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Reviews
Perry Mason: The Case of the Hasty Honeymooner (1965)
A Bad Date We All Could Miss
Every now and then,even on Perry Mason, there is an inevitable clunker. "The Case of the Hasty Honeymooner" is the product of perhaps a very hastily written script and the end result is a resounding thud. Noah Berry (before being Rocky on the Rockford Files), plays Lucas Tolliver, a con man with the oozy mannerisms of an oil slick. Through a mistake created by a computer dating service (I'll say it was), he is matched with a woman with a sizeable ranch. After a courtship totalling all of a week, compressed into 15 minutes, this unfortunate couple do get married and the woman is poisoned during the wedding supper, Naturally the boozy Beery is taken on as a reluctant client by Perry Mason and the predictable legal sleight of hand does take place. The fact that the demise of good ole Luke's prior two wives is deemed of no consequence is laughable. At one point, I was wondering if this episode was trying to imitate Alfred Hitchcock's, Shadow of a Doubt". But it was the failure of the soon to be dead Millicent to see through Luke's shallow smokescreen (even though the fire and brimstone,foreman(played by Strother Martin) was not fooled) that made this episode not as appealing or engaging as past successes. I wish Perry mason would have washed his hands of this guy by the middle of the program. Now, that would have been a twist!
Mannix: Walk on the Blind Side (1974)
Peggy has spunk but been there and done that
The plot device of mistaken identity has been overhauled and used countless numbers of times and this episode does follow the rule. The sympathetic but unstable hit man, Lonnie Taggert (played by Lincoln Kirkpatrick) emotionally struggles between a genunie desire to save Peggy's life , a rigid devotion to duty and an ulterior motive to fleece the syndicate. His extreme mood swings at times stretch the boundaries of credibility and are too humorous to be taken seriously. My disappintment is that Mannix was almost an afterthought and it almost seemed that this segemnt should have been called "Peggy and Lonnie and the Basement Blues". It wasn't my favorite segment but was redeemed by a clever coincidence for a plausible conclusion.
Sergeant Preston of the Yukon: The Mark of Crime (1957)
The sin that will find you out
The theme of this installment revolves around the fact that the consequences of a criminal act cannot be evaded forever. Two businessmen who have reinvented themselves apart from their criminality are now registering alarm at the prospect of Sergeant Preston visiting their town. What they do not realize is that the Sergeant is transporting a new agent , who has been picked to take over the trading post and replace a longstanding employee. However their fear, coupled with a guilty conscience prompt them to consider taking desperate measures to insure their protection. This episode is sprinkled with tension from the opening scene and it builds with each fresh encounter to a great climax. The lesson learned is that sin cannot remain hidden forever and that the law is always nearby to make sure that the penalty for wrongdoing will always be satisfied. From start to finish, this segment features Sergeant Preston at his most determined.
Sergeant Preston of the Yukon: Rebellion in the North (1955)
Under the influence of strong delusion
For me, this installment proves an idea stressed in the Bible about "exchanging the truth for a lie" A peaceful tribe of Eskimos is deluded by a renegade trapper and thief that the representative in charge of the nearby trading post was a dishonest cheat. Consequently, this outlaw, in order to disguise his unsavory motivation for personal gain, leads this gullible tribe in a rebellion against this honest employee. After an Eskimo employee is shot , he makes his way to a Mountie outpost where he and Sergeant Preston devise a plan to expose the murderous leader and restore a fractured trust between the Eskimos and the white men. A true lesson on the need to discern truth from a carefully woven falsehood.
Sergeant Preston of the Yukon: Return Visit (1956)
Maybe you can go home again
Consider the opening scene when Sergeant Preston could have faced death. But when one of the robbers had a change of heart and then returned to hole up with the family he had abandoned to split the stolen money with his partner,the viewer will see hope here. The beauty in this episode is the possibility not only of reclaiming what was once thrown away, but perhaps a desire for repentance. I liked the character of Walt Daniels, torn between two paths of life, who must navigate a difficult decision. And Sergeant Preston is always on the background, hoping to reawaken a man's better instincts.
Sergeant Preston of the Yukon: Golden Gift (1955)
Good illustration of universal principles
This episode is a great example of the truth of the Bible and how men who appropriate it for ungodly purposes cannot understand it. This show is a triumph of faith over unrighteousness and viewers can gain insight into how the Lord works in the lives of those who willingly serve Him.
Sergeant Preston of the Yukon: King of Herschel Island (1956)
An episode with a lesson for today
My wife and I saw this show together. We both realized that there is a lesson to be learned here and a modern day application. A group of murderous mutineers enter a peaceful Eskimo village and subdue the people , forcing them to labor for the complete benefit of the "kingdom" the leader had established. A similar scene can happen today when any self appointed tyrant forcibly enters a country or populated area and proceeds to deprive the people of their liberty and individual freedom. This is precisely the pattern used as dictatorships are formed. This segment also illustrated how Sergeant Preston and the Eskimo chief's courageous son, though outnumbered,seek to topple these evildoers through faith,unity and ingenuity. One of the best episodes in my opinion!
Sky King: Triple Exposure (1958)
A True "Stamp" of Approval
For me, this episode rates highly in complexity of plot. After going through a cloudburst and landing in Grover for groceries, Sky and Penny notice a man standing on a balcony ready to dump a sandbag on an unsuspecting woman. The woman to show her gratitude for Sky saving her slips what she says is her "compact" in his shirt pocket. But this "compact" turns out to be a camera and what is on it is vital to the prevention of an audacious crime, planned several years prior. A rare stamp in the collection of a wealthy woman, a plane resembling Sky's plane, The Songbird and a dilapidated farm house are all ingredients in a great conclusion, which could not only cost money but lives as well. It is intricate, well paced and very satisfying!
Sky King: The Threatening Bomb (1952)
Episode that Makes a Definite "racket"
This segment ,in part, had all the gritty feeling (to a minor degree) of a police drama like "The Untouchables". Gangsters from the east want to impose their brand of lethal extortion on wealthy ranchers. The non-compliant will face reprisals of the worst kind. When the mobsters elect to employ extreme measures to a close friend of Sky King, Sky, Clipper and Penny,must work in tandem to expose this murderous plot .Anthony Warde does play a quite convincing kingpin. This episode depends on split second timing to thwart the scheme and save lives in the process. The underestimation of Sky King by these criminals will lead to their undoing. Non-stop excitement from beginning to end!
Sky King: Carrier Pigeon (1952)
A true "gem" of an episode
"Carrier Pigeon" began innocently enough with the saving of a pigeon from a predatory hawk. But Penny's compassion was only the tip of the iceberg in uncovering a crime of daring scope. The villains are well cast and their total lack of scruples and obsession with greed only make them all the more menacing. An abundance of well choreographed action sequences lead to an always satisfying climax. This episode projects suspense from the.start!
Sky King (1951)
Sky King- The Plane facts
Even as I inch closer to 70, I still watch Sky King with fondness and an eager nostalgia for the wholesome values during that period. The aerial scenes were certainly gripping but the underlying message of patriotism and a love for country always rang true especially with America dealing with the specter of the Cold War at that time. Subversion was exposed, freedom was hailed and the ideals of liberty were loudly proclaimed without apology. Sky King, with its simple moral compass, still resonates for me to this day.
Magnum, P.I.: Death and Taxes (1986)
One of the Darker segments
This for me, was one of the more disturbing episodes. The psychotic killer who taunts Magnum with nursery rhymes could have been created from the imagination of Thomas Harris (Hannibal Lecter fame). He was truly a scary creation. There were no moments of levity in this one. It was taut and relentless from beginning to end. Warning: do not mistake the error of watching it before bedtime! LOL.
The Rifleman: The Actress (1961)
Cynicism rears its head
This episode shows Lucas at his most unflattering side. A neighbor is gravely injured and Lucas makes him a promise to bring back the woman this man married on the spur of the moment. Lucas goes to retrieve her to find this woman, Elizabeth, a cross between a bold brassy actress and a brazen party girl. Lucas ends up taking her by force to see a man who she really does not know. On the way, Elizabeth challenges Lucas's unfailing moral code and even tries to seduce him in a weak moment. She constantly goads him for his gallantry and in the final analysis does raise a question as to what Lucas's motives really were. I found this one of the more cynical episodes where the conclusions drawn were neither the most altruistic or based on the purest of motives. It showed human nature at its most grasping with all its characters. Even those who had a form of righteousness wanted a personal advantage in this situation.
Harry O: Guardian at the Gates (1974)
Enigmatic in parts but consuming
Harry O is a very pensive, probing detective series. In this episode the actors and actresses were very memorable. Linda Evans was hauntingly beautiful, yet still tethered to her demanding oblivious father. Barry Sullivan architecturally was a genius but as a human being was grossly stunted. It was this insufferable and insensitive attitude toward society that put him at the top of the list of the one people would most like to erase from humanity. Still the motive for this intended murder remains shrouded until towards the end. It explored the complexities of psychological relationships and was unafraid to tackle issues of co-dependence,consuming ambition and the tenuous line between creativity and obsession. Very rich in character development and overall openness.
The Rifleman: Suspicion (1963)
A Comedic Disaster
This episode did not work for me on any level. An inebriated sign painter who may be implicated in a series of robberies and killings is found by Lucas and mark with a broken wagon wheel .Winslow Quince is basically a lush and a flim flam man who Lucas and Mark initially like. But personally, I think an inane comic interlude, like this, diminishes the series. It seems that other episodes in the last season attempted a departure from the seriousness and intensity which dominated the series, but in my estimation were not successful.
The Rifleman: Skull (1962)
Super confrontation between good and evil
Basically an evil cabal of criminals known as the Skull tries to use Lucas as an unwilling assassin against a local sheriff with Mark's life hanging in the balance. I see this as a spiritual contest between an almost satanic entity (represented by the seemingly invincible Holt Coyle) and the way he tries to twist the virtuous Lucas McCain and bend him to his will. The greatness of this episode is wondering how good can prevail and that only adds to the tension.
The Rifleman (1958)
Superior acting with strong Christian emhasis
I own every episode of this show. At age 68, I think I appreciate it more than i did when i was younger because I witness the true values which defined it to a greater degree. If you really examine many of the episodes, there are strong spiritual lessons, emerging from both defeat and a victory. I see many applications of the Christian faith, not only in indictments of extreme evil, but in redemption of many characters, who when it matters. Found a strength outside of themselves , to become a conqueror over their own personal demons. Lucas McCain is a father, confidently guiding his son, Mark, into manhood, while at the same time, personally growing in areas of repentance and forgiveness himself. At times, Mark,points the way for Lucas to grow in grace and that is what makes the program so lasting. When mistakes are made,Lucas, Mike and Micah, are unafraid to face up to their flaws and not only give themselves another chance, but dispense grace to those around them.