Kraft Suspense Theatre (TV Series) Kill Me on July 20th (1965) User Reviews

Kill Me on July 20th

[Prismark10 · 6/10 · 25 May 2021]

Tony Camion is a racer whose brother gets killed in a motor car race.

Tony was meant to be driving but he was not given clearance to race. Tony persuaded his brother to take part instead but his main job was as a mechanic.

In her grief, his sister in law rebuffs Tony and his money. Telling him that she and her son want nothing to do with him.

Feeling sorry for himself. Tony gets an associate to hire a hitman to kill him, the proceeds of his life insurance to go to his nephew.

As the days tick down, Tony binds with his nephew and change his mind. The problem is that he needs to track down the hitman.

A rather silly story and you just know as the drama progresses that Tony will change his mind. Jack Kelly as Tony Camion goes with it with gusto.

It has to be noted that racing drivers were regarded as selfish, reckless jerks. No wonder his sister in law blamed Tony for her husband's death.

At the end it really is a case of whether Tony can track down the hired killer or confront him.

Down payment for murder

[sol-kay · 6/10 · 20 February 2012]

***SPOILERS*** After his brother Jack, Louis Cavalier, was killed in a car smash up on the racetrack Tony Camion, Jack Kelly, who got the inexperienced Jack into he race started to feel real real sorry for himself. Tony himself a race car driver had so many accidents and in one case, when his car went out of control,ended up killing 20 spectators in his checkered racing career now felt that it was all over for him. And the only way out was to make sure that Jack's wife Terry,Kathryn Hayes, and her 10 year old son Nicky, Stefen Arngrim, be taken care of by insuring himself and then having himself knocked off. Needing to get a professional hit-man to do the job on him Tony gets in touch with his good friend bookie Tim Brenner, William Mims, who for a cool $2,500.00 can get it done.

It's later that Tony has a change of heart when both Terry & Nicky, who looked up to him like a father, get close to or bound with Tony. And also Terry who hated him like poison for her husband Jack's death forgave him for it. Tony now desperately tries to call the whole thing, the hit-job on himself, off before it's too late. The big problem facing Tony is that by then Tim was busted by the police for illegal bookmaking and was not around to call the hit off! Or even worse who the person who's to do the hit, George Kirgo, o Toy is! It's now up to Tony himself to find out the middleman in this whole bizarre scheme Buddy Stripp, Selon Allman, and have him get in touch with hit-man Kirgo and tell him to stop the whole crazy thing from being executed as well as give him the $2,500,00 down payment for not doing it. That's if he could find or contact him before he finds and blows Tony away first!

***SPOILERS*** A bit crazy in that now Tony who hired a hit-man to knock him off has to find out who he is and possibly kill him for doing or trying to do what he paid him to do! Sure you don't want Tony to get killed by why have the "innocent" hit-man iced for just trying to do the job that he was paid to do by the person who's he to do the job or hit on! No matter how you look at it Tony came across as a real jerk despite his efforts to save his sorry a** from getting whacked. In that he was the one who wanted it that way in the first place!

Completely ridiculous but very enjoyable.

[planktonrules · 9/10 · 16 October 2015]

When the film begins, Tony (Jack Kelly) is working the pit crew at a race. It seems that hard luck Tony isn't racing any more and his brother has now stepped into the big leagues of racing. However, near the end of the race, the brother's car crashes and he's killed.

When Tony goes to his sister-in-law and nephew to check on them, she verbally attacks him--blaming him for her husband's death. And she's not the only one...he also blames himself. In fact, he's carrying so much guilt that he contracts with a friend to have himself murdered. Why? Because with his insurance policy, his beneficiary (his sister-in-law), she'll collect a nice settlement!

The killing isn't supposed to take place for several weeks. In the meantime, he spends time with his young nephew and the sister-in-law eventually apologizes and tells Tony she's glad he's been hanging around....she and the boy need him. Now he realizes he doesn't want to die...but how will he stop his own murder? He doesn't know WHO will be doing it or exactly when it will occur.

As my summary says, the plot idea is totally ridiculous. But, Kelly is a really good actor and the show is directed and written so well that I found I was able to suspend disbelief and just enjoy the show.

Reckless Driving

[wes-connors · 5/10 · 2 May 2012]

After his racecar driving brother crashes, manager Jack Kelly (as Tony Camion) wonders if he's jinxed. A prior incident ended his career as a racer. Devastated sister-in-law Kathryn Hays (as Terry) blames Mr. Kelly for her husband's tragic ending, which leaves little Stefan Arngrim (as Nick) without a father. The boy naturally warms up to Uncle Kelly as a father figure, but Ms. Hays bitterly throws a wet towel on the relationship. Racked with guilt, Kelly gets himself a life insurance policy and hires a hit-man to "Kill Me on July 20th". After the killing is arranged, Kelly has second thoughts...

This one's interesting to watch, albeit highly predictable. The story could have been improved by making Kelly's character the reluctant party in the father/son bonding process; by seeking a relationship with young Arngrim, he's setting the boy up for more sorrow, which does not really fit the writers' intentions for the character.

***** Kill Me on July 20th (6/17/65) Robert Douglas ~ Jack Kelly, Kathryn Hays, Stefan Arngrim, Joan Staley