The boys are now in St. Louis, where they are working in a rock quarry. They are living in an apartment house and again become concerned over the family situation of a boy, who lives in the next apartment. He's living with an alcoholic father, (Harry Guardino) who is a musician but also has a criminal background and is negotiating with a local crook, (Mike Kellin), who is planning a robbery and wants Harry to drive the getaway car. Harry figures this job will give him the money he needs to raise his son properly, ignoring the fact that he son needs a lot more than money from him.
Following the pattern of prior episodes, Tod wants to help but doesn't know what to do while Buz is reluctant to get involved because the situation hits too close to home but in the end he can't stay away but does know what to do.
This is possibly a significant episode because it may have been the last one George Maharis filmed. He will appear in two more episodes, "Only by Cunning Glimpses" (12/7/62), "A Gift for a Warrior", shown on 1/18/63. He is not in "Where is Chick Lorimer, Where has She Gone", (12/14/62), which also takes place in Missouri. The next three episodes take place in Tennessee with only Tod. Then comes "A Gift for a Warrior", which takes place in California one the Mexican border. That makes it seem as if the episode in St. Louis might have been the last one filmed with Buz and that Buz's actual last appearance was an episode filmed earlier when they were in California.
The problem is that "Suppose I Said I Was the Queen of Spain?", a Buzless episode shown 2/8/63 and which has Robert Duval playing a co-worker who seems to have the lines Buz might normally have, is another California episode. Subsequent episodes take place in Arizona and then Texas , where Todd will meet his new partner, Lincoln Case, in "Fifty Miles From Home", (3/22/63). So it might be that "Suppose I Said I was the Queen of Spain?" was the first Buzless episode. But why doesn't he appear in "Where is Chick Lorimer?" and the Tennessee episodes? Perhaps Maharis left due to his health, did "A Gift for a Warrior" and possibly also "Poor Little Kangaroo Rat" before suddenly leading the show and forcing them to hire Duval to fill in for him in "Suppose I Said I Was the Queen of Spain?"
In James Rosin's book on the series, Maharis says: "By the time we got to St. Louis to shoot an episode called "Hey, Moth, Come Eat the Flame" I had nothing left. I went to a doctor and was told I was having a relapse. He said 'You need to leave the show, go home and rest' .I loved doing the show. That's why I came back in the first place. But if I didn't exit when I did, I would have done irreparable damage to my health." But Rosin notes that "Initially, Tod was shown making phone calls to Buz who was hospitalized with a virus in California." So take your pick.
Following the pattern of prior episodes, Tod wants to help but doesn't know what to do while Buz is reluctant to get involved because the situation hits too close to home but in the end he can't stay away but does know what to do.
This is possibly a significant episode because it may have been the last one George Maharis filmed. He will appear in two more episodes, "Only by Cunning Glimpses" (12/7/62), "A Gift for a Warrior", shown on 1/18/63. He is not in "Where is Chick Lorimer, Where has She Gone", (12/14/62), which also takes place in Missouri. The next three episodes take place in Tennessee with only Tod. Then comes "A Gift for a Warrior", which takes place in California one the Mexican border. That makes it seem as if the episode in St. Louis might have been the last one filmed with Buz and that Buz's actual last appearance was an episode filmed earlier when they were in California.
The problem is that "Suppose I Said I Was the Queen of Spain?", a Buzless episode shown 2/8/63 and which has Robert Duval playing a co-worker who seems to have the lines Buz might normally have, is another California episode. Subsequent episodes take place in Arizona and then Texas , where Todd will meet his new partner, Lincoln Case, in "Fifty Miles From Home", (3/22/63). So it might be that "Suppose I Said I was the Queen of Spain?" was the first Buzless episode. But why doesn't he appear in "Where is Chick Lorimer?" and the Tennessee episodes? Perhaps Maharis left due to his health, did "A Gift for a Warrior" and possibly also "Poor Little Kangaroo Rat" before suddenly leading the show and forcing them to hire Duval to fill in for him in "Suppose I Said I Was the Queen of Spain?"
In James Rosin's book on the series, Maharis says: "By the time we got to St. Louis to shoot an episode called "Hey, Moth, Come Eat the Flame" I had nothing left. I went to a doctor and was told I was having a relapse. He said 'You need to leave the show, go home and rest' .I loved doing the show. That's why I came back in the first place. But if I didn't exit when I did, I would have done irreparable damage to my health." But Rosin notes that "Initially, Tod was shown making phone calls to Buz who was hospitalized with a virus in California." So take your pick.
