Banacek (TV Series) To Steal a King (1972) User Reviews

Quite the switcheroo

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 24 September 2015]

Kevin McCarthy and wife Janis Paige check into a swank Boston hotel with their collection of valuable coins and put them into their room safe. But the next day they have vanished and once again Thomas Banacek has a big fat fee coming if he can find them. For once he doesn't have an exotic location to visit, he earns his money right at home and maybe even catches a Red Sox game in the off hours.

George Peppard has his usual collection of suspects, a very eager bank executive in Brenda Vaccaro who is insuring the coins, a pair of eccentric brother Logan Ramsey and Roger C. Carmel who are rich and are looking to acquire yet another rich man's toy. And there's nouveau riche Pernell Roberts who is looking to break into society at any cost.

It's only quite by accident that Peppard finds the clue that unravels the whole mystery of who did it. As to how it was done, let's say it was quite the switcheroo that enabled the culprit to pull it off.

Most of the folks Banacek meets in this episode are real jerks!

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 28 December 2020]

My comment in the summary is NOT a complaint. After all, horrible characters often make mystery shows better! In this one, a jerk has a $3,000,000 coin collection stolen out of a safe to which he is the only one who knew the combination! And, soon jerks come out of the woodwork trying to get Banacek sell them the stolen coins if they are found as well as a few other just bad people! The only nice person is a bit of a liar (Brenda Vaccaro) but at least she's generally nice! Can Banacek, once again, sold this seemingly perfect crime?

This is a very good episode and the solution Banacek concocts actually seemed plausible. Once again, a very enjoyable show...well worth seeing.

The Missing Coins

[AaronCapenBanner · 7/10 · 28 February 2016]

Thomas Banacek(George Peppard) is called in on a perplexing case involving a valuable coin collection about to be auctioned off that is instead stolen from their hotel room safe that was supposed to have top security. Both the owner(played by Kevin McCarthy) and his wife are the only ones present, and thus the immediate suspects, though at least three other interested buyers(played by Pernell Roberts, Roger C. Carmel, and Logan Ramsey) could have done it, though the eventual solution to the mystery will be quite a surprise to most of them... Brenda Vaccaro plays an interested bank employee. Intriguing episode with a clever solution.

They didn't have rewind in 1972

[tim-783 · 7/10 · 25 August 2020]

In the opening scene Kevin McCarthy, carrying very valuable coins, and entourage are escorted into a hotel suite. The plots hangs on the fact that know one notices they are on the wrong floor. The entire group includes the assistant manager (bad guy), the manager, two bell boys AND a cop who is waiting for them IN the suite. All managed to get off on the wrong floor.

Now, in 1972, nobody had the ability to check the arrival scene after Banacek reveals all at the end. Now.... Clearly writing a clever mystery in the 21st century requires more discipline.