topic Re: THE FUGITIVE "STORM CENTER" DAVID JANSSEN BETHEL LESLIE MONDAY 2:00 A.M. EASTERN METV in TV and Movies

THE FUGITIVE "STORM CENTER" DAVID JANSSEN BETHEL LESLIE MONDAY 2:00 A.M. EASTERN METV

Oznell — Sun, 19 Jul 2020 13:10:34 GMT

2:00 a.m. Eastern, MeTV-- The Fugitive: "Storm Center" David Janssen, Bethel Leslie, Dennis Patrick

Another good one! Really good. Kimble's working for a charter boat service in Florida, and in the midst of a brewing hurricane, an unscrupulous and desperate glamour girl (Bethel Leslie), and her boyfriend (Dennis Patrick), force Kimble to ferry them to a private island where she has a house. The leverage she uses to get him to comply is a certain piece of knowledge she has about him...

The episode ends up being a fascinating two-person tug of war, in which both DJ and Bethel Leslie get to go at each other, in their own tempestuous dialogue, while the storm closes in and rages all around them. What you think you know may not be true; you learn significantly more about each of them as the scenes progress... Janssen and Leslie are very, very good together.

Bethel Leslie was a busy actress at the time-- she was one of those who turned up in everything from "Perry Mason", to "Mannix" to the soaps, and on and on. She even became a soap opera writer, along with her brother! (Thinking it might have been "The Secret Storm" -- how apt-- but would have to google). She had the enviable quality of changeable looks-- she could be a delicate beauty at one turn, and a haggard shrew at the next-- sometimes in the same scene. She gets to run the gamut here.

Her hapless "beau" is Dennis Patrick, who also appeared everywhere-- many will know him from "Dark Shadows". I never saw that show, but remember him from so many others. He seemed typecast at times as a silver-haired patrician, a Senator-type, or high muckety-muck military, or powerful CEO, etc. Similar to Kent Smith, or Simon Scott. So this small but juicy part must have been a fun diversion for him!

In "Storm Center", a bit "louche":

The way I remember him, so debonaire:

We Janssen fans get to see our hero in a very rounded, more raw and in-depth aspect; catnip for us!

Re: THE FUGITIVE "STORM CENTER" DAVID JANSSEN BETHEL LESLIE MONDAY 2:00 A.M. EASTERN METV

godi — Sun, 19 Jul 2020 14:23:28 GMT

Sounds good. My DVR automatically records this now.

Re: THE FUGITIVE "STORM CENTER" DAVID JANSSEN BETHEL LESLIE MONDAY 2:00 A.M. EASTERN METV

Pearlee — Sun, 19 Jul 2020 16:37:16 GMT

Will have more comments later but just wanted to say for now that despite his fuller face, Dennis Patrick always reminded me of Ed Nelson.
Also IMO Bethel Leslie's character IMO is pretty hateful! I'll be back....

Thanks for posting @Oznell.

Re: THE FUGITIVE "STORM CENTER" DAVID JANSSEN BETHEL LESLIE MONDAY 2:00 A.M. EASTERN METV

Oznell — Sun, 19 Jul 2020 18:04:39 GMT

I'm so glad you're watching, @godi !

Yes, @Pearlee , the fact that she's so unscrupulous makes certain things that transpire rather puzzling, but.... we'll save that for later, ha.

Wow, you are right! I never noticed the resemblance between Ed Nelson and Dennis Patrick before, but you are so right.

Re: THE FUGITIVE "STORM CENTER" DAVID JANSSEN BETHEL LESLIE MONDAY 2:00 A.M. EASTERN METV

Pearlee — Sun, 19 Jul 2020 18:20:54 GMT

@Oznell. He even looks like Ed N in the photo you posted! It's especially his eyes.

Bethel has a "Cat On A Hot Tin Roof" - like scene tonight! 😄

Re: THE FUGITIVE "STORM CENTER" DAVID JANSSEN BETHEL LESLIE MONDAY 2:00 A.M. EASTERN METV

Pearlee — Sun, 19 Jul 2020 18:22:32 GMT

P.S. IMO DJ's triangle eyes are apparent in today's photo that oznell posted!

Re: THE FUGITIVE "STORM CENTER" DAVID JANSSEN BETHEL LESLIE MONDAY 2:00 A.M. EASTERN METV

Pearlee — Sun, 19 Jul 2020 18:23:10 GMT

Even triangle eyebrows! 😆

Re: THE FUGITIVE "STORM CENTER" DAVID JANSSEN BETHEL LESLIE MONDAY 2:00 A.M. EASTERN METV

Oznell — Sun, 19 Jul 2020 22:40:54 GMT

Ha, ha, @Pearlee , I get a kick out of that "triangle eyes". Makes me think of a whimsical, magical, harlequin sort of person, like a medieval court jester! Do you think it's just the effect of his "hooded" eyes-- at least, what I think of as his hooded eyes. The lid is somewhat descended. They lend intensity to his expression...

Re: THE FUGITIVE "STORM CENTER" DAVID JANSSEN BETHEL LESLIE MONDAY 2:00 A.M. EASTERN METV

Pearlee — Sun, 19 Jul 2020 22:55:17 GMT

@Oznell. Exactly! His particular hooded lids are sloped or triangular, rather unusual.
Now how do we explain the triangle eyebrows? 😄

Just to clarify, he's still hot! 😍

Re: THE FUGITIVE "STORM CENTER" DAVID JANSSEN BETHEL LESLIE MONDAY 2:00 A.M. EASTERN METV

twinsister — Sun, 19 Jul 2020 23:24:14 GMT

@Oznell - My DVR is set. Thanks for the synopsis - sounds very good. I remember Bethel Leslie from a TV medical show - maybe The Doctors. Also saw her in a few Route 66 episodes. Definitely remember Dennis Patrick from Dark Shadows. I would run home from school every day to watch @Pearlee - were you a fan?

I do see those triangle eyes - LOL!!

Re: THE FUGITIVE "STORM CENTER" DAVID JANSSEN BETHEL LESLIE MONDAY 2:00 A.M. EASTERN METV

Pearlee — Sun, 19 Jul 2020 23:46:20 GMT

🔺️ 👁

@twinsister. No I wasn't a Dark Shadows fan. That was on during a period of my life when I rarely watched TV.

Re: THE FUGITIVE "STORM CENTER" DAVID JANSSEN BETHEL LESLIE MONDAY 2:00 A.M. EASTERN METV

Tique — Mon, 20 Jul 2020 14:25:40 GMT

@Oznell you were right. This one was REALLY good.

Re: THE FUGITIVE "STORM CENTER" DAVID JANSSEN BETHEL LESLIE MONDAY 2:00 A.M. EASTERN METV

Pearlee — Mon, 20 Jul 2020 15:31:07 GMT

SPOILERS BELOW

@Oznell @Tique. Well please elaborate and enlighten me because I've never liked this episode much and still don't after just seeing it again.

Bethel's character is pretty despicable. I liked many of DJ's retorts to her and seemingly not falling for her "antics" but then the kisses later and ambivalence toward her after her RIDICULOUS declaration that she loves him ("I don't know what I feel but I'm not mad at you any more") really never made much sense to me. She constantly lied to him and was an immoral person yet he kissed her and may have at least some feelings for her too? Kimble you disappoint me.

Too many stupid things too, like her saying she loves him for one. His possible feelings for her are another. Why didn't the police search her house he was hiding in rather than just take her word for it that he had escaped? Why did he give her money back after reading the letter? That made no sense to me, nor really did taking it from her "for insurance" in the first place?
Seems to me that he was just succumbing to a pretty woman in a slip. Very disappointing.

As you probably realize, this episode was before Roe v Wade so abortions were illegal.

Re: THE FUGITIVE "STORM CENTER" DAVID JANSSEN BETHEL LESLIE MONDAY 2:00 A.M. EASTERN METV

Oznell — Mon, 20 Jul 2020 17:56:37 GMT

Well, let's see, @Pearlee , if I can explain my reactions to it with any coherence....

First, it does make me mad that MeTV continues to make cuts in the episodes, at the most inopportune times! I think they did in this one, after they had reached the house. By making these arbitrary edits, they disturb the narrative and make the transitions seem so abrupt, I think.

Things I loved about the show:

The high drama! The storm, the unexpected hasty trip through treacherous water, the uncertainty as to what would happen.

Once again, DJ has an acting partner worthy of his steel. I thought Bethel Leslie did a terrific job, with the shifting, flighty moods and motivations of her complex character.

At first, with her, I thought -- hmm, pure sociopathy. And maybe an element of that was part of her character-- there are even "degrees" of sociopaths, ha, so she might not be a "textbook" example, but have some of the traits... the reflexive lying, the power struggle, the always trying to put the other person at a psychological disadvantage... Also, she was pretty continually "under the influence" during the whole thing, so you have to factor that in, too. That could at least count some for the sudden shifts and seemingly shallow emotions...

I think Kimble stayed true to his character throughout, while under duress. The withholding of the money, that, I saw as him 'buying time', until he could think. It gave him some leverage with her. Poor guy, look what he had just been through! A forced "kidnapping", a guy in his care falls overboard and he can't save him, and now he's marooned with this volatile character amid a possibly life-threatening hurricane!

He and Marcie, in their different ways, were both at their emotional limits, perhaps, and were currently under extreme circumstances. They'd been sharing very stark experiences, and revelations (even though some of hers weren't true!). So Kimble was vulnerable, a little confused, and she'd somewhat been able to play on his compassionate nature. I'm not surprised that he reached for her, momentarily...

I felt the raw-ness of their situation, and as the familiar music built up at the very end, I could sense more acutely than ever Kimble's loneliness, setting out into the heaving sea from the now-deserted cottage...

Good grief, I've gone on and on, but anyway, all that's part of why I liked the episode! I

Re: THE FUGITIVE "STORM CENTER" DAVID JANSSEN BETHEL LESLIE MONDAY 2:00 A.M. EASTERN METV

Pearlee — Mon, 20 Jul 2020 18:35:11 GMT

@Oznell. Well thank you for that very eloquent explanation. I certainly have some understanding now of why you like it, but I don't like it any better.
(So why did he give her back the money?)

I do agree that --and you put this very well-- that he reached for her momentarily. I think some of that, aside from her being attractive, was it was probably a relief to be exactly who he was, Kimble and she knew it, and that she had concluded he didn't kill Helen.

I do agree with you too that her acting was very good, and I still think her character was despicable (and not at all Kimble's type!) Kimble's type would be me! ❤ 😄😍

Thanks so much for explaining your take on the episode. Can't wait to hear from @Tique and @twinsister too.

Re: THE FUGITIVE "STORM CENTER" DAVID JANSSEN BETHEL LESLIE MONDAY 2:00 A.M. EASTERN METV

Pearlee — Mon, 20 Jul 2020 19:31:40 GMT

By the way, with all that storm action with Kimblevgetting soaked I was thinking "this was probably one of David's least favorite episodes to shoot" even though I'm sure I saw a stuntman at least once.

Re: THE FUGITIVE "STORM CENTER" DAVID JANSSEN BETHEL LESLIE MONDAY 2:00 A.M. EASTERN METV

Tique — Mon, 20 Jul 2020 20:48:19 GMT

@Pearlee here is my hodge podge of thoughts regarding my somewhat unorthodox reasons for why I enjoyed this episode. As previously stated I like the complex females which we are often privy to in this series. If ever there was one who depicted that description, it's Marcie. Her character was peppered with everything a lady from her side of the tracks should not have had but for the most part she was brazen and unapologetic for who she was. She was a liar, a cheat, a schemer, reckless, ruthless. It's the first time I envied the actress because I could have seen myself playing that role. Now I know you're thinking: She's saying that because Marcie kissed him - more than once. Yes that would have certainly been a just reward but it's not my sole reason. She challenged him. She kept him on his toes. At time she stayed just a little bit ahead of him. I knew when she said she was going to get something off the boat, that wasn't her main reason for leaving the house. If she had just wanted her suitcase, she would have allowed him to retrieve it.

Marcie knocked Kimble off his game which is how she managed to contact the coast guard and he never even suspected. In my opinion, he met his match with her. I didn't like her but she grabbed and kept my attention.

There was a definite raw attraction between the two. He was lonely and this was a rare time when he allowed himself to give in to his baser instincts. It was probably why he made - what we consider - some uncharacteristic slips.

Re: THE FUGITIVE "STORM CENTER" DAVID JANSSEN BETHEL LESLIE MONDAY 2:00 A.M. EASTERN METV

drizzellla — Mon, 20 Jul 2020 21:10:22 GMT

Once again Oznell, Tique and Pearley, thank you for your well thought out explanations. I needed your input.

I only got to watch the last half hour of the show. So you all were able to fill in a bit more that I missed. I appreciated having some blanks filled in with your analysis. Keep up the good work.

Our dog was having a tough time last night. He kept pacing around, trying to get into every corner and just stand there. I took him outside and then he was unable to climb the 2 steps to come back in. All he would do was pace and stand. But his hips kept collapsing. He is going to be 13 in December. And had many health issues when we got him 7 years ago. We took him to the Vet this morning and he had quite an extensive exam. It was over and hour and we are taking him back for more tests in a few days.

I sure didn't plan on him acting so anxious. Next week I better just record the Fugitive and get to watch a complete episode.

I do appreciate all your insight.

Re: THE FUGITIVE "STORM CENTER" DAVID JANSSEN BETHEL LESLIE MONDAY 2:00 A.M. EASTERN METV

twinsister — Mon, 20 Jul 2020 21:14:32 GMT

Wow - this episode was really all over the place for me!

I liked it and didn't like it, if that makes sense. I agree with a lot of what @Pearlee said - why wasn't he mad anymore, why did he give the money back?

As for the kissing and being drawn to her, for a few hours, he could be himself and let his guard down. I laughed when after almost drowning, she still was going after him! I wonder if this episode had the most kissing scenes for him - LOL!

I was surprised that he didn't suspect she had another reason for going to the boat to get her female stuff. Again, he let his guard down, but after he caught her calling the police, you think he would have been more suspicious. Too trusting, which was unusual.

I did notice a definite stunt double in the scene at the end when she fell in the water and he saved her. That was not DJ in the water.

The police didn't even search the grounds, which was hard to believe.

Sorry ladies, I don't express myself as well as the rest of you, but that is my take on this week's episode. I'm on the fence about this one. It was different and as always I feel sorry for him at the end each week.

Re: THE FUGITIVE "STORM CENTER" DAVID JANSSEN BETHEL LESLIE MONDAY 2:00 A.M. EASTERN METV

Pearlee — Mon, 20 Jul 2020 21:16:46 GMT

@Tique. Well thank you. What an excellent explanation if why you liked the show (although again, my opinion is unswayed,) and I do indeed remember your previous remarks about how the women are written for the show. I do see how Kimble met his match as you've explained it and she did indeed outsmart him going back to the boat (only to shortly thereafter regret it).

I'm glad you mentioned a lady from her side of the tracks because I'd meant to post earlier: the writers used the exact same line Gloria Grahame used last week about "washing the dirt off." Lol. I never hear that nowadays and it's two weeks in a row now (except I can't remember if Marcie said it or if Kimble did).

Do you know why he gave the money back?