Monterey. An early 1960's white Jaguar is parked outside the home of one of the suspects. The accountant drives a 1957 Ford Fairlane that was destroyed as part of the plot (the Fairlane was hard to figure out, as the shots of the car took place at night and were incomplete).
It is noteworthy that today's classic luxury cars (60's Jaguar) were once simply ordinary luxury cars. Today's classic cars from the 1950's ('57 Fairlane) were considered disposable for the purpose of television by the 1963-1964 season.
Actors
This episode is just as interesting for the actors as for the story.
Clu Gulager plays the investigator. He is noteworthy for his strange clenched-teeth way of speaking. Later in 1964, he would play a major role in The Killers (written by Ernest Hemingway and Star Trek's Gene Coon) with KST actors Ronald Reagan, Lee Marvin and Claude Akin. He continues to get small roles in movies and television.
Tina Louise plays the boyfriend's secretary. She is most notable for her role in Gilligan's Island that began eight months later. In one scene with Gulager, she continuously moves her eyebrows in an annoying way that detracts from the dialogue. Her character is not fully explored and is explained away superficially by the other characters.
Aldo Ray plays the boyfriend (around whom much of the plot revolves). He served on Iwo Jima during World War II and starred in television and numerous movies from the early 1950's until his death in 1991.
Ellen Burstyn (credited as Ellen McCrae) plays both the victim and the victim's sister. She continues to get movie roles, including some set for release in 2010 and 2011. Her biggest period of success came in the early 1970's when she received numerous awards and nominations for such movies as The Exorcist and Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore.
Star Trek Connection
This episode's Star Trek connection is Whit Bissell, who played the space station manager in the episode "Trouble With Tribbles." He starred in television and movies for more than four decades, including roles as the mad scientist in I Was a Teenage Werewolf (opposite Michael Landon), as a lawyer in 1957's Disney production of Johnny Tremain, a supporting role in The Time Machine (1960), a starring role in The Time Tunnel and a supporting role in the now discredited Soylent Green (1972) (and many, many more roles). He usually played authority figures, such as generals, governors, lawyers and even President Wilson. In "Deep End," he played the accountant whose self-dealing and bungling moved the plot forward.
Many Star Trek fans probably know Bissell solely as "Mr. Luray." But that role appears almost as an afterthought when one considers all of Bissell's work. Yet that one Star Trek episode probably gets more exposure for Bissell at this time than any other role he played.
-----------------------
update - click here for the next episode review.
Season #1; Episode #11
The Deep End
Original Air Date - January 2, 1964. The Christmas/New Year season apparently did not interupt the original broadcast schedule for KST.
Setting/Time - A modern small California town and nearby lake.
Plot/Review/Discussion -
The story opens with a dramatic murder. The main character is a private investigator who is not satisfied that the victim's death was a suicide or an accident. By investigating the death, he becomes embroiled in small town intrigue, including financial disputes and romantic tension involving the victim's boyfriend's company.
This episode is essentially a mystery/crime story. There is some discussion of the motivations and internal conflicts of the killer, but those factors are too extreme in this case for the audience to identify with.
Part of the story deals with solving the mystery of the murder. The identity of the murderer becomes known well before the end of the episode. The episode then focuses on trapping and catching the murderer.
The original story is based on a novel by John D. MacDonald, the author of the Travis McGee mystery series. This story contains similarities with other MacDonald writings.
The ending is somewhat clever (maybe too clever) and adds a new layer of complexity to the plot. The story differs from a Hitchcock story of that era only in the absence of some vague supernatural connection and the absence of the smugness that characterizes the Hitchcock plots. [I would explain further, but this blog is not about Hitchcock.]
MacDonald wrote one Hitchcock story in the early sixties. He also wrote the story upon which Cape Fear was based as well as the novel for one episode of the KST spinoff Run for Your Life.
The final moments of the episode reminded me (too much) of Psycho.
Jonathan Hughes wrote the teleplay, as he did for the first season episode "Knight's Gambit," which was similar in some ways with the mystery and investigative aspects of "Deep End."
Cars
The main character drives a 1963 Mercury Monterey. An early 1960's white Jaguar is parked outside the home of one of the suspects. The accountant drives a 1957 Ford Fairlane that was destroyed as part of the plot (the Fairlane was hard to figure out, as the shots of the car took place at night and were incomplete).
It is noteworthy that today's classic luxury cars (60's Jaguar) were once simply ordinary luxury cars. Today's classic cars from the 1950's ('57 Fairlane) were considered disposable for the purpose of television by the 1963-1964 season.
Actors
This episode is just as interesting for the actors as for the story.
Clu Gulager plays the investigator. He is noteworthy for his strange clenched-teeth way of speaking. Later in 1964, he would play a major role in The Killers (written by Ernest Hemingway and Star Trek's Gene Coon) with KST actors Ronald Reagan, Lee Marvin and Claude Akin. He continues to get small roles in movies and television.
Tina Louise plays the boyfriend's secretary. She is most notable for her role in Gilligan's Island that began eight months later. In one scene with Gulager, she continuously moves her eyebrows in an annoying way that detracts from the dialogue. Her character is not fully explored and is explained away superficially by the other characters.
Aldo Ray plays the boyfriend (around whom much of the plot revolves). He served on Iwo Jima during World War II and starred in television and numerous movies from the early 1950's until his death in 1991.
Ellen Burstyn (credited as Ellen McCrae) plays both the victim and the victim's sister. She continues to get movie roles, including some set for release in 2010 and 2011. Her biggest period of success came in the early 1970's when she received numerous awards and nominations for such movies as The Exorcist and Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore.
Star Trek Connection
This episode's Star Trek connection is Whit Bissell, who played the space station manager in the episode "Trouble With Tribbles." He starred in television and movies for more than four decades, including roles as the mad scientist in I Was a Teenage Werewolf (opposite Michael Landon), as a lawyer in 1957's Disney production of Johnny Tremain, a supporting role in The Time Machine (1960), a starring role in The Time Tunnel and a supporting role in the now discredited Soylent Green (1972) (and many, many more roles). He usually played authority figures, such as generals, governors, lawyers and even President Wilson. In "Deep End," he played the accountant whose self-dealing and bungling moved the plot forward.
Many Star Trek fans probably know Bissell solely as "Mr. Luray." But that role appears almost as an afterthought when one considers all of Bissell's work. Yet that one Star Trek episode probably gets more exposure for Bissell at this time than any other role he played.
-----------------------
update - click here for the next episode review.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
The Name of the Game; Kraft Suspense Theatre; Jack Kelly; Nancy Kovack-Mehta; Pat Hingle; Grace Lee Whitney
Click here for the previous episode review.
Season #1, Episode # 10.
The Name of the Game.
Original Air Date - December 26, 1963
Setting/Time - The present in a Las Vegas casino/hotel.
Plot/Review/Discussion -
Jack Kelly plays a professional gambler, who, while knowledgeable about casino gambling, is broke. He is approached by a "high roller" at the casino with a proposition. The high roller is long on cash but short on knowledge. The high roller will bankroll Kelly for the purpose of making a big score overnight and splitting the proceeds.
The conflict centers on disputes between the two main characters over strategy and control. The action is often interrupted by romantic distractions involving each man. The plot does not simply involve beating the casino. The plot revolves around the battle between the two main characters as they gamble.
There is an element of surprise and mystery to this episode that is not revealed until near the end.
This episode gives the appearance of class to casino gambling. The men wore suits and the women were elegant, even while losing large amounts of money at the table (I cannot remember whether they played craps or roulette). This image, while unrealistic, makes for a nice contrast with actual players in casinos now popping up all over the country.
The KST casino was unrealistically small and simple in contrast to actual casinos or casinos featured in modern television or movies.
The plot is believable. When the surprise element is introduced, it is apparent to the viewer that it was present all along. All elements of the story are brought together in the conclusion and resolution.
A conflict over control of casino strategy (coupled with romantic side stories) may seem weak, but it works in this case. Not every situation need be life-or-death to generate audience interest. Whether they gamble or not, an audience might more easily identify with the two gamblers' conflict than with much of what appears on television today.
Miscellaneous - This is the first of two KST episodes to focus on casino gambling.
Cars - Vehicles played a small role in this episode. I believe a Lincoln Continental was visible in the casino parking lot from the manager's office window toward the end of the episode. [I will update this portion if RTV reruns this episode.]
Actors -
Jack Kelly plays the professional gambler. Kelly made the first of his three KST appearances in this episode. Kelly began acting at age 12 and continued for more than 50 years. Kelly previously played in Maverick as one of the title characters. Kelly also played a major role in Forbidden Planet and played the lead in one episode of Kraft Mystery Theatre with future KST actor Broderick Crawford.
Pat Hingle plays the high roller that bankrolled Kelly's character and spent most of the episode fighting him. Hingle's career lasted more than 50 years (until his recent death) and included such series as Twilight Zone, KST spinoff Run For Your Life, Magnum, Murder She Wrote, the 2001 Christian movie Road to Redemption and many others.
Sydney Pollack directed this episode (and two later KST episodes - "Watchman" and "Last Clear Chance").
Star Trek Connection -
Even though the plot was not as strong as some earlier episodes (episodes ## 3, 4, 5 and 6), this one is a favorite of mine largely because of the Star Trek connection. As far as I know, only season #2's "Eddie Carew" features more Star Trek connections than "Name of the Game." [My knowledge is incomplete, as I have not seen about 12 episodes and IMDB.com is unreliable.] This episode and "Eddie Carew" each featured 4 Star Trek actors, but "Eddie Carew" also featured a Star Trek director. The Trek actors in "Eddie Carew" also played more important roles, while two of the Star Trek actors in "Name of the Game" were less important.
Nancy Kovack (now Nancy Mehta) played the romantic interest for Kelly's character in "Name of the Game." She would later play a pivotal role in Star Trek's "Private Little War." Her character in KST would be almost unrecognizable to Trek fans, as it is so different from Kovack's Trek character. Her KST character is one of the most enjoyable parts of "Name of the Game."
Kovack enjoyed a 25 year career in radio and in Hollywood and elsewhere, winning eight beauty pageants and guest starring in such shows as Bewitched, Mannix and the Alfred Hitchcock Hour. Numerous of her episodes are available on Hulu.com.
She became a historical footnote more than a decade ago, as she was on the periphery of the Bill Clinton scandals of the 1990's. She was the victim of an embezzlement scheme of Susan McDougal, who also served jail time in connection with Clinton's Whitewater scandal. McDougal escaped conviction on charges related to Kovack-Mehta when McDougal's attorney, future Michael Jackson and Scott Peterson defender Mark Geragos, denounced the prosecution as part of a conspiracy to harm Bill Clinton.
Barry Atwater plays the Casino manager. Atwater later played Spock's Vulcan hero Surak on "The Savage Curtain." Atwater and Jack Kelly each have the distinction of having played opposite Robby the Robot; - Kelly in Forbidden Planet and Atwater in an episode of Thin Man (with Peter Lawford). Atwater acted until his death in 1978 on such shows as Gunsmoke, Mission Impossible and Twilight Zone. In every role in which I have seen him, his character is very similar to that of Surak.
Steve Ihnat plays a brief, but important, role as the pit boss. The role is important because the pit boss' (and later Atwater's) approval of certain large bets makes those bets more dramatic. Ihnat later played the main guest star in Star Trek's "Whom Gods Destroy." He died at age 38 of a heart attack in 1972. He played on numerous TV episodes, usually as a villain, including a guest role on Big Valley opposite KST guest star Harold Stone.
The most interesting Trek connection is Grace Lee Whitney, who plays a gambler that briefly wins before losing it all at one of the tables. This role is uncredited at IMBD.com and unmentioned in Whitney's autobiography. (I know of Whitney's role only because I noticed her name in the closing credits). Whitney's KST character is not similar in appearance or temperament to Yeoman Rand.
That KST remains so unknown at this time is so unfortunate because the Trek fans would surely enjoy seeing the Star Trek actors play in other roles, especially when there are so many in one episode. Few fans are as familiar with their favorite series as Trekkies are with every detail of Star Trek. I am sure they would appreciate seeing some of these details rearranged and in a new light. Many Star Trek fans are unaccustomed to seeing most of the television shows of the 1960's. As I commented weeks ago:
"Name of the Game" was one of the first KST episodes I have seen. This episode helped get me hooked on KST, as picking out the Star Trek connection(s) added another enjoyable element to each episode.
------------------------
Click here for the next episode review.
Season #1, Episode # 10.
The Name of the Game.
Original Air Date - December 26, 1963
Setting/Time - The present in a Las Vegas casino/hotel.
Plot/Review/Discussion -
Jack Kelly plays a professional gambler, who, while knowledgeable about casino gambling, is broke. He is approached by a "high roller" at the casino with a proposition. The high roller is long on cash but short on knowledge. The high roller will bankroll Kelly for the purpose of making a big score overnight and splitting the proceeds.
The conflict centers on disputes between the two main characters over strategy and control. The action is often interrupted by romantic distractions involving each man. The plot does not simply involve beating the casino. The plot revolves around the battle between the two main characters as they gamble.
There is an element of surprise and mystery to this episode that is not revealed until near the end.
This episode gives the appearance of class to casino gambling. The men wore suits and the women were elegant, even while losing large amounts of money at the table (I cannot remember whether they played craps or roulette). This image, while unrealistic, makes for a nice contrast with actual players in casinos now popping up all over the country.
The KST casino was unrealistically small and simple in contrast to actual casinos or casinos featured in modern television or movies.
The plot is believable. When the surprise element is introduced, it is apparent to the viewer that it was present all along. All elements of the story are brought together in the conclusion and resolution.
A conflict over control of casino strategy (coupled with romantic side stories) may seem weak, but it works in this case. Not every situation need be life-or-death to generate audience interest. Whether they gamble or not, an audience might more easily identify with the two gamblers' conflict than with much of what appears on television today.
Miscellaneous - This is the first of two KST episodes to focus on casino gambling.
Cars - Vehicles played a small role in this episode. I believe a Lincoln Continental was visible in the casino parking lot from the manager's office window toward the end of the episode. [I will update this portion if RTV reruns this episode.]
Actors -
Jack Kelly plays the professional gambler. Kelly made the first of his three KST appearances in this episode. Kelly began acting at age 12 and continued for more than 50 years. Kelly previously played in Maverick as one of the title characters. Kelly also played a major role in Forbidden Planet and played the lead in one episode of Kraft Mystery Theatre with future KST actor Broderick Crawford.
Pat Hingle plays the high roller that bankrolled Kelly's character and spent most of the episode fighting him. Hingle's career lasted more than 50 years (until his recent death) and included such series as Twilight Zone, KST spinoff Run For Your Life, Magnum, Murder She Wrote, the 2001 Christian movie Road to Redemption and many others.
Sydney Pollack directed this episode (and two later KST episodes - "Watchman" and "Last Clear Chance").
Star Trek Connection -
Even though the plot was not as strong as some earlier episodes (episodes ## 3, 4, 5 and 6), this one is a favorite of mine largely because of the Star Trek connection. As far as I know, only season #2's "Eddie Carew" features more Star Trek connections than "Name of the Game." [My knowledge is incomplete, as I have not seen about 12 episodes and IMDB.com is unreliable.] This episode and "Eddie Carew" each featured 4 Star Trek actors, but "Eddie Carew" also featured a Star Trek director. The Trek actors in "Eddie Carew" also played more important roles, while two of the Star Trek actors in "Name of the Game" were less important.
Nancy Kovack (now Nancy Mehta) played the romantic interest for Kelly's character in "Name of the Game." She would later play a pivotal role in Star Trek's "Private Little War." Her character in KST would be almost unrecognizable to Trek fans, as it is so different from Kovack's Trek character. Her KST character is one of the most enjoyable parts of "Name of the Game."
Kovack enjoyed a 25 year career in radio and in Hollywood and elsewhere, winning eight beauty pageants and guest starring in such shows as Bewitched, Mannix and the Alfred Hitchcock Hour. Numerous of her episodes are available on Hulu.com.
She became a historical footnote more than a decade ago, as she was on the periphery of the Bill Clinton scandals of the 1990's. She was the victim of an embezzlement scheme of Susan McDougal, who also served jail time in connection with Clinton's Whitewater scandal. McDougal escaped conviction on charges related to Kovack-Mehta when McDougal's attorney, future Michael Jackson and Scott Peterson defender Mark Geragos, denounced the prosecution as part of a conspiracy to harm Bill Clinton.
Barry Atwater plays the Casino manager. Atwater later played Spock's Vulcan hero Surak on "The Savage Curtain." Atwater and Jack Kelly each have the distinction of having played opposite Robby the Robot; - Kelly in Forbidden Planet and Atwater in an episode of Thin Man (with Peter Lawford). Atwater acted until his death in 1978 on such shows as Gunsmoke, Mission Impossible and Twilight Zone. In every role in which I have seen him, his character is very similar to that of Surak.
Steve Ihnat plays a brief, but important, role as the pit boss. The role is important because the pit boss' (and later Atwater's) approval of certain large bets makes those bets more dramatic. Ihnat later played the main guest star in Star Trek's "Whom Gods Destroy." He died at age 38 of a heart attack in 1972. He played on numerous TV episodes, usually as a villain, including a guest role on Big Valley opposite KST guest star Harold Stone.
The most interesting Trek connection is Grace Lee Whitney, who plays a gambler that briefly wins before losing it all at one of the tables. This role is uncredited at IMBD.com and unmentioned in Whitney's autobiography. (I know of Whitney's role only because I noticed her name in the closing credits). Whitney's KST character is not similar in appearance or temperament to Yeoman Rand.
That KST remains so unknown at this time is so unfortunate because the Trek fans would surely enjoy seeing the Star Trek actors play in other roles, especially when there are so many in one episode. Few fans are as familiar with their favorite series as Trekkies are with every detail of Star Trek. I am sure they would appreciate seeing some of these details rearranged and in a new light. Many Star Trek fans are unaccustomed to seeing most of the television shows of the 1960's. As I commented weeks ago:
Those of us that grew up in the 1970's watching reruns of classic Star Trek became accustomed to seeing each of the guest stars solely in his Star Trek role. It is surprising now for us to see these actors in other roles. Many of these actors (the guest stars as well) have become well known more for their Star Trek role than for anything else. Those guest stars that survive make frequent appearances at Star Trek conventions. Many of their other roles are forgotten, even though the Star Trek appearance was often only one of many, many roles in their long careers.
"Name of the Game" was one of the first KST episodes I have seen. This episode helped get me hooked on KST, as picking out the Star Trek connection(s) added another enjoyable element to each episode.
------------------------
Click here for the next episode review.
Friday, July 9, 2010
Kraft Suspense Theatre; The Hunt; Mickey Rooney; James Caan; Bruce Dern
Season #1; Episode #9.
The Hunt
Original Air Date - December 19, 1963.
Setting/Time - The California Mountains in the present.
Plot/Review/Discussion -
The Hunt
Original Air Date - December 19, 1963.
Setting/Time - The California Mountains in the present.
Plot/Review/Discussion -
A surfer bum is caught by a corrupt and sadistic local sheriff in the mountains of California on his way to the beach. This story is essentially an action story instead of a story focusing on choices and internal conflict.
The story falls into the cliche' of the small town sheriff, beyond the reach of the outside world, terrorizing an innocent passerby. The cliche'd premise makes the story somewhat weak, but the story is told well. The suspense builds slowly until the final confrontation.
The plot is composed of three parts:
- The small town sheriff cliche;
- A mystery set in motion when the sheriff's posse kills a local criminal near the beginning of the episode; and
- The action-intensive climax that results when the main character solves the mystery and must face the consequences.
The intensity of the climax overcomes its predictability.
Cars - The only vehicles I recall are the surfer's panel van, an old jeep and an old truck or two.
Actors -
James Caan plays the main character/surfer, in one of his earlier roles. This role is mentioned in Caan's Wikipedia entry, unlike those of other KST actors.
Mickey Rooney plays the sheriff.
Bruce Dern plays one of the sheriff's allies. Dern remains active today after more than 50 years in Hollywood. He is set to star in next year's movie release of the Big Valley remake. He played a recurring guest role on the KST spinoff Run For Your Life.
Star Trek Connection - Harry Townes plays in the first of his four KST appearances. He played in "Return of the Archons" three years later on Star Trek.
Monday, July 5, 2010
Kraft Suspense Theatre; Long, Lost Life of Edward Smalley;
Season #1, Episode #8
The Long, Lost Life of Edward Smalley
Original Air Date - December 12, 1963
Setting/Time - The main story takes place in a modern office building. The flashback (occupying most of the show) takes place at the end of World War II as the allies march through Western Europe.
Plot/Review/Discussion -
This episode presents a challenge to review because the real plot is more subtle than simply waiting to see the outcome of the trial.
James Whitmore plays J. Marvin Bean, a modern attorney that cares only about winning. We see him in the opening scene upbraiding his employee for caring about right-and-wrong instead of winning. That dialogue sets the stage for the plot of the episode.
Bean is then confronted by an armed visitor to the office (Smalley), whom Bean has forgotten. Smalley tells Bean and his associates (at gunpoint) the story of Bean's representation of Smalley during World War II. The action switches to Smalley's flashback of World War II Europe, as Smalley shoots his superior officer. The issue in Smalley's court martial is whether he intended to shoot the officer or whether it was an accident. Bean is appointed to represent Smalley.
It becomes apparent through the flashback that Bean cares little for the actual truth, a position that is consistent with his instructions to his young associate in the beginning of the episode. But he develops an effective strategy for winning the case, relying on technicalities and strategy instead of anything that reflects faith in Smalley's story. That Bean was concerned only with winning weighs heavily upon Smalley, as he apparently lacked any other source of validation in the two decades since his trial. Bean was thus forced to confront the issue of a client's actual guilt or innocence, instead of a mere checkmark in the win or loss column.
While Smalley was the main/title character, Bean's confrontation with his entire approach to clients and the practice of law provided the main conflict in the story. That conflict was more important to the final resolution than the outcome of the court case. Rather than simply waiting to find out who wins in court, the viewer sees the attorney forced to confront the truth. That is a much more interesting conflict.
Cars - Vehicles played no part in the episode, except for possible military vehicles.
Actors -
James Whitmore starred as attorney Bean. Whitmore starred in film and television from the late 1940's through 2007. This was the first of two KST episodes for Whitmore. His credits include many of the well-known television shows from the past generation, including Twilight Zone, Big Valley, Bonanza and KST spinoff Run For Your Life. He had a commanding presence and often played military/authority figures, including Presidents Teddy Roosevelt and Harry Truman.
Richard Crenna played Edward Smalley. Crenna worked as an actor and director from 1950 until his death in 2003. His most famous role came as Luke McCoy in The Real McCoys.
Ron Hayes enjoyed a long career that included a second KST episode in season #2. Philip Abbott, John Alonzo and Arch Johnson also starred in season #2. Alonzo and Abbott both starred in "Once Upon a Savage Night."
The Long, Lost Life of Edward Smalley
Original Air Date - December 12, 1963
Setting/Time - The main story takes place in a modern office building. The flashback (occupying most of the show) takes place at the end of World War II as the allies march through Western Europe.
Plot/Review/Discussion -
This episode presents a challenge to review because the real plot is more subtle than simply waiting to see the outcome of the trial.
James Whitmore plays J. Marvin Bean, a modern attorney that cares only about winning. We see him in the opening scene upbraiding his employee for caring about right-and-wrong instead of winning. That dialogue sets the stage for the plot of the episode.
Bean is then confronted by an armed visitor to the office (Smalley), whom Bean has forgotten. Smalley tells Bean and his associates (at gunpoint) the story of Bean's representation of Smalley during World War II. The action switches to Smalley's flashback of World War II Europe, as Smalley shoots his superior officer. The issue in Smalley's court martial is whether he intended to shoot the officer or whether it was an accident. Bean is appointed to represent Smalley.
It becomes apparent through the flashback that Bean cares little for the actual truth, a position that is consistent with his instructions to his young associate in the beginning of the episode. But he develops an effective strategy for winning the case, relying on technicalities and strategy instead of anything that reflects faith in Smalley's story. That Bean was concerned only with winning weighs heavily upon Smalley, as he apparently lacked any other source of validation in the two decades since his trial. Bean was thus forced to confront the issue of a client's actual guilt or innocence, instead of a mere checkmark in the win or loss column.
While Smalley was the main/title character, Bean's confrontation with his entire approach to clients and the practice of law provided the main conflict in the story. That conflict was more important to the final resolution than the outcome of the court case. Rather than simply waiting to find out who wins in court, the viewer sees the attorney forced to confront the truth. That is a much more interesting conflict.
Cars - Vehicles played no part in the episode, except for possible military vehicles.
Actors -
James Whitmore starred as attorney Bean. Whitmore starred in film and television from the late 1940's through 2007. This was the first of two KST episodes for Whitmore. His credits include many of the well-known television shows from the past generation, including Twilight Zone, Big Valley, Bonanza and KST spinoff Run For Your Life. He had a commanding presence and often played military/authority figures, including Presidents Teddy Roosevelt and Harry Truman.
Richard Crenna played Edward Smalley. Crenna worked as an actor and director from 1950 until his death in 2003. His most famous role came as Luke McCoy in The Real McCoys.
Ron Hayes enjoyed a long career that included a second KST episode in season #2. Philip Abbott, John Alonzo and Arch Johnson also starred in season #2. Alonzo and Abbott both starred in "Once Upon a Savage Night."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
