Mannix is Coming! (All things Mannix w/spoilers) (3 Viewers)

[rwd11954]

Interesting contest that ends Tuesday.
http://www.seat42f.com/mannix-season-7-dvd-contest.html

 

[jompaul17]

Originally Posted by Harry-N /t/262515/mannix-is-coming/1110#post_3946169



...is perhaps the correct emoticon. I know that was my reaction! Down here in the wilds of central Florida, they built a Pilot truck stop a few miles from our house, and attached to it is a Denny's that we've eaten at a few times.

Inside the store, they usually have a large circular bin, sort-of like the ones you see in Wal-Mart or Best Buy these days with their $5 cheapie DVDs. The one in this Pilot store had a mixture of stuff, none more expensive than $12.99. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw Season Three of MANNIX in there along with some STREETS OF SAN FRANCISCO half-season sets, but being frugal, I stuck with just that one MANNIX set, denying some trucker, I suppose of the joy of watching Mike Connors solve his cases.

At the time - this was just last year - I only had Season One, so getting another season of MANNIX so reasonably was something I jumped at. I've since looked through that bin a few more times, but I've never spotted another MANNIX set - I guess the truckers have been getting their revenge on me!

In fact it was just today as I was surfing the Web and found a bunch of reviews of MANNIX sets over at the DVD Talk forum, that I also stumbled on a thread over there where the members were also incredulous at finding MANNIX for bargains in truck stops.

http://forum.dvdtalk.com/dvd-bargains/592106-cbs-para-sony-tv-sets-truck-stops.html

It appears from that thread that other Pilot stores had the first three seasons available. So far though, I've not seen any documentation of later sets from the likes of Pilot.

But hey, you'd just figure that the macho trucker-types might like a heroic figure like MANNIX now, wouldn't you?

Harry

Harry,
I guess that is the closest emoticon -- but, honestly, I can't decide if it is a good thing or a bad thing! So I was looking for some sort of dual-sided emoticon -- half one emotion, half another!
Maybe during that dark, 16 month, period between the release of season 3 and season 4, there was some DVD dumping going on and so that is why only the first three seasons are to be found in those bins? I'm not sure when those other titles in those bins were released or if they had gaps as well -- The Streets of San Francisco was mentioned in the link -- and it had a gap.
The curious thing about Mannix is that it tends to appeal to all sorts of people -- ranging from car buffs (and truckers?) to women in less than physical professions -- and not just for the usual reason of sex-appeal.
The real reason for such broad appeal is simple enough.
Like all great art, Mannix has all sorts of superficial appeal -- the cars, the action, the way people dress and are physically attractive -- in addition to deeper themes. Great art has the ability to make those deeper themes appealing -- hence we "see" them more than we understand them, if we let ourselves.
And this goes directly to myth as archetype -- we "recognize" those, more than we "learn" them.
But, as with all great art, because the superficial is there, it is possible to see it only at the superficial level -- and thus it can be compared directly on that level to lesser art which really is only superficial in nature. And, for the purpose of explaining what I mean by lesser art, I'll just say its underlying themes are simple.
Now, those superficial forms that draw us in tend to appeal to certain isolated groups -- and if the art has no real substance behind it, and the superficial forms are all that is there to be found, then it winds up appealing only to those isolated groups.
But, when deeper themes are conveyed using a collection of superficial forms because they are easier for us to access -- when the things that appeal to us more easily because they are more ordinary and thus connected to our daily lives are used to convey deeper, more universal truths -- than what you wind up seeing is deep, broad appeal.
And that is what you see in Mannix.
Great art appeals to the core person inside of all of us that isn't about our physical form, jobs, or even interests or hobbies -- even though it uses those things to communicate to us.
The deeper themes are there to be found in Mannix, for sure.

And, guess what folks, we live in a divided country now -- and it's no coincidence that our art is superficial and thus divisive as a result -- great art unites through common, underlying themes.

 

[jompaul17]

Originally Posted by rwd11954 /t/262515/mannix-is-coming/1110#post_3946212
Interesting contest that ends Tuesday.
http://www.seat42f.com/mannix-season-7-dvd-contest.html

Russ,

That's great!

What is "seat42F" ??

It's kind of an odd contest though -- if you want it that badly, why not just buy it?

Then again, I'm sure that's the real point. I wonder if they announce the winner...

 

[Harry-N]

Once again I was impressed today as I watched "The Need Of A Friend" directed by Sutton Roley. I love the way Roley throws you off with his odd camera angles. This episode starts with John Colicos being released from prison and as we watch this we can't help notice the funny tint and haze that we're watching it through. Then Roley pulls back the camera and we see that we're witnessing this scene through Joe Mannix's convertible windshield. Just brilliant.

And there were so many other ways that Roley shoots through objects to make that tale just that much more interesting. I see that there are at least three more Sutton Roley episodes to look forward to as I make my way through Season Two.

Harry

 

[jompaul17]

Originally Posted by Harry-N /t/262515/mannix-is-coming/1110#post_3946621
Once again I was impressed today as I watched "The Need Of A Friend" directed by Sutton Roley. I love the way Roley throws you off with his odd camera angles. This episode starts with John Colicos being released from prison and as we watch this we can't help notice the funny tint and haze that we're watching it through. Then Roley pulls back the camera and we see that we're witnessing this scene through Joe Mannix's convertible windshield. Just brilliant.

And there were so many other ways that Roley shoots through objects to make that tale just that much more interesting. I see that there are at least three more Sutton Roley episodes to look forward to as I make my way through Season Two.

Harry

Harry,
You almost have me convinced that Sutton Roley made the difference in the selection of the 8th episode to include in the syndication package -- "Mask for a Charade" in season 7. I watched it last night -- and did notice some different camera work there as well, although not as dramatic as in his earlier episode of season 7, "A Way to Dusty Death," where they blow up the car.
And, of course by saying "where they blow up the car" I have given absolutely nothing away, nor have I likely succeeded in even distinguishing that episode from any other of Mannix.
As I've said before, when you love one thing enough, sometimes you can learn a lot about both yourself -- and other things. Someone over in the Mannix discussion group has already increased my appreciation of the score in Mannix -- and you are making me pay attention to camera angles as I hadn't before!

I just can't see anything else about "Mask for a Charade" that otherwise singles it out -- and I was looking for that last night.

Having said all that, the thing that always drew me to Mannix was the character(s) -- and that development continues through the eight seasons no matter who is directing -- even though Paul Krasny, another Mission cohort, directs many of the larger-themed Mannix episodes.

 

[jompaul17]

I'm late checking today, but numbers are actually up a bit, across the board, for the sale of s7 -- on all three sites I check. I won't report numbers in an absolute way anymore -- because I don't want to jinx them -- but, suffice to say that Joe's smiling face shows up on the first page (so the top 20) of the top 100 bestselling list of one of the three sites. The series is, on the whole, selling quite well, as best as I can tell. I would have liked to have seen at least some mention -- somewhere -- of the season containing those 18 "missing episodes" -- because I'm sure a lot of people who watched it in syndication are not the least bit aware of that. It sure does make you wonder about the level of interest CBS/P has in marketing the series. I'm just glad it is selling well anyway.

 

[Harry-N]

Originally Posted by jompaul17 /t/262515/mannix-is-coming/1110#post_3946725
... those 18 "missing episodes" -- because I'm sure a lot of people who watched it in syndication are not the least bit aware of that. ...

When you're like me - all of the episodes have been "missing."

Like I've said before, until the DVDs, the last time I saw an episode of MANNIX, it was airing on CBS. I've missed all syndicated showings, likely because at a time of airing, I didn't have access to the channel that was airing it. I'm excluding the late-night run on ABC in the late '70s, as I can barely remember them being there. The YouTube examples kind-of refreshed my memory about that run. It's likely that I tuned in to hear the theme song and then went to bed!

I'm rather late myself to the "Sutton Roley Appreciation Society", as it were, too. It wasn't until I watched the lone FUGITIVE episode that he directed and it was pointed out how different it looked that I started paying attention. Since then, it's always a source of interest when I know one of his episodes of a TV series is coming up.

Harry

 

[jompaul17]

Originally Posted by Harry-N /t/262515/mannix-is-coming/1110#post_3946773

When you're like me - all of the episodes have been "missing."

Like I've said before, until the DVDs, the last time I saw an episode of MANNIX, it was airing on CBS. I've missed all syndicated showings, likely because at a time of airing, I didn't have access to the channel that was airing it. I'm excluding the late-night run on ABC in the late '70s, as I can barely remember them being there. The YouTube examples kind-of refreshed my memory about that run. It's likely that I tuned in to hear the theme song and then went to bed!

I'm rather late myself to the "Sutton Roley Appreciation Society", as it were, too. It wasn't until I watched the lone FUGITIVE episode that he directed and it was pointed out how different it looked that I started paying attention. Since then, it's always a source of interest when I know one of his episodes of a TV series is coming up.

Harry

Harry,
Actually, I think you are better off for missing the syndication runs of Mannix. As I've said before, but can't seem to resist repeating (an occupational hazard, in part) -- edited versions of Mannix simply are not Mannix. They are something else. The subtle character interaction was the first to go in the edited episodes and, because Mannix had a lot of that layer of "superficial" stuff that drew a lot of people in (that I mentioned in the post last night), only that stuff tended to remain in the cut episodes and thus those airings distorted what the characters were all about.
Speaking of which, since you brought up "In Need of a Friend," that brought something to mind after I had shut down the computer for the night -- but it's worth bringing up!
While Sutton Roley might have distinguished himself for interesting camera angles, he also directed a key scene in the evolution of the characters of Joe and Peggy.
"In Need of a Friend" is production number 33 and also the 33rd episode aired of Mannix. It is the 9th episode aired in season 2 -- and so only the 9th episode with Peggy. Actually, since she isn't in "A Copy of Murder" nor (I'm pretty certain -- but not 100% certain about this one) "Who Will Dig the Graves?" that means "In Need of a Friend" is only the 7th or 8th episode in which she appears at all. It aired on November 23, 1968 -- the weekend before Thanksgiving in 1968. I put that in there for those who might be able to bring back memories of what the world was like then.
Because, in the episode, "In Need of a Friend," you have Joe and Peggy really fighting, for the first time -- not just playful bickering. And, it's a pretty good fight! It may be, on the whole, the best fight of the entire series -- it's pretty intense. And, it's clear that Peggy is not taking any crap from Joe -- she walks out on him!
Geez, at one point she says to Joe "sometimes, it's not easy to like you" -- and this is after Joe threatens to fire her if she says anything at all !
Now, in 1968 you have Nichelle Nichols playing Uhura on Star Trek -- but, she never, ever does anything like fight with anyone (to the best of my recollection). Despite her "rank" she famously does not do much but open hailing frequencies and do the occasional forced kiss with her Captain. You also have the series Julia, of course -- which started at the same time Gail Fisher started to appear on Mannix. And my memory of Julia is not all that great, but I sure don't remember anything like her role including fighting of the kind you see Peggy do with her boss as early as in "In Need of a Friend." And that's pretty much it for black women in regular, significant dramatic roles on TV.
So, for those who can't put themselves back into 1968, let's just say that, with respect to both race and gender relations, in the same way that the "Wild Thing" pitched a ball "just a bit outside" in Major League, things were "just a bit different" then.
I'm pretty confident -- and challenge anyone to come up with anything that proves this wrong -- that you never saw a black woman fighting with her boss -- or any white male -- in anything like the same way you see Peggy fight with Joe in that scene -- and not even close. That might well include the movies too.
That scene in that episode of Mannix took skill to pull off so well and guts on the part of pretty much everyone involved -- letting it be in there in the first place, directing it and acting in it. And, as I've said before you have to give a lot of credit to Mike Connors for that. Without him allowing it -- and especially making it believable -- he takes her anger and fights back at the same level -- it does not happen.
But, in the same way so many things in Mannix are so subtle -- done just like magic in the way magic mis-directs so that you don't notice what is really happening -- that scene was done so well, right in the context of the story, that in terms of race relations or what to expect from Joe and Peggy, you don't really know what happened unless or until you really think about it. You simply accept it though -- after all it wasn't the main point, it was the side point, right?
The fight is really about the plight of a down-trodden character, and Joe comes in ready to fight with that character -- but he winds up fighting with Peggy. And so she takes Joe on because she connects with that character. And, you understand her connection with that character -- it makes her more honest for fighting with Joe. And so you barely notice her fighting with him -- Joe is upset and ready to fight anyway right when he walks in the door!
And then, just to make it all OK, after it is all over, Joe calls Peggy at her apartment a couple of scenes later, right in the middle of the night, no less, and Peggy does not mind -- the fight was intense, but not permanent. They just have "that kind" of relationship -- and it's Thanksgiving 1968!!
How great is that?
And, if you really pay attention to Mannix, there is a lot of mis-direction and sleight of hand like that going on in the entire series. You're supposed to be paying attention to one thing, but the real significant thing is something else -- and not just concerning race relations or even the Joe-Peggy relationship, but the subtle character revelations as well. Those are the things I mean when I say "Mannix makes you better" -- if you just kind of let it happen to you.

Because, the racial aspect of it was real -- not just TV. But, the way that played out also applies to other aspects of character.
Mannix is so brilliant at pulling that sort of thing off that I just can't believe the show does not get far, far more credit in the big scheme of things.
And how many other issues would be handled so much better if they were handled just that way -- not in your face, just simply done, right in context of something else -- like enjoying an episode that really is entirely about something else?
That Joe-Peggy fight scene in "In Need of a Friend" also set up the great scene in "The Sound of Darkness" -- when that episode happened, those two had "been there before," so to speak. The fight between Joe and Peggy in "The Sound of Darkness" made that episode, of course -- and you could argue that that "The Sound of Darkness" made the entire series what it became, took it to the next level and made it so innovative, because Joe was humanized and the closeness of the relationship between Joe and Peggy were both crucial to the series -- and neither of those had been done before in anything like a crime drama which was, after all, supposed to be about something else!
And so, if that fight scene in "In Need of a Friend" does not work, we might not have Mannix unfold as it did. And, it was directed by Sutton Roley -- something I never paid attention to before!
And, incredibly, this episode and scene is nine full production numbers and nine full episode airings before Peggy even addresses Joe by his first name -- in "Death in a Minor Key."
They pull off this sort of credible, intense fight scene in "In Need of a Friend" while she is still calling her boss "Mr. Mannix" or "Mannix" -- how did they even do that??
So, when I said that the significant character episodes were directed by Paul Krasny, and I didn't include Sutton Roley, I spoke too soon.

And, I love being wrong when it allows me to see something new like this!
By the way, they fight again in season 2, in "Last Rites for Miss Emma" which is directed by Barry Crane -- another Mission guy, of course. And that scene is, again, brilliant for its honesty with respect to race relations -- where Peggy essentially accuses Joe of racism, and he simply grabs her by the arm.
The more I think about Mannix, the better it looks.
Thanks for letting this come to mind!

 

[jompaul17]

I watched "Trap for a Pigeon" last night -- which is the last episode for Lt. Tobias, and the second to last episode of s7. One thing that stands out -- Lt. Tobias is in a lot of that episode, more than, I think any other of the series. He seems to be in something like every other scene. It suggests that they either knew they were saying goodbye to Robert Reed, or perhaps trying to give him a good guest starring role to set him up for something else, since he most likely knew for awhile that he could no longer stand The Brady Bunch, whether it was renewed or not. And, he's good in Mannix, of course, like always.

It's funny, but I just can't watch these episodes without remembering what it was like to watch them the first time I saw them -- in some cases, I remember the exact room I was in (generally by myself on a second TV set). And that is true for this episode as well. When it got to the end of the year, I wondered it this was going to be the last I saw of Mannix -- and thankfully, for season 7, it was not. But, shows were canceled for all sorts of reasons back then (as we know), and I was certainly aware at that point that Mannix was on for a good long time -- unusually long for a series like that, in those days. So, I did wonder if that was the last I would see those two together -- and it was, as it turns out.

Still, it is comforting that there isn't one bad year of Mannix out there -- I can't stand it when shows run on too long and you see them go bad. It takes the magic away. That definitely never happened in Mannix. But, still, seeing it's final years all over again is kind of strange, because I really grew up with it and remember what it was like when it ended its first run -- and, to my surprise at the time, nothing quite replaced it in terms of quality or themes. But, I didn't know that then.

But, that is why DVDs are so great. Back then, in 1975, I never knew if, when or how I would ever see the series again -- yes, there was ABC Late Night syndication for awhile, but that wasn't the same -- even though it caused me to get little sleep during a couple of my high school years. With the DVDs in hand (just waiting for the release of season 8 now), seeing these episodes again does not mean the same thing.

The sales of s7 remain good today -- across all three sites, pretty much the same, with Joe's smiling face on the first page (top 20) list of at least one of them.

 

[rwd11954]

Maybe we'll get an early Christmas present this year. With the sales of s7 being so brisk, and s8 already remastered, that they will shrink the cycle between seasons from six to four so we can get it before Thanksgiving. That's happened on some other series they do.
And I still don't think the people in charge of marketing the DVDs to the aftermarket know anything about the missing episodes issue. All they know is they have eight sets of DVDs to get out, and one set just looks like another to them. That's the only explanation I can think of for not capitalizing on the "lost episodes" opportunity.

 

[jompaul17]

Originally Posted by rwd11954 /t/262515/mannix-is-coming/1110#post_3947120
Maybe we'll get an early Christmas present this year. With the sales of s7 being so brisk, and s8 already remastered, that they will shrink the cycle between seasons from six to four so we can get it before Thanksgiving. That's happened on some other series they do.
And I still don't think the people in charge of marketing the DVDs to the aftermarket know anything about the missing episodes issue. All they know is they have eight sets of DVDs to get out, and one set just looks like another to them. That's the only explanation I can think of for not capitalizing on the "lost episodes" opportunity.

Russ,

Since season 7 is somewhat on the fence -- some of the episodes were syndicated in the US, other were not, and it was apparently syndicated in other countries -- I can sort of -- sort of -- understand why they didn't market it for any kind of missing episodes. The set of words to describe it might be too complex -- and how do they explain the pattern of episodes that was syndicated?

It isn't that I don't think they could or should have -- I just don't think it was easy to come up with a way to describe it. And so they didn't.

That said, there's no excuse to not market season 8 as not seen since it was originally aired.

[Even then, that isn't true in Australia -- but it is true in all of Region 1.]

If they don't market season 8 that way, then something is truly and fairly superficially rotten -- like they aren't really rooting for Mannix to sell well -- which is, after all, what the lawsuit was about -- profit manipulation.

C'mon people -- just pay attention to what is really in this show. Don't think about the labels, just watch it -- and think about it. Not only does it deserve better, it might actually be a good thing if it finds a broader fan base with these DVD releases!

 

[dbaum]

I have watched "A World Without Sundays" and "Little Girl Lost" since S7 arrived. I recalled the former from my youth, probably due to the football aspect. While the plot was a bit convoluted, the writing was otherwise sound, it made good use of Tiffany Bolling in one of her two Mannix appearances, and the ending was well done.
As for Little Girl Lost, again, it is not one of my favorite Mannix episodes but it was still superior to most of what is on TV these days (I loathed the girl actress, who I believe was Doti on My Three Sons - - was Beverly Garland on that with her? - - but despite that, Joe's scenes with her were well-done - - classic Mannix, talking meaningfully to a disturbed child!). I never saw the crossover on Diagnosis: Murder, but the plot summaries on imdb and the like make no sense to me - - what open issues remained at the end of Little Girl Lost that provided the connection to the Diagnosis: Murder episode?

 

[jompaul17]

Originally Posted by dbaum /t/262515/mannix-is-coming/1110#post_3947160
I have watched "A World Without Sundays" and "Little Girl Lost" since S7 arrived. I recalled the former from my youth, probably due to the football aspect. While the plot was a bit convoluted, the writing was otherwise sound, it made good use of Tiffany Bolling in one of her two Mannix appearances, and the ending was well done.
As for Little Girl Lost, again, it is not one of my favorite Mannix episodes but it was still superior to most of what is on TV these days (I loathed the girl actress, who I believe was Doti on My Three Sons - - was Beverly Garland on that with her? - - but despite that, Joe's scenes with her were well-done - - classic Mannix, talking meaningfully to a disturbed child!). I never saw the crossover on Diagnosis: Murder, but the plot summaries on imdb and the like make no sense to me - - what open issues remained at the end of Little Girl Lost that provided the connection to the Diagnosis: Murder episode?

Dave,
Well, there really weren't any open issues left over from "Little Girl Lost."
But, supposedly they never identified the person who actually killed the little girl's father -- the specific person, not the organization. And so they built that into something -- really making something out of nothing, just so they could bring that particular set of actors back, since there were a couple of "names" in there.
The DM episode was very, very convoluted -- as reprises tend to be, especially ones that go back 25 years and need to do a lot in an hour's time. I don't think anyone really watched it for the story -- but to see Joe Mannix again. It was OK for that reason -- but not anything like the same quality of Mannix except for the man, himself. I personally don't consider it an extension of "LIttle Girl Lost," but just consider it something else entirely.
The little girl (whose name I forget but I looked her up several months back) seems to have quit acting in around the late 70's. Someone else played her role in the DM episode. I agree with you on her general level of appeal. Then again, I tend to not like stories with kids in them -- maybe because, even as a kid, I liked to watch adults, not other kids! I sort of tune the kids out as just sort of being there, but not being inherently interesting, otherwise.
As far as your other assessments, I think they are also dead on -- lots of episodes of Mannix have convoluted plots that are still generally better than anything you see on TV today. And, at least for me, that's fine as a basis for the story that puts the character into a dilemma. But, I watch for certain scenes -- the character's response to the dilemma. That is what stays with you -- that's what Mannix is all about.
And, as you said, there are nearly always "classic Mannix" scenes -- even in episodes that aren't, on the whole, the best by Mannix's standards.

Classic Mannix!

 

[JohnHopper]

I'm rather late myself to the "Sutton Roley Appreciation Society", as it were, too. It wasn't until I watched the lone FUGITIVE episode that he directed and it was pointed out how different it looked that I started paying attention. Since then, it's always a source of interest when I know one of his episodes of a TV series is coming up.
Harry

This is for people enjoying the inputs of director Sutton Roley.
Watch this list:
COMBAT!
(season 1)
"Battle of the Roses"
(season 2)
"Ambush"
"Glow Against the Sky"
"Barrage"
"The Hunter"
(season 3)
"Silver Service"
"Mountain Man"
"Dateline"
"The Impostor"
"Brother, Brother"
"A Rare Vintage"
"The Town That Went Away"
(season 4)
"Hear No Evil"
"Finest Hour"
"Soldier of Fortune"
TWELVE O’CLOCK HIGH
(season 1)
"Soldiers Sometimes Kill"
"The End of the Line"
"Mutiny at 10,000 Feet"


RAWHIDE
(season 8)
"Encounter at Boot Hill"
"Duel at Daybreak"
THE FUGITIVE
(season 2)
"Nicest Fella You'd Ever Want To Meet"
VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA
(season 2)
"The Phantom Strikes"
"Dead Men's Doubloons"
"The Return of the Phantom"
THE BIG VALLEY
(season 1)
"The River Monarch"
THE RAT PATROL
(season 1)
"The Double or Nothing Raid"
(season 2)
"The Truce at Aburah Raid"
"The Trial by Fire Raid"
"The Hide and Go Seek Raid"
"The Life for a Life Raid"
"The Pipeline to Disaster Raid"
"The Decoy Raid"
THE INVADERS
(season 1)
"Quantity: Unknown"
"The Innocent"
THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E.
(season 4)
"The Summit Five Affair"
"The Seven Wonders of the World Affair, Part 1"
"The Seven Wonders of the World Affair, Part 2"
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE
(season 3)
"The Cardinal"
"The Test Case"
(season 5)
"Blast"
(season 6)
"Underwater"
(season 7)
"Crack-Up"
MANNIX
(season 2)
"To the Swiftest, Death"
"In Need of a Friend"
"Shadow of a Man"
"The Solid Gold Web"
"Merry-Go-Round for Murder"
(season 3)
"A Question of Midnight"
"The Nowhere Victim"
"Missing: Sun and Sky"
(season 4)
"The Mouse That Died"
"The Other Game in Town"
(season 5)
"A Step in Time"
(season 6)
"To Kill a Memory"
"Light and Shadow"
"The Man Who Wasn't There"
(season 7)
"A Way to Dusty Death"
"Mask for a Charade"
THE NAME OF THE GAME
(season 2)
"The Perfect Image"
"High Card"
THE SIXTH SENSE
(season 2)
"Witness Within"
"Once Upon a Chilling"
THE MAGICIAN
"The Manhunters"
"The Man Who Lost Himself"
"Nightmare In Steel"
"The Illusion Of The Curious Counterfeit, Part 1"
"The Illusion Of The Curious Counterfeit, Part 2"
BRONK
"Wheel Of Death"
"The Pickoff"
"Next Of Kin"
"Jackson Blue"
"Target: Unknown"
"Vengeance"
"The Vigilante"

 

[Harry-N]

Today's viewing was Season 2, Episode 11, "A View Of Nowhere." Great guest stars with two of my favorite British actresses, Hazel Court and Kate Woodville in it. And the minute I saw the janitor, I just knew it was Bill Baldwin who almost always played newscasters in his career. He was often the voiceover announcer on many shows and commercials of the era.

Something occurred to me as I watched the episode and Peggy uttered the name of the episode, "A View Of Nowhere" in her conversation. Episode titles are often interesting in how they convey a bit of the story, and I just wonder how in many MANNIX episodes, someone actually utters the title. Now THERE's a project!

Harry

 

[jompaul17]

John,

So, if I can count correctly -- not always a sure thing -- Sutton Roley directed more episodes of Mannix than any other series!

He did 16 of Mannix, and 15 of Combat!, which came in second.

And, if I look at that list, he did some of the top episodes of Mannix -- and, I can see how some of them are visually distinctive.

Right of the top of my head, I can picture all sorts of highly unique scenes from "A Question of Midnight, "The Mouse that Died" (a Mannix classic), "To Kill a Memory," "Light and Shadow" and "The Man Who Wasn't There" -- the latter of which, by the way, includes scenes shot at night in the Paseo.

Thanks for the list!

 

[jompaul17]

Originally Posted by Harry-N /t/262515/mannix-is-coming/1110#post_3947431
Today's viewing was Season 2, Episode 11, "A View Of Nowhere." Great guest stars with two of my favorite British actresses, Hazel Court and Kate Woodville in it. And the minute I saw the janitor, I just knew it was Bill Baldwin who almost always played newscasters in his career. He was often the voiceover announcer on many shows and commercials of the era.

Something occurred to me as I watched the episode and Peggy uttered the name of the episode, "A View Of Nowhere" in her conversation. Episode titles are often interesting in how they convey a bit of the story, and I just wonder how in many MANNIX episodes, someone actually utters the title. Now THERE's a project!

Harry

Harry,
Oh, you threw down a gauntlet that I couldn't pass by without taking a stab at it!!


Here's my first pass -- hopefully others can check me and subtract when I'm wrong or add to the list as it will likely be incomplete.
s1

• 
  "The Name is Mannix" -- definite, uttered right at the end of the episode by Lew Wickersham
• 
  "Make Like it Never Happened" -- not sure, but it could have been said
• 
  "Then the Drink Takes the Man" -- definite, uttered by the person who ran the rehab place (in the proverb)

s2

• 
  "A View of Nowhere" -- definite, uttered by Peggy, as you pointed out
• 
  "A Pittance of Faith" -- definite, uttered by Joe, at the very end

s3

• 
  "Memory: Zero" -- definite, uttered by Joe near the very end
• 
  "Who Killed Me?" -- not sure, but likely uttered by the client near the beginning
• 
  "Who is Sylvia?" -- definite, uttered by Joe to Peggy after Joe finds the locket in the car

s4

• 
  "Bang, Bang, You're Dead" -- not sure, but likely uttered by the kid
• 
  "Deja Vu" -- definite, likely uttered multiple times in the show
• 
  "What Happened to Sunday?" -- definite, uttered by Joe near the beginning
• 
  "A Gathering of Ghosts" -- not sure, this a tough one, but I think it was said in there once
• 
  "Overkill" -- definite, it was the name of the "killer" and said multiple times

s5

• 
  "Babe in the Woods" -- definite, it was the name of a boat

s6

• 
  "The Inside Man" -- petty sure, and probably used multiple times to describe multiple individuals
• 
  "The Upside Down Penny" -- definite, it was the name of a stamp
• 
  "A Matter of Principle" -- really not sure, this is a tough one, but one of the ladies could have said it!

s7

• 
  "The Girl in the Polka Dot Dress" -- I can't think of when, this is a tough one, but it is likely enough to list it here
• 
  "The Deadly Madonna" -- definite, it was the name of a film

s8

• 
  we'll just have to wait (but, curiously, there are only a couple of candidates and those are not likely)

This is fun!!!

 

[jompaul17]

Originally Posted by Harry-N /t/262515/mannix-is-coming/1110#post_3947431
Today's viewing was Season 2, Episode 11, "A View Of Nowhere." Great guest stars with two of my favorite British actresses, Hazel Court and Kate Woodville in it. And the minute I saw the janitor, I just knew it was Bill Baldwin who almost always played newscasters in his career. He was often the voiceover announcer on many shows and commercials of the era.

Something occurred to me as I watched the episode and Peggy uttered the name of the episode, "A View Of Nowhere" in her conversation. Episode titles are often interesting in how they convey a bit of the story, and I just wonder how in many MANNIX episodes, someone actually utters the title. Now THERE's a project!

Harry

Harry,

I also love "A View of Nowhere" because it is such a great depiction of Joe Mannix. He saw something -- he's sure of himself -- he's the only one -- he takes a lot of stuff -- and he does not give up. And, the episode also depicts begrudging admiration of these qualities, on the part of Peggy and Lt. Angstrom.

It would be far, far easier for Joe to walk away. He has no personal investment in this, other than being the only witness to something. He risks and makes his life complicated on behalf of being that sole witness -- and how easy is it for all of us to walk away when we are the sole witness to something, large and small?

We just do not admire those qualities enough anymore.

 

[jompaul17]

John's post about Sutton Roley intrigued me -- and I thought about it more.
So, I went to visit the IMDb, which, of course, groups credits by TV series -- making them very easy to count! From there it is easy to see that Sutton Roley directed a ton of TV episodes, and over an incredibly wide range of series, from 1958-1986.
And, on that whole list, the one series he has director credits for more than any other is Mannix -- 16 episodes.

He also directed Mannix over a longer period of time than any other series -- in all of seasons 2-7, from early episodes of season 2 to a late episode of season 7 ("Mask for a Charade" as Harry originally pointed out).

He directed the very first episode of Mannix ever produced after Joe went out on his own, and which has Peggy in it, "To the Swiftest, Death" which did no air first in season 2, but which has the earliest production number of season 2. And, of course, as previously mentioned he directed a crucial, crucial, scene in "In Need of a Friend" very early in season 2.

He did not direct any in season 8 -- but there would seem to be a reason for that.
In the "best known for" that the IMDb lists under people, for Sutton Roley they list, in order,

• 
  Combat!
• 
  Garrison's Gorillas
• 
  Mannix
• 
  Chosen Survivors

The last item in this list is a feature movie, which is listed as 1974 -- which probably explains why he didn't direct Mannix in season 8, the bulk of which would have been filmed in 1974.

Roley directed 15 episodes of Combat! but over a much shorter period of time than the Mannix episodes cover -- something like 2.5 years. And, since it seems that one supposed Combat! episode became the pilot for a Dirty Dozen spin off called Garrison's Gorillas, which ran one season, you could say there was an equal connection to Combat! But, still, he directed no single series more than he did Mannix -- even if you count that episode of Garrison's Gorillas as a virtual Combat! episode.
Now, who exactly directed what episodes of Garrison's Gorillas was difficult to find -- I clicked on each episode to find out. But, none beyond the pilot were directed by Sutton Roley. Strangely, quite a few were directed by none other than Nicholas Colasanto -- "Coach" from Cheers!

I watched all Combat! several years ago -- around 2007 -- just purchased the DVDs of the entire series and watched it from beginning to end, really motivated by enjoying Band of Brothers so much. I hadn't seen any of it first-run, at least that I am aware of. It, of course, had some excellent episodes -- even if it was more like a 3.5 year series, on the whole, that ran 5 years (and this is so common -- one reason I'm so impressed and grateful that never happened to Mannix). But, so far as I can remember, the one episode that stood out for being so unusual was, I thought, directed by Vic Morrow!

I also found that Sutton Roley was born in Belle Vernon, PA -- which is essentially a suburb of Pittsburgh (my hometown).

There must have been a reason Roley wanted to do Mannix so much and for so long -- it sure looks like that was the peak of his career, and he would have been in demand and had a choice.

The bottom line, and to my own surprise -- those Sutton Roley fans out there should really be big, big Mannix fans!

And, the converse is also true, of course.

 

[Harry-N]

A quote from the book The Complete MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE Dossier by Patrick J. White regarding Sutton Roley found in the description for the Season Five episode called "Blast":





Quote:

Sutton Roley was about to direct a Movie Of The Week when a call from Bruce Lansbury lured him back for this, his first MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE since episode 64, "The Test Case." Roley is infamous within the industry as an extremely creative and excitable director. At times he has been so determined to shoot the images he visualizes that cameramen and crews have refused to work with him. Roley's contributions to "Blast" were minimal, however, as he was eager to begin his TV movie. "I really didn't spend that much time on 'Blast'" he recalls. "It was over quickly and I did the Movie Of The Week. I liked Lesley Ann Warren, though." The show does contain some typically offbeat Roley touches.

That quote tells me that Mr. Roley must have gotten along pretty well with the other creative folks at MANNIX to have been asked back so many times.

And my quote also brings up the question, "Where is something like The Complete MANNIX Dossier?"

Harry