Mannix is skeptical of a little girl's claims of overhearing a murder plot, until it becomes clear someone wants her dead.Mannix is skeptical of a little girl's claims of overhearing a murder plot, until it becomes clear someone wants her dead.Mannix is skeptical of a little girl's claims of overhearing a murder plot, until it becomes clear someone wants her dead.
Photos
- Dottie McNeill
- (as Patti Cohoon)
- Lieutenant George Kramer
- (as Lawrence Linville)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaEighth and final appearance of Larry Linville as Lt. George Kramer. Two years later Linville would find lasting fame playing Major Frank Burns on M*A*S*H (1972).
- GoofsThe white 1969 Dodge Dart GT chasing Mannix is forced off the road by an on coming car and down a steep drop off. As the car goes off the road it runs into a white, wooden barricade. The view from inside the car before the crash clearly shows that there is not a steep drop off on the other side of the barricade. The car that goes down the drop off is a white 1957 Ford Sedan. After the crash a white car is shown on its side and it's clearly body on frame construction. Dodge Darts are unibody construction.
- Quotes
Dottie McNeill: It's a terrible responsible secret, so you'll have to swear and cross your heart.
Joe Mannix: Oh.
[makes a crossing notion with hands]
Joe Mannix: I swear.
[Peggy does the same]
Dottie McNeill: I guess I can tell the rest of it to you, then. They're gonna kill him. They're gonna murder him. In a parade.
Helen McNeill: Dorothy, what parade? You didn't say anything about a parade.
Dottie McNeill: Oh, I just put that in. It was the way they killed Mr. Muffins.
Joe Mannix: Mr. Muffins?
Helen McNeill: In, uh, a comic strip.
Dottie McNeill: There was a big band, and Mr. Muffins was in an ostrich costume, and just as the band started, they shot him, which is why nobody heard the gun-- on account of trombones. It was pretty slick, all right.
Helen McNeill: [sighs] I'm sorry, Mr. Mannix. Sometimes her mind sort of runs over a little.
Joe Mannix: All right, Dottie.
[hands Dottie a microphone]
Joe Mannix: Now, I want you to talk into this. I want you to tell me exactly what you heard the men say in the booth-- nothing more. Nothing but the exact words. If you can remember them, okay?
Dottie McNeill: Yes.
Joe Mannix: Wait a minute.
[turns on the recorder]
Joe Mannix: Okay.
Dottie McNeill: He said...
Joe Mannix: Who?
Dottie McNeill: The taller one, thin. With kind of red hair. He said, "When does he knock him off?" Then I couldn't hear the words on account of the noise from the movie machine. And then he was saying, "He wants to make it day after tomorrow, if we can set it up." And then I couldn't hear. And then he said, "What?"
Joe Mannix: The redhead?
Dottie McNeill: Mm-hmm. Then the other one said, "Having the police working with us on this one." And they laughed. And that's when they must have saw me. And I ran.
Joe Mannix: Hmm. Someone in the police force a party to murder?
Helen McNeill: I know she's very imaginative, and she's crazy about crime stories. But you must believe me, I know when she's telling the truth.
Joe Mannix: All right, Dottie, very good. You know something? Peggy here keeps candy in her file, under "C". Would you like some?
Dottie McNeill: Sure.
Peggy Fair: Come along, Dottie.
Dottie McNeill: Okay. But that's what they said, honest.
Helen McNeill: We live just a little way from that theater, and those men saw her. They'll be looking for her. She's all I have. I'm scared. She's only a little girl. I'm scared to death.
Enter a troubled little girl named Dottie, memorably played by Patti Cahoon Friedman, an enormously popular child actress. She reminded me of Susan Gordon, the daughter of producer Bert I Gordon, who appeared in many classic tv shows and movies. They looked like twins.
Dottie is brought in by her mom (Loretta Leversee), who claims her daughter heard a murder being planned in an abandoned building. Naturally, the cops don't believe her and the creeps are coming to snatch her off the street. Patti was a regular on APPLES WAY (tv show), playing Cathy. She was actually 11 years old in this episode and a real doll. You could tell Mike Connors admired her, who worked well with kids. It shows.
Warren Duff wrote this adventure, long associated with Warner Brothers, writing many classic movies. He produced what is considered the greatest film noir, OUT OF THE PAST (1947) starring Robert Mitchum. He retired shortly after due to ill health.
Murray Golden did a superb job of directing, especially Patti, also behind MISSION IMPOSSIBLE and the FBI. Watch the scene with Kelly Thordsen playing Mickey, the guy who puts the face sketches together, and Patti carefully watching. It's well done. Kelly was actually a retired LAPD officer. He more than likely was a consultant too.
This story marked the last appearance of Larry Linville (who moved on to MASH), on a rotating basis with Ward Wood and Robert Reed as the LAPD. Linda Leversee, playing Helen, Dottie's mom, was a popular actress at the time, who studied under Lee Strassberg.
I confess, I did take off one star, and I agree with the notes; you can see the new car that crashes -- suddenly becomes an old, junk car? Should have gotten better stock footage. May have been liften from BATMAN. Other episodes did, in fact, lift stock footage from tv's SUPERMAN.
A cool gag scene has Joe driving around with a wax dummy of Dottie --just in case the goons have ideas. Filmed partly in affluent Calabasas, California, about 13 miles north of Malibu. A beautiful area to film.
May have inspired the famous Season 5 episode of CANNON, only this time with a little boy. Known as the "hopscotch" episode.
Another gotsa' see adventure. Recommended late nighter. SEASON 4 EPISODE 11 remastered CBS/Paramount dvd box set. The Four Bullet box.
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Filming locations
- 23730 Park Antigua, Calabasas, California, USA(Car Explosion outside of house 32 minutes into the show)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro