Saturday, March 22, 2014

The Joy Riders or The Peggy Webber drops the groceries episode

"This is the city-- Los Angeles, California.
It's not a bad place for a boy to do his growing up.
He can get a fine education and it's free, read all the books he wants for nothing.
The scenery's hard to beat and it doesn't cost anything, either.
There are a fair number of jobs available, and the pay's pretty good.
He can go surfing in the morning and skiing in the afternoon.
We have just about every kind of sport you can think of and some of the best coaches in the country.
We have parks, all kinds of recreational facilities, and a fine climate.
Sometimes none of these things is enough. It takes bigger challenges and bigger excitement.
When it gets too big, then it becomes my job. I carry a badge."

Today's episode is definitely a top twenty based on Peggy Webber's performance alone.

All right - let's do it!


Nice clear "white roof" pan, one of L.A.'s public libraries (which one?) 



Blue Boy's golf course shot (again) and a DOE office.







The weighty façade of now-demolished Georgia Street Juvenile.





WAKE UP GANNON


I love you. Have a screwdriver.


You're so sweet.



I'm Officer Gannon and this is an F.I. Card.




Peggy Webber:


3331 Vail - A real place, but not a "better residential area."


Episode subtitling indicates that it is Vale, but that doesn't exist, so meh.






This is a cute establisher - that of Friday and Gannon walking up to the street entrance of Georgia Street Juvenile.
Usually the camera is set up here and it follows their car pulling of the lot (right) and driving left briefly.


Don Ross is out of Latent Prints again! 


The lovely dolly shot through the car is reused - Ultimate realism.



John McCarthy and/or Sturtevant did a really nice job assembling high-class tchotchkes for the Rustin household set.


Vincent Dee dressed Peggy nicely and the red dress brings out the contrasting tones in the painting.
What I really like is the wooden wall, there.





This kid has been with us for several episodes.



A costume change and a switch to nighttime:




Robert Clarke - legless drunk driver, hardass dad, reformed alcoholic, divorcee, (and that's all I can think of off-hand) - now he's a VP at Fletcher High.


I'm sad.


I'm sad.


*HISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS*


Didn't you know that? Teens hiss when guilty.





Sounds just like air coming out of a punctured tire.


HOLD THE PHONE



Oh, yes! This is the shot I mentioned earlier. Pulling out, driving off.
Where to? Home with damp Heather Menzies.


1217 Mayberry Street sort-of exists.


This is the façade at Universal City where the dolly shot through the car originated.
(Which house is that? Beaver Cleaver?)


And another lovely Mustang because Dragnet.






Love that gnarly tree.



S. John Launer, Heather Menzies, and Dee Carroll. 


I thought Dee Carroll lived in Joe's Apartment house!


Everything else from the stairs over is straight out of Adam & Eve Ltd. 



No sight of cranky Virginia Gregg - now we have a missing over-under shotgun.


Just brilliant.






Mickey Sholdar!? I thought we left you at Hotel California.

 

Forget this! Let's go drive by Etlin Realty again (and again).




We've seen this tapestry before - in Kipp Hamilton's apartment.




This represents a fairly high dollar house! Tall glass windows, a variety of art, a hip swag lamp, nice view of the city backdrop outside the soundstage.



Groovy mix of furnishings and plants.

OKAY HERE IT COMES:




Bread. Celery. Cranberry sauce?

"Harold Rustin was certified by juvenile court to be tried as an adult. On February 20th, trial was held in Department 184, Superior Court of the State of California, for the County of Los Angeles."

"The subject was found guilty of murder in the second degree. Because of his age, however, he was remanded to the custody of the California Youth Authority."

Harold F. Rustin
Now undergoing rehabilitation and training at the Preston School of Industry, Ione, California.

(We know someone else that went to Preston.)

S4e27

Starred
Jack Webb as Sergeant Joe Friday
Harry Morgan as Officer Bill Gannon
Michael Burns as Harold F. Rustin
Peggy Webber as Mrs. Eunice Rustin
S. John Launer as Michael Chatterton
John McCook as Officer Keefer
Mickey Sholdar as Vern Bayliss
Charles Brewer as Officer Lathrop
Lou Wagner as Andy Raynor
Heather Menzies as Nora Chatterton
Don Ross as Sergeant Robert Parker
Ed Deemer as Sergeant Bailey
Robert Clarke as Vice Principal Phillip Geiger
Dee Carroll as Mrs. Chatterton

Additional Cast
______, ______, ______, ______ as boys in vice principal's office/at party
______ as Bill Hall (?)

Additional Notes

I'm excited by all of the new visitors to the project. I appreciate everyone's comments and even when you check the box that says "funny/interesting/cool." Thank you.

The devil is in the details, and that's where you'll find me.

Art Direction - Russell Kimball
Set Decor - John McCarthy & John Sturtevant
Costumes - Vincent Dee

Written by Preston Wood

Aired 16 February 1969

Haven't I given you everything?
Suzy Dragnet

11 comments:

  1. Hey Suzy,
    You ever see that classic 50's episode in which Peggy plays the worlds most sympathetic kleptomaniac? What an actress.
    And man, between Peg and Ginny Gregg, two if the saucist women in TV ever!

    ReplyDelete
  2. To Anonymous - I saw that show. I have a small boxed set of about 20 shows from the 1953-54 era and that kleptomania episode is one of them. I think she's a doctors wife. To Suzy - The travelling shot showing Etlin Realty was in an earlier episode and is actually how I found your Blog/website. I looked Etlin up and there was a link to you cuz you spoke about it I guess. Who knows? I am glad I looked it up though. Kenny P

    ReplyDelete
  3. That medieval-esque tapestry is great! I'd like to have it.

    Harold Rustin has what my father used to call a "putty face." Proof positive of guilt.

    Yes - an excellent episode. The third season started to pick up towards the end, huh?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Joe's narrative at the beginning of the episode. All USED to be true about California....especially the part about the job outlook...fast forward to 2015....um no.

    ReplyDelete
  5. The name Harold F. Rustin would be recycled for an episode of Adam-12 where it was the name of a boy with a photographic memory who witnesses a burglary.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Why do they keep using a church to represent a school?

    ReplyDelete
  7. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation announced on October 21, 2010, that the Preston Youth Correctional Facility was to close,[5] and a closing ceremony was held on June 2, 2011.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anyone know if there is a way to see what happened with the actual people involved? Harold Rustin seems like the kind of person who will never learn his lesson. Killing someone for no apparent reason doesn't seem like it would resolve itself with rehabilitation.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Well, I will never know what really broken when Peggy drops the groceries, it does not look like something wet as I was expecting, lol and .........I wonder where is that Tapestry now, I wonder if It's still around, I'm not even joking, I'm always watching those small things and wondering if they survived all these years PLUS if the current owner knows that those items were on the series! We might never know but I love to think about it and If I can I do a quick search on eBay, same as I did with the Cincinattin clock they always show on school walls. So many gems!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Odd... just purchased this season on Prime, and this episode appears to be missing. Anyone know anything about this?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The episode aired out of order in a big way. I'm watching on FreeVee and it is identified in its original place as the final episode of season 2. It was scheduled to air the same night that MLK was assassinated, but was preempted. The episode eventually aired in season 3.

      Delete