Colors (16 Oct. 2005)

Clyde Taylor, after winning the 1945 All-Star game for the Negro League (against the majors' All-Stars), was beaten to death with his own bat outside the stadium. Taylor became a legend as ... See full summary »

Director:

Paris Barclay

Writer:

Sean Whitesell

Stars:

Kathryn Morris, Danny Pino, John Finn

Cast

Episode credited cast:
Kathryn Morris	...	Lilly Rush
Danny Pino	...	Scotty Valens
John Finn	...	John Stillman
Jeremy Ratchford	...	Nick Vera
Thom Barry	...	Will Jeffries
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Hunter Allan	...	Troy Cage - 1945
Beau Billingslea	...	Willie Dandridge - 2005
Sarah Brown	...	Josie Sutton
Ron Dean	...	Troy Cage - 2005
Elinor Donahue	...	Esther 'Legs' Davis - 2005
Arlen Escarpeta	...	Clyde Taylor
Frank Faucette	...	Willie Dandridge - 1945
Mitchell Fink	...	Tyler Cage
Christina Hendricks	...	Esther 'Legs' Davis - 1945
Thomas Kopache	...	Crumbs - 2005

Storyline

Clyde Taylor, after winning the 1945 All-Star game for the Negro League (against the majors' All-Stars), was beaten to death with his own bat outside the stadium. Taylor became a legend as the one who might have been chosen to break the "color line" in the major leagues. Jefferies' nephew challenges his uncle's cold case team to solve the crime now sixty years old ("What if it had been Babe Ruth?"). Envious, hostile white players and greedy Negro League owners, as well as the complications of a white girlfriend, are pieces of the puzzle.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Details

Release Date:

16 October 2005 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Stage 22, Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

CBS Paramount Network Television

Did You Know?

Goofs

The victim was a baseball player found murdered in 1945 in "Connie Mack Stadium". However, this name was used only from 1953 onwards and in 1945 would have been called Shibe Park.

User Reviews

The Negro League

Thom Barry's nephew, a boy that loves baseball, is instrumental in the way the Cold Case team attempts to solve the mystery surrounding the killing of a young black baseball player who showed a promise to be the first one to break the "color line" in the major leagues. Clyde Taylor was found beaten to death outside the stadium. The killing weapon was, ironically, Clyde's own bat. Now some sixty years after the tragedy, the detectives set out to solve the crime.

Clyde had all the potential for fame, but there were things that got in his way. The white teams that played against the Negro stars, were envious of the skills their rivals showed. Such seemed to be the case of Tyler Cage, someone that showed his animosity clearly. His son, Troy Cage, was the bat boy of his father's team. He was around the principals during the time Clyde was killed, and now he is a valuable asset to the detectives.

Clyde's team coach, Crumbs, was found. The investigation wants him to tell them what he knew. He proves to be more deeply involved in the case than he owns up to. Also a young white woman, Esther "Legs" Davis, a dancer, was more involved with Clyde. She also had a secret of her own.

Paris Barclay, a frequent collaborator of the series, directed the screenplay by Sean Whitesell. Sometimes, when the period between the real crime and the actual investigation is more than sixty years, as it is in this episode, one has to make allowances because of the age of the surviving people, which in most cases are too old to offer any good leads, or who have been carrying the guilt of having committed the crime, themselves, such a long time ago.

Detective Valens shows his interest in Josie Sutton. She also has fallen deep for him, as they exchange glances at each other. Christina Hendricks, of "Mad Men", shows up as the younger "Legs" Davis. Sarah Brown and Danny Pino have some good moments.