F TROOP Fridays: "El Diablo" (1966)

 F TROOP Fridays: Number 32   

F TROOP: "El Diablo" (ABC-TV/Warner Brothers 1966) Season One, Episode 19.  Original Air Date: January 18, 1966.  Starring Forrest Tucker as Sergeant Morgan O'Rourke, Larry Storch as Corporal Randolph Agarn and Pancho Agarnato, Ken Berry as Captain Wilton Parmenter, Melody Patterson as Wrangler Jane, Frank deKova as Chief Wild Eagle, Don Diamond as Crazy Cat, James Hampton as Bugler Dobbs, Joe Brooks as Vanderbilt, Benny Baker as Pete and Tony Martinez as Felipe.  Written by Arthur Julian.  Directed by Seymour Robbie. 

While the troop is going through annual physical exams, word breaks that the Mexican bandit El Diablo has been spotted in the area.  The news puts everyone on edge, but especially our Corporal: El Diablo's real name is Pancho Agarnato and he's Agarn's cousin from south of the border.

Will Agarn face scorn from the family for turning his cousin in?  Quite the contrary--even Pancho's sister thinks he's a bad seed.  The Captain reluctantly grants his Corporal permission to hunt El Diablo down and clear the family name.  You guessed it: shortly after Randolph departs, his Mexican relative arrives--taking Parmenter, Jane, Dobbs and the Sarge hostage in the Fort Courage saloon.

One of the most popular and quotable F TROOP installments is the first of three that would feature a second Storch.  Well, scratch that--El Diablo pulls out all the stops by giving us Storch in quintuplet, with Granny Agarn, Uncle Gaylord Agarn and the aforementioned Rosita Agarnato joining the titular cousin in this supreme showcase for the show's gravy comedian.

Storch gets mere seconds to essay the first three relatives but Pancho Agarnato sets the tone for later alter egos by getting the majority of the actor's screen time in El Diablo.  Storch slices slightly less ham as Pancho than as Randolph (it's close) and the master of dialects has improved this one considerably in the seven years since GUN FEVER.  Hell, he's more menacing here than as Amigo in that 1958 flick (which is still worth checking out, BTW).  The crazy seems calculated to intimidate, and succeeds--El Diablo certainly has the edge on The Scourge of the West, thwarting almost every attempt to get the drop on him at Fort Courage's cantina.  Pancho is also quite impressive with that revolver when he's not firing it into the air.

While Pancho's hard knock life seems to serve the self-described "Little Red Robin Hood" well, his genetic line is what does him in.  Yes, he's still an Agarn--and in addition to using his hat as an attention getter he also shares his cousin's hypochondria.  That's the Achilles heel that lands him in the guardhouse, with no F Trooper gullible enough to let him out.  Well, that is, except one.

Pancho Agarnato is a real criminal, unlike the falsely accused Lucky Pierre.  But despite his life of crime, El Diablo doesn't judge him too harshly.  He's at the top of his (admittedly shady) field, nobly refuses to rob the poor (though he's inconsistent on this, since he "needs the practice"), has an entire town cowering in fear of him and (in)fame that extends into the Native American camps a thousand miles from the Mexican border.  Hell, Chief Wild Eagle laments that he's in business with the wrong cousin!

While the titular alter ego predictably looms largest, El Diablo gives us other opportunities for merriment.  Vanderbilt passes his eye test, somewhat.  Wrangler Jane makes the most of the situation, sneaking a peek at the shy, shirtless Parmenter and later enjoying a Mexican Hat Dance with her crush despite his consternation at Pancho's coercion to do it.  Between Survival of the Fittest, The Day they Shot Agarn and this one, our Corporal shows he should not be chosen for any special assignments outside the confines of the Fort. 

Hal England left enough of an impression as the territory's new military doctor to be invited back as the Army dentist in Our Brave in F Troop.  And yes, that is Tony Martinez of THE REAL McCOYS as Agarnato's most vocal henchman.  El Diablo scored a 22.0 rating, 34.1 share to give ABC its highest rated program of the evening on January 18, 1966.

NAGGING QUESTIONS:

How's that $10,000 reward going to be split if/when El Diablo is turned in?  Was there a reward for his sidekicks too?  And most glaringly: why didn't the Bandito just rob the now deserted Fort Courage bank while leaving the henchmen to hold the hostages at the saloon?

HOW'S BUSINESS AT O'ROURKE ENTERPRISES?

Not a good week.  First, Fort Courage is deserted once El Diablo and his entourage are spotted in the territory, with even good old Pete forgoing his salary until the crisis blows over.  Then, the banditos help themselves to food and drinks at the saloon, unknowingly doing so on O'Rourke's unwilling dime.  Perhaps a share of that $10,000 reward could soothe the wounds, but our Vice President blows that one too during the tag.

NUMBER OF TIMES O'ROURKE COULD HAVE BEEN TRIED FOR TREASON:

With Agarnato being the Hekawis' only visitor, this installment is free of betrayal.  Yes, even to family, since Randolph has the entire Agarn family on his side against his no-good cousin.

PC, OR NOT PC?

Either Rosita's unprintable opinion or Granny Agarn's reminiscence of Pancho would be enough to put El Diablo in the latter category.  For his part Pancho indulges in about as many cliches as he skewers, though he does triumph when all is said and done.  

THE BOTTOM LINE:

It's always a good time when Storch takes center stage, and El Diablo falls into the same category as Bye, Bye, Balloon: not quite highest tier F TROOP but justifiably very popular.  At the time of this writing it is tied as the highest rated segment over at IMDb.com and is superior to the episode it is tied with (V is for Vampire).  On its own terms, a certifiable riot.  (***1/2 out of four)

F TROOP is on hiatus presently at Circle TV, but hopefully will move back into the weekday rotation soon. It's still on their list of shows, which is a good sign. 

Made4TV Movies: HUNTERS ARE FOR KILLING (1970)

 

Why the Hell isn't this on DVD/Blu Yet? -- Number 107   

HUNTERS ARE FOR KILLING (1970 CBS-TV)  Original Air Date: March 12, 1970.  Starring Burt Reynolds, Melvyn Douglas, Martin Balsam, Suzanne Pleshette, Larry Storch, Peter Brown, Jill Banner, Ivor Francis, A Martinez, Angus Duncan.  Written by Charles Kuenstle.  Directed by Bernard Girard.

Nine years after a vehicular manslaughter conviction that killed four (including his brother) and three years after his release from prison for it, former football hero Reynolds returns to his northern California home town.  Burt gets a mixed reception.  Martinez and Banner idolized him as kids and fellow winery child Brown thinks he was innocent; stepfather Douglas, police chief Balsam (also the father of Burt's now married ex Pleshette), Banner's father Francis and shady club owner Storch are among those far less thrilled to see Burt return days before his thirtieth birthday.

Douglas blames Burt for the death of his "real son" who was killed in the crash (shades of Pa Cox!) and Balsam doesn't want Pleshette's "happy" marriage threatened by the man he sees as beneath his daughter.  The latter is right to feel threatened, as we can clearly see Pleshette is Burt's alpha widow.  She may have competition from Banner, whose bad boy syndrome has Francis' nerves on ice.  So is Storch, who was pressured to help put Burt away in the first place.

It's a pre-mustache Burt in the second of his made for TV movies, months away from his second stab at TV series stardom (DAN AUGUST) and given a juicy role as Douglas' long-estranged son.  Reynolds' charisma keeps HUNTERS ARE FOR KILLING afloat despite a sometimes shaky script (this was actor Kuenstle's first, and only two followed) and a sometimes bombastic Jerry Fielding score. 

Here Burt lives up to Martinez' assessment that he was born under a bad sign almost immediately: targeted for a robbery before he even reaches town, he finds himself accused of assault and grand theft auto by Balsam before he even finishes his first cup of coffee in it.  Brown learns that even offering honest employment results in harassment by the cops and when one of Reynold's detractors turns up dead, guess who Balsam's first suspect is.  So much for gridiron heroism.

Burt's motivation for returning is an inheritance that his late mother kept secret from her husband (60 acres of wine country) via a dummy trust, but Kuenstle leaves too many incentives unsolved.  Why didn't Reynolds return for his mother's funeral if he's been out three years?  Kinda makes him seem like the mercenary that his foes say he is, yet nothing in his character other than stoicism suggests him as such (i.e. he's a teetotaler and won't touch a married woman or the much younger Banner despite both readily making themselves available).  Why did she have such affection for Reynolds when he wasn't even her natural son?  The revelation of Douglas and Reynolds' real relationship before the final act sheds some light, but opens up more questions than the script can answer. (One also has to think Storch was really visionary, if his discotheque has been in business as such for nine years in 1970!)

It's mostly heavy drama, not always convincing, until the final twenty minutes when Burt finds himself the subject of a manhunt.  While not living up to the action promised by its title, HUNTERS ARE FOR KILLING boasts a great cast like many of the fine made for TV films of its era.  Douglas and Balsam are both in fine form, with the former months away from a Best Actor nomination (I NEVER SANG FOR MY FATHER) and the former four years after an Oscar win.  Storch is far sleazier than in any of his LOVE, AMERICAN STYLE guest appearances, and naturally missed after his three scenes.  Pleshette is the woman Burt left behind--why, Burt, why?

Not to be overlooked is Judy Banner as jailbait tempting both Burt and Storch--having far more success with the latter with tragic (offscreen) results.  She is unfortunately better known today for her untimely death (in 1982, only 36) and relationship with Marlon Brando than for her too-brief (1967-72) acting career but showed real potential in THE PRESIDENT'S ANALYST and SPIDER BABY on the big screen.  This is a rare chance to catch her work (only 15 imdb.com credits)--she's not just a one-note troublemaker here, but isn't given much more to do than that.

HUNTERS ARE FOR KILLING is watchable with fine direction, but bogged down by confusing scripting and fails to transcends the limitations of its era on the small screen.   Wine country locations a solid plus in what is ultimately an agreeable enough time-waster.  

So...why isn't this on DVD/Blu yet?

It was rather ubiquitous throughout the 1970's and 1980's on local stations thanks to Reynolds' later superstardom (he only made three made for TV films before DELIVERANCE and FUZZ elevated him to the big-screen full time) but as its star faded, so did those once readily available Movies of the Week from local stations.  

Why it should be on DVD/Blu:

It's still well worth seeking out for fans of Reynolds, Douglas or Banner and a real hoot for us Larry Storch fans.  Banjo lessons--really, Larry!

LEON ERROL SERIES: "One Too Many" (1934)

ONE TOO MANY (1934 Columbia Pictures Short Subject)  Starring Leon Errol as Leon, Vivian Oakland as Mrs. Errol, Tom Herbert as Tom, Bud Jamison as The Cop, Jack Norton as The Judge.  Also starring William Irving, Kitty McHugh, Harry Semels, Johnny Kascier.  Written by Harry McCoy.  Directed by Robert F. McGowan

Introduction to the LEON ERROL SALUTE SERIES is at this link.

"What do you mean, "Darling"?  What time are you going to stagger in tonight?

Fifteen minutes til the office closes, and Leon Errol has promised the Mrs. that he's coming straight home.  She's skeptical--and with good reason.  Once co-worker Tom arrives to propose a celebratory "shot" to end the day, the two men end up emptying the whole bottle--and several more at Club Royale afterward, closing the bar down at 2 A.M.

The eight hour delay in his arrival results in some domestic violence, with besotted Leon on the receiving end.  Fortunately, Errol has a chance to make amends the following day with Vivian having guests over for dinner: the judge and his spouse.  But Tom has another big contract to celebrate, and even the slightest twist of Leon's arm has him back at the Royale--long past dinnertime.

ONE TOO MANY has a misleading title--Errol has far more shots than that on both evenings depicted.  Leon suffers all of the human damage from his duo of bouts with with Vivian despite not really philandering this time outside of a couple of flirts.  But while ONE TOO MANY displays the Production Code seal of approval before its credits, this Columbia effort would not have been out of place before it.  For starters, Club Royale is raided despite the end of Prohibition a year earlier--so something shady is going on there even if Leon isn't partaking beyond the imbibing. 

Speaking of, while he's at least 53 (likely older) here, Leon Errol is remarkably nimble with his well worn rubber legged antics.  Leon is intoxicated for fully half of ONE TOO MANY's length and it's time well spent.  Simply picking up a dropped hat?  Making a call from a pay phone?  Mailing a letter?  They're all too complicated for our befuddled carouser, and Errol's own home is a minefield even before the Mrs. wakes up.  One Vivian does, the first bout is as lopsided as it gets.

Close enough to his physical prime for some roughhousing, Leon takes punch after punch from the spouse, resulting in multiple knockdowns.  Once Errol finally lands one, it's on her reflection in the mirror.  At least the expensive vase he shatters isn't broken over his bald head for once.  Good thing for Leon--Vivian Oakland's wife is perpetually pissed from first frame to last and has a violent streak rarely seen in future Mrs. Errols.  It's hard to imagine Dorothy Granger leaping over the railing and attacking her husband with the judge's gavel(!) no matter how much Leon might deserve it.  (Can't fully blame him for boozing after you see that!)  We dissolve to the following day once the outburst starts, so the question of whether Vivian clears the courtroom with it goes unanswered.

Curiously, Tom Herbert is uncredited despite his substantial role as the instigator of Leon's liquored up follies.  Vivian Oakland was a frequent Mrs. Kennedy in Edgar's AVERAGE MAN series, but kept popping up in Leon's shorts occasionally with her swan song PUNCHY PANCHO being the same year as Errol's (1951).  Perennial Three Stooges foil Bud Jamison is the cop Leon impersonates, and in a cute bit of casting against type the Judge is played by Jack Norton, one of the few actors more frequently soused onscreen than Mr. Errol. 

Robert F. McGowan does a nice job in his first short after a long run of OUR GANG comedies, giving his star the needed space to deliver his time tested routine yet keeping the train on schedule. Too bad this was their only collaboration: McGowan returned to kiddie land with Baby LeRoy in BABES IN HOLLYWOOD for his next two-reeler.  Writer Harry McCoy provides multiple set pieces and returned to pen Errol's Columbia swan song HONEYMOON BRIDGE (1935) before his premature death at 48 two years later.  

Errol's tenure at Columbia lasted only four shorts during 1934-35 due to a dispute with the studio, which is a shame since the creativity runs high here.  Columbia and RKO would reduce the budgets for two reelers in the next decade, but in the mid-thirties handsome production values helped a well conceived short subject shine.  The wonderfully sudden denouement hints at Leon learning for once but is cynical enough to have been written before Hays took hold.  While THE JITTERS is a hard showcase to beat for Leon's longtime stage antics, ONE TOO MANY serves as almost as fine a vehicle for posterity.  It's the closest of his Columbia quartet to the RKO formula, but fresher, darker and practically pre-Code.  Definitely one that needs to be freed from the vaults.  (**** out of four)

UPDATE 2023:  It has been freed! ONE TOO MANY is now available for viewing at this link!