Rustifer
Senior HTF Member
Episode Revisit
"Family Skeleton" (S2E36)
Opening Scene: Phil Staunton (Walter Reed) is returning home from work and gets whacked by two goons wearing masks and is whisked off for ransom. Thus begins the caper.
Stu and Jeff escort Suzanne to dinner at Dino's--ostensibly to see which one of them end up with her for the night. Being truly French, Suzanne doesn't care--either one will do. Making it easier to decide, Stu gets called away by Staunton's doctor, who reveals Phil has been kidnapped, but unknown to anyone, has an illness which requires an injection every 24 hours or he'll die (cue some dire music).
So here's the cast of characters: Phil's wife Terry (Gail Robbins)--a singer and ex girlfriend of gangster Bennie Cannon (Frank Gerstle), Phil's young sister Luanna (Yvonne Craig), and secretary Diane (Suzanne Storrs). Luanna's hotter than a Miami sidewalk and enjoys martinis. Diane seems to be a sincere and dedicated employee. Stu asks questions, crinkles his brow and smokes cigarettes as he ponders this list of possible suspects. Wifey Terry shows up and berates Diane and Luanna for feeding Stu too much information about the family:
"You stupid, law-abiding little fools!" she screams. You gotta give the writer credit for getting that line past any sensible journalistic scrutiny. Terry's lipstick application looks as if she's just polished off a jug of Welch's Grape Juice. We're learning there's more than one skeleton in the Staunton closet. Gangsters, murders and ransom--oh my!
Gail Robbins; Yvonne Craig*; Suzanne Storrs; Walter Reed
Meanwhile, the clock's ticking on Phil's kidnapping and illness. Stu enlists the help of Roscoe and Kookie. Jeff is unavailable, apparently still enveloped in Suzanne's aromatic embrace. Stu is threatened by a couple of Bennie's goons, who advise him to stay away from the Staunton case. As I've reported many times before, this ill-thought tactic only serves to heighten rather than discourage the investigation. You'd think they'd teach that in gangster school. Kookie is sent to watch over Luanna, who makes his job more interesting by sashaying around in a flimsy robe and sucking down double martinis. She professes foggy interest in Kookie's stick shift.
Is Terry's ex Bennie interested in helping her find Phil, or is he behind the whole affair? How about Staunton's secretary Diane--is she really as helpful and innocent as she seems? And how about young sis Luanna? She's a stone cold be-atch, for sure. My money at this point is on the doctor--but damned if I know why. Stu and Luanna deliver the ransom, which is wrapped up like a deli brisket. Who wouldn't take a good corned beef any day as payment? Phil is released and we finally learn who's behind the whole scheme. Well crap, it was right in front of me the whole time.
Notes:
Following up a clue leads Stu to a bar called "The Dry Martini". The name suggests a classy joint, but turns out dive with a belligerent bartender. Stu beats him up just for the hell of it. I guess he didn't know how to mix a decent martini.
In the IMDb overview, Louis Quinn's character is identified as Pete Roscoe. Huh? Do they know something the rest of us never knew??
Although Walter Reed's father was an Army sergeant, he is in no way related to the Walter Reed of the renown military medical facility.
*I tried to find a pic of Yvonne apart from any of the 12,645 I've already posted of her...
"Family Skeleton" (S2E36)
Opening Scene: Phil Staunton (Walter Reed) is returning home from work and gets whacked by two goons wearing masks and is whisked off for ransom. Thus begins the caper.
Stu and Jeff escort Suzanne to dinner at Dino's--ostensibly to see which one of them end up with her for the night. Being truly French, Suzanne doesn't care--either one will do. Making it easier to decide, Stu gets called away by Staunton's doctor, who reveals Phil has been kidnapped, but unknown to anyone, has an illness which requires an injection every 24 hours or he'll die (cue some dire music).
So here's the cast of characters: Phil's wife Terry (Gail Robbins)--a singer and ex girlfriend of gangster Bennie Cannon (Frank Gerstle), Phil's young sister Luanna (Yvonne Craig), and secretary Diane (Suzanne Storrs). Luanna's hotter than a Miami sidewalk and enjoys martinis. Diane seems to be a sincere and dedicated employee. Stu asks questions, crinkles his brow and smokes cigarettes as he ponders this list of possible suspects. Wifey Terry shows up and berates Diane and Luanna for feeding Stu too much information about the family:
"You stupid, law-abiding little fools!" she screams. You gotta give the writer credit for getting that line past any sensible journalistic scrutiny. Terry's lipstick application looks as if she's just polished off a jug of Welch's Grape Juice. We're learning there's more than one skeleton in the Staunton closet. Gangsters, murders and ransom--oh my!
Gail Robbins; Yvonne Craig*; Suzanne Storrs; Walter Reed
Meanwhile, the clock's ticking on Phil's kidnapping and illness. Stu enlists the help of Roscoe and Kookie. Jeff is unavailable, apparently still enveloped in Suzanne's aromatic embrace. Stu is threatened by a couple of Bennie's goons, who advise him to stay away from the Staunton case. As I've reported many times before, this ill-thought tactic only serves to heighten rather than discourage the investigation. You'd think they'd teach that in gangster school. Kookie is sent to watch over Luanna, who makes his job more interesting by sashaying around in a flimsy robe and sucking down double martinis. She professes foggy interest in Kookie's stick shift.
Is Terry's ex Bennie interested in helping her find Phil, or is he behind the whole affair? How about Staunton's secretary Diane--is she really as helpful and innocent as she seems? And how about young sis Luanna? She's a stone cold be-atch, for sure. My money at this point is on the doctor--but damned if I know why. Stu and Luanna deliver the ransom, which is wrapped up like a deli brisket. Who wouldn't take a good corned beef any day as payment? Phil is released and we finally learn who's behind the whole scheme. Well crap, it was right in front of me the whole time.
Notes:
Following up a clue leads Stu to a bar called "The Dry Martini". The name suggests a classy joint, but turns out dive with a belligerent bartender. Stu beats him up just for the hell of it. I guess he didn't know how to mix a decent martini.
In the IMDb overview, Louis Quinn's character is identified as Pete Roscoe. Huh? Do they know something the rest of us never knew??
Although Walter Reed's father was an Army sergeant, he is in no way related to the Walter Reed of the renown military medical facility.
*I tried to find a pic of Yvonne apart from any of the 12,645 I've already posted of her...
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