"Kraft Suspense Theatre" Charlie, He Couldn't Kill a Fly (1964)

Director:

Bernard Girard

Writer:

Irv Pearlberg (writer)

TV Series:

"Kraft Suspense Theatre" (1963)

Original Air Date:

7 May 1964 (Season 1, Episode 25)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery

Plot:

An alcoholic, loudmouth, unemployed man on the verge of losing his wife and son is arrested for murder...

Plot Keywords:

Company Sponsor Name In Title

Cast

Keenan Wynn	...	Charlie Kling
Beverly Garland	...	JoAnne Kling
Richard Kiley	...	Lou Franklin
Michael Burns	...	Frankie Kling
Berkeley Harris	...	Pete Francis
Myron Healey	...	Lt. Bill Thaler
Joan Staley	...	Beth / prostitute addict
Noam Pitlik	...	Benny Galati
Walter Brooke	...	Spinner / addict in bar
Roy Glenn	...	The Piano Player
Darryl Richard	...	Ralph
Elaine Earl	...	Nan
Frank Evans	...	Joe
Joseph Mell	...	Harry
Tony Franke	...	Jonesy

Runtime:

60 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color | Color (as color by Pathé)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company:

Roncom Films

Goodbye, Charlie

Poor Charlie, an alcoholic loudmouth whom nobody likes, not even his wife and son, sees a murderer run out an apartment while in a drunken stupor, and is himself arrested for the murder, as he was standing over the dead man, in a daze, when the neighbors arrived to see what the commotion was about. Things go from bad to worse, as we learn that Charlie's wife is two-timing him with a guy who, as things turn out, is the only person who believes in his innocence. Even Charlie's wife thinks he's guilty, as the murdered man was a small time local drug dealer who'd sold their teenage son some reefer a while back and whom Charlie had once said he'd like to kill.

This is an above average episode of the often excellent Kraft Suspense Theater. There are some interesting plot twists, as Charlie (at last) bonds with his son after he's accused of the crime and everyone in the neighborhood regards him as a hero because he killed a dope dealer. Of course he didn't do it, but he enjoys his newfound fame, and actually begins to sober up and take responsibility for his actions. Alas, Charlie, though aware of his innocence, has decided to admit to the crime, as this has caused people to for the first time in his life treat him with respect. The tragedy and paradox in this is that Charlie, a man who's spent his adult life dreaming and drinking (his wife supports him), evading responsibility as husband and father, now that he's earned some respect, takes responsibility alright, but for something he didn't do. It's like he's gone three quarters of the way to becoming a "new man", with that last quarter the toughest of all to work through.

There's a lot to like in this episode, and some subtlety and sophistication in the way the characters develop: Charlie's wife almost immediate refusal to believe in her husband's innocence suggests that perhaps she never had faith in Charlie to begin with, which tell us a thing or two about the dynamic of their marriage. The man whom the wife is seeing is a nice guy who, though he may be cheating with another man's wife, also wants to see some kind of justice done for the guy so as to at least do a good deed for a man whose marriage he's in the process of destroying. More than anyone, this guy knows that Charlie, for all his flaws, wouldn't kill a fly.