"Naked City" To Walk Like a Lion (TV Episode 1962) Poster

(TV Series)

(1962)

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8/10
Not the best episode but has interesting guests
jonjax7117 February 2008
Although this is a episode that entertains, when compared to other Naked City eps it is slightly below their high standard of excellence.

It is a treat to see Mae Questel-the voice of Betty Boop, Olive Oyl and many other cartoon voices. Also seen is Barbara Barrie who played Mrs. Barney Miller, another NYC based cop show, as of late she's been on several Law & Order and SVU chapters. The main character Arnold Platt is portrayed by frequent game shows panelist-Orson Bean.

There's a great line in this episode, when Lt. Parker wants Sgt. Arcaro to follow Platt's girl played by Barbara Barrie, he tells him, "don't lose her or you'll be patrolling the other side of Staten Island and that's the Atlantic Ocean"
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8/10
Doing the right thing
sol-kay25 September 2012
Warning: Spoilers
***SPOILERS*** Ready to turn himself in for embezzling his firm of $8,400.00 accountant Arnold Pratt, Orson Bean, is shocked to find out that his boss J. Milton Turpin, Vaughn Taylor, is so impressed with his embezzling skills that he wants Arnold to steal another $75,000.00 from the savings and loan firm for his own use! Under those unusual and criminal conditions Turpin won't press charges against Arnold. Shocked at what Turpin asked him to do Arnold refuses the offer only to be threatened by him to have his mom's body exhumed from her grave, that Arnold used the embezzled money to pay for, and unceremoniously dump her into Potter's Field. Not quite knowing what to do and terrified of what Turpin's to do to his dear and deceased mother Arnold becomes a fugitive from the law for the rest of this "Naked City" episode.

While on the lamb Arnold gets in touch with his old girlfriend Rosalind Faber, Barbara Barrei, who after hearing his very depressing problems, that can land him behind bars for as much as 10 years, advices Arnold to live it up for once in his uneventful life and enjoy one last day of freedom with the what's still left of the embezzled money, some $1,200.00, by spending it on things that he always wanted. It's then that Arnold turned his life around in not only spending his ill gotten gains but also becoming somewhat of a ladies man as well! That's in Arnold shedding his inhibitions when it comes to making it with attractive sexy and beautiful women, that he felt he doesn't have a snowballs chance in hell with, and care not what the ladies think about his non aggressive boring and nerdy personalty.

What's by far the best and genuinely touching scene in the movie or episode is when Arnold still while on the lamb runs into the beautiful blond airline stewardess Grace Harvey, Karen Steel, after she accidentally clipped her heel at the Aqueduct Race Track. Normally Arnold wouldn't have the nerve to approach the beautiful and unapproachable,to Arnold, Grace yet this time around with nothing to lose he throws caution to the wind by letting Grace know in his meek and sensitive way just what he feels about her. Startled at first at Arnold's somewhat in you face yet sweetly Innocent approach to her Grace soon realizes he's by far more of a "Mench", man in Yiddish, then any of those rich handsome and sweet talking suiters that she went out on dates with.

***SPOILERS*** In the end with only $350.00 left of the money that he embezzled Arnold finally gives himself up at the local 65th police precinct. We never do get to find out what happened to Arnold's mom and if the greedy and utterly despicable Mr. Turpin ever went through with his threat to have her buried in Potter's Field but it's a given that he didn't. In him trying to force Arnold to keep on stealing for him, and with Arnold being able to prove it, Mr. Turpin had a hell of a lot more to lose then Arnold did.
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5/10
A Very Goofy Episode, But At Least I Saw "Olive Oyl"
ccthemovieman-125 September 2007
The goofy music right off the bat kind of tipped me off that this could be a strange episode. Yes, it's still a crime story, as they all are, but, yeah, this is different: almost played more for low-key laughs, almost a dark comedy. Unfortunately, the laughs were far and few and the characters a bit too goofy.

It involves "Arnold Platt," a meek momma's boy who goes into his boss's office an hour and a half after his mother's funeral and tells the boss to call the police. He has robbed the company for about $8,000 with some manipulations in the books at the bank where he works. He used ALL the money to pay for his mother's medical expenses. Now, feeling guilty, he feels he should go to jail. His boss, however, is impressed that he did such a good job stealing and would rather not the police but have Arnold steal $75,000 more for him! When Arnold, played by Orson Bean, freaks out and pushes his boss into the closet and runs, the boss does call the police and tries to have him arrested. The first scene at the police headquarters with "Lt. Mike Parker" (Horace McMahon) is really bizarre with the bank manager and two female employees who stick up for Arnold. The dialog between the four of them is very strange.

Most of this show is just Arnold's friends talking to him or offering help. Really, almost nothing happens. This is, frankly, a really dumb episode which must not have pleased fans of the crime series when it ran. The "villain" is a harmless guy with a good heart.

Of note was that one of the characters was played by Mae Questel. I didn't know that until looking at the ending credits, so I went back and checked out the somewhat-frumpy 50-ish blonde lady. Questel was the voice of "Olive Oyl" on the Popeye cartoons from the 1930s through the '50s! It was great to finally put a face, even if she was older, to that famous voice! It made the episode worthwhile for me.
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