BIG TOWN – Dangerous Man – 1953
BIG TOWN was a series that ran for 249 episodes from 1950 to 1956. It is about the managing editor of a "Big Town" newspaper. The city is never named. For the first four years the editor was played by Patrick McVey. For the last two seasons the lead was played by Mark Stevens. This episode is from 1953 with Patrick McVey. It is episode 144 of the production run.
The episode starts with the viewer seeing the inside of a prison cell. Two convicts, William Phipps and Elisha Cook Jr are talking. Phipps is getting out of jail in a couple of days. He was a chemist on the outside before getting a year for killing someone while driving drunk. He has spent his time inside working on the formula for a new drug to fight colds. Phipps figures the formula could be worth millions. Needless to say Cook wants a piece of the action. Phipps laughs as he knows Cook will be inside for a long time to come.
Several weeks later, the manager of the Illustrated Press, Louis Jean Heydt, calls in his chief editor, Patrick McVey for a chat. Heydt has just gotten a letter from a 3 time loser, Elisha Cook Jr. asking for help. He says that he has a very important discovery worth millions. His problem is that as a convict no one will listen to him.
Heydt and McVey decide to pay the Prison a visit to talk to Cook. The warden arranges to have Cook brought to his office where Heydt and McVey can interview him. Cook claims that he discovered a cold cure but that his cell mate, Phipps, had stolen it when he was released.
Heydt and McVey can see Cook is full of it. They thank the warden for his time and prepare to leave. That is till Cook pulls out what looks like a hand grenade. He threatens to pull the pin and blow the bunch of them to hell. He wants McVey and Heydt to drive him to town or he will go through with his threat.
The warden can't take a chance that the grenade might not be real, and lets them go. The newspaper men drive out of the prison, and head for town with Cook in the back seat. They hit the outskirts of town and Cook has them stop. He exits the car, tells McVey and Heydt to drive on. He then high tails it into a factory parking lot. He climbs in a waiting car and roars off. McVey manages to catch the plate numbers.
Heydt and McVey are soon the laughing stock of the newspapers in town. Headlines saying they helped convict escape and the like. They are of course not amused and are determined to rectify the matter.
McVey, with help from new reporter, Joyce Holden are soon hunting up leads on Cook. McVey pays a visit to Cook's former cell mate, Phipps. Phipps is not happy that Cook is now on the outside. Phipps is worried that the man will kill him and steal his formula. He tells McVey that Cook, "Is nuts!" McVey arranges for a place for Phipps to hide out in.
The car Cook drove off in is soon traced to his sister, Sarah Selby. McVey and Miss Holden pay a visit to Selby to ask a few questions. What they find is Cook himself, done up in drag. Cook is using the dressed as woman gag to move around town. Cook locks up Holden and forces McVey to drive him to Phipp's hideaway.
There is a less than friendly reunion between ex-cell mates Cook and Phipps with the later collecting a slug in the shoulder. McVey jumps Cook and a general free for all happens between the three men. Cook gets tangled up in his dress and goes down with McVey taking his gun away. The Police are called and Cook is soon on his way back to prison.
This episode never stops moving with plenty of action from start to finish. It is a hoot to see noir favourite, Elisha Cook done up like woman.
The series was based on the long running radio series of the same name. The radio program ran from 1937 to 1952. There were also several low budget films made in the 40's like, BIG TOWN, BIG TOWN AFTER DARK and BIG TOWN SCANDAL based on the same source. (B/W)
BIG TOWN was a series that ran for 249 episodes from 1950 to 1956. It is about the managing editor of a "Big Town" newspaper. The city is never named. For the first four years the editor was played by Patrick McVey. For the last two seasons the lead was played by Mark Stevens. This episode is from 1953 with Patrick McVey. It is episode 144 of the production run.
The episode starts with the viewer seeing the inside of a prison cell. Two convicts, William Phipps and Elisha Cook Jr are talking. Phipps is getting out of jail in a couple of days. He was a chemist on the outside before getting a year for killing someone while driving drunk. He has spent his time inside working on the formula for a new drug to fight colds. Phipps figures the formula could be worth millions. Needless to say Cook wants a piece of the action. Phipps laughs as he knows Cook will be inside for a long time to come.
Several weeks later, the manager of the Illustrated Press, Louis Jean Heydt, calls in his chief editor, Patrick McVey for a chat. Heydt has just gotten a letter from a 3 time loser, Elisha Cook Jr. asking for help. He says that he has a very important discovery worth millions. His problem is that as a convict no one will listen to him.
Heydt and McVey decide to pay the Prison a visit to talk to Cook. The warden arranges to have Cook brought to his office where Heydt and McVey can interview him. Cook claims that he discovered a cold cure but that his cell mate, Phipps, had stolen it when he was released.
Heydt and McVey can see Cook is full of it. They thank the warden for his time and prepare to leave. That is till Cook pulls out what looks like a hand grenade. He threatens to pull the pin and blow the bunch of them to hell. He wants McVey and Heydt to drive him to town or he will go through with his threat.
The warden can't take a chance that the grenade might not be real, and lets them go. The newspaper men drive out of the prison, and head for town with Cook in the back seat. They hit the outskirts of town and Cook has them stop. He exits the car, tells McVey and Heydt to drive on. He then high tails it into a factory parking lot. He climbs in a waiting car and roars off. McVey manages to catch the plate numbers.
Heydt and McVey are soon the laughing stock of the newspapers in town. Headlines saying they helped convict escape and the like. They are of course not amused and are determined to rectify the matter.
McVey, with help from new reporter, Joyce Holden are soon hunting up leads on Cook. McVey pays a visit to Cook's former cell mate, Phipps. Phipps is not happy that Cook is now on the outside. Phipps is worried that the man will kill him and steal his formula. He tells McVey that Cook, "Is nuts!" McVey arranges for a place for Phipps to hide out in.
The car Cook drove off in is soon traced to his sister, Sarah Selby. McVey and Miss Holden pay a visit to Selby to ask a few questions. What they find is Cook himself, done up in drag. Cook is using the dressed as woman gag to move around town. Cook locks up Holden and forces McVey to drive him to Phipp's hideaway.
There is a less than friendly reunion between ex-cell mates Cook and Phipps with the later collecting a slug in the shoulder. McVey jumps Cook and a general free for all happens between the three men. Cook gets tangled up in his dress and goes down with McVey taking his gun away. The Police are called and Cook is soon on his way back to prison.
This episode never stops moving with plenty of action from start to finish. It is a hoot to see noir favourite, Elisha Cook done up like woman.
The series was based on the long running radio series of the same name. The radio program ran from 1937 to 1952. There were also several low budget films made in the 40's like, BIG TOWN, BIG TOWN AFTER DARK and BIG TOWN SCANDAL based on the same source. (B/W)