MAVERICK Mondays: "Escape to Tampico" (1958)

MAVERICK Mondays: Number 32 

MAVERICK: "Escape to Tampico" (Warner Brothers/ABC-TV 1958) Starring James Garner as Bret Maverick, Gerald Mohr as Steve Corbett, Barbara Lang as Amy Lawrence, John Hubbard as Paul Brooks, Paul Picerni as Rene Gireaux, Tony Romano as Chicuelo, Louis Mercier as Raul Gireaux, Ralph Faulkner as Ziegler, William D. Gordon as Sam Garth, Nacho Galindo as Carlos.  Written and Directed by Douglas Heyes.

A lengthy case of runbad on a riverboat trip to New Orleans leaves Bret Maverick flat busted and open to an intriguing business proposition from Rene Gireaux, who offers a $1,000 advance, to be quintupled later.  Gireaux needs an American citizen, of "exquisite tastes, but bankrupt" to bring Steve Corbett, murderer of his son, to justice.  No, not at gunpoint: Bret's task is to merely persuade Corbett back to U.S. soil from Tampico, where he runs a casino.

The opportunity to replace his full bankroll and then some sends broke Bret across the Gulf of Mexico to La Cantina Americana in the titular city.  After finding employment in the genial Corbett's establishment, Bret also finds himself believing the expatriate's claim of innocence and nullifies the agreement with Gireaux.  Maverick's expertise assists Corbett in weeding out cardsharps and disloyal employees who are cheating the proprietor, and grateful Corbett rewards the gambler with a fair share of the savings.  When sultry singer Amy Lawrence entices Corbett to follow her to Corpus Christi, Bret is left in charge--but also smells a trap, leaving Maverick with a difficult decision.  Should he stay or should he go?

Gifted writer-director Douglas Heyes wrote a MAVERICK styled noir for each lead during the second season: Prey of the Cat for Jack Kelly and Escape to Tampico for Garner.  The former is far grimmer but surprisingly the more successful of the two.  Part of the problem is the setup: while Bart is the femme fatale's victim in Cat, giving us a much higher emotional investment in the proceedings, Bret is essentially a spectator in his installment which really highlights a cynical Gerald Mohr in a role that plays off the actor's resemblance to Humphrey Bogart.

Visually, Escape to Tampico looks like Heyes' version of a MAVERICK CASABLANCA, even using the same sets as that 1942 classic.  Steve Corbett operates a nightclub/casino, wears a white suit, refuses to ever drink with the customers and can't return to his homeland.   Sounds familiar--but that last problem really points towards this episode's larger inspiration: ALGIERS.  In the 1938 American version, Charles Boyer's Pepe Le Moko (title of the original French film) is a wanted man elsewhere turned pillar of the local community.  His Achilles heels? Longing for both the France he can't return to and the visiting femme fatale who reminds him of it.  (Mohr fits only the second qualification for most of Escape to Tampico--more on that below.)

Heyes doesn't entirely do away with humor in Escape to Tampico: Bret pulls a humorous con to get the casino job originally refused him and has a ready quip for each crooked patron he dismisses from La Cantina Americain.  That's about it, though, and as Bret's immediate problem of bankroll health subsides, Steve's unrequited love moves to the fore.  We eventually learn that Steve killed Victor, but he hints it was justified, and it seems out of character for Bret to make himself the last line of defense against a man who saved his life earlier.  Bret he also proves his erstwhile self description as the "second slowest gun in the west" inaccurate as he outdraws the expatriate.  With less than convincing incentive to play the hero and an often peripheral role here, this is arguably the least satisfying Garner solo episode of the usually stellar 1958-59 batch. 

Steve would likely sniff out the trap if he questioned the patron who triggered Amy's sudden departure, since it appears the customer really has no connection to the American beauty.  It appears that Steve's cool is being melted by desperation and loneliness (again, paralleling Boyer rather than Bogart) but on the whole all motivations (save Gireaux') are nowhere near as delineated as in Prey of the Cat.  Does Steve have a death wish?  He might--after all, was it inexperience that had his dealers pulling the wool over his eyes or distraction?  Corbett gives the impression of being grateful for Bret's help, which would seem to indicate his life still has meaning to him.  Corbett's closing line also rings a little false: stating he didn't want to die in Mexico hints of a longing for the U.S.A.  It's another clear homage, as Bogart's Rick fought for the losing side of the Spanish Civil War.  But Corbett smuggled services for the losing side of the U.S. Civil War for a Confederacy that no longer exists, so that parallel doesn't translate so smoothly.  

Mohr's the focus here but actually had a better showcase in You Can't Beat the Percentage a season later, an episode more faithful to the MAVERICK universe than this one.  Escape to Tampico isn't terrible, just a couple of steps down from Heyes' usual contributions--it could have been an episode of just about any straight-faced Western of the period.  For MAVERICK or for Douglas Heyes that's a letdown.  Hey, nobody's perfect. 

HOW'D BRET DO AT POKER?

Disastrously.  He lost $2,311 at the tables on his Riverboat trip from Memphis to New Orleans (plus the $47 he spent on the trip), then the $1,000 dollar bill safety pinned in his coat at the table in The Big Easy.

BOTTOM LINE:

It's a close race between Hargrove and Heyes as to who had the better MAVERICK track record.  Heyes had success with several atypical installments, but the reduced emphasis on Bret and uncharacteristic lack of clarity makes Escape to Tampico the weakest of his second season contributions.  Not terrible but in the end unsatisfying.  In a landmark season, average looks worse than it is.  Still worth a look for the typically strong contribution from Gerald Mohr and even more references to the cinema classics above than I listed--it'll take more than one viewing to catch them all.  (**1/2 out of four)

 

MAVERICK currently airs at 5 A.M. Central on Heroes and Icons (Dish Channel 293) and 9 A.M. Saturdays on MeTV (Dish Channel 55).

MAVERICK Mondays: "Seed of Deception" (1958)

MAVERICK Mondays: Number 13






MAVERICK: "Seed of Deception" (1958 ABC-TV/Warner Brothers) Starring James Garner as Bret Maverick, Jack Kelly as Bart Maverick, Adele Mara as June Mundy, Joi Lansing as Laura "Doll" Hays, Myron Healey as Jim Mundy, Frank Ferguson as Sheriff Bill McPeters, Bing Russell as Russ Aikens, Ron Hayes as Evers, Terry Rangno as Grady Lester, Guy Wilkerson as Deputy Cecil Mason, Gerald Mohr as Doc Holliday.  Written by Montgomery Pittman.  Directed by Richard L. Bare.


Stopping off at Bonita, Arizona en route to Yuma, Bret is mistaken for Doc Holliday by the locals.  Once Maverick learns that a dinner (Eastern turkey with sage dressing) has been prepared for the good doctor's arrival, his effort to correct the error is halfhearted at best.  When Bart arrives and is subsequently believed to be Wyatt Earp, Bret even assists this misconception in order to share the good fortune ("two types of gravy, thickenin' and specklin'!") with his brother.

Of course, Bret soon regrets the subterfuge.  Bonita's next visitors?  The Mundys--and shady Jim is a first cousin to Earp's enemies, the Clantons.  The brothers Maverick learn from Sheriff McPeters that Earp and Holliday are expected to show up in town ahead of Mundy's menacing entourage.  Complicating matters, the Sheriff decides to double down on the bluff, which fails miserably since June Mundy recognizes Bart from her dance hall days and Evers knows on sight that neither Maverick is Earp.  However, Jim Mundy lets this slide, since the false sense of security provided by the brothers is a perfect fit for his plan--a bank robbery as "Cousin June" dances at the saloon for a SRO crowd.

Joi Lansing and admirer

Written by Montgomery Pittman (Pappy), Seed of Deception lives up to its name with Bret, June and Bart (unwittingly) all impersonating someone else while Jim's gang and Sheriff McPeters engage in duplicity with their respective identities uninvolved.  Bret's brief implication that he is the Doc Holliday is unconvincing at best, but he's much bolder in pretending to be a gunslinger of some accomplishment once Bart runs afoul of not-too-bright henchman Aikens. 

Be careful Bart!

Pittman's knack for MAVERICK dialogue is evident from the get-go, with Ferguson (the first of his six appearances) and Garner deftly handling most of the punchlines.  Few installments provided memorable roles for child actors, but Rangno gets laughs out of his repeated asides, insisting on defining Mavericks literally (and setting up the brothers with increasingly nonsensical retorts).

Myron Healey and Adele Mara

Seed of Deception boasts one of the strongest supporting casts of the show's run.  In addition to Ferguson, Myron Healey's subtle, brainy villainy keeps the viewer off-kilter--after all the buildup surrounding his arrival, we're expecting a demonstrative threat and some serious gunslinging.  The "fastest gun in these parts", Jim Mundy instead cagily charms the townspeople and calmly executes the plan he's prepared.  Seed of Deception is the first and meatiest series role for Healey--he returned in Bare's Trooper Maverick.  Weakest link Aikens is solidly played by Bing Russell (A Fellow's Brother), whose son Kurt would become one of the big screen's most memorable Wyatt Earps in the 1993 cult favorite TOMBSTONE.

Mrs. Roy Huggins herself, Adele Mara, makes her first of three MAVERICK appearances and forms an unbeatable one-two punch of babosity with Joi Lansing (LOVE THAT BOB).  As widow Doll Hayes, Lansing has little to do other than wear her prettiest dress and signal her availability to "Wyatt" and "Doc", but Mara has the choice part of a dance hall girl affiliating herself with Mundy platonically for a chance to improve her lot in life.  Mara was still very active on TV while her film career was winding down, and Seed of Deception gives the former Adelaide Delgado an opportunity to show off her dancing talents (as did her followup, The Spanish Dancer).  Her brother Luis was James Garner's stand-in and lifelong friend, playing a dozen uncredited speaking parts on the series.

A stickler for creative control, Montgomery Pittman usually directed his own scripts, but trusted Richard L. Bare's capable hands for his first MAVERICK.   Pittman worked mostly for Warner Brothers in the late 1950's and early 1960's, though he also contributed several memorable TWILIGHT ZONE installments.  The Louisiana native was one of TV's most-sought after creative talents when he died of cancer in 1962 (he was only 45).  His capper is perfect: a cameo by the always welcome Gerald Mohr (You Can't Beat the Percentage) making an encore as the real Doc Holliday after The Quick and The Dead.  Played by Peter Breck, Doc Holliday would become a recurring character in later seasons.

Bret and Bart banter delightfully throughout, even after Bart is wounded  ("I'm not mad at anybody.  They didn't shoot me!" Bret acknowledges).  Seed of Deception culminates the initial season with the groundbreaking MAVERICK we all remember now fully realized and established.  With Pittman added to a very talented pool of scriptwriters (i.e. Huggins, Heyes, Hargrove), the show was well-poised for its sophomore effort, which would turn out to be not only the show's peak, but arguably the greatest collection of episodes for any of the era's television westerns.

HOW'D THEY DO AT POKER?:

Neither Maverick makes it to the tables while visiting Bonita.  It is explained early on that the reason both Bret and Bart are Yuma-bound is a lack of coin.  This isn't resolved until just before the fadeout, but once it is, Bret's pulling out a deck of cards.

WISDOM FROM PAPPY?

Nothing during this episode at all, though the one aphorism that we hear directly from the lips of the wise one during Pappy is certainly taken to heart by his elder son in Seed of Deception:

THE BOTTOM LINE:

The first season closes out with the most fully realized two-brother installment to date.  The chemistry between Garner and Kelly is the key, but this one is the former's showcase, really.  He gets things off to a rascally start, then solves the plot and foils the crime after both Mavericks realize something doesn't add up.  Montgomery Pittman set the bar high with his debut, and Bare paced the proceedings well enough to mask the fact that the drily quotable humor was heavily weighted towards the episode's first half.  The only real defect Seed of Deception has is that the setup makes a straightforward resolution unavoidable.  With such a great cast and script, though, it is one of the first season's highlights.  (***1/2 out of four)

MAVERICK currently airs Monday through Friday at 1 PM Central/2 PM Eastern without commercial interruption on Encore Westerns, and every Sunday night at 10 PM Central/11 PM Eastern on COZI TV.

MAVERICK Mondays: "You Can't Beat the Percentage" (1959)

 



MAVERICK Mondays: Number 2





MAVERICK: You Can't Beat the Percentage (ABC-TV/Warner Brothers 1959) Starring Jack Kelly as Bart Maverick, Gerald Mohr as Lindell, Karen Steele as Myra, Tim Graham as Pop, Dan Riss as the Sheriff, Ray Daley as Brazos, Joe Partridge as Harry and Michael Harris as Charlie.  Written and Directed by george waGGner.

Riding in from Santa Fe, Bart arrives at Lindell's hotel/saloon after receiving a letter from old girlfriend Myra, who works there and is Lindell's current squeeze.  Myra helps pay Bart an old debt during a game of "California Poker" (by helping foil Harry and Lindell's plot to cheat him) and fills him in on "bigger plans": taking over the property with Bart's help.  Citing Bart's prowess at sniffing out a crooked game, Lindell has a proposition of his own for Maverick: a job as floor manager.  Lindell's first duty for Maverick is protection from Brazos, who has stated an intent to kill the saloon owner (over Myra).

Correctly surmising that Brazos doesn't really have murder in his heart, Bart disarms the gunslinger peaceably.  However, Brazos is gunned down on his way out of town and Maverick finds himself accused of the crime when Myra provides Lindell's alibi.  Has Bart been played away from the table?  And if he has, was it by Lindell, Myra, both---or someone else completely?

Douglas Heyes attempted a couple of MAVERICK Noirs in season two, including Mohr's previoius appearance owning a gambling hall, Escape to Tampico.  WaGGner's attempt is considerably less humorous than the typical Bret solo show but still highly entertaining, and certainly nowhere near as dark Prey of the Cat.  For his teaser, WaGGner sets the plot in motion instead of previewing a scene from later, and that rarity for MAVERICK is only his first curveball.  WaGGner's script provides numerous twists and turns, with the seductive Myra using her wiles on multiple male marks and Bart trying to convince the skeptical sheriff that things aren't what they seem to be.

Exotic platinum blonde Karen Steele displays terrific chemistry with Kelly.  In fact, she's even better here than she was in the first season's Point Blank (when she enticed Bret and guest star Mike "Mannix" Connors).  We agree with Kelly wholeheartedly when he says she "has an eye filling strut": she's one actress we can believe has every man in the cast after her.

Karen Steele

Steele, who was born in Hawaii to parents of French, Danish and English descent, was probably best known for the 1959 western RIDE LONESOME.  She brought her sultry voice and stunning looks to virtually every Warner Brothers series during the studio's TV heyday.  Ms. Steele died of cancer in 1988 at age 56.

Gerald Mohr

As Lindell, Mohr is intimidating without ever once raising his voice.  He may be able to laugh off Maverick's deft deflection of his table tricks, but we later learn that it isn't the first time he's pulled it on an "outsider" to create unpayable debt.  With the subtlest of menace, he means it when he says he "owns this town"--to the sheriff's chagrin.

With his resemblance to Humphrey Bogart, Gerald Mohr found himself somewhat typecast in "B" film noirs in the 1940's.  Always a welcome presence, Mohr made seven appearances on MAVERICK in seven different roles.  James Garner cited him as a favorite actor to work with, though Mohr actually guested more often (five times) with Kelly.  Like Steele, Mohr also died young, of a heart attack at age 54 in 1968.

HOW'D BART DO AT POKER?

Sidestepping the scheme to foul his hand (with a sixth card) wins Bart $1100 after getting "tapped" by Lindell on the one hand we see.  It caps off a $2800 win for the night.

Bart's winning hand

WISDOM FROM PAPPY?

Startlingly, not a single proverb from wise old Pappy this time.  The closest we get is gravedigger "Pop" explaining his repeated use of the episode's title.

THE BOTTOM LINE:

Waggner helmed a very entertaining installment for each Maverick brother during the third season (Garner's was The Sheriff of Duck n' Shoot).  While he returned to direct again in the fourth season, You Can't Beat the Percentage was Waggner's lone MAVERICK teleplay.  Its only real flaw is being a little too conventionally serious for a series that was usually anything but.  It's still a fine episode that plays perfectly to Kelly's strengths.  With engaging twists and two of the show's best guest stars, You Can't Beat the Percentage is worthy of repeat viewings.   (*** out of four)