User Reviews

Rocky meets Vince (Ken Lynch) at a "Grey Power" meeting and they decide to open up a truck stop on the grapevine. They call it "Rocky's Summit" to trade on Rocky's reputation among truckers. What Rocky doesn't know is Vince is really a syndicate boss named Cappobianco and a retired untouchable and friend of Elliot Ness named Edward Lasalle (Victor Jory) is still trying to bring him down.

This episode is packed full of humor, action and memorable characters. Most notable is probably Jory, who seems to come out of nowhere to do a great characterization of Lasalle (Eddie Lasalle was also the name of the reporter John Astin played on one of the later sitcoms Mary Tyler Moore flopped in). He's doggedly determined, lives in a flophouse, eats dog food and is fearless in pursuing the old crime boss. I don't remember seeing him anywhere else though I see he did appear in "the Untouchables" and later appeared on "The New Maverick". He's great.

Also very solid is Lynch. He's funny early as Vince and hurt when people think his chili has too much garlic (as well as his soup and everything else) but then makes a cold turn into the crime boss without missing a beat. He's very good.

The fetching Gretchen Corbett appears again (in what at first seems like a subplot, but then turns out to be tied in to the main story) this time representing Jim in a lawsuit. A stranger (Jess Nadelman in his last appearance anywhere) climbed on top of Jim's trailer and fell off. "No matter what you do, do NOT say you're sorry" Beth warns Jim before he goes in to see the man in the hospital "It can later be seen as an admission of guilt". So what's the first thing Jim says when he sees the man in traction?

The only really weak part of this one is another appearance by Skip (Hunter Von Treer) the lifeguard. He tried to shakedown Jim for $1,000 for some false testimony to get him out of the lawsuit. He remains a thoroughly unlikeable character.

Cannell's script is really very good with the Lasalle character and giving Rocky so much to do, including coming to the rescue at the climax. There's also a couple of great in gags at the very end of the episode when Beth is trying to reach a settlement with Don "Hi Ho" Silver (Dick Balduzzi), the ambulance chasing lawyer who's representing the man who fell off Jim';s roof. First there's a great Perry Mason/Ironside visual joke as Silver rolls away his client (the only thing missing is the Perry Mason theme!) and then Jim talks about how Silver could sue Universal for damages over his girlfriend's audition.

Rocky get Jim into trouble this time! What make The Attractive Nuisance a solid show is: A solid story Rocky starts a new trucking restaurant, with a partner. Unknowingly the partner has mob ties, and the restaurant is a front. Great character development as the old mobster, with the too much garlic as a cook, and the old retired F B I agent add twists to the story. The usual comedy, and type casted thug are a pleasure to watch. What works here is the details of the characters who all have flaws. Rocky tries to help Jim out of this one with the usual wrapped up ending. The ending has different older characters giving age old advice to the their younger cohorts in a humors way, which is memorable. Worth watching 7 stars.