User Reviews

This is a great episode that involves a 6,000 Lb sculpture that comes up missing. The sculptor is Owen Russell( Gary Lockwood) who is upset, because his contract with David Collier( Scott Brady). Collier is a rich man who's Foundation For The Art's will unveil the statue. Owen feels like he is being used by Collier because he has a contract with him. When the statue is finally unveiled is is missing and everyone there believes it was stolen. How they don't know do to the size and weight. The next day Banacek gets a call from Henry DeWitt( Linden Chiles) of Boston Insurance Company. DeWitt tells Banacek that there is a 3 million dollar insurance policy out on it. DeWitt tells him that he has the best investigator on it Charlie Kirkland( Christine Belford). DeWitt feels that if he can get Banacek and Charlie to work to gether they will be able to crack it in no time. DeWitt is able to make the deal Banacek. If Banacek is able to find the stolen piece in two days he will get his usually cut plus more. When Banacek arrives at the Collier Institute he runs into Kirkland. She is not happy to see him especially when she finds out he's on the case too. The two decide two heads are better and eventually team up. They work together and find out what happen the night of the unveiling. Owen Russell and his partner Lance Li Decker stole the original and replaced it with a fake. The fake involved excellent art work and they did all this to get back at Collier. They believe with a heafty ransom and the original they would be getting Collier back and free of him for good. In the end Russell was caught, Banacek got a bigger cut; and he finished off the night with a date with Kirkland.

I like this episode. It is pretty good. However, it is pretty easy to figure out the mystery. It is great to see Don Stroud. Very good performance. I also like Candy Clark. I think she is much prettier than Christine Belford. One huge question. If Banacek was in the Marines why doesn't he fight better?

It was great to see Candy Clark in a part she played right after appearing in "American Graffiti." I also enjoy Scott Brady's work, as he makes a great heavy but should have had more "good guy" parts.

As for the scenario in this episode it strains credibility to say a sculptor could create an inflatable replica of his work.

Furthermore, Candy Clark's character is in the hospital to be treated for injuries suffered in a motorcycle accident and out on the street with no ill effects ten minutes later. I know she's a great actress, but such powers of recovery are more in the line of an injured vampire than a human.

And... what's up with a 24-year-old actress (Christine Belford) implying that a 26-year-old actress (Clark) is just a kid? Peppard was 45, so he was too old for either of them.