Pete, Linc, and Julie go undercover to trap a suave, charming veteran con man. His latest targets are three gullible elderly widows.Pete, Linc, and Julie go undercover to trap a suave, charming veteran con man. His latest targets are three gullible elderly widows.Pete, Linc, and Julie go undercover to trap a suave, charming veteran con man. His latest targets are three gullible elderly widows.
Photos
- Martha
- (as Louise Fitch)
- Restaurant Owner
- (as Pedro Gonzalez Gonzalez)
- Restaurant Patron
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaCaptain Greer likens himself to Captain Ahab and Admiral Johnson to Moby Dick, the arch-nemesis who has long eluded capture. Scripter Malvin Wald, in his only show for the series, also drew upon another work by Herman Melville: "The Confidence Man," Melville's ninth and final novel, published on April Fool's Day 1857. Admiral Nathaniel Johnson is a confidence man par excellence, and like the con man of the novel, emphasized he has "no trust" in humanity, and places himself on the same moral plane as his marks who likewise harbor larceny in their hearts.
- Quotes
Admiral Nathaniel Johnson: You three are either very brave or very stupid, trying to take Nat Johnson!
[looks expectantly at their blank faces]
Admiral Nathaniel Johnson: Do you mean to say you don't know who Nat Johnson is? Number one con man in the country! The best bunco artist in the business! Bah, you three kids, bungling amateurs! Let me tell you, Nat Johnson is still king of the hill!
Pete Cochran: Mr. Johnson, we're sorry.
Linc Hayes: We didn't know.
Pete Cochran: What do we do now?
Admiral Nathaniel Johnson: Go home and grow up!
- ConnectionsReferences Never Give a Sucker an Even Break (1941)
This was the only episode written by Marvin Wald, who wrote for DAKTARI, and he rolls with it, adding some dark comedy into the mix. Nat's game is to never give a sucker an even break (from the famous WC Fields movie), hence the title, "never give the fuzz an even break." His targets are some wealthy old ladies, best played by Harriett MacGibbon (Mrs. Drysdale from the BEVERLY HILLBILLIES) and popular character actress Amzie Strickland. It's way cool to also see Mrs. Drysdale in this one.
Pete, Linc and Julie have to go undercover to catch Nat, who has some extra charm to go with his offbeat character and is kind of hard to resist at times. Don't miss the dialogue between Nat and the guys, lecturing them like he's their father?
Exceptionally directed by Earl Bellamy, who headed over 1600 classic tv shows in his long career, such as MY THREE SONS and STARSKY AND HUTCH. He was the right director for this episode.
SEASON 2 EPISODE 13 Christmas 1969 episode. Remastered Paramount dvd box set. Vol 1 and 2. 4 dvds. Released 2012.
- tcchelsey
- May 2, 2024