THE BROTHERS BRANNAGAN – Advantage: Death - 1961
This series, which ran during 1960 to 1961, stars Stephen Dunne and Mark Roberts as a pair of brothers who are private investigators. The two are based in Phoenix, Arizona. The series ran for a total of 39 episodes. This is the 25th episode in the series.
This one crams everything into its half hour runtime, infidelity, murder and blackmail. Stephen Dunne and Mark Roberts are hired to investigate the actions of a security guard. The guard, Willis Bouchey, had come up on a man, Ron Haggerty standing over a man with a gun. Haggerty had then shot the man, Mike Ragan in the head. Bouchey had then drawn his own gun and shot and wounded Haggerty.
Once the police arrive, it turns out that Haggerty had been defending his wife, whom Haggerty claims Ragan had just shot and killed. He says that Ragan had attempted to rob his wealthy wife of the mass of expensive jewels she always wore.
Haggerty now wants to sue the security guard for shooting him. The Brannagan's look into the matter to see what they can come up with. It seems that Ragan has previous form as a jewel thief. They back track Ragan's movements and find the pawnshop where he bought his gun. They rumble their underworld contacts and come up with film noir favourite, Percy Helton.
Helton runs an under the table market for stolen jewels etc out of a seedy pool hall. He tells Dunne and Roberts that Ragan had contacted him about a possible deal he was going to pull. Helton tells the detectives that Ragan had mentioned he had a partner in the deal. Roberts and Dunne continue to root around, and soon discover that Haggerty has been stepping out with his dear departed wife's best friend, June Vincent.
It is starting to look like Haggerty set the whole thing up. Haggerty hires Ragan to rob and kill his wife, then Haggerty kills Ragan for a convenient fall guy. Haggerty gets his dead wife's property, as well as the delectable Vincent. It had only been the unlucky bit with security guard Bouchey that had gummed up the works.
Haggerty figures that the Police believe him and that suing Bouchey throws everyone off the real trail. That is, everyone but the Brothers Brannagan.
They try a con of their own and call Haggerty. Roberts pretends to be a partner of the dead man, Ragan. He tells Haggerty that he knows that Haggerty had hired Ragan to rob his wife. Roberts adds that he also knows that Haggerty double crossed Ragan. Roberts adds that he wants $10,000 or he rats out Haggerty to the Police.
The somewhat rattled Haggerty agrees to the deal and a meeting is arranged. After a quick talk with Vincent, Haggerty comes up with a plan of his own to end the blackmail attempt. He is going armed to the meeting and intends to plug the blackmailer.
Dunne and Roberts now bring in the Police and all are in hiding at the meeting site. Haggerty shows and makes his move, but the Police interrupt before he can finish his play. Needless to say, Haggerty bites the big one.
This one is a fast paced little episode, with plenty of story to go around. Always a hoot to see the squeaky voiced Percy Helton in anything.
This series, which ran during 1960 to 1961, stars Stephen Dunne and Mark Roberts as a pair of brothers who are private investigators. The two are based in Phoenix, Arizona. The series ran for a total of 39 episodes. This is the 25th episode in the series.
This one crams everything into its half hour runtime, infidelity, murder and blackmail. Stephen Dunne and Mark Roberts are hired to investigate the actions of a security guard. The guard, Willis Bouchey, had come up on a man, Ron Haggerty standing over a man with a gun. Haggerty had then shot the man, Mike Ragan in the head. Bouchey had then drawn his own gun and shot and wounded Haggerty.
Once the police arrive, it turns out that Haggerty had been defending his wife, whom Haggerty claims Ragan had just shot and killed. He says that Ragan had attempted to rob his wealthy wife of the mass of expensive jewels she always wore.
Haggerty now wants to sue the security guard for shooting him. The Brannagan's look into the matter to see what they can come up with. It seems that Ragan has previous form as a jewel thief. They back track Ragan's movements and find the pawnshop where he bought his gun. They rumble their underworld contacts and come up with film noir favourite, Percy Helton.
Helton runs an under the table market for stolen jewels etc out of a seedy pool hall. He tells Dunne and Roberts that Ragan had contacted him about a possible deal he was going to pull. Helton tells the detectives that Ragan had mentioned he had a partner in the deal. Roberts and Dunne continue to root around, and soon discover that Haggerty has been stepping out with his dear departed wife's best friend, June Vincent.
It is starting to look like Haggerty set the whole thing up. Haggerty hires Ragan to rob and kill his wife, then Haggerty kills Ragan for a convenient fall guy. Haggerty gets his dead wife's property, as well as the delectable Vincent. It had only been the unlucky bit with security guard Bouchey that had gummed up the works.
Haggerty figures that the Police believe him and that suing Bouchey throws everyone off the real trail. That is, everyone but the Brothers Brannagan.
They try a con of their own and call Haggerty. Roberts pretends to be a partner of the dead man, Ragan. He tells Haggerty that he knows that Haggerty had hired Ragan to rob his wife. Roberts adds that he also knows that Haggerty double crossed Ragan. Roberts adds that he wants $10,000 or he rats out Haggerty to the Police.
The somewhat rattled Haggerty agrees to the deal and a meeting is arranged. After a quick talk with Vincent, Haggerty comes up with a plan of his own to end the blackmail attempt. He is going armed to the meeting and intends to plug the blackmailer.
Dunne and Roberts now bring in the Police and all are in hiding at the meeting site. Haggerty shows and makes his move, but the Police interrupt before he can finish his play. Needless to say, Haggerty bites the big one.
This one is a fast paced little episode, with plenty of story to go around. Always a hoot to see the squeaky voiced Percy Helton in anything.