THE DETECTIVES – Back Seat Driver - 1960
This one is episode 8 from the 97 episode run of, THE DETECTIVES. This series starred Robert Taylor and ran between 1959 and 1962. The first two seasons ran at a half hour and the last season had a runtime of an hour. The series followed the detective squad in a big city precinct. Cast regulars included, Mark Goddard, Russell Thorson, Tige Andrews, Lee Farr and Adam West. Robert Taylor headlines as Police Captain, Matt Holbrook.
Detective Tige Andrews is on a day off. Andrews and his son, Richard Evans, are out shopping for a scuba mask and snorkel for Evans. They return to the car and enter. Out of the back seat pops a rather fearsome looking Richard Devon. Devon sticks a .45 in Andrew's ear, and says, "drive".
Andrews complies and heads off down the street. Several blocks away, Detectives Robert Taylor, Russell Thorson and Lee Farr are at the scene of a robbery. A robber, Devon, had stepped into a jewelry store, pulled a gun, cleaned out the till and display cases. Then as he left, he turned and put three rounds into the clerk. Witnesses tell the detectives that the clerk had cooperated and gave Devon no reason to shoot him.
Devon, Evans and Tige are now driving out of town. Devon directs them to head for the border to Mexico. "Play along with me and I might let you both live!" Devon says to Tige. Tige agrees to play ball with Devon. He also knocks the police radio he has in the car onto the floor. The son, Evans uses his foot to switch on the mike.
Tige keeps up a conversation with Devon about letting the boy go, and just keeping himself as a hostage. A local ham operator, Paul Engle, who listens in on Police calls, telephones the Police about the chatter.
The Police soon tune in and realize it is one of their own, in danger. Captain Taylor has the Police radio operator, William Boyett triangulate the signal. Along with the running commentary from Tige and son, they soon figure out where the car is going. Detectives Thorson and Farr grab the Police copter and fly ahead of Tige's route. With the help of a road repair gang, they set up a trap. The work gang flagman signals for the car to stop because of a stoppage on the road ahead.
When the car pulls over, Detective Farr, dressed like a road repair man steps up. He calls for Devon to drop his piece. Tige and Evan both bail out of the car. Devon, however, resorts to gun-play and is soon suffering from a permanent low blood count.
There is plenty of action and tension going on in this episode. The director, Arthur Hiller, would become famous on the big screen as the director of, LOVE STORY, PLAZA SUITE, THE TIGER MAKES OUT, THE SILVER STREAK, THE MAN OF LA MANCHA and THE OUT OF TOWNERS.
William Boyett, who plays the Police radio operator in the episode, would later become a fixture on the 1968 to 1975 Police series, ADAM-12.
This one is episode 8 from the 97 episode run of, THE DETECTIVES. This series starred Robert Taylor and ran between 1959 and 1962. The first two seasons ran at a half hour and the last season had a runtime of an hour. The series followed the detective squad in a big city precinct. Cast regulars included, Mark Goddard, Russell Thorson, Tige Andrews, Lee Farr and Adam West. Robert Taylor headlines as Police Captain, Matt Holbrook.
Detective Tige Andrews is on a day off. Andrews and his son, Richard Evans, are out shopping for a scuba mask and snorkel for Evans. They return to the car and enter. Out of the back seat pops a rather fearsome looking Richard Devon. Devon sticks a .45 in Andrew's ear, and says, "drive".
Andrews complies and heads off down the street. Several blocks away, Detectives Robert Taylor, Russell Thorson and Lee Farr are at the scene of a robbery. A robber, Devon, had stepped into a jewelry store, pulled a gun, cleaned out the till and display cases. Then as he left, he turned and put three rounds into the clerk. Witnesses tell the detectives that the clerk had cooperated and gave Devon no reason to shoot him.
Devon, Evans and Tige are now driving out of town. Devon directs them to head for the border to Mexico. "Play along with me and I might let you both live!" Devon says to Tige. Tige agrees to play ball with Devon. He also knocks the police radio he has in the car onto the floor. The son, Evans uses his foot to switch on the mike.
Tige keeps up a conversation with Devon about letting the boy go, and just keeping himself as a hostage. A local ham operator, Paul Engle, who listens in on Police calls, telephones the Police about the chatter.
The Police soon tune in and realize it is one of their own, in danger. Captain Taylor has the Police radio operator, William Boyett triangulate the signal. Along with the running commentary from Tige and son, they soon figure out where the car is going. Detectives Thorson and Farr grab the Police copter and fly ahead of Tige's route. With the help of a road repair gang, they set up a trap. The work gang flagman signals for the car to stop because of a stoppage on the road ahead.
When the car pulls over, Detective Farr, dressed like a road repair man steps up. He calls for Devon to drop his piece. Tige and Evan both bail out of the car. Devon, however, resorts to gun-play and is soon suffering from a permanent low blood count.
There is plenty of action and tension going on in this episode. The director, Arthur Hiller, would become famous on the big screen as the director of, LOVE STORY, PLAZA SUITE, THE TIGER MAKES OUT, THE SILVER STREAK, THE MAN OF LA MANCHA and THE OUT OF TOWNERS.
William Boyett, who plays the Police radio operator in the episode, would later become a fixture on the 1968 to 1975 Police series, ADAM-12.
