Three thugs hold Mannix, Peggy, and a woman hostage, claiming they want the $312,000 she has in a briefcase at home, but they may be after something even more valuable.Three thugs hold Mannix, Peggy, and a woman hostage, claiming they want the $312,000 she has in a briefcase at home, but they may be after something even more valuable.Three thugs hold Mannix, Peggy, and a woman hostage, claiming they want the $312,000 she has in a briefcase at home, but they may be after something even more valuable.
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Storyline
Did you know
- GoofsWhen Mr. Peters is shooting at Mannix on the target range, he blows large holes in the targets with his shotgun. The range between Mr. Peters and the targets is too great for a shotgun to cause such damage; the pellet dispersal would be too wide, and the pellets might not even penetrate the targets.
- Quotes
Joe Mannix: Ms. James. Please come in. Sit down.
Celia James: Um... I made a mistake, Mr. Mannix and wasted your time.
Joe Mannix: You said it was urgent. Now if it's still urgent, maybe I can help. I promise no charge for this. Sit down.
Celia James: Well, my Uncle Simon-- Simon Garvey-- came to Los Angeles three days ago. We had dinner and afterwards, he asked if I'd do him a little favor. Keep his attache case for him overnight.
Joe Mannix: Seems a little enough favor.
Celia James: Except that was three days ago. He didn't call the next morning, so I called him. The hotel said he checked out. He hasn't called since. He's just vanished.
Joe Mannix: Do you know what's in the attache case? Did you look?
Celia James: Yes. Yes, I did. $312,000.
Joe Mannix: That's a fortune. Question is... whose fortune? Tell me, uh, was there anything else in the case?
Celia James: Some papers. Names and places. Nothing that would explain the money.
Joe Mannix: So you came to me. Why didn't you go to the police?
Celia James: I didn't want any trouble.
Joe Mannix: You're short an uncle and long $300,000. I'd say you got trouble.
Credit veteran writer Stephen Kandel for the story AND the original title. Kandel had lots of imagination, beginning his career with SEA HUNT. Later he became a writer for BATMAN and in the 70s wrote many top episodes for CANNON.
Here, Joe and Peggy begin another day when a trio of overgrown delinquents hold them both hostage. Relayed in flashback, it all comes together when Joe's client, a young woman (played by Sabrina Scharf) happens to have a briefcase containing $300,000 dollars and "names". Their captors want it ASAP.
In today's market, the money would equal over 2.5 million dollars.
Ramon Bieri plays a creepy mystery man, best in this type of role. Also look for 77 SUNSET STRIP star Edd Byrnes (as Clay) and Larry Linville as Lieutenant Kramer. Sabrina Scharf would make two appearances on the show, and the same year played Sarah in EASY RIDER. She went on to become an activist and attorney.
There's a lot of broken furniture in this episode, and Joe gets slugged, perhaps too many times? It's amazing how Joe recuperates between commercials(!) and even his clothes are neat? I had to take a star off for that.
The mistake I have always noted (and with all the writers, not just Stephen Kandel)... Joe somewhere along the way should have taught Peggy how to use a gun, or at least have a gun in her desk or purse for protection! There would have been more story angles, as most later writers seemed to copy Kandel's original story here.
Gerald Mayer directed, who did 13 series episodes.
On a trivia note, Regis Cordic plays Mr. Coolidge. Cordic was in a ton of tv shows, also known as a Hollywood DJ and who replaced Bob Crane on KNX Radio when he joined HOGANS HEROES.
Filmed around Griffth Park with a truly knock down, drag out Classic Mannix fight. The campy target shooting scene was later copied on an episode of CANNON, starring Jack Cassidy. The difference was instead of targets, they posted body cut-outs of Cannon. SEASON 3 EPISODE 6 remastered CBS dvd box set.
- tcchelsey
- Jun 4, 2022