TV and Movies

[Oznell]

2:00 a.m. Eastern --  The Fugitive "Everybody Gets Hit in the Mouth Sometme"  David Janssen, Jack Klugman, Geraldine Brooks, Michael Constantine, Barry Atwater

Kimble has gotten a job as a truck dispatcher for a small Colorado firm run by "Gus",  (Jack Klugman),  a touchy business owner with constant money problems.   Some of these stem from his efforts to keep afloat the hard-pressed widow, "Lucia Mayfield" (Geraldine Brooks) of one of his employees, who died while in Gus's employ as a truck driver.....

This is interesting for the presence of three, multi-episode "Fugitive" actors--  Brooks and Klugman each had appeared in previous episodes, and Constantine, "Ernie Svoboda", would have another role in the future. 

(Geraldine Brooks, in fact, was in one of my previous favorites, "Ticket to Alaska"--  remember her, gun in hand, slinking down the ship's staircase in a jumpsuit of silver sequins or shimmering lame or something, ha.)

Brooks is somewhat cast against type in this.  Usually she played more sophisticated characters.  

Spoiler

I can imagine, for an actress like her, playing a craven, calculating, lowest-common-denominator-type role like this one, might have been almost fun and liberating!   It's a truly awful character in almost every dimension, but impulsive, opportunistic, with interesting quick shifts in mood  and thought.....

Kudos to the clever costume department--  she starts out in incongruously demure outfits, a little beanie hat, etc. in her early scenes, and becomes more of a 'siren' as the situation warrents:

Side note:  It's amusing that all three of these main characters played by Brooks, Klugman and Constantine, right in the middle of Colorado, somehow all have New York accents-- or at least, very 'Eastern Seaboard' accents...

I'd be interested to know what you all think of the Kimble / Gus relationship.  I like Gus's nickname for Kimble in this-- "Hotshot".   So often, in whatever humble circumstances he may find himself, Kimble's special qualities are sensed by other characters, even difficult characters.  Both Klugman and Constantine were effective in their roles, I thought.

 

Oh, another question--  did anyone notice the music in the little bar/cafe (called "Snug Harbor",  maybe?).   It was not "sixties" music, it was a welcome throwback--  vintage, sort of jazzy Tin Pan Alley....

"Everybody Gets Hit in the Mouth Sometime"  streaming live on Youtube.  There's a very short stretch in this video where the sound cuts out-- but it's inconsequential.  It's mostly while the insurance guy is watching from the road.  Couldn't find another video to link, so it was lucky this was such a minor audio flaw:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obC5ZvAorLU  

[Pearlee]

PLEASE NOTE: the only YouTube version I found is the same link @Oznell posted. BUT that is only 44 min long whereas The Fuge w/out commercials is 51 min long so I fear there are deep cuts in this one that oznell posted.  For those of you who can stay up until 2 a.m. to watch, the MeTV version may have fewer edits!  

[Oznell]

Oh, wow, thanks for that @Pearlee .  I didn't realize that!  And I didn't record the MeTV version, since I only saw your post just now.  If anybody saw MeTV, and they can remember what might have been left out, that would be helpful.

[drizzellla]

I also did not see Pearley's post until this morning. And I was up and about at 2:00 AM. But I did not record the ME TV version.

Maybe they deleted some of Miss Hot Stuff's antics.

[twinsister]

@Pearlee  - I watched the Youtube link and was going to mention about it being only 44 minutes.

I'm on the fence about this one.  I didn't dislike it like others, but I wouldn't watch it again.

It seemed strange to me that Lucia had such a hold on Gus, but that was explained at the end.  Before the reason was revealed, I understood his guilt over her husband's death, but it seemed a bit much.  Lucia certainly was like a charity case (as RK pointed out) and she certainly played that card well.    I laughed when Lucia showed up in the middle of the day in her "femme fatale" outfit to have lunch with RK.  Her eyes lit up whenever she saw him - LOL!  Another meal ticket for her.

Kimble telling the driver to go home and get his 8 hours off and sleep, was another example of him looking out for others. Of course, for Gus that meant lost revenue.  I don't know about back then, but today it is a rule that drivers (truck, bus) have to be off the vehicle for a certain amount of time.  I only know this because my BF is a retired NYC bus driver and they can only drive a certain amount of hours per day.

I liked the scene between RK and the insurance executive when he said he would investigate him all the way back to his great-grandmother!   If the insurance company wasn't on to what Gus had planned, and Gus gave the money to Lucia  would she have really left for Chicago?   I don't think so.   

When Kimble spanked Lucia's son I thought in today's world he would have been arrested immediately, which he would avoid at all cost.  Dfferent time back then.

Edited to add:  @Oznell - Regarding the relationship between Gus and Hot Shot (I liked that nickname for RK), I think Gus really did like him because he wouldn't have always been so contrite when he yelled at him.  Gus didn't treat others that way.  That's my take - curious what others think.

[Oznell]

I agree with your overall assessment of the episode, @twinsister --  I didn't "loathe" it, but wouldn't go out of my way to see again.  Even though there were certain little elements I liked, like Constantine's colorful small role as a small-time "operator", and that retro music in the little bar....

Kimble's sweetness really shows up in this, as you allude to also.  Gus behaved terribly at times, and certainly he was capable of seriously damaging others to save his business-- yet Kimble was patient and persisted in wanting to help such a difficult character.  Jack Klugman was good I thought in showing us the bruised humanity of Gus--  he wasn't ALL bad....  and he had a tormenting conscience about the loss of Lucia's husband's life.

I think you're right that Gus liked and was capable of respecting a guy like Kimble, thus the "Hotshot" nickname we both like.   And Kimble seemed to understand the enormous pressure Gus was under, without condoning his actions.  I found myself being glad that Kimble was there with him, in the accident scene--  a real, caring human being who could be trusted to fulfill Gus's commission to convey the money he had on him and his car keys to Lucia.... 

[drizzellla]

I think Gus was happy to have Kimball around. Gus would get so emotional and Kimball was a calm steady presence. And even though he didn't always express it, Gus wanted to reliable employee to help him. Because clearly Gus was having big troubles and being pulled to many different directions.

It was such a sad episode. Everyone of the characters had quite a bit of baggage, they had to deal with (well maybe except Constantine). And in the end nothing seemed to work out for anyone.

It seems Kimball has to walk away at the end of each episode before he gets paid. 

[chloe4578]

Very sad episode that probably looked better on paper than on screen.  

Lucia was definitely Gus’s lover at some point.  Otherwise he wouldn’t have had guilt over the top.  Lucia was just trying to keep afloat, but to me, I felt she could have gotten a job instead of bleeding Gus dry.  Fortunately for Kimble he saw thru her, but was attracted to her in the beginning.  When he drove her home and those brats were not supervised , which she admitted she lied about, turned Kimble off.  

The scene when they both were in the bar was when I really started to pay attention.  I know that Kimble knew Gus was in trouble, as he said he would pay the insurance and be on his way.  Kimble probably liked Gus despite the blow up where Gus totally lost it.  Kimble was smart enough to get out as he certainly didn’t want to be involved or need any further trouble himself.

Also liked that Kimble’s references were severely looked into by the insurance company.  Even in 1965 truckers had a strong union and were owned by the mafia probably run by Jimmy Hoffa.  Gus had a small business in Colorado and had to play by the rules so that storyline didn’t make sense.

The best part was when Kimble hit the kid in the butt and walked away.  

Got the feeling there was probably more happening but the episode was only 40 something minutes instead of the usual 51.

This episode wasn’t the best but not the worst I’ve seen so far.  Klugman, Brooks and Constantine are always good.  

[Oznell]

That makes sense, your point about the nature of their (Kimble's and Gus's) relationship, @drizzellla ,  and I so agree about your "baggage" comment-- big time!

That's a very interesting angle, @chloe4578 , about Gus and Lucia having been at some point, romantically involved.  That makes the whole thing more "noir-ish" than ever!

That had crossed my mind too, briefly, but I wasn't sure....  it is intriguing, though.... I think you've persuaded me...

[Pearlee]

Before I get to my comments, I have a question. Either I was tired when I watched on YouTube at midnight and missed something or this was cut out of the 44 min version, but why was there so little money left to give Lucia at the end? I don't think Kimble ever saw the billing person at the insurance agency to pay him the money fir the insurance did he? Kimble left in a big hurry once the guy he did meet with said he'd run that extensive background check.  So where was all the money Gus gave Kimble to pay the insurance? (of course we know Kimble would never keep it!)

I just dont like Jack Klugman who always plays the same hot tempered guy. Although the plot was different he played the exact same kind of character in his previous episode where his wife was assaulted and the kid with learning disabilities Kimble was helping to read got blamed.  I could do without all Klugman's yelling, esp when I watch late at night.

I love the  "look" kindly pediatrician Kimble gave Lucia the first time they met at the office when she yelled at her kids.  Clearly Kimble was appalled. And where the heck was he going all dressed up in jacket and tie when Lucia showed up "to return the car. " That was odd since he looked like he was dressed for a date!

Michael Constantine has not changed much over the decades except for losing his hair. He has always looked old, even as a young man.  And speaking of Gus, the writers used that name for the Greek terminally ill man who wanted Kimble to escape by using his passport if you remember that one from Season 1.

Geraldine Brooks was married to writer Budd Schulberg. She died young at age 51 of a heart attack while battling cancer.

I disliked Klugman but not the episode although it is not one I'd want to watch again for quite a while.  I think Kimble is too kind to other people to a fault though.