77 Sunset Strip / Hawaiian Eye, etc. (7 Viewers)

[Rustifer]

Speaking of Season 6, I've DVR'd a few more episodes. I'm not completely slipping into full-blown acceptance, but here's some things driving me to continue watching and possibly writing commentaries:

• I've already reviewed and written about as many prior season episodes that I can't even remember which ones I've done anymore. Call it early onset dementia. That's what my wife calls it when she leaves me instructions to do chores that I never get done
• Some of these Season 6 eps are kind of interesting as long as I divorce myself from trying to equate them with previous seasons. Plus, I'm retired, bored, and looking for anything to animate my brain before it turns completely into tapioca pudding
• Martinis don't give a sh*t which season I think is special--they're still good no matter what
• It would be odd if I didn't continue to bore my family, friends. clergy, passersby and uber drivers with episode details that interest them about as much as toenail fungus

So I shall continue to soldier on.

 

[Gary16]

Hey Gary---I see you got kicked up a notch in thread rank. Congrats!

Thanks for noticing. I tend to overlook when that changes.

 

[Gary16]

[QUOTE="Some of these Season 6 eps are kind of interesting as long as I divorce myself from trying to equate them with previous seasons. So I shall continue to soldier on”[/QUOTE]

That’s the spirit. And you’ve remembered the key ingredient for watching season 6 — not to compare it directly with seasons 1-5. Looking forward to your upcoming season 6 reviews.

 

[Mysto]

[QUOTE="Some of these Season 6 eps are kind of interesting as long as I divorce myself from trying to equate them with previous seasons. So I shall continue to soldier on”

That’s the spirit. And you’ve remembered the key ingredient for watching season 6 — not to compare it directly with seasons 1-5. Looking forward to your upcoming season 6 reviews.[/QUOTE]
Perhaps you are right. It's not that S6 was bad - just that 1-5 were soooo good.

Yea - that's me - a glass half full kinda guy.

 

[Mysto]

I was watching S1E05 Bouncing Chip last night and realized that Stu and I drove the same car. Yep - I owned one of those big Merc Rag Tops - But mine was a used car in the later 60's and we didn't get the top down much in Michigan.

At least it proves that at that young age I had private eye cool - something I retain even until today.

Edited to correct the episode. Said I was cool - didn't say I could remember stuff.

 

[criblecoblis]

I was watching S1E05 Bouncing Chip last night and realized that Stu and I drove the same car. Yep - I owned one of those big Merc Rag Tops - But mine was a used car in the later 60's and we didn't get the top down much in Michigan.

We had the 1967 edition of this, right down to the color. There's nothing like a full-size American convertible!

 

[Mysto]

We had the 1967 edition of this, right down to the color. There's nothing like a full-size American convertible!

Nothing like two tons of Detroit Iron at your beck and call.

 

[Rustifer]

We had the 1967 edition of this, right down to the color. There's nothing like a full-size American convertible!

When I was a kid (this was about 165 years ago), our neighborhood bully's dad owned one of these Olds convertibles--white with red interior. He made it a point to have his dad (who--to add insult to injury--resembled Robert Goulet) drive him by our house with the top down to flaunt just how damn cool they were.
As a result, I was furious with my dad for our crummy common Chevy Bel Air (and I'd give my left arm for now) which may as well have been a hay wagon.
My disappointment must have affected my dad, as his next car was---you got it---a brand new Olds convertible.
But by that time, the bully's family had a Cadillac Eldorado.

Just when you think you're a daisy, you find yourself in a field of roses.

 

[MartinP.]

• Martinis don't give a sh*t which season I think is special--they're still good no matter what.

I like your wisdom.

 

[Rustifer]

I like your wisdom.

With martinis, comes wisdom.

 

[Mysto]

With martinis, comes wisdom.

So close to a book but they beat you to it.

We are big on wisdom here in HTF

 

[Rustifer]

So close to a book but they beat you to it.

We are big on wisdom here in HTF

Very good, Marv!
But we must get back to our subject matter before Gary has an aneurysm...

 

[Mysto]

Very good, Marv!
But we must get back to our subject matter before Gary has an aneurysm...

I'm all over it - Back to our normal program

 

[Gary16]

I was at the supermarket the other day where they give you a number to have your items put in your car when you leave. This is what they handed me:

 

[Rustifer]

I was at the supermarket the other day where they give you a number to have your items put in your car when you leave. This is what they handed me:
View attachment 57915

Frickin' prophetic. I would've stolen it.

 

[Rustifer]

Episode Commentary
"The Toy Jungle" (S6E11)

Gentle Reader:
I'm making an on-going effort to re-explore Season 6 (as urged by some in this thread) to see if my heretofore negative opinion can be reconstituted as more favorable this time around. The key, I'm told, is to separate this season from the previous five--not an easy task--and to view the episodes as more "stand-alone". Of course, the one remaining tie to the past remains in the character of Stu Bailey--whose persona is seemingly forced to ping pong from "normal" Stu to tough-talking gumshoe Stu.

Opening Scene: Harry Devlin (Russell Johnson--yep, the Professor!) is enjoying a solo weekend at a toy convention with his fellow toy shop owners and is invited to a hotel suite for cocktails and other convention shenanigans. Imagine when the door opens he sees his wife Doris (Pat Crowley) all dolled up and sashaying around the guys like a high-end "hostess" on the make. Harry is floored. "Doris" claims not to be his wife or even know him.

Cut to Bailey's office where he finally gets to meet Hanna (Joan Staley--her first appearance in S6) face-to-face, who has been taking his dictations over the phone sight unseen. Hanna easily puts the voom in va-va-voom with a figure that nearly melts the gel in Stu's hair. After trying unsuccessfully to pull a Harvey Weinstein on her, he gets down to business and begins to dictate the details of this case.

Harry is shattered over seeing his wife at the hotel convention and even more distraught that she's trying to convince him it just wasn't her. Harry gravely clutches his head, which we all recognize as an effective method of relieving extreme stress. As a means to an end, he hires Bailey to look into the whole event to see if his wife is lying about the incident. Doris tries to convince Stu to believe her instead. Stu's response:
"I asked a man once if he had a gun--he said it wasn't true. I should have asked him if he had a knife." It's wisdom like this which propelled Bailey to the top of the detective dean's list.

Harry and Doris disagreeing over wallpaper selection; Stu employing some top notch detecting; narcotic pusher Vince (Robert Clarke);
delectable H-H-H-Hanna (Joan Staley)

Stu hotfoots it to the convention hotel to determine who was in the suite at the time of Harry's unfortunately arrival. He meets two hotel clerks--one who tries to seduce him, the other, Eddie (Henry Gibson), wants to extort money for info. He learns that Vince Santel (Robert Clarke), a former convicted narcotics criminal, was in charge of the suite festivities. Everyone knows that it takes a narcotics dealer to throw a decent hotel party.

We also learn that toy manufacturer Sam Reardon (Cliff Osmond) helped set up Harry and Doris in the toy biz, as well as hired Vince as a top employee. Doris was once in love with Vince. Sam was once in love with Doris. Harry is still in love with Doris but is rapidly losing traction in the crowd of Doris-lovers. Adding to the misery of the mystery, Vince has been extorting Doris to do his bidding while Sam has been gently but expertly tucking drugs into his toys and exporting them around the world for the masses to enjoy. Bailey eventually unravels this nest of vipers, and reunites Doris and Harry in loving embrace.

Returning to real time, Stu finishes up his dictation of the case to Hanna, suddenly adding "I could learn to love the top of your head." Now, you can take from that whatever you want as long as you keep in mind that it's 1963 and getting between third and home base hadn't been invented yet (this factoid courtesy of my wife).

Notes:
It's reassuring to see that Stu still tools around in a T-Bird convertible--this one has a swivel steering column to provide easy assess or exit from the car. I had never seen that before. I want one.

Cliff Osmond, as far as I can tell, is not a lost member of the Osmond Brothers:

This episode was directed by Lawrence Dobkin, who appeared as a guest actor in a handful of other 77 SS stories.

There were several fight scenes where I noticed that in this season, there was not a huge effort to hide the fact that Bailey's fisticuffs were mainly staged by stunt doubles.

Finally, I know what you're thinking: Did I enjoy this episode? I did. Although the story was kinda weak, seeing Russell Johnson off the island and Pat Cowley playing a two-faced wife and of course the introduction of Hanna--was worth the time spent. EZ was a bit more into his "normal" Bailey character along with a touch more lascivious nature in his approach to anything in a skirt.

 

[criblecoblis]

Russ,

I'm so very happy that you're finding some enjoyment in the sixth season! Kudos on your persistence and open-mindedness.

Of course, the one remaining tie to the past remains in the character of Stu Bailey--whose persona is seemingly forced to ping pong from "normal" Stu to tough-talking gumshoe Stu.

Aside from the annoying lack of connection to earlier seasons, the one aspect of the sixth season that bothers me most is the distortion of Stu's character, which to me was the single most defining characteristic of the show. This episode marks the beginning of Stu's return to his old self.

It's reassuring to see that Stu still tools around in a T-Bird convertible--this one has a swivel steering column to provide easy assess or exit from the car. I had never seen that before. I want one.

I do too! The 1961 T-Bird was the first car ever to have a swing-away steering column, and if you'll look back at the third-season episodes, you'll see that Stu uses that feature back then as well. As I understand it, this was dictated by Ford.

As you know, I've always been attentive to the use of cars in the show, and how it gives us clues to the character and economic class of the characters. Stu and his T-Bird are the most prominent example of this. He even drove an earlier T-Bird in his (and Kookie's, IIRC) version of Bailey & Spencer's origin story in "Once Upon A Caper."

As an aside, in EZ's first film for WB, Bombers B-52, he also drives a T-Bird, quite possibly the exact same car he drives in "Once Upon A Caper." That seems to be a little in-joke.

Stu treated himself to a new T-Bird every two seasons (while Jeff got a new Fairlane/Galaxie Sunliner convertible every year). Despite his impecuniousness (as Stu himself would put it) in the sixth season, Stu nevertheless continued this habit. I think it's telling that having a new T-Bird on schedule was more important to Stu than having an office in a reputable location. One of the defining characteristics of an Angeleno, then as now, is the primary importance of one's vehicle as a token of success and social status.

I'm looking forward to seeing your opinion of some of the remaining sixth-season episodes!

 

[Gary16]

Russ,

I'm so very happy that you're finding some enjoyment in the sixth season! Kudos on your persistence and open-mindedness.



Aside from the annoying lack of connection to earlier seasons, the one aspect of the sixth season that bothers me most is the distortion of Stu's character, which to me was the single most defining characteristic of the show. This episode marks the beginning of Stu's return to his old self.



I do too! The 1961 T-Bird was the first car ever to have a swing-away steering column, and if you'll look back at the third-season episodes, you'll see that Stu uses that feature back then as well. As I understand it, this was dictated by Ford.

As you know, I've always been attentive to the use of cars in the show, and how it gives us clues to the character and economic class of the characters. Stu and his T-Bird are the most prominent example of this. He even drove an earlier T-Bird in his (and Kookie's, IIRC) version of Bailey & Spencer's origin story in "Once Upon A Caper."

As an aside, in EZ's first film for WB, Bombers B-52, he also drives a T-Bird, quite possibly the exact same car he drives in "Once Upon A Caper." That seems to be a little in-joke.

Stu treated himself to a new T-Bird every two seasons (while Jeff got a new Fairlane/Galaxie Sunliner convertible every year). Despite his impecuniousness (as Stu himself would put it) in the sixth season, Stu nevertheless continued this habit. I think it's telling that having a new T-Bird on schedule was more important to Stu than having an office in a reputable location. One of the defining characteristics of an Angeleno, then as now, is the primary importance of one's vehicle as a token of success and social status.

I'm looking forward to seeing your opinion of some of the remaining sixth-season episodes!

I watched the season one episode “Hit and Run” today which prominently features Stu’s T-Bird. Kookie borrows it and it gets a little messed up in an accident. But all is well in the end of course.

And yes I’m thrilled that season 6 is getting some attention here. Just remember the episodes prior to “Toy Jungle” are the ones before Stu started to return to normal but, as with “88 Bars,” there are still some good stories in those earlier episodes. I’ll be looking for the next review.

 

[Rustifer]

Episode Commentary
"The Fumble" (S6E12)

Don't ask me why I'm suddenly churning out these Season 6 commentaries--I don't know why. They're not particularly easy to write since the scripts shove so many characters into each plot. Maybe I'm trying to prove to myself something about this season that has eluded me for so many years. I blame Gary and Rob for gently twisting my arm to re-examine my previous inattention, thus sending me on this commentary jag.
As if I don't enjoy drinking martinis and watching classic 77 SS episodes anyway...

Opening Scene: Charlie Carmichael (Richard Long, not Rex Randolph) is attempting to entertain a group of colleagues at dinner by reliving his glory days as a college football star. Charlie is drunk. At the table is his embarrassed wife Diana (Gail Kobe), and her father Frank (Robert Simon)--Charlie's employer in his chemical company. As son-in-law, Charlie occupies a corner office as District Manager--a position he regularly abuses with wild antics and blackouts due to that demon of demons: Alcohol.

Cut to Stu Bailey's office: Hanna (Joan Staley) is getting ready to leave when Stu walks in expecting her to stay and take dictation on this, his latest case. I'm hoping to see this as an on-going scene format for the remainder of the series--it's cute. Stu promises to make her comfortable.
"I'd be more comfortable at Casino's in front of a $12 steak". There's no mollycoddling in Hanna.

Stu and Charlie sweatin' to the oldies; Sue Ane Langdon displaying her...neck scarf, wife Diana and Charlie discussing shrubbery fertilizer

Charlie promises not to drink any more. Of course, he doesn't plan to drink any less. Wife Diana doesn't buy it and hires old friend Stu to be his watchdog at the upcoming annual company convention in San Diego. Charlie is not jiggy with the arrangement. Neither is Stu, since this is the kind of assignment he would usually turn down. Diana explains to him how bad Charlie's drinking has become, and that he simply can't afford to make a fool of himself at the annual meeting. She expects Stu to keep Charlie on a tight leash.

Staying at the hotel next to Charlie's room, Stu bumps into Jana (Sue Ane Langdon) who's on hand as a product model for the convention. Jana displays a 'y'all'-style southern accent that just screams grits and gravy. Bailey is entranced. Distracted, Harry gets away from Stu and ends up waking in a cheap Tijuana motel with a dead girl propped in the corner. Oops. Seems like his evening's activities might have gotten a little away from him. He calls Stu, then takes off to avoid the inevitable arrest.

The remainder of the story has Bailey going though a litany of Charlie's acquaintances that had touched base with him during that fateful evening--a photographer buddy, a sexy judo instructor wearing a highly non-conventional work outfit, an ex-fiance and a surly bar manager. Who killed the girl? Was it really Charlie? Or was it a jealous colleague that wants to set him up to fail in the business? Gee, guess.

Cut back to real time in Bailey's office as he finishes up his dictation to Hanna. Feeling bad that he kept her overtime, he offers to buy her that $12 steak*. She dials the phone, "Mom--pick you up in 5 minutes. Mr. Bailey's buying dinner."

Notes:
The opening scene of Charlie at dinner looks very much like the studio's replica of Dino's. Stu's breakfast meeting with Diana looks suspiciously like the Shell Bar setting from Hawaiian Eye. The streets of Tijuana could have easily doubled as the setting of Bourbon Street Beat. No reason not to recycle that stuff. Only nerds like me would probably notice.

In one scene, Stu is smoking a cigarette and displays a very discolored index fingernail. Perhaps a domestic DIY boo-boo for EZ?

When Charlie discovers the dead girl, he lightly touches her and she falls over with a loud clump of her head on the bed's hard edge. It was almost comical. I can only imagine after the director's "Cut!" she mutters "Ouch, dammit!!"

Charlie's photographer friend is busy shooting a towel-wrapped model holding a bar of soap. He screams at her "Make love to that soap!"
(I directed a lot of models in my advertising days, but I surely don't remember ever pulling off a line like that...)

I was unfamiliar with Gail Kobe, who had a rather pedestrian but prominent role in this episode. This was her only appearance in 77 SS, but apparently was quite prolific as a guest actor in many other series from this era. Looks like she did a number of soaps in her later years.

The story takes place mainly in San Diego. I would have imagined by this time with perhaps higher budgets, there would have been some location-establishing shots. Nada.

A good script line describing Charlie: Someone who fell on a fumble and came up with a career.

Bottom line: Did I enjoy the episode? Yeah, I did. Even though the story line was mostly simple--Stu chasing around an irresponsible drunk exec with a murder thrown in almost as an afterthought--I felt a certain affinity with all the familiar sets, lighting, and guest characters that was reminiscent of seasons' past, even without their usual sights and sounds. EZ's Bailey character is almost entirely back into comfortable pants without the forced gangsta grunting--which also added to the warm familiarity.
It seemed a bit incongruous using Richard Long, however, as the main guest as he was a prominent member of the team in Season 3. Although I think he made some non-Rex Randolph appearances in other earlier episodes.

*A $12 steak today would barely get you a leather-tough 6 oz. cow part from Applebee's.

 

[Rustifer]

Russ,

I'm so very happy that you're finding some enjoyment in the sixth season! Kudos on your persistence and open-mindedness.

Rob, trust me...I'm surprising myself.