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05-15-2021 08:38 PM
A trim William Shatner, demonstrating his on-field prowess:
2:00 a.m. Eastern, Monday -- The Fugitive, "Stranger in the Mirror" David Janssen, William Shatner, Julie Sommars, Norman Fell, Paul Bryar, Jeff Burton, Tony Face (sometimes billed as "Fasce"), Kyle Johnson
A sunlit field, happy boys playing ball, Kimble favoring us with one of his rare, sweet smiles of enjoyment. That's how "Stranger in the Mirror" starts out. But it fairly quickly takes an unforeseen turn. Once viewed, this episode stays in the memory-- it packs a wallop.
Cute, friendly couple, ex-cop "Tony Burrell" and his student-wife "Carole" (Shatner and repeat Fuge actress, tremulous, 'breathy' Julie Sommars) run a city youth program, and hire Kimble as a much-needed custodian and live-in grounds keeper. When events turn dark, he will naturally be once again a figure of suspicion, unable to flee...
Can't say much more about the plot without giving too much away. Will say it is of huge interest seeing Shatner in this early role. Skimming the reviews on imdb, most of those reviewers seemed to finger him as "chewing the scenery" in his meaty, if perhaps erratically-written part.
I found him fascinating to watch, however-- his almost palpable, trademark vibrancy, and then, the churning, submerged emotions that are vintage Shatner! He reminds me of the most intense of Method actors in this-- I wonder if he ever studied at the Actor's Studio? Janssen, with his different, subtle acting style, of course held his own, as always.
Also nice to see repeat Fuge actor, Norman Fell, in his familiar role as policeman, an authoritative, hard-nosed one at that.
In some ways, you could almost view this as a 'companion' piece to our last week's episode of emotional instability, "Set Fire to a Straw Man"....
"Stranger in the Mirror" , streaming free on youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zxJp8fsL0k
05-17-2021 08:11 AM
How did the police figure out David Janssen was Kimble? They only had his assumed name and previous employer. They "checked it out" and come up with the fact it is Kimble. It didn't sound like there was trouble with his previous employer and had to leave in a hurry. So with the little information they were working with, were they able to come up with the fact he was Kimble?
Watching old TV shows, I recognize so many actors that went on to have their own TV shows or appear ed as a regular in a TV show. It is good to see them as they were fine tuneing their craft. And you know why they were able to move onward.
05-17-2021 12:03 PM
05-17-2021 01:02 PM
It was a treat to see DJ with that nice big smile at the beginning of the episode, but things went very bad, very fast!
William Shatner was good as the "mentally unstable" former cop. I have to admit that everytime I saw Norman Fell with the fake moustache and eyebrows, he reminded me of Groucho Marx!
The episode didn't drag along and I enjoyed it.
05-17-2021 01:05 PM
You're right, @twinsister , I'm remembering the fingerprint thing too. But, what a good memory you have-- I didn't realize it was after the third policeman was murdered. I'm always amazed at how 'vaguely' I seem to remember some aspects of these plots, even having viewed them in the last few days! Some of you other posters have such a clear and sharp recall of important details.
I love seeing these actors in their early stages too, @drizzellla . It's fascinating to see them then, and get a feeling for how they evolved as performers. Not just people like Shatner, who's had a very splashy career. But also people like Norman Fell, or Julie Sommars. Way back in either the 60's or 70's she even had her own comedy show, "The Governor's Daughter" or something like that. Too bad retro TV doesn't pick up on shows like that....
I can't help but feel that, in this episode, we were coming in on the last act of a great tragedy. The "precipitating" events had happened long in the past, and warped a young mind iin the most horrible and twisted way...
I say that, even though the psychiatric condition that "Tony" supposedly suffered from, was sketchily written, I thought. A young man who presents as so "normal", has been murdering 3 victims, with no conscious memory of it? Or did he have, 'some' fragmented memory of the acts, and then finding the humidor, the badges etc., made it flood back? I'm fuzzy on that, probably need to re-watch some scenes....
05-17-2021 01:09 PM
Oh, just saw your second post, @twinsister . What! Norman Fell had fake eyebrows in this?!! Do tell! I wonder why they would do that... do you think to make him seem older, more of a "mature" policeman?
05-17-2021 01:13 PM - edited 05-17-2021 01:26 PM
It was after the third murder because when Tony went to the police station there had been two murders which is why there were only two badges in the humidor. Technically he didn't "take" his fingerprints because Kimble would have known he needed to get out of there instead of hanging around as he was told. Unbeknown to Kimble the Sgt. took the pen he had used and told the other cop to run "John's" prints.
05-17-2021 01:44 PM
There you go, observant @Tique ! I do remember them getting fingerprints, but somehow, my brain had "checked out" on that crucial little byplay with the pen, or it immediately dropped through one of my bottomless memory holes, ha.
Would be interested in what you (or anyone), think of the plausibility or implausibility of Tony's mental state, if anything?
Kimble's expression, near the end, when he finally realized fully what was going on with Tony --- I loved that.
05-17-2021 04:50 PM
It was inevitable that, at least to me, Tony was the killer b/c Shatner always played that role until he got Boston Legal. Of course, there was Star Trek, where he was the good guy. Can't forget that. Remembering the Hitchcock where he killed his girlfriend to be with his mother. He's such a talented actor. I just love him.
As you all know, it was the fingerprints that Norman Fell was after, not where he had worked. Kimble was still able to escape. Such a lonely lifestyle Kimble had. The epilogue was so sad.
Very good episode. Truly enjoying this season.
05-17-2021 05:04 PM
@Oznell - Maybe Norman Fell's eyebrows weren't fake, but they did look it to me! As for my good memory, it was only because I watched it this morning. If I had watched yesterday, I wouldn't even have remembered the character's names!!
I think Tony's mental condition was plausible, especially when he mentioned Mommy at the end.
@Tique - I didn't catch when they took the pencil Kimble used, I must have gotten distracted for a minute. Just remember hearing "run his prints". Thanks for clarifying it.
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