Route 66 (TV Series) A Long Piece of Mischief (1962) User Reviews

Sermon on the Mount in Mesquite, Texas

[captgwg · 9/10 · 2 April 2010]

"A Long Piece of Mischief". Buzz and Todd find themselves working at a rodeo in Mesquite Texas. They happen to see a cruel practical joke perpetrated on the deformed rodeo clown, Albert Salmi, and Buzz does all in his power to stop it. The clown still smiles after the cruel joke and immediately forgives his transgressors. Buzz is disgusted by the clown's reaction and respects no part of the clown's forgiving and easy going ways. The jokes get crueler and the clown is going to leave the rodeo and no longer forgive his tormentors, but realizes he needs to stay true to his basic essence and remains appealing to his better nature and forgives and turns the other "cheek" (using Buzz's word. Buzz realizes that the clown's ways are worth emulating and tells him how he will try to be more like him because when you no longer forgive you only hurt yourself. Ben Johnson and Slim Pickens are the two actors who play the clowns principal tormentors. Johnson's character hates the clown because the joy the clown brings to others is more than enough to bring him contentment for his own life, and cruelty of the others only hurts the others and to help them best he wishes nothing but goodness upon them. Dub Taylor is the rodeo owner and is disgusted by the tormentors and tells them how the clown before his accident was one of the finest cowboys the rodeo ever had and the tormentors were never even half the man the clown was let alone is now.

There's a B story going on in tandem with the main story of the clown. A lady horse performer is suffering her own private hell and wants nothing more than to die to end her suffering. The clown and his forgiving nature go a long way towards healing her.

Clearly One of the Best Episodes of the Series

[rwint1611 · 10/10 · 25 May 2008]

A very intriguing and unusual character study involving a rodeo clown with a missing arm who ends up being constantly humiliated and harassed by a couple of sadistic cowboys (Johnson and Pickens) and, much to the consternation of Buzz who tries to defend him, seems to allow and even encourage it. This is one episode were all the characters in the cast are fascinating and multi-dimensional and the wrap-up is particularly nice.

It is also interesting to see the part of the passive clown played by Salmi who in real life, many years later, went into a violent rage and killed both his wife and then himself. It is equally interesting to see the part of the bullying cowboy played by Johnson who usually always plays the nice, stoic type, but here is quite convincing as the bad guy.

There is the added element of actual rodeo footage, which is a bit tense since the rodeo clown is put into direct danger of a raging bronco. This is by far a superior episode of the series.

Grade A+

Git-em Up Cowboy

[dougdoepke · 6 December 2017]

The series doesn't get more colorful than this character-driven rodeo drama. Seems cowboy toughie Del (Johnson) and his buddy (Pickens) love playing dirty tricks on hapless rodeo clown Ollie (Salmi). But no matter how degrading the tricks, Ollie takes it with good humor. But why, especially since he's humiliated in the eyes of trick rider Babe (Totter) whom he'd like to court. She's got her own drinking problems and stays by herself. But why, since she's still attractive and alone in a man's world. Finding out what's motivating their odd behavior forms the story's crux, while interactions among the cast rivet attention.

I love the shoddy Texas setting; it sure ain't uptown Dallas. That rodeo arena's perfect for a third- rate traveling company. But the real draw is country twang experts Pickens and Johnson who know how to shred English grammar. Also, expert actor Salmi fits right in with the yokels. Then too, mustn't forget 40's noir favorite Totter who's no yokel but does her cold-hearted specialty to a T. Together there's enough character color for the whole series.

Near the end, head writer Silliphant gets to indulge his passion for waxing philosophical. Fortunately, it works pretty well within the story framework. Buz and Tod also get to do more than stand around, Buz even packing a wallop. All in all, it's first-rate 66 and a salute to the casting director for his colorful coup.

Story that must be told Route 66 delivers

[frank4122 · 10/10 · 18 August 2019]

As a big fan of Ben 'Son' Johnson, I wanted to see this episode. He was a great rodeo man and great western actor. He was right in his element here, although one of the bad guys for a change. Tod and Buz befriend a rodeo clown who is being harassed by Johnson and reluctant partner Slim Pickens in Mesquite, Texas. However, most of the script centers around great film noir actress Audrey Totter and Albert Salmi as the clown. Totter and Salmi gave a performance of a lifetime as the downtrodden in life with seemingly no escape. It was also good to see Denver Pyle, the beloved Uncle Jesse Duke although he had a limited role. A masterfully acted and emotionally gripping story line of a portrayal of human nature that's difficult to fathom. A story that must be told in a way we can make it real and the cast and crew of Route 66 delivered. One of the greatest Route 66 episodes ever.

1/19/62 "A Long Piece of Mischief"

[schappe1 · 21 May 2015]

Zap! Suddenly we're in Texas, where the boys are working in a brick factory conveniently next to a rodeo. (Why not give them jobs at the rodeo?) Through much of it this episode just seems like a series of shots of a rodeo in action stitched together with a threadbare plot. Albert Salmi plays a former champion rodeo rider who lost a hand in an accident and who is now rodeo clown. Two cowboys, played by the great Ben Johnson, (Sam the Lion in "The Last Picture Show") and Slim Pickens, who actually was a rodeo clown before he became an actor, seem to dislike the easy-going Salmi and play mean tricks on him. T&B intervene, earning the enmity of the two cowpokes. Meanwhile Salmi has befriended the show's star female rider, who is grieving over her lost husband, (Audrey Totter, possibly a bit hold for her profession at this point).

The show gains depth at the end. Firstly, Johnson and Pickens kidnap Buz, dress him up as Salmi's lady love in a darkened trailer and tell him that 'she' wants him to propose, which he does in a touching scene Buz hears but can't respond to because he's gagged. Then Johnson and Salmi get in a fight and Johnson confesses that he hated Salmi precisely because he was so good-natured, no matter what happened to him or what they did to him. He couldn't stand to be in the same world with someone so saintly so he had to destroy him. A complicated motivation for a TV bad guy.

Not long after this Pickens was asked to ride a "bronco" of a different sort- by Stanley Kubrick.

(Irrelevant factoid: this is the second straight episode where a character has something wrong with his right hand.)