77 Sunset Strip / Hawaiian Eye, etc. (5 Viewers)

[Rustifer]

Russ, I think your last guess is a pretty good one. It's hard to believe that she couldn't have gotten a lot more work than she did if she'd wanted it. Or maybe it was that by that time Claudine Longet was getting all the pretty-French-girl-with-a-thick-accent roles.

Excellent point, Rob! I had forgotten about Claudine Longet--she was HUGE in the 60's. Especially while married to the very popular Andy Williams. But a quick peek at IMDb reveals that she was mostly seen on TV series as opposed to films. But still, one would think that her popularity would spur even more requests for the likes of Jacqueline Beer.
I think the difference was that Claudine was so successful at the cute-sexy ingenue (a very desirable trait in that era), where Jacqueline seemed older, more staid and elegant.
At the end of the day, I think Ms. Beer was perfectly happy staying at home and raising her three kids.

Tough to compete with this combo in the 60's...

 

[Rustifer]

Saving The Strip: Seventh Season, 1964–65

Part 7: Seventh Season Developments

Order thus having been restored, the seventh season then settles down to solving cases. The show is still following the old pattern of having two shows in production at the same time, but there are fewer solo episodes, and at least two of the three partners have significant interaction in many episodes, as in “A Nice Social Evening,” “Pasadena Caper” and “The Kookie Caper.”

Notably, we see a great deal more Stu-Jeff interaction, something both EZ and Roger Smith insisted upon when signing for another season. In his autobiography, EZ states that he and Roger Smith had a high regard for each other and had a lot of fun working together, and he expressed regret that they were usually on separate sets. In the seventh season, we see a lot more episodes like “Lovely Lady, Pity Me,” where their chemistry together is delightfully evident.

Pursuant to another of EZ’s contract conditions, we see a number of episodes written after the style of Montgomery Pittman, whom EZ considered the one man most responsible for the success of the show in its early years. Orr utilizes this opportunity to establish some of the callbacks to the glory days that Jack Warner had ordained.

We see more Roger Smith teleplays, one of which he also directs—another condition Smith insisted upon. EZ mentions in his autobiography that Smith was trying to work his way behind the camera.

We also see a good amount of Kookie-JR partnering, as Kookie brings JR along in his footsteps. Edward Byrnes is the lead in roughly a third of the episodes and is prominent in half of them. His increased presence is the result of a stipulation all three of the stars made; it is what allows EZ and Roger Smith to work together more frequently, and it allows time to be carved out for Smith to attend to his behind-the-camera efforts. This increased partnering is one of the benefits of the increased budget.

Another such benefit is the more frequent use of the actual city as a backdrop, with even some occasional location shooting in and around places such as Griffith Park and the Burbank Equestrian Center. This lends the show a heightened sense of place, and enhances the show’s authenticity.

Just as Stu’s OSS background has caused the federal law-enforcement agencies to seek his assistance with special cases, now Jeff and Kookie’s involvement with the Attorney General and the county DA Investigator’s office cause these agencies to bring the firm in when they need help.

Some of these cases fall to Kookie, especially those involving street gangs, whose activity is in the ascendancy, filling the void left by the weakening influence of organized crime in the city. It is in these episodes that we finally start to see Kookie rock his dark side.

Suzanne’s cabin fever gets the best of her, so she starts dropping into the office when she’s out doing the grocery shopping, and just naturally sits down and starts answering the phones to help Hannah out. By the middle of the season, the firm’s caseload has increased to the point where Hannah can’t be both stenographer and receptionist, so Suzanne returns as the official, if unpaid, receptionist.

While Jeff is in fact just as happy as Suzanne is with this development, he only allows it on the condition that she no longer be used as an operative. Needless to say, that condition goes by the wayside eventually.

Suzanne succeeds where all others have failed: she quickly cracks Hannah’s hard shell, and the two become close friends. As a result, Hannah unclenches a bit—and Suzanne begins to take on some of Hannah’s sauciness around the edges.

While Kookie and Hannah would certainly make a handsome pair, the issue never comes up, as it never did with him and Suzanne. Heartthrobs like Kookie seldom get steady girlfriends, although we see him dating various girls as ever.

But he and Hannah do work well together, as we see in the second half of the season, when Hannah’s intelligence, good common sense and sang-froid allow her naturally to evolve into another occasional operative. She proves a quick study.

And as regards Hannah and Stu, Stu has moved on, because with his mojo back he has a very wide field. He now treats her with chivalrous respect, just as he’s always treated Suzanne. Hannah still likes to play at giving Stu a hard time, but the truth is that as the season progresses, we begin to see her giving him the same sidelong, lingering looks that Suzanne used to give Jeff. Stay tuned.

Next: further developments.

Dude! You are out-doing yourself on each subsequent post! Oh how I would have liked to see a Season 7 develop along these lines. Perfect pairing of characters, locations and capers.
As my wife tells me when I offer to make weekend dinners--DO NOT STOP!

 

[criblecoblis]

Dude! You are out-doing yourself on each subsequent post! Oh how I would have liked to see a Season 7 develop along these lines. Perfect pairing of characters, locations and capers.
As my wife tells me when I offer to make weekend dinners--DO NOT STOP!

Thanks, Russ! Yes, this is where things start to get fun, when we start to see how all the background stuff shows up on screen.

 

[criblecoblis]

At the end of the day, I think Ms. Beer was perfectly happy staying at home and raising her three kids.

I completely agree. I just thought it would be funny to bring up Claudine. I hate to be unkind, but I've never seen one iota of acting (or singing, for that matter) ability in her. When I was a kid, it used to baffle me that she had a career.

 

[Rustifer]

Episode Commentary
Surfside 6
"Country Gentleman" (S1E1)

So, at 8:30 on Monday nights in 1960, I'd park my 10 year-old butt in front of our 25" Philco TV and tune in Surfside 6. I didn't give a rat's patootie for Danny Thomas or Tales of Wells Fargo which was competing in the same time slot. I mean, this had a Miami houseboat inhabited by super cool detectives who came to work in swim trunks and terry cloth pullovers and carried snub nose pistols. And even though bikini-clad babes scurried to and fro, my 10 year-old psyche hadn't yet grasped the significance of this like it would in about 2 more years. Since the show dovetailed with my favorites 77 Sunset Strip and Hawaiian Eye, I was an instant (and eventually lifelong) fan.

Marty Hartman (Ray Danton) is a smoothly retired racketeer who's settled in Miami to become a productive member of society. A 'Country Gentleman' if you will. Dave Thorne (Lee Patterson) hates Marty's guts, having help put the crook in Sing Sing several years earlier. Apparently prison, lawyer fees and parking tickets did little to deplete Marty's bankroll as he lives in a waterside mansion that would make even Donald Trump envious. His former gunsel and wing man, Stinger (Fred DeKova), hangs around as sort of a manservant, valet and chef. "The canapes are gettin' mushy" is not an uncommon utterance from him in his new role. Marty is trying to rehabilitate Stinger from fisticuffs to foodstuffs.
.

Cast members admonish Troy for smoking on deck; Marty and Stinger contemplate hors d'oeuvres; Daphne answers the doorbell

It wouldn't be a Warner Bros. series without a musical interlude thrown in--and here it's provided by Cha Cha O'Brien (Margaret Sierra) in Fountainebeau's Boom Boom Room, who belts out some sort of Spanish-Italian-English Frito Bandito mashup to the patrons happily sucking down dry martinis. Meanwhile, poor Marty is trying hard to be legit but gets mixed up with some snobby socialites in a land deal. They've decided to cut Marty out of the transaction because his criminal background has become a deterrent to investors. Included in this unholy mix is a love triangle that involves Marty, Paula Gladstone (Janet Lake), and a young deckhand (Gary Conway).

One of the investors gets murdered, and fingers point to Marty Hartman. Dave Thorne is hired to investigate his old nemesis. Marty and Dave's initial meeting is akin to that of a mongoose and a snake. Between intrigues, Ken Madison (Van Williams) and Sandy Winfield (Troy Donahue) spend significant time around poolside bars, speedboats and Daphne Dutton (Diane McBain). It's backbreaking work.
Little by little, Dave and Marty grow to trust one another. Dave not only absolves Marty of murder, but helps him get the girl in the end. So to speak.

Notes:
This was the season's first episode. The series as a whole was considered fairly weak, with the LA Times dubbing it as "inept". By April of 1962, the show was tanked.

A novel "Surfside 6" was written by J.M. (Jay) Flynn in 1962. From what I can ascertain, Flynn was a sort of a Charles Bukowski type--whose background included newspaper reporter, bootlegger, bartender and "novelist in residence" at a Nevada whorehouse. The man was an incurable drunk and was reduced to writing cheap sex novels before dying of cancer in 1985 at age 60.

As a kid, I nearly always fell asleep by the end of this show--lulled by the closing theme song. When I hear it now, I automatically yawn.

 

[criblecoblis]

Russ, it's great finally to see a SurfSide 6 review here! I haven't watched this episode myself yet, so I can't comment intelligently about it, but I'm eager to see this show, because unlike 77SS, I do recall watching this show in its original run. I don't remember any individual episodes, but it's probably where I acquired my fondness for Diane McBain.

 

[criblecoblis]

Saving The Strip: Seventh Season, 1964–65

Part 8: Further Developments

Proud of his new legitimacy, Roscoe (who along with Hannah, Suzanne and Gil is in most episodes) is determined to polish up his act. In an extended background story arc commencing around S7E11, the others all try to help him do this, with comical results as he is inundated with often-conflicting guidance.

As the season progresses and character development proceeds to the point where more characters can help carry a plot, the show transitions to having parts of three episodes in production at any one time. At this point in the season, the partners, happy with JR’s development, offer him a full-time job. He eagerly accepts and quits Dino’s.

We begin to see Kookie and JR emerge as a parallel partnership to Stu and Jeff, and the show develops the tendency to alternate between the two pairs as it once alternated between Stu and Jeff. The Kookie-JR episodes tend to involve the emerging youth culture in the city. We begin to see hints of friction between the old and new guards on the Strip.

We see the friendships within the two partnerships deepen, especially Stu’s and Jeff’s. In his autobiography, EZ relates an anecdote that illustrates the tendency for him and Smith to erupt into laughter when together in a scene, and at this point in the season, the two actors are allowed to go with it improvisationally when it occurs. When the result is usable, it is used.

Stu has settled down somewhat at this point, allowing Jeff to let down his guard and begin to enjoy the new firm’s increasing prosperity fully. We see the two having a great deal of fun working together, even in dangerous cases. Actually, especially then.

Kookie and JR begin to hang out regularly at one of Kookie’s old haunts, Chez Paulette, where in one episode they watch Peter, Paul and Mary perform. While they are often talking about a case, at times they talk about personal matters such as cars and girls.

Dino’s gradually fades into the background, as we see the gang eating and occasionally seeing musical acts at various unidentified dining spots and clubs. At one such club, which looks suspiciously like the Shell Bar from Hawaiian Eye, Stu, Jeff, Suzanne and Stu’s date see Keely Smith perform.

Also at about this time, the histories of the old and new agencies start to blend together, as the dark days of the sixth season begin to fade from the show’s memory.

Next: stories.

 

[Rustifer]

Saving The Strip: Seventh Season, 1964–65

Part 8: Further Developments

Proud of his new legitimacy, Roscoe (who along with Hannah, Suzanne and Gil is in most episodes) is determined to polish up his act. In an extended background story arc commencing around S7E11, the others all try to help him do this, with comical results as he is inundated with often-conflicting guidance.

As the season progresses and character development proceeds to the point where more characters can help carry a plot, the show transitions to having parts of three episodes in production at any one time. At this point in the season, the partners, happy with JR’s development, offer him a full-time job. He eagerly accepts and quits Dino’s.

We begin to see Kookie and JR emerge as a parallel partnership to Stu and Jeff, and the show develops the tendency to alternate between the two pairs as it once alternated between Stu and Jeff. The Kookie-JR episodes tend to involve the emerging youth culture in the city. We begin to see hints of friction between the old and new guards on the Strip.

We see the friendships within the two partnerships deepen, especially Stu’s and Jeff’s. In his autobiography, EZ relates an anecdote that illustrates the tendency for him and Smith to erupt into laughter when together in a scene, and at this point in the season, the two actors are allowed to go with it improvisationally when it occurs. When the result is usable, it is used.

Stu has settled down somewhat at this point, allowing Jeff to let down his guard and begin to enjoy the new firm’s increasing prosperity fully. We see the two having a great deal of fun working together, even in dangerous cases. Actually, especially then.

Kookie and JR begin to hang out regularly at one of Kookie’s old haunts, Chez Paulette, where in one episode they watch Peter, Paul and Mary perform. While they are often talking about a case, at times they talk about personal matters such as cars and girls.

Dino’s gradually fades into the background, as we see the gang eating and occasionally seeing musical acts at various unidentified dining spots and clubs. At one such club, which looks suspiciously like the Shell Bar from Hawaiian Eye, Stu, Jeff, Suzanne and Stu’s date see Keely Smith perform.

Also at about this time, the histories of the old and new agencies start to blend together, as the dark days of the sixth season begin to fade from the show’s memory.

Next: stories.

Still moving in a great direction, Rob. I will be interested in whether any "international" capers will continue. In my estimation, they were the weakest episodes--mainly because of faux back lot locations, poor scripting and the senselessness of LA private eyes getting involved in foreign politics. One would think there's enough crime in LA to keep the boys busy enough. Watching "Chinatown" a few days ago made me think that's the kind of LA-centric stuff that would be great for the series. Or a gas-o-meter mystery. Those big hulking structures just scream for some eerie location shots. A Beverly Hills caper that includes cameos of celebrity residents eager to participate in the hit series?

I'm still chewing on the idea of Kookie and JR as the junior clones of Bailey & Spencer--but I could buy into a scenario where they're focused more on intrigues involving the "youth culture", as you say. Maybe stories that weave in parts of the 60's drug / music culture and war protests and less about the "beatnik" scene. And plenty of chicks.

Less Dino's? How about Frank & Musso's?

One last thought before you throw something at me for inserting too many variables in your excellent series continuation--I would hate to see Roscoe clean up his act so much that his first love--horse racing--gets lost in the transition. I fondly remember episodes featuring Roscoe bits being accompanied by comical hoof clopping and neighing in the background. Perhaps he's appointed as the "honorary" mayor of Santa Anita.

 

[criblecoblis]

Russ,

Thanks sincerely for your substantive comments on my last post!

I will be interested in whether any "international" capers will continue. In my estimation, they were the weakest episodes--mainly because of faux back lot locations, poor scripting and the senselessness of LA private eyes getting involved in foreign politics.

I know well your opinion regarding such episodes. I included one in the sixth season as a necessary boost to Stu at a critical time, but there will be no mention of one in the seventh season, because I know you don't like them.

But rest assured, there is at least one such episode in the season. It's part of Stu's skill set that can't be ignored. We don't want to forget that Stu was an OSS agent, and that's how this Columbia Ph.D. in Indo-European Languages became a man of action. We're to understand that the government still finds his services indispensable at times.

And I am going to take this opportunity to make a point about backlot usage in the WB shows.

Did you know that virtually every episodic TV show ever made has been made on a deficit basis? That is, they have been made with the expectation that there will be no profit until the series is sold to syndication.

That was not true of the WB Television shows of this era. Every one of them was made to make profit on the first airing. For 77 Sunset Strip, I believe the per-episode fee paid by ABC was something like $75,000. The budget for each show was something like $67,500.

WB could do this because of their considerable resources in talent—and their backlot. Audiences watching on 21-inch screens with 150 scan lines couldn't really see all that much detail. And if you watch other shows from the era, the WB shows did not appear to be low-budget in comparison.

So what I'm saying is that there would be no great WB shows from this era to watch if it weren't for that blasted backlot. Yes, I too wish there had been more location filming, and that's why there is more of it in the seventh season.

As far as poor scripting goes, that's a matter of opinion, but I don't think that the international episodes suffer from that any more than does the general run of the series. I think that some of the episodes you complain about have excellent scripts.

Watching "Chinatown" a few days ago made me think that's the kind of LA-centric stuff that would be great for the series. Or a gas-o-meter mystery. Those big hulking structures just scream for some eerie location shots.

These episodes happened during the sixth season.

A Beverly Hills caper that includes cameos of celebrity residents eager to participate in the hit series?

You have anticipated some of my thoughts for later seasons, if they occur. The show will certainly migrate westward if it continues, reflecting the increasing role that area played as the Sixties unfolded.

Less Dino's? How about Frank & Musso's?

Musso and Frank Grill is a nice idea, but it is in a decidedly different part of town. It's in Marlowe territory, in Hollywood proper, not in West Hollywood. And it is on Hollywood Boulevard, not the Strip. Not that including that part of town is a bad idea—I'd love to see Stu at the Hollywood Bowl—but it doesn't jibe with returning the show to its center.

There are a number of other spots on the Strip that Orr could have used, such as Scandia or the Marquis, but he didn't have time to line things up. Rest assured, in an eighth season the gang would have a new authentic watering hole.

I was hoping you'd be tickled by the reference to the Shell Bar set!

One last thought before you throw something at me for inserting too many variables in your excellent series continuation--I would hate to see Roscoe clean up his act so much that his first love--horse racing--gets lost in the transition.

That is indeed an important point! Get back to me on this after you read the next part.

 

[Rustifer]

I was hoping you'd be tickled by the reference to the Shell Bar set!

Oh, I DO love the idea of the Shell Bar set.
Do you know the definition of "crying shame"? It's that Dino's, the Boom Boom Room of the Fountainebleau and the Shell Bar of the Hawaiian Hilton no longer exist. We Boomers have only the wispiness of nostalgia to hold onto these places without ever being able to actually touch them again.

Audiences watching on 21-inch screens with 150 scan lines couldn't really see all that much detail. And if you watch other shows from the era, the WB shows did not appear to be low-budget in comparison.

Funny you should mention this. My kids bought me a 58" 4K Smart TV for my birthday. I was taken aback by the picture being so sharp and clear as to appear to be live TV. I found myself more intrigued by the picture quality than the show itself. I finally changed it to more resemble that graininess of film--something my kids laughingly called an "old man" move.

There are a number of other spots on the Strip that Orr could have used, such as Scandia or the Marquis, but he didn't have time to line things up. Rest assured, in an eighth season the gang would have a new authentic watering hole.

I will rely on your local knowledge to find just the right watering hole for the gang. It is an important element of the show.

I know well your opinion regarding such episodes. I included one in the sixth season as a necessary boost to Stu at a critical time, but there will be no mention of one in the seventh season, because I know you don't like them.

Ha! Yeah, I guess after nearly 1700 posts, my likes and dislikes are pretty well known by now.

 

[criblecoblis]

Russ, there's one other of your comments that I wanted to respond to:

I'm still chewing on the idea of Kookie and JR as the junior clones of Bailey & Spencer--but I could buy into a scenario where they're focused more on intrigues involving the "youth culture", as you say. Maybe stories that weave in parts of the 60's drug / music culture and war protests and less about the "beatnik" scene. And plenty of chicks.

Yes, I didn't really flesh this part out fully enough. I didn't discuss JR's development much. And, yes, the "youth culture" was kind of inchoate at that time. The beatniks were gone but the hippies were not yet there. I don't really know what was up in 1964-65 with the kids. I'd have to do some research to do any better.

Let's just say that JR is still apprenticed to Kookie and leave it at that for this season. Look for JR to break out as a character in the eighth season, if the show makes it that far.

 

[criblecoblis]

My kids bought me a 58" 4K Smart TV for my birthday. I was taken aback by the picture being so sharp and clear as to appear to be live TV. I found myself more intrigued by the picture quality than the show itself.

Nice kids!

And I know exactly what you're talking about. The motion is startlingly smooth, at times distractingly so. It makes everything look like live TV, as you say. Sometimes I like that, but sometimes I don't.

 

[criblecoblis]

Saving The Strip: Seventh Season, 1964–65

Part 9: Stories

The season begins, as I mentioned, with the partners getting back to solving cases in earnest. An early episode involves Kookie going undercover with a Hell’s Angels-like motorcycle gang to investigate a human trafficking operation the gang is suspected of running. It kills him to have to leave his comb at home.

Somewhere around S7E17, a face from the past reappears: math teacher Lucille Varner (Louis Quinn’s real-life wife Christine Nelson, returning to her role from S4E27 “The Long Shot Caper” on a recurring basis). We learn that they both still live in the same building, and they have become good friends. We are to assume that she’s been there since last seen.

We see Roscoe and Lucille talking together over coffee in her apartment in one scene in the episode, and each of the the following several, their main discussion topic being Roscoe’s quest to become more respectable. Lucille listens patiently as Roscoe tries to process the latest piece of well-intentioned but misplaced constructive criticism he has received.

Finally, in the main subplot of an episode, Lucille has had her fill. She sits Roscoe down and gives him a stern talking-to, the gist of which is that the only thing he really lacks is confidence. “You can’t expect people to respect you until you begin to respect yourself, you know,” she says.

Roscoe replies, “What, are you saying that I really am respectable?”

Lucille blushes, says, “Well, I’ve always respected you,” then impulsively jumps out of her chair and gives Roscoe a big hug. We see over her shoulder that Roscoe is utterly floored; he just stares into space for a moment, wide-eyed and open-mouthed, until the cigar falls out of his mouth. Disregarding it for the moment, he returns her embrace, smiles wistfully, and says, “I’m such a chump. Thanks for smartening me up.”

Then, he abruptly shoots to his feet and does a frantic dance, as his cigar reminds him of its presence in his lap.

Roscoe and Lucille are now an item, and we see her from time to time the rest of the season as she becomes initiated into the gang.

Under her influence, Roscoe does become a more respectable person, and a more successful bettor. In token of this, he begins to dress better. He is still Roscoe, only now he is no longer a loser.

A few episodes later, another character makes a return appearance: Binnie-Baby Clark (Grace Lee Whitney), from S5E13 “Falling Stars,” in a Stu solo caper. Since we last saw Binnie, her acting career has progressed to the point where she has become a familiar face to television viewers from her guest roles on various shows.

Binnie seeks to hire Stu to recover her cat, Cat-Baby, who has been kidnaped and is being held for ransom. After an initial refusal, he eventually accepts the case just to get her to stop wailing. Jeff hits the roof, saying that he doesn’t want the agency to appear desperate for cases.

Stu counters this by saying that, since Binnie is now something of a public figure, to refuse her case would potentially expose the agency to a lot of bad press. “Besides,” Stu adds, “We’re not yet to the point where we can afford to refuse any legitimate case for a paying client. And don’t forget: we owe her something for helping us crack that Skeets Riley case. We can’t ask her to go to Legs Carson!” Jeff reluctantly agrees.

Matters soon turn serious, and for much of the episode, we are very afraid for poor Cat-Baby, and we begin to worry about Binnie as well.

As it turns out, however, Cat-Baby was never in any real danger; the kidnapper is nothing more than a lonely old man who only kidnaped Cat-Baby as a way to meet Binnie, who reminds him of his estranged daughter. When Binnie delivers the ransom, the man refuses it, returns Cat-Baby, and explains his true intention. Relieved and touched, Binnie sits down and starts talking to the man.

Meanwhile, Stu-Baby is outside with Gil and a squad of police, becoming increasingly fearful for Binnie’s welfare. After an hour passes, he and Gil decide that they have no other alternative but to break in. When they do, they find Binnie and the man sitting, drinking coffee and chatting happily, not a care in the world, with Cat-Baby purring on the man’s lap!

We soon learn that Binnie has called the daughter and brought about a reconciliation. In the end tag, Gil advises that the DA has offered to give the man a suspended sentence for theft and put him on probation if the daughter agrees to take him in (which she has already resolved to do) and he keeps his nose clean (which he certainly will).

This Roger Smith teleplay is patterned after S3E8 “Trouble in The Middle East,” a Pittman written-and-directed episode, in that it starts as farce, becomes deadly suspenseful, and ends with a happy emotional release. It is directed by Leslie H. Martinson, a veteran director who can handle all three moods with equal skill.

Next: a few more stories.

 

[Rustifer]

Roscoe and Lucille are now an item, and we see her from time to time the rest of the season as she becomes initiated into the gang.

Great re-pairing with Roscoe and his actual wife Christine Nelson! I thought they had wonderful chemistry in The Long Shot Caper--I remember her cooking dinner for Roscoe in that episode. For some reason, we never think of Roscoe actually eating.
As far as Roscoe's wardrobe, I always thought he was rather natty in his couture. Poster boy for the iconic race tout.

A few episodes later, another character makes a return appearance: Binnie-Baby Clark (Grace Lee Whitney), from S5E13 “Falling Stars,” in a Stu solo caper.

Always loved Grace Lee Whitney, even though I keep getting her confused with Sue Ane Langdon--I can't explain why. If I remember correctly, this episode featured Paul Winchell--it's a shame this is the only 77 SS story in which he appeared. Being a consummate puppeteer, I could see a story along the lines of Anthony Hopkins in "Magic". And sure, let's throw in Sue Ane Langdon as a guest in the episode. She was terrific in Mr. Goldilocks.

This Roger Smith teleplay is patterned after S3E8 “Trouble in The Middle East

The Roger Smith-scripted episodes always had a certain panache to them--so I think it would take the combination of him and Monty Pittman to pull off a missing cat caper successfully.

As always, you're keeping my attention--especially when you think outside the box!

I fear you and I are eating up every square inch of this thread lately. Hopefully others will chip in.

 

[Gary16]

Nice kids!

And I know exactly what you're talking about. The motion is startlingly smooth, at times distractingly so. It makes everything look like live TV, as you say. Sometimes I like that, but sometimes I don't.

I hate that “soap opera effect” as it’s called. Every tv or video device that I own has all of the motion or smoothing or other picture destroyers turned off. A filmed show is supposed to look like film. And every theatrical movie shot with digital equipment also needs to have that film look. Rant over.

 

[Rustifer]

I hate that “soap opera effect” as it’s called. Every tv or video device that I own has all of the motion or smoothing or other picture destroyers turned off. A filmed show is supposed to look like film. And every theatrical movie shot with digital equipment also needs to have that film look. Rant over.

Amen.

 

[criblecoblis]

Russ,

You wrote:

As always, you're keeping my attention--especially when you think outside the box!

Thanks, Russ! I'm very happy that you're making specific comments on my treatment.

I fear you and I are eating up every square inch of this thread lately. Hopefully others will chip in.

I hope so too! I rather hoped that this would end up being a group effort, with everyone bringing in their ideas and challenging mine, as you did when you feared I was taking Roscoe in a bad direction. Truth be told, my wife already pointed that out, and I did make corrections based upon that.

I think I'll discuss my ideas regarding Roscoe a bit more. I'll address that, and your other points, in individual posts to keep my posts shorter.

 

[criblecoblis]

Russ,

You wrote,

As far as Roscoe's wardrobe, I always thought he was rather natty in his couture. Poster boy for the iconic race tout.

When I started thinking about my alternate scenario, my primary goal was to contrive to move all the characters back to what they were at the beginning. But I found I really couldn't do that for Roscoe.

You will recall that when we first saw Roscoe, in "Casualty," he had the distinct taint of the underworld clinging to him, with the slight threat of menace. That disappeared completely the next time we saw him, never to return. I would have liked to have the original Roscoe back, but there was no way to get there.

The original Roscoe was very believable as a racetrack tout, but the Roscoe we came to know and love really wasn't. He was a phenomenally inept handicapper, and he was too simple and gentle to con anyone.

Early on, Stu especially treated Roscoe with benign contempt. Recall that in "Six Superior Skirts," after Roscoe's quick thinking brings bad guy Phil Ashton to justice, Stu takes the ring-toss ring that Roscoe had used to disable Ashton's gun and hangs it on Roscoe's cigar! Is that any way to treat the hero of the piece?

As the show progressed, Roscoe's lot improved, and we saw more evidence of inner worth. He became more useful as an operative. He kept Stu out of prison with his work in "The Checkmate Caper." And during the sixth season, his faithful service to Stu earned him Stu's sincere gratitude and loyalty.

By the beginning of the seventh season, Roscoe was poised for a breakthrough. And so, I decided to give him one. And what better way for that to happen than through the love of a good woman?

Regarding Roscoe's mode of dress, he was certainly dressed so as to reflect his immersion in the racetrack culture. And he was always neatly dressed. But he was also about twenty years behind contemporary fashion, with his bow tie and vest, and his clothing was strictly off-the-rack.

And while Lucille loves him and doesn't want to change him, still like all good girlfriends she wants him to look his best. And Roscoe is more prosperous now, what with his regular income and his better results at betting now that Lucille has taught him to use the "slipstick."

Thus, I think it is only natural that we see him start to wear decently-tailored two-piece suits with a long tie, at least when he's out with Lucille, and maybe even add a felt fedora to his hat rotation. After all, a felt fedora is what he sported in "Casualty."

But never fear, he is still the same gentle lover of the bang-tails inside. He is still Roscoe. He's just a happier, more self-confident Roscoe.

Well, so much for keeping my posts shorter.

 

[criblecoblis]

Always loved Grace Lee Whitney, even though I keep getting her confused with Sue Ane Langdon--I can't explain why.

Because they looked and even acted so very much alike! They could have been sisters. The only real difference is in the noses. I in fact also thought she was Sue Ane Langon at first, until my wife, who has a supernatural ability to recognize faces, smartened me up.

If I remember correctly, this episode featured Paul Winchell--it's a shame this is the only 77 SS story in which he appeared. Being a consummate puppeteer, I could see a story along the lines of Anthony Hopkins in "Magic".

It is indeed Paul Winchell, and he is marvelous in the episode. James and George O'Hanlon wrote it, and I'm convinced that they wrote Skeets Riley for George to play, because he was well-suited for the role. But I'm glad Winchell played it; I'm a huge fan of his.

And your idea regarding a Magic-like role for Winchell is a fantastic story idea! Let's add that to the seventh-season roster. Or maybe the eighth, if we get that far. We're going to need some darker stories in the eighth.

 

[criblecoblis]

The Roger Smith-scripted episodes always had a certain panache to them--so I think it would take the combination of him and Monty Pittman to pull off a missing cat caper successfully.

I'm glad you see it my way! I think most of Smith's teleplays were excellent, and a few of them I number among the best episodes of the series. And his close working relationship with Pittman gave him a good understanding of what Pittman was all about.

And Leslie H. Martinson showed his ability to direct in a Pittmanesque style with "Adventure in San Dede," which is why I chose him to direct what I've just decided to title "The Purloined Cat Caper."