TV and Movies

[Oznell]

2:00 a.m. Eastern--  The Fugitive "Escape into Black"  David Janssen, Ivan Dixon, Betty Garrett, Paul Burch, Barry Morse, Bill Raisch

Another 'out-of-the-blue' accident for Kimble;  a total amnesia that poses a huge threat to a fugitive,  another hospitalization, and probing questions....

What a juicy epsiode!  Kimble's hot on the trail of the one-armed man, and eventually drawing in to the chase, his nemesis Gerard, and Captain Carpenter from Stafford.  (I always have a sneaking liking for burly Captain Carpenter, Gerard's boss.  He seems so healthily uncomplicated and 'normal' compared to the ascetic grim reaper of a detective he supervises....)

Ivan Dixon, as the psychiatrist in charge, is well familiar to most.  Of course he was "Kinch" on "Hogan's Heroes", but so much more.  Dixon was part of that explosion of black talent that burst on the theater, film and TV scene in the Fifties and Sixties.  On Broadway, he was in Lorraine Hansberry's acclaimed "Raisin in the Sun",  among countless other credits.  (He will appear more than once on the Fuge, by the way.)  His portrayal of the rigid doctor here is such an interesting counterpoint to the hyper-compassionate social worker (Betty Garrett).  They are like opposite poles, but must work together, uneasily.

Betty Garrett here is all 'oozing bleeding heartness' in her performance. (I can say that as a social worker myself, ha.)  Hollywood screenwriters' ideas of a social worker in the early Sixties are amusing--  "Margaret"  here is all fluffy bangs, cat's eye reading glasses, and a heart of gold.  It's a shrewd performance. 

She was so fabulous in the film musical "My Sister Eileen".  She was often cast as the overlooked girl next door, but was actually very delicately pretty:

Because of her and her husband Larry Parks' involvements with Communism, they were both more or less blacklisted, but Betty less so, I think.

Don't you hate to see our boy suffer so?  He's so terrific in these scenes....

Here's "Escape into Black" streaming free on youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6h96R3hF3HY

Beware, lone possible spoiler comment below:

Why is it so terribly appealing whenever Kimble gets to spring into medical action, helping someone in acute distress?????    Love that.

[Pearlee]

This is a good one. Because of flashbacks, it is reminiscent of The Girl From Little Egypt (the episode in Season 1 that. showed the backstory of the night Helen was murdered).

DJ does some terrific acting in this one with his facial expressions. I sure didn't mind all the close-ups. 😍 @Oznell a while back imagined Janssen in a terry cloth bathrobe and she gets her wish in this episode. 😄

If Betty Garrett looks familiar she played Gomer Pyle's girlfriend in a recurring role. She also once played Festus' girlfriend in Gunsmoke.

@twinsister, note the old really ugly window shade (the pull string is esp ugly!) at the show's beginning.
We had those so you probably did too -- everyone I knew had those window shades!

There are a couple of major "this doesn't make sense" things in this epi, but they didn't spoil it for me -- I really like this one.
I will describe what I mean on Monday.

I read a comment about this episode (I think it was on Imdb) about how unusual it was to have a black man play a doctor and race was completely irrelevant to the script. When Sidney Poitier played a doctor a few years later in Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? much was made of his race in the film and Spencer Tracy was surprised when learning Poitier's sterling credentials. In this episode Dixon being a neuropsychiatrist and black is not at all noteworthy in the script, at a time in television when black people cast in professional roles was rare. Kudos to the show for casting Dixon in 1964 in that role with his race not being relevant at all in the script. Dixon went on to direct a number of different TV shows of that era.

[Pearlee]

@Oznell. TCM is an error in your thread title.

[Pearlee]

By the way, I loved Betty's cats eye eyeglasses frames, which weren't retro then! My first pair of frames, when I was 8 yrs old were cats eyes but I like hers better than the ones I had.

[Tique]

I enjoyed this one immensely.

[Oznell]

Thanks for catching the TCM error in my title, @Pearlee .  Force of habit!  Corrected now.

Great points, especially re DJ's wonderful panoply of expressions.  No one can "wince" so sensitively and do painful double takes like him! 

I read those comments about Dixon's role also.  It was one of the Fuge's great strengths that with much of the writing, they could present characters "in full", and without forcing them into a box.  Dr. Towne is a fascinating character, with a "back story' that you long to know more about.  Loved that whole garage scene, but more on that later...

Possible spoiler below, following up on conception of doctor character:

One thing I slightlly disagreed with re: the imdb reviewer who made the comment.  There was a tiny reference in the script, I believe, to the added struggle Dr. Towne must have had as a black man becoming a doctor.  They were talking about him being so good in his field or something-- "the best", I think. Towne quietly says something like "I've had to be", and I think that was his reference to that.  His line reading was matter-of-fact, it wasn't over-emphasized, but there, I think...

Those are superb photos, thanks, @Tique , taking us right through the episode!  I've always liked that character actor in your first photo, the policeman doing the fingerprints.  "Bernard Kates" I'm thinking is his name?  Forgot to mention him and wish there had been more of him in episode... 

[twinsister]

This episode does look very interesting and I'm glad it's not another one set in a rural, remote location.  I'm assuming based on the pictures that Kimble gets very close to the one-armed man.  Besides the pilot and finale, I don't think he appeared in too many episodes, aside from flashbacks of that fateful night.  I remember one recently shown (can't remember the name) where Kimble saw him get away on a bus.

@Pearlee - I will be on the lookout for the old window shade and DJ in a terry robe!!  I always liked cats eye glasses.  

If I remember correctly, Betty Garrett also played Archie' Bunker's neighbor in All in the Family.

@Tique & @Oznell - always enjoy the pictures and synopsis.

[Oznell]

Correct, @twinsister ,  the one-armed man tends to be elusive-- it's always interesting when he shows up in some form or other!

[Pearlee]

@Oznell. I don't recall that line of Dr Towne's so I'll have to listen for it. Thanks for pointing it out.

The one- armed man will appear in other episodes before the finale, but as @twinsister says, not many.

Happy you enjoyed this one @Tique.

[Tique]

---

@twinsister wrote:

This episode does look very interesting and I'm glad it's not another one set in a rural, remote location.  I'm assuming based on the pictures that Kimble gets very close to the one-armed man.  Besides the pilot and finale, I don't think he appeared in too many episodes, aside from flashbacks of that fateful night.  I remember one recently shown (can't remember the name) where Kimble saw him get away on a bus.

@twinsister  isn't it funny I remember that scene also but don't remember the episode; however I do recall Kimble talking to the two old codgers trying to convince the one who wanted to turn him in of his innocence and he mentioned having seen the one-armed man in Chicago. I probably remember because that dialogue was captured in  End Game. 

The picture below wasn't a part of the original thread.