Mannix (TV Series) Bird of Prey: Part 1 (1975) User Reviews

TAKE ME TO YOUR LEADER -- IN CATALINA???

[tcchelsey · 9/10 · 13 December 2022]

Part I episode. Mannix is off to a South American country, and right away, you get a hunch... this may have been another tucked away MISSION IMPOSSIBLE episode.

I have to shave a point off here for that, but also the setting to be at Catalina Island? Of course, the show had a tight budget, though you can readily spot some familar trappings if you have been there. I And that kind of diverts attention. Catalina, to its credit, does cover a lot of territory with low mountains and hills and old fashioned narrow streets, giving it a quasi European look, depending on your vantage point.

Joe's mission, should he decide to accept it, is to search for (between sucker punches) another missing adventurer, this time who may be an accessory to a political hit job. Multi-purpose good guy/gritty bad guy Robert Loggia plays an integral part in this caper story, Inspector Varga, and well played at that.

Rounding out the cast is one of the best actresses, Andrea Marcovicci (as Adriana). Prior to this episode Andrea co-starred opposite David Janssen in the thriller, SMILE, JENNY YOU'RE DEAD, the pilot film for HARRY O. A super mystery. Also look for two veterans; Jay Novello as Thomas and over the top character actor Tito Vandis, as the mayor. Tito played many eccentric characters, from cons to gypsies! Watch him.

Best of it all is the chase to the famous island casino, then atop the slippery tile roof. That is one TALL building and its well done. Question: How did Mannix get down to the street below so soon?

An adventurous story, again with that MI slant, but still worth some late night popcorn. SEASON 8 EPISODE 20 remastered CBS dvd box set.

Apparently, Catalina Island has moved to South America

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 24 September 2018]

When the story begins, Mannix is flown into Catalina Island off the Coast of California. Despite the obvious landmarks that show it's Catalina, you are soon told that Mannix is in South America...in some craptastic land in which revolutionaries abound, San Leone. As for Mannix, he's there looking for someone in order to complete a seemingly easy task. Little does he know that soon the revolutionaries will be paying him a lot of attention.

While I have never been to Catalina, I've sure seen it in plenty of 1970s TV shows like "Quincy" and "Cannon" and the red and white casino is clearly seen as the show began. Because of this, it took me out of the episode and seemed pretty cheesy. Well, that's one strike against this episode.

Apart from that, this is just a fair episode. Mannix gets beaten up a lot (almost like a season one episode) and the show seems to have been stetched out to feaure length...with an ordinary (at best) story.

Catalina is beautiful this time of year

[Guad42 · 6/10 · 16 March 2022]

As with the first reviewer, I immediately recognized Catalina and spent most the two episodes saying, "I've been there." or "I remember that." It does take away from the illusion of Joe travelling south.

Overall, an average episode that seemed padded to get to two parts. Joe goes "out of the country" to deliver a cash award to a man, Victor Valdek (Richard Evans), who pulled another man's son out of a burning airplane. Joe's first helper is murdered before telling Joe anything. The ol' "can't talk on the phone so will meet you later" claims another victim. Joe meets Inspector Varga (Robert Loggia) at the murder scene. Joe then hears Valdek is dead. Two things wrong with that. He isn't dead and it is his wife Andrianna (Andrea Marcovicci) who is saying he is. Joe gets beat up several times after refusing to leave. At the end of part 1, Joe is captured and will be the fall guy in a plot to shoot the visiting president. It turns out Valdek is the actual shooter and is being paid by Count Boria (Alex Scourby) who hates the president. The president is shot while coming into the harbor and the plan is for a "bystander" to shoot Joe and have him pinned for the assassination. However, Inspector Varga arrives before Joe can be shot and the bad guys all claim Joe is the shooter so Varga arrests him. Joe escapes and runs to his old friend Rosa (Dimitra Arliss) who helps him get away. Joe eventually tracks down Valdek through his wife. There is a shootout and Valdek ends up hanging over the side of a building. Joe tries to save him but he falls. The wife is there but doesn't help. Inspector Varga sees it and the two men make up.

Good things. The two hoods are funny and unique. I thought Joe would save the president but he didn't. That is a change of pace for Mannix episodes. The escape in the coffin was well done. Good scenes between Arliss and Loggia. The ending is excellent with Joe trying to pull Valdek to safety. Good tension before the inevitable happens.

Bad things. Yep, it's Catalina and no getting away from that. The plot is too complicated by half. There is a part where Valdek is a great painter. Not sure why it is needed. The wife is all over the place. Hard to be on her side. Joe runs to Rosa for help and she pitches in without a thought. He has a support network that is apparently world-wide. There is no Peggy!

The cast is fine. Dimitra Arliss was the hitwoman who almost killed Robert Redford in The Sting. She is excellent here. Andrea as the wife is good. Evans always seemed to play a bad guy so he has that down pat. Robert Loggia as the inspector overacts a bit. It is more his physical reactions rather than his dialogue. He is shot in the hand and spins around dramatically. He bursts into a room like he was shot from a cannon. Things like that.

Joe gets paid although the mission turned out to be much more than anticipated. He gets beaten up much more than usual. He is shot and wounded and he has to be cleared of killing the president. Other than that, it is all good. An up and down episode that comes out as average.

Joe goes south

[steelblue55 · 5/10 · 17 October 2017]

The big change in this one is that Joe has traveled to "San Leone" described as a long way from home. Joe's client wants him to find someone so he can deliver a reward. But the first person who helps him is murdered, then officials say the guy he is looking for is dead. Joe doesn't believe this and keeps looking as guys keep beating him up to leave. There is one good scene on the dock where Joe outsmarts the bad guys and knocks them into the ocean with minimal effort. But then near the end is a classic move where he knocks the bad guy out but instead of taking the weapon on the ground he runs off so the other bad guys with guns can catch him 30 seconds later! There's also one big issue near the end where Joe would be able to give the reward to Adrianna and meet the clients request... but of course instead he sneaks into a villa and overhears some political intrigue, leading into part 2.....

You can see how they were trying to change things up, but it comes across as more of the same, an average episode.