It seems that whenever a credible, convincing character actor was needed for a prominent "Italianate" role, J. Carrol Naish got the call (check the fine 1945 short "Star in the Night", or his terrific performance in The Untouchables' "Noise of Death"). Actually, he was IRISH..... but who's keeping score? His volatile portrayal in this episode may be a tad overdone but, as always with Mr. Naish, he totally inhabits the role in a very intense, at times gripping, way.
This is the second Route 66 story in a row that centers around a contentious father-son relationship and the family's traditional profession (lobster fishing, raspberry farming). At one point, Tod and Linc quietly ruminate on their very different experiences with their own fathers. But when it comes to getting actively involved with the conflict at hand, they basically stand aside and let the Donato men work out their own problems--often with pretty violent results.
Linc gradually figures it out--- that it's really the SON (Tony) who is the unyielding one, as we see in two scenes: his rude refusal to keep his father's handmade cradle, and his refusal to allow papa even a measly half-acre for growing tomatoes in the new plans for building a hotel. The fact that Mike (the dad) loved Tony so much that he would allow his farm to be bulldozed under for his son's new hotel clearly reveals who's the stubborn, unreasonable one in this domestic war.
On a related topic, Alfred Ryder is one of my favorite actors; you never really know what he's going to do from one appearance to another. Whether it's Shakespeare's Marc Anthony (Studio One), a noir "T-Man", the crazy prisoner in "Devil's Laughter" (One Step Beyond), the stuttering spiritualist in "The Borderland" (Outer Limits)---the list goes on and on---you just NEVER know what to expect from this enigmatic, engaging, slightly sinister actor. Glad to see him in a fairly prominent part as "The Indian".
But there was a real missed opportunity with Ryder's character in this script. Joe Sky seems to possess a certain taciturn, remote sort of wisdom, which could have been used to great effect, but wasn't. When J. Carrol takes him to the amusement park, I was hoping they would find an opportunity for a little philosophy--something about nature, the farmland, the passing of time through generations, the pain associated with family relationships---all filtered through the mystical world-view of Joe Sky, the inscrutable "conscience" of the farm laborers.
But NO. Instead, we get a rather pointless (and silly) montage of early 60's carnival rides, with the two guys yuckin' it up as they ride them. Then in the final scene between the two men, I was SURE something moving and maybe even a bit profound would transpire. But again, NO...which was really surprising, since Route 66 more often than not explored their character's deeper emotions.
In fact, when you think about it, the plot of this episode is unusually "normal" and predictable for the series--- NOT that I'm complaining, since I couldn't take much more of those Tod Stiles-solo-psycho-dramas from Season 3.
And I'm glad, for once, that the Tod n' Linc weren't chasing after every female character they laid eyes on; it's getting old. LR
This is the second Route 66 story in a row that centers around a contentious father-son relationship and the family's traditional profession (lobster fishing, raspberry farming). At one point, Tod and Linc quietly ruminate on their very different experiences with their own fathers. But when it comes to getting actively involved with the conflict at hand, they basically stand aside and let the Donato men work out their own problems--often with pretty violent results.
Linc gradually figures it out--- that it's really the SON (Tony) who is the unyielding one, as we see in two scenes: his rude refusal to keep his father's handmade cradle, and his refusal to allow papa even a measly half-acre for growing tomatoes in the new plans for building a hotel. The fact that Mike (the dad) loved Tony so much that he would allow his farm to be bulldozed under for his son's new hotel clearly reveals who's the stubborn, unreasonable one in this domestic war.
On a related topic, Alfred Ryder is one of my favorite actors; you never really know what he's going to do from one appearance to another. Whether it's Shakespeare's Marc Anthony (Studio One), a noir "T-Man", the crazy prisoner in "Devil's Laughter" (One Step Beyond), the stuttering spiritualist in "The Borderland" (Outer Limits)---the list goes on and on---you just NEVER know what to expect from this enigmatic, engaging, slightly sinister actor. Glad to see him in a fairly prominent part as "The Indian".
But there was a real missed opportunity with Ryder's character in this script. Joe Sky seems to possess a certain taciturn, remote sort of wisdom, which could have been used to great effect, but wasn't. When J. Carrol takes him to the amusement park, I was hoping they would find an opportunity for a little philosophy--something about nature, the farmland, the passing of time through generations, the pain associated with family relationships---all filtered through the mystical world-view of Joe Sky, the inscrutable "conscience" of the farm laborers.
But NO. Instead, we get a rather pointless (and silly) montage of early 60's carnival rides, with the two guys yuckin' it up as they ride them. Then in the final scene between the two men, I was SURE something moving and maybe even a bit profound would transpire. But again, NO...which was really surprising, since Route 66 more often than not explored their character's deeper emotions.
In fact, when you think about it, the plot of this episode is unusually "normal" and predictable for the series--- NOT that I'm complaining, since I couldn't take much more of those Tod Stiles-solo-psycho-dramas from Season 3.
And I'm glad, for once, that the Tod n' Linc weren't chasing after every female character they laid eyes on; it's getting old. LR
