The Murray music pushes too hard in this episode trying to make some visual jokes work but kind of flattening them. The basic story is good, the ending is funny, but the best part of the show may well be the opening scene with Anderson confronting his friend with a gun. It's a tense scene and Anderson is terrific in it. Anderson also has one of the best scenes when he's giving the eulogy--it's sort of like the scene in a later Pink Panther film with Dreyfus eulogizing Clouseau.
In all Anderson, who got so well know as Steve Austin's boss, is the real spark to this show, getting to show very different sides to himself.
Yes the director is HARRY MORGAN of M.A.S.H and dragnet fame and of wife beating infamy late in life. He does an OK job there is one nice dolly shot, aided by an optical effect. Otherwise he might be to blame for some of the comedy that doesn't work, though a good amount of it does. The lead character seems kind of flat as played by Steven Hill. Though the seemingly thankless role of the "dumb blonde" played by Joanna Moore comes off surprisingly well. There are several familiar faces from other shows of the era all of whom do well in small parts. It just seems if the show had been treated, on all levels, as more of a dark comedy--rather than the yuk yuk kind, it might have really worked better as a whole.
Nicely timed final shot leaves a better impression than the whole episode does.
In all Anderson, who got so well know as Steve Austin's boss, is the real spark to this show, getting to show very different sides to himself.
Yes the director is HARRY MORGAN of M.A.S.H and dragnet fame and of wife beating infamy late in life. He does an OK job there is one nice dolly shot, aided by an optical effect. Otherwise he might be to blame for some of the comedy that doesn't work, though a good amount of it does. The lead character seems kind of flat as played by Steven Hill. Though the seemingly thankless role of the "dumb blonde" played by Joanna Moore comes off surprisingly well. There are several familiar faces from other shows of the era all of whom do well in small parts. It just seems if the show had been treated, on all levels, as more of a dark comedy--rather than the yuk yuk kind, it might have really worked better as a whole.
Nicely timed final shot leaves a better impression than the whole episode does.