10 Stars.
The only episode directed by one of the best, Gene Reynolds, producer and director for M. A. S. H. And he shows his talent. We lost Gene a few years ago at the age of 96, among so many tributes.
Writer Howard Browne had the famous noir THE NARROW MARGIN in mind --only there's no train. That's too bad, because a cat and mouse chase in such closed quarters would have added to the paranoia, instead of abandoned warehouses and buildings. He probably didn't want to make it too, too obvious. Browne was associated with Warner Brothers/ABC TV (HAWAIIN EYE etc), a prolific writer and his super work is evident here.
High adventure, all about Joe protecting a witness who turns out to be an undercover cop. In the old Marie Windsor role is Ruta Lee, another top actress. The only debit here is Lee (as Jean) gets killed too soon. Ruta Lee, who is still around Hollywood today, was a natural in both comedy and dramatic roles and holds a record for tv appearances.
Matters really begin to snowball; Mannix now has to find the "real" witness, held by some lethal types. If you are a film buff, you may not know the original version of THE NARROW MARGIN (1952), featured dirty cops. It was later rewritten so the police were on the right side of the law. Interestingly, Howard Browne used the original concept, which is more in line with Mannix going after corrupt cops and detectives.
Some familiar faces, including Joyce Van Patten (as Lola), popular on COLUMBO, and Malachi Throne (as Inspector Kyler), who portrayed Robert Wagner's boss on IT TAKES A THIEF. Throne later became a voice actor for many tv commercials.
Look for veteran John Abbott (as Monty), who appeared in numerous classic films (MRS. MINIVER and JANE EYRE). Prior to this episode he appeared in BEWITCHED as Leonard Di Vinci? We loved this guy.
Filmed at the old Desilu Studios in Culver City, now known as the Culver Studios. When Lucy and Desi sold the studio after their divorce, the unit moved to Paramount in Hollywood on Melrose Avenue, where they had access to a lot more historical buildings and sets. And, of course, the Brady Bunch set came with the deal, too.
GOTSTA SEE episode, especially for all us noir buffs. SEASON 1 EPISODE 13 CBS/Paramount dvd box set.
