THE DETECTIVES – House Call – 1960
This one is episode 16 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.
Pernell Roberts enters a small grocery store and has a look around. He then heads for the store office. He enters, pulls out a pistol and waves it in the face of the store manager, Bill Erwin. He tosses a bag at the man and instructs Erwin to fill it with cash from the safe.
Roberts, now hotfoots out to his accomplice, Fay Spain, who in outside waiting in a stolen getaway car. Manager Erwin, who is not amused about being robbed, grabs a revolver from his desk, and gives chase. Erwin and Roberts exchange several rounds each. Erwin goes down for the count while Roberts collects a round in his shoulder. He staggers outside and climbs into the escape car.
Miss Spain floors the beast and the pair rocket down the street. Roberts passes out, falls against Spain causing the automobile to careen off the road and wrap itself around a handy telephone pole. She grabs up the bag of cash and pulls Roberts out of the car. They stagger down an alley and come up on a house.
A woman, Mary La Roche is outside hanging the laundry. Spain sticks a gun in the woman's face and the three enter the nearby house. Inside are two young boys, Jim Carter and David Halper. Miss Spain makes it clear that if La Roche does not help, there will be dead bodies aplenty. There is a knock at the back door. It is the Police looking for Roberts and Spain.
Spain holds a gun on the boys and has La Roche answer. She tells the Police Detectives, Lee Farr and Tige Andrews, that she did not see or hear anything. The Detectives say thanks and leave.
Spain has La Roche call her family doctor and asks him to stop over. One of the boys is very sick she tells the man. The doctor says he will stop over in a half hour. The Police were not fooled by the very nervous La Roche. They saw the trail of blood leading up to the house. They rightly believe that the family is being held against their will.
When the doc shows, Detective Captain, Robert Taylor goes in as the doctor instead. The woman, La Roche, catches the play and goes along with the switch. Taylor has a look at Roberts and tells him he is going to die if not moved to a clinic. Roberts of course is not happy to hear this. Taylor lets out that even if he can remove the bullet, Roberts will not be able to move. Miss Spain does not like the sound of this info in the least.
Spain decides to dump Roberts and make her escape alone, with the bag of cash of course. She grabs one of the boys as a hostage and high-tails it for the alley. She gets about 20 feet before she is tackled by Police hiding in the alley. She is disarmed, cuffed and tossed into a prowl car for a date with the judge. The boy is returned to his mother. Roberts is also wrapped up for a visit with cell city.
A neatly done episode with everything tied up in a 30 minute runtime. The director of this episode, was, writer, producer and director, Arnold Laven. Laven produced such shows as, THE RIFLEMAN, THE DETECTIVES and THE BIG VALLEY. As a director, he helmed several tightly made film noir like, WITHOUT WARNING, SLAUGHTER ON 10th AVENUE, VICE SQAUD and DOWN 3 DARK STREETS.
The director of photography was also a veteran of film noir. George Diskant lensed some of the best of the genre with, THEY LIVE BY NIGHT, RIFFRAFF, PORT OF NEW YORK, KANSAS CITY CONFIDENTIAL, THE RACKET, BETWEEN MIDNIGHT AND DAWN, BEWARE MY LOVELY, ON DANGEROUS GROUND and DESPERATE among his credits.
This one is episode 16 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.
Pernell Roberts enters a small grocery store and has a look around. He then heads for the store office. He enters, pulls out a pistol and waves it in the face of the store manager, Bill Erwin. He tosses a bag at the man and instructs Erwin to fill it with cash from the safe.
Roberts, now hotfoots out to his accomplice, Fay Spain, who in outside waiting in a stolen getaway car. Manager Erwin, who is not amused about being robbed, grabs a revolver from his desk, and gives chase. Erwin and Roberts exchange several rounds each. Erwin goes down for the count while Roberts collects a round in his shoulder. He staggers outside and climbs into the escape car.
Miss Spain floors the beast and the pair rocket down the street. Roberts passes out, falls against Spain causing the automobile to careen off the road and wrap itself around a handy telephone pole. She grabs up the bag of cash and pulls Roberts out of the car. They stagger down an alley and come up on a house.
A woman, Mary La Roche is outside hanging the laundry. Spain sticks a gun in the woman's face and the three enter the nearby house. Inside are two young boys, Jim Carter and David Halper. Miss Spain makes it clear that if La Roche does not help, there will be dead bodies aplenty. There is a knock at the back door. It is the Police looking for Roberts and Spain.
Spain holds a gun on the boys and has La Roche answer. She tells the Police Detectives, Lee Farr and Tige Andrews, that she did not see or hear anything. The Detectives say thanks and leave.
Spain has La Roche call her family doctor and asks him to stop over. One of the boys is very sick she tells the man. The doctor says he will stop over in a half hour. The Police were not fooled by the very nervous La Roche. They saw the trail of blood leading up to the house. They rightly believe that the family is being held against their will.
When the doc shows, Detective Captain, Robert Taylor goes in as the doctor instead. The woman, La Roche, catches the play and goes along with the switch. Taylor has a look at Roberts and tells him he is going to die if not moved to a clinic. Roberts of course is not happy to hear this. Taylor lets out that even if he can remove the bullet, Roberts will not be able to move. Miss Spain does not like the sound of this info in the least.
Spain decides to dump Roberts and make her escape alone, with the bag of cash of course. She grabs one of the boys as a hostage and high-tails it for the alley. She gets about 20 feet before she is tackled by Police hiding in the alley. She is disarmed, cuffed and tossed into a prowl car for a date with the judge. The boy is returned to his mother. Roberts is also wrapped up for a visit with cell city.
A neatly done episode with everything tied up in a 30 minute runtime. The director of this episode, was, writer, producer and director, Arnold Laven. Laven produced such shows as, THE RIFLEMAN, THE DETECTIVES and THE BIG VALLEY. As a director, he helmed several tightly made film noir like, WITHOUT WARNING, SLAUGHTER ON 10th AVENUE, VICE SQAUD and DOWN 3 DARK STREETS.
The director of photography was also a veteran of film noir. George Diskant lensed some of the best of the genre with, THEY LIVE BY NIGHT, RIFFRAFF, PORT OF NEW YORK, KANSAS CITY CONFIDENTIAL, THE RACKET, BETWEEN MIDNIGHT AND DAWN, BEWARE MY LOVELY, ON DANGEROUS GROUND and DESPERATE among his credits.
