Category: Golden Age Article

DVD Review, Golden Age Article

Streaming Review: The Glass Onion

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A multi-billionaire (Edward Norton) throws a murder mystery party for his closest associates (played by an all-star cast of Kate Hudson, Dave Bautista, Kathryn Hahn, and Leslie Odom,Jr.). Everyone is surprised when his estranged business partner (Janelle Monae) shows up, along with the world’s greatest detective, Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig), who also starred in the previous film (Knives Out).

The setting, location, and all-star cast are evocative of the great Agatha Christie adaptation films starring Peter Ustinov, particularly Evil Under the Sun. There are some really solid performances, most notably Craig, who really shines in every moment on-screen. Also, the film features welcome cameos by the late Angela Lansbury and Stephen Sondheim, which are sadly brief, but relevant to the plot.

The film is not the equal of its predecessor for a number of reasons.

As a matter of personal taste, I didn’t find setting the story in the midst of the pandemic to be in good taste. It has minor relevance to the plot but wasn’t essential. There’s a reason why the flu pandemic of 1918 was practically forgotten in the public consciousness until COVID-19 hit. It wasn’t a great time to live through and people would rather forget it. This isn’t to say that the pandemic should never be on film, but this is a classic case of “too soon”, particularly for a mystery movie that should have an escapist feel to it. Featuring masks and even having a scene on CNN with mounting death tolls and cases cuts against that.

The movie has a twist that’s revealed more than an hour in that leads the story to cut back and recontextualize some previous scenes. I’ve seen this technique used before but not in a mystery film. I’m not opposed to it, but I think it takes too long in this film and hurts the pacing. It’s also a case where the new context leads to scenes that are less entertaining and interesting than the ones in the original context.

The film also has a problem with its characterization. I blame social media and the illusion it creates, that we “know” people, including famous people, from their Instagram posts and Twitter accounts. In The Glass Onion, it feels less like human beings are getting together and more like social media profiles are. This surface-level characterization shows up in a well-worn plot element being introduced, and again with an even more tired method of saving one character’s life, a method that had been debunked on Mythbusters more than a decade ago. The plot would make this a fitting subject for a YouTube series such as How It Should Have Ended or Pitch Meeting.

Add to that an ending that leaves a bad taste in my mouth, and I really left with a less-than-stellar viewing experience, despite some high points. I loved Knives Out (review here) but I have mixed feeling about The Glass Onion. It left me pessimistic about getting good detective movies in the 2020s .

Rating: 3 out of 5

 

The Glass Onion is available to streem for free on Netllix.

Golden Age Article

My Top 10 Old Time Radio Podcast Episodes of 2022

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In 2022, we played 312 regular daily episodes of the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio, plus several specials and also twenty-nine episodes of the Amazing World of Radio. From these, I’ve chosen my top 10 podcast episodes of 2022:

10) Sam Spade: Caper with Two Death Beds (EP3849)

Sam is hired by a client who needs a deathbed statement to clear himself of a murder. Then everything goes sideways. This is actually a really clever mystery, with Spade doing some great detective work and coming up with a clever way to catch the real killer.

9) Burns and Allen: Gracie Sends Sam Spade to Jail (EP3950s)

Gracie Allen hears an episode of Sam Spade on the radio and becomes convinced that Sam got the solution wrong. She sets out to harass Sam (as actor Howard Duff) into clearing the innocent radio murderer. Gracie is at her most hilarious, and plays well of Duff. The production is great to start to finish and all the little touches, including Bill Goodwin working a pitch for Maxwell House coffee right into the story.

8) Dangerous Assignment: Find Champlin and his Reel of Tape (EP3923)

Steve is sent to Istanbul to find a reporter and listen to a reel of tape with sensational information on it. However, the reporter is found dead and the reel of tape provides a clue of some danger but leaves Steve with a lot of questions and very little time to find the answers. This episode has a lot going for it. Steve has to do some of his cleverest detective work as he’s racing against the clock. The ending is superb with an exciting high-stakes race to the finish. Easily the best Dangerous Assignment episode we played this year.

7) Yours Truly Johnny Dollar: The Paul Gorrell Matter (EP3829)

An insurance company has a lead on a man guilty of robbery and murder. They could turn this information over to the police, but the insurance company is afraid they won’t get their money back. Instead, they have Johnny take a cross-country road trip with the killer and two other motorists. Johnny knows this is a bad idea, but the insurance company insists, and Johnny gets to find out how bad an idea it is.

6) Man Called X: The Plot to Kill the NATO Pact (EP3737)

The Man Called X has to thwart an ex-Nazi scientist to stop the mass extermination of NATO leaders at a conference in Lisbon. Great action and a superb high-stakes story.

5) Mr. Chameleon: The Titled Husband Murder Case (EP3802)

By the fall of 1950, Mr. Chameleon had become a highly popular but also ludicrous program, full of the over-the-top characters that were typical of programs produced by Frank and Anne Hummert. In this one, the series really leaned in, and the lead character played to the maximum the absurdity of fake noblemen, gold diggers, and the social-climbing wealthy family that deserves them.

4) Suspense: The Khandi Tooth Caper (EP3795)

This hour-long episode of Suspense was an adaptation of two episodes of Sam Spade from 1946, in which two characters from The Maltese Falcon, Kasper Gutman and Joel Cairo, return with a brand-new MacGuffin to hunt – a valuable piece of dental work. Oh, and because the showrunner of Suspense was Robert Montgomery (who starred in the film Lady in the Lake), we got a Philip Marlowe cameo in a Sam Spade story. While the story isn’t equal to the original and repeats a lot of the same beats, it’s nonetheless an entertaining hour of radio. It also serves as a nice exploration of Spade as a character, and we get to see differences between Howard Duff’s take on Spade and the previous literary and cinematic takes on the character.

3) Sam Spade: The Dry Martini Caper (EP3885)

Sam is called by a lawyer who wants Sam to protect him, but the man is gunned down right before Sam’s eyes. Sam has to figure out which of the horrible people in his would-have-been client’s life committed the murder. This story walks a really fine line because it manages to be entertaining while featuring characters who are the worst. Yet, it manages to do this in an entertaining way, with some of the greatest insults uttered this side of Pat Novak for Hire. Howard Duff does a great job portraying how irritated Spade gets in this episode.

2) Tales of the Texas Rangers: Cactus Pear (EP3704)

Ranger Jace Pearson is one tough hombre. We have played multiple episodes where he continues on despite having been shot and requiring hospitalization. This episode best showcased the strength of Pearson and the Texas Rangers. The first part of the episode is a standard criminal investigation. The second part is an epic hunt for Jace to get his man before he crosses the Mexican border. Jace’s quarry is a cunning criminal with a big head start. This is an episode that shows that while you can evade the Texas Rangers, you have no margin for error when facing them.

1) The Man Called X: Operation Cabal (EP3785)

“Operation Cabal” ended The Man Called X’s eight-year odyssey as an on-again network-hopping radio spy/adventure program. The episode left open the possibility of a return but no episode could have beaten this one for a thrill-packed, insane finale. The Man Called X, the paragon of Democracy, faced his most dangerous and diabolical opponent in a shocking twist that makes for one of our most wild episodes.

Do you disagree or have other episodes you enjoyed more? Feel free to comment here or on social media.

Golden Age Article, Telefilm Review

Telefilm Review: A Nero Wolfe Mystery: Christmas Party

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“Christmas Party,” is set in the 1950s. Archie Goodwin (Timothy Hutton) agrees to create a fake marriage license to allow an enchanting dancing partner to press her boss and hot and cold romantic interest to give her a firm answering on marrying her. She invites Archie to the Christmas party of the design company her boss owns. When his boss, legendary private detective Nero Wolfe gets too pushy in insisting Archie instead drive him to an appointment, Archie to uses the license to make Wolfe believe he’s about to get married and to Wolfe’s horror, bring a woman to live in Wolfe’s house or leave Wolfe’s employ for good.

Things go wrong for Archie when the boss is murdered and the license (which could prove Archie a forger) is missing and could be found by police. It’s only when he arrives home that Archie finds how bad things are and that the honor and dignity of Nero Wolfe are at stake if they don’t solve the murder…and quickly.

This is a bit of an oddity in my Christmas viewing habits. I tend to go for uplifting traditional feel-good Christmas stories. However, “Christmas Party” is in the words of the froggy-voiced victim, “My secret public vice” entertainment-wise as I mention watching it on Twitter nearly every year.

Part of the pleasure is having an excuse to touch base with one of the best TV mystery series ever. I’d argue it’s the last great faithful adaption of old school detective fiction that we’ll ever see. The high points of the series are all present in this episode: There’s the stylish costuming and generally elegant set design that gives the series an authentic feel. There’s the marvelous ensemble cast that make up the bulk of guest characters each week. And there’s the writing that faithfully conveys Stout’s stories with a minimum of tampering.

As for the plot itself, it’s a pretty standard Rex Stout plot. Stout is the master of creating all these little worlds (usually within the realm of New York City) which are civilized on the surface but one homicide away from all the pent up hostility and petty rivalries within the group exploding to the surface. The solution is stylistic and bold, but not particularly brilliant. What makes this story standout is the Wolfe-Goodwin relationship. Despite Archie’s constant ribbing and the way they get on each other’s nerves, it transcends the mere employer-employee relationship. Mentor/mentee and Surrogate Father/Son are certainly fair ways to describe it. This story highlights the hidden warmth of what’s often a tempestuous relationship in a way that’s true of the clever subtlety of Rex Stout, and that aspect does more than anything else to make it fit the season.

There are minor quibbles to be had with it. The portrayal of Lilly Rowan, a semi-important recurring character in the books, as jealous of Archie having a dance partner on another night is far from book-accurate, although it does serve to provide the episode a nice TV original bookend. And of course, the plant rooms appear and reminds fans of the one way the early 2000s series fails in comparison to its much less-regarded 1980s predecessor: in its portrayal of Wolfe’s famous room full of orchids.

This doesn’t detract from its status as a solid entry in the TV show.

Rating: Satisfactory

Note: In a crime against great television, A Nero Wolfe Mystery is not available legally on any streaming service and the DVDs are all out of print. However, the series is worth seeking out however you can find it whether through your local library, an eBay auction, or fan-posted YouTube video.

Audio Drama Review, Golden Age Article

Audio Drama Review: The Great Gildersleeve, Volume 4

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Radio Archives’ The Great Gildersleeve, Volume 4 collects twelve episodes of The Great Gildersleeve from late November 1941 to late February 1942. Two episodes are missing from the collection; one, “Cousin Octavia Visits”, is in circulation but with much weaker sound quality than the ones in this collection. Still, I recommend listening to that one online because it shows how much the show’s focus and tone began to shift as America entered World War II. The contrast between the episode that was written before Pearl Harbor (but aired with breaking news bulletins, creating an odd contrast) and the one that followed it was striking.

“Cousin Octavia Visits” is a typical sitcom plot, where a spoiled child relative acts sweet initially but turns into absolute hellion once Mommy’s gone. The next episode finds the family in a financial crunch after Gildersleeve (Harold Peary) draws out most of their savings to buy defense bonds, while the housekeeper, Birdie (Lillian Randolph), shares her dark fantasy of poisoning Japanese soldiers. Don’t get me wrong, this volume’s not all patriotism and bloodlust. This set features some very funny episodes, but most episodes after Pearl Harbor reflect the subtle and not-so-subtle ways the War changed people’s lives.

The plots have a lot of great humor that center around comic misunderstanding, Gildersleeve throwing his weight around, and his inability to back out of an embarrassing situation. They also make good use of the fact that no one seems to communicate, which leads to, for instance, multiple people trying to sell the same Iron Deer statue from scrap metal. In another episode, the family ends up in a hilarious bidding war when Gildersleeve decides to surprise his daughter Marjorie (who is getting Red Cross training) with a bedroom makeover, only to find out that Marjorie (Lurene Tuttle) has hired someone else to do the job for her after they’ve already purchased a new bed. Gildersleeve’s son Leroy’s (Walter Telley) childhood hijinks serve as the basis for two episodes, one where he gets hold of Gildersleeve’s cigars, and another where he runs away from home.

The series also tries an expansion of the cast. Arthur Q. Bryan (best known as the voice of Elmer Fudd) arrives in the Cousin Octavia episode and stays on for another episode before departing. He’d return without the classic Elmer Fudd speech impediment later on in the series.

My three favorite episodes in the box set were: “Arrested as a Car Thief”, where a simple task of driving Leroy and some rabbits he’d been raising to an agricultural exhibit becomes a massive ordeal, involving horrible roads and multiple cases of mistaken identity; “Leroy Runs Away”, which has some similarities with mistaken identity, and not just of people, and also allows Harold Peary a rare dramatic moment and he doesn’t disappoint; and, my favorite, “Selling the Drugstore”, where Gildersleeve has been lecturing Leroy about the value of honesty and George Washington. Leroy takes the lesson to heart and then begins to hold Gildersleeve accountable for telling the truth. It leads to a lot of funny moments, but it also has a moral without being too moralizing. It also has one of the best comic twists in the set.

My least favorite episode (though by no means a bad one) is one where Marjorie’s Red Cross group needs education in fixing cars, and because Gildersleeve has been overheard talking about his prowess fixing sewing machines, he gets roped into teaching a class of female Red Cross trainees how to work on automobiles. It has some humorous moments and fun jokes but it’s just a little too contrived and disconnected from any sort of reality or logic for my taste.

Overall, this another solid set of restored episodes that really showcase the foundation of The Great GIldersleeve as one of America’s great radio sitcoms.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

 

 

Golden Age Article, Telefilm Review

Telefilm Review: Matlock: The Hunting Party

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In honor of the recently departed Clarence Gilyard, I decided to check out his first appearance on Matlock as Conrad McMasters.

“The Hunting Party” was a two-part episode that originally aired as a TV movie. In the series, a veteran journeys to Manteo, North Carolina to confront a member of a hunting party who killed his brother. They get into an altercation that’s broken up by Deputy Tyler McMasters. When the other man is killed, the veteran is charged with murder, and Matlock (Andy Griffith) heads to North Carolina to find the real killer and clear his client.

There’s a lot to like about this episode. The mystery is fun, even if a bit convoluted. As often happened with longer-form Matlock stories, there was an entirely different mystery that had to be solved before they could get to actually solving the murder. There are some good surprises along the way and it’s always fun to watch Griffith playing detective.

The guest cast is solid, with a few standouts. In addition to Gilyard, the “The Hunting Party” also features former Watergate Committee lawyer-turne-actor and later U.S Senator and later failed Presidential Candidate Fred Thompson really flexing his acting muscles … by playing a local politician and lawyer. Gilyard is a delight. He plays very well off Griffith and there’s genuine warmth between them. Because Griffith was involved in Matlock, it was one of the last shows that would frequently have guest characters show off musical talent for reasons totally unrelated to the plot. While entertaining Matlock in his apartment, Conrad plays country music on his guitar and even adds some yodeling, talents that I wasn’t aware that Mr. Gilyard possessed.

I also have to say the setting is an added bonus, as several scenes are filmed near the “Lost Colony of Roanoke.”

The story has some pretty typical flaws for Matlock. The villains, despite their elaborate plans, are none too bright. At one point, they decide to try and make it look like Matlock is a cocaine dealer, a ludicrous idea that does yield a hilarious scene where Matlock loses his cool in court during his arraignment after repeatedly admonishing his client for his outbursts of temper. The courtroom scenes are more ridiculous than I remember. It’s best to turn off your brain and watch as Matlock tries to make up for ignoring every rule of criminal procedure by employing pure unadulterated charm and folksiness.

While I love Conrad McMasters, it has to be said that his role in the story doesn’t make sense. Why is a County Deputy sheriff operating as a private operative for the defense counsel? His decision to move to Atlanta and become a private investigator is not given any plot justification. I think it probably makes more sense in real life where the actor who played Matlock’s original investigator was fired due to substance abuse issues. It seems likely that Conrad was a one-off character but became full-time with the need to replace the departed actor, which would explain why the end scene with Conrad arriving at Matlock’s office felt tacked on.

Despite these minor issues, this was still a fun mystery movie with a lot to commend it.

Rating: 3.75 out of 5

“The Hunting Party” can be watched for free on demand on PlutoTV.

Golden Age Article

The Four Worst Old Time Radio Detective Police Characters

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While certain characters such as LIeutenant Riley on Let George Do It and Captain Sam Sabbaya are exemplary agents of the law, others are far less so. After looking at the best police foils in old-time radio, we now turn to some of the worst police characters in old time radio.

Ranging from the brutal and corrupt to the painfully inept, there are some figures who engendered little confidence and respect for law from listeners. This isn’t to say their badness made the show bad. In fact, it often served as comic relief or gave the hero an obstacle to overcome. To qualify, the character has to have been a regular recurring member of law enforcement on an old-time radio detective program.

4) Sergeant Otis (Wilms Herbert) from Richard Diamond, Private Detective 

Sgt. Otis was the perfect comic foil for Richard Diamond. As long as Otis remained on the program (prior to Herbert’s sickness and eventual death), Diamond would take joy in nothing more than spending a couple of minutes befuddling and belittling the dimwitted Sergeant. He was also a source of consternation for Lieutenant Levinson as he was easily confused and frequently made serious blunders. This isn’t to say he is completely incompetent. He could go several basic police tasks passably. Sgt. Otis was a likable and endearing character, however, as a Sergeant of Homicide, he’s well below replacement in terms of actual competence.

3) District Attorney John Marham (George Petrie) from Philo Vance

It might reasonably be argued that a District Attorney is not a police officer. The problem is that Markham didn’t seem to know this. He insisted on being involved personally in every single homicide investigation in the city of New York. It would have been one thing if Markham were some investigative genius. Sadly, he was not.

He seems unacquainted with even basic investigative processes and makes ridiculous and illogical accusations (at one point a suspect had to explain why someone else asking him why he’d committed a murder wasn’t actually evidence he’d done it.) Markham’s best friend is Philo Vance and they both eagerly anticipate when a murder might occur so that Vance can go into action. Vance is called in to solve murders that are so basic that in other cities, the local police can solve them, but under Markham’s oppressive micromanagement, the city’s demoralized police force becomes more and more accustomed to being sidelined so Vance can impress Markham with his brilliance, which is usually just decent deduction and fair police methods.

Markham’s not much better as a District Attorney. At one point, he becomes unsure of the guilt of the man he was prosecuting. Rather than having the case dismissed or trying to use legal maneuvering to delay proceedings, he brings Vance in and gives him a deadline to find the real killer. This seems to be a ploy designed so that if Markham dismisses the case, he can quickly find a substitute murderer, thus limiting the political fallout from his flimsy prosecution. While everyone on this list makes someone’s life worse, Markham is the only one to do that for an entire city.

2) Inspector Hellman (Raymond Burr) from Pat Novak for Hire

Pat Novak is unlucky, very unlucky. He has an embarrassing tendency to find himself waking up next to murdered people just as Hellman enters the room.  Hellman invariably accuses Novak of committing the crime and threatens to have the state of California snuff out Novak, despite usually lacking any physical evidence that Novak did it. Hellman would usually let Novak go but scare him enough to do all the heavy lifting for Hellman in solving the case, and then have Novak in on bringing in the suspect in the final scene.

Hellman’s abusiveness was further illustrated by him once beating up Novak (admittedly on this series, everyone beat up Novak). Novak also hints that Hellman isn’t above robbing the bodies of the dead for extra cash. We don’t know whether that’s true or just Novak taking a free dig at someone he understandably loathed. It’s not necessary to put Hellman on this list. The programs reveal Hellman to be lazy, unjust, and badge-heavy.

1) Sergeant Greco (Lou Krugman) from Rocky Jordan

Rocky Jordan features the best police foil in old time radio in Captain Sam Sabaya (Jay Novello), and it also has the worst in Sgt. Greco. Greco hates Rocky Jordan and often acts out of malice, piling up an impressive record of false arrests in his Captain Ahab-esque pursuit of the owner of the Cafe Tambourine for whatever imagined crimes Greco wants to prosecute him for on a given week. Greco’s animus towards Jordan leads him to encourage a mob that would have ripped Jordan apart if they’d caught him.

The only thing to check Greco’s incompetence is his obsequiousness, his ambition to rise in the police, and his knowledge that if he goes too far, he could, at last, bring the wrath of Captain Sabaya down upon himself. Sabaya is understanding and to the credit of the writers of Rocky Jordan, they featured an episode that shows Greco’s family and gives some background that even makes Rocky more sympathetic. So much so that Jordan extended the hand of friendship, only to have Greco classlessly slap it away.

While the character is well-played by Krugan and used to great effect by the writers to create a thorn in Jordan’s side, Greco is and always will be the worst recurring police character in old time radio.

DVD Review, Golden Age Article

Telefilm Review: The Rockford FIles: White on White and Nearly Perfect

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In this Season Five episode of The Rockford Files, Jim Rocko (James Garner) is hired by an industrialist to find his kidnapped daughter. However, Rocco runs into an obstacle in the form of fellow private eye Lance White (Tom Selleck) who, despite claiming to be there just as “a friend”, becomes Rockford’s partner and annoys him with his almost perfect luck.

The episode is a comedy gem. As a series, The Rockford Files was known for having a somewhat cynical view of the world. Lance’s sunny optimism and classic do-gooder hero status clashes beautifully with that attitude, and Rockford’s annoyance with Lance makes for good comedy. Lt. Doug Chapman (James Luisi) is usually quick to bite Rockford’s head off about being involved as a private investigator in police manners. In this episode, he’s ridiculously chummy with Lance, and Rockford’s incredulity is priceless. Rockford has to deal with this sunny optimism while facing off against dangerous criminals and dealing with a client who is not being entirely straight with him.

“White on White and Nearly Perfect” was inspired by a 1959 episode of the Western series Maverick (which starred Garner as Bret Maverick) called “The Saga of Waco Williams”.

Selleck was a lot of fun in this role. His character was written in an absurd way and he leaned into it, making it a memorable outing. The episode is a treat for mystery fans, as Selleck was only a couple of years away from the premiere of his own hit detective series, Magnum, PI. The series features the most popular detective star from the 1970s with the most popular detective star from the 1980s.

This alone makes this a fun viewing experience for fans of vintage television. Add in Selleck’s comedy and this is a definite winner.

Rating: 4 out of 5

This episode can be viewed for free on Tubi on Freevee

Audio Drama Review, Golden Age Article

Audio Drama Review: Murder from the Bridge and Six More

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Murder from the Bridge and Six More collects a total of seven audio dramas written by Steven Olney and chronicling the adventures of retired police captain Waverly Underhill (Dave Ellsworth), as reported by his faithful friend Doctor Scofield (Wally O’Hara).

The series was broadcast as part of The Cape Cod Mystery Theater and has a wonderful local flavor to it, similar to the way The Adventures of Harry Nile captures Seattle. These sort of productions are really fun and I wish there were more solid detective audio dramas written in locations throughout the country. I will also say right off the bat that if you’re looking for detective stories that aren’t your typical whodunit, you’ll probably find a lot to like in this set.

The set opens with Murder from the Bridge, which is the shortest release in the set. Captain Underhill arrives to take a young man to the spot where his uncle jumped to his death from the Sagamore Bridge in an obvious case of suicide…or is it? This is a really good, suspenseful piece that builds tension and allows Captain Underhill to really shine, and show that sort of Columbo-like cunning of putting a killer at ease before bringing down the hammer.

In The Mystery of Anna Gale, Underhill investigates the apparent kidnapping of a little girl. This is a good one for showcasing Doctor Scofield’s superior humanity, and his ability to understand and be gentle with kids as a lifetime family doctor. It has an unusual and surprising solution.

The Curse of the Whale’s Tooth is a really solid Gothic mystery complete with a family curse, a cursed heirloom, and the mysterious appearance of a lion. It evokes a sort of New England Hound of the Baskervilles vibe, with a very modern twist ending.

The Mermaid on Halloween Bridge is about a mysterious mural of a topless mermaid being painted on Halloween Bridge. The painter is a young woman who is painting at night to avoid getting into trouble, and there’s an old man with gout who doesn’t like it and calls the police. This is a hard one to evaluate. My biggest problem is that Captain Underhill is shoehorned into the story. There’s a police shortage so severe that they decide to put the 70-year-old retired police captain out on the beat driving a prowl car that makes two appearances. The second problem is that it’s not really a mystery story as most fans expect. Technically, I guess the question of who is painting a mural is a mystery to the townspeople, but it’s not really a mystery to listeners. The story is not bad at all. The characters are decent, and the acting’s good, but the story is eighty-nine minutes long. There’s not enough going on in this story to make this worth a feature-length listen. This should have been no more than 45 minutes.

In The Case of the Automatic Murders, Waverly investigates a case where a young woman is waking up at night and apparently writing very creepy and spooky things in her journal. This one is a decent mystery with a good amount of atmosphere and probably one of the more spooky ones in the set.

The final two were released posthumously, after the death of star Dave Ellsworth.

The Spirit of Christmas finds Captain Underhill investigating an assault and robbery on a blind Salvation Army bellringer. This is probably the most humorous Captain Underhill adventure, although I really found its resolution to be a bit morally problematic.

The set concludes with The Final Case of Captain Underhill. Underhill had often jokingly pretended he was senile or had dementia. In an ironically sad twist of fate, our story ends with him on the cusp of the last stage of dementia, with only a few lucid moments. His friend of 50 years, Doctor Scofield, is working on staff at the facility where Captain Undersell is being cared for, so that he can be near his friend until the day comes when Underhill doesn’t remember him anymore. Underhill discovers a plot that could ruin the life of two young people and is determined to help them. Can Captain Underhill save the day one more time?

On one hand, this is a fitting final adventure that shows Underhill’s strength of character, tenacity, and resourcefulness, even when facing the toughest challenge of his life. On the other hand, without being maudlin, the story captures the devastating effects of Alzheimers and dementia on those who suffer it, and the heartbreak of those who care for them. It’s a poignant story that never feels manipulative, and is probably the best-written of the Captain Underhill stories.

This is a solidly written and well-acted set of stories. While there are stories I don’t like as much as others, on the whole I enjoyed the set. Waverly Underhill was truly a great detective and his adventures continue to be well-worth listening to.

Rating: 4.0 out of 5

 

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Book Review, Golden Age Article

Book Review: The Corpse Came Calling

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In the opening chapter of The Corpse Came Calling, a private detective acquaintance of Michael Shayne stumbles into the office where he and his wife are bantering and collapses dead after calling ahead and saying he wanted to stay Shayne. Shayne collects $200 from the dead man’s wallet as well as taking a piece of cardboard off him before heading upstairs to his apartment and pretending that his wife Phyllis was in the office alone when the dead man arrived where he encounters a beautiful blonde with a simple request: ,murder her fugitive ex-con husband.

While Shayne is used to playing fast and loose with the law, he could pay a much bigger price as his wife Phyllis ends up in jeopardy and his antics are of even more concern when a man from the FBI comes around alleging the murdered PI was a traitor and tied up with the theft of defense secrets. This is a particularly sensitive time as America had just entered World War II.

I did spend quite a bit of this book doubting Shayne. Even his newspaperman buddy Tim Rourke turns on him at one point when he sees what Shayne appears to be doing. At the best of time, Shayne’s methods are dicey but will he really carry on in such a reckless fashion with his country at war? I also have to say there was one scene I absolutely hated where Mike and Phyllis were held in their apartment by thugs and Phyllis was the recipient of rapte threats that were uncomfortably direct, particularly for the era the book was written in.

Despite these moments, the book is a solid entry in Shayne’s adventures with a lot of big twists and surprises that really showcase the strength of this series. The book may try the reader’s patience in the early chapters but really does pay off nicely in the end.

Rating: 3.75 out of 5′

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Golden Age Article

Top Ten Police Foils in Old TIme Radio, Part Two

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Continued from Part One

5) Detective Sidney Brooks (Larry Haines) from The Amazing Mr. Malone 

In the late 1940s and early 1950s, radio began to move away from the depiction of clowning police officers portrayed in many programs and towards a depiction of police as more competent. The Amazing Mr. Malone did a great job of this in its all-too-brief summer run in 1951. This was a series in which the police foil was allowed to be right, and our crime-solving hero lawyer John J. Malone would find this out the hard way. Larry Haines, a veteran star of many New York-based detective programs, did a great job making Brooks a slightly hard-boiled, yet believable and fun character.

4) Lieutenant LaSalle (Jack Webb) from The New Adventures of Michael Shayne

Before he played Joe Friday in Dragnet, and in the midst of starring in several other detective series, Jack Webb played the recurring police foil to Michael Shayne (Jeff Chandler) in one of the most hard-boiled radio detective series of them all. LaSalle was tough and often appropriately annoyed at Shayne, as well as being wise and street-smart. LaSalle was no one’s fool and made for a believable voice of authority in the wild world of Shayne’s New Orleans.

3) Lieutenant Walt Levinson (Multiple) from Richard Diamond, Private Detective 

Richard Diamond (Dick Powell) was an ex-cop and Levinson was his buddy on the force. At his best, Levinson was a combination of police foil and straight man to Diamond’s antics, while also struggling with the oafish Sergeant Otis (Wilms Herbert). However, when it came time to get down to business, Levinson was a capable and competent cop. The character managed to be both comedic and serious when needed. Four different actors played the role during the series’ run. In my opinion, the best portrayal was Ed Begley during Richard Diamond’s initial 52-episode run, followed by Arthur Q. Bryan (best know as Elmer Fudd).

2) Lieutenant Riley (Wally Maher) from Let George Do It

Lieutenant Riley was a delightful character to listen to. He was friendly towards George Valentine, but not too chummy. He could lay down the law about where police jurisdiction should lie without feeling like he was acting out of some insecurity or being overbearing. He was smart and generally personable. However, when he got agitated, Wally Maher’s performance made it a delightful bit of comedy.

1) Captain Sam Sabayya (Jay Novello) from Rocky Jordan

Rocky Jordan is set in Cairo, Egypt, a setting different than any other old time radio detective series. In order for it to work, it requires a police foil unlike any other, and Captain Sabayya certainly fits the bill. He’s from an entirely different culture than expat Rocky Jordan, yet they have a grudging respect and even friendship between them. Sabayya is probably one of the most cunning characters in old time radio but plays his cards close to the vest. While Jordan usually starts out ahead, Sabayya catches up and as often as not, overtakes Jordan in getting to the criminal. While he upholds the law, he’s civil and sympathetic to human frailty. Most episodes of Rocky Jordan end with Jordan and Sabayya sharing a cup of Egyptian coffee, the strongest drink a devout Muslim like Sabayya would drink. Overall, Sabayya is one of the most interesting characters in old time radio and by far, the best police foil in old time radio.

Golden Age Article

The Top Ten Police Foils In Old Time Radio, Part One

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For many radio detective programs featuring private detectives or amateur sleuths, the friendly or not-so-friendly recurring police officers become a key part of the series. Sometimes they lay down the law and warn against involvement. Other times, they might ask for help and drag the detective in. Whatever the case, some of these characters were far more helpful than others, and became huge positives for both the sleuth and the series. Over the next two weeks, we’re going to take a look at the top ten police foils.

10) Captain Logan (Bernard Renfroe) from Casey, Crime Photographer

Captain Logan was reliable. While not endowed with any genius or great intuition, Logan was competent and did a solid job at typical police investigations. While he and crime photographer Jack “Flash” Casey were friends, he would be careful not to give Casey and his newspaper any unfair advantage over their competitors. Captain Logan generally remained open with Casey and reporter Ann Williams about the status of his investigation and even took their suggestions when warranted. Logan showed concern for the civilians by offering them protection when needed, and rarely thought of having them serve as decoys or do undercover work that really should be handled by the police.

9) Noah Danton (Norman Fields) from Mystery is My Hobby

Danton may have been the one with official authority, but that was merely to give an air of legitimacy to the investigations of Barton Drake (Glenn Langan). While Danton could go wrong, he always got there in the end and was often smarter than the suspects gave him credit for. He had a high arrest record, which was impressive, even if his success was due to a guy who only viewed solving crimes as a hobby.

8) Inspector Farraday (Joe Forte) from Michael Shayne, Private Detective

Not to be confused with the better-known Inspector Farraday from Boston Blackie, Michael Shayne’s Farraday was a competent, good cop and a friend of Mike Shayne’s. He had plenty on the ball, which was evident whenever he, Mike Shayne (Wally Maher), and Shayne’s secretary Phyllis (Cathy Lewis) talked over a case. He respected Mike and was never too territorial. If only the literary version of Michael Shayne could be so lucky.

7) Lieutenant Ray Mallard (Henry Neff) from Candy Matson

Ray Mallard was not only the police foil, but the love interest of model-turned-private investigator Candy Matson (. While Mallard could be unduly dismissive of her hunches, he also was a great help and came to her aide in some big cases.

6) Detective Louie Parker (Bill Zuckert) from Crime and Peter Chambers

Louie Parker was both friends with Peter Chambers, and a good, honest cop. This could lead to some difficult situations, as his friendship and sense of duty could come into conflict. Parker always seemed to do the right thing. He might bend a rule, but he’d never break it. He would be fair, but always believed in Chambers as a person and as a detective. Zucker gave a good performance and his take on Parker is of a cop who is lovable while still being tough and fair.

To be continued next week.

DVD Review, Golden Age Article

Telefilm Review: Walker, Texas Ranger: One Riot, One Ranger

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In the feature-length series premiere of Walker, Texas Ranger, Ranger Cordell Walker (Chuck Norris) hunts down a dangerous criminal who is planning a big job by doing a series of dry runs in Fort Worth. In a bank robbery, Walker’s partner is shot down. He takes on a new partner in the form of rookie ranger Jimmy Trivette (Clarence Gilyard). Together the two set out to discover who is behind the murders, get justice, and thwart their evil plans.

Review (Some Spoilers Follow):

You get all the high-powered action you’d expect from Walker, Texas Ranger, with a lot of big action scenes and even an explosion thrown in for good measure.

The villain is menacing, with a combination of ruthlessness, a CIA background, and a disregard for human life. But he’s also a bit cartoonish and so is his plan. If he has a CIA background, it seems that he should be able to gather intelligence to find the right partners for his big heist, rather than using a series of smaller heists as trial runs that will draw the attention of the police and the Texas Rangers.

Despite the flaw in the villain’s plan, the case is still interesting, as there are a lot of details teased out over the course of the episode, and Walker and Trivette have to figure out the villain’s endgame.

Beyond the main plot, One Riot, One Ranger serves as an introduction to the series’ cast of characters. We get back story exposition from both Walker and Trivette. While not an ideal way to introduce characters, it’s at least done in a way that’s natural, and I think it was actually pretty effectively weaved in, as Walker shared his own trauma to comfort a young lady who’d also been a victim. We get far less time with prosecutor Alex Cahill (Sharee Wilson), but a good performance and well-selected scenes capture the combination of compassion and a passion for justice that are so key to her character. The series also introduces ex-Ranger and barkeeper C.D. Parker (Gailard Sartain) in the pilot episode, who serves as a mentor to both rangers.

Walker’s partner leaves no impression at all in the scenes he’s in before being killed. His inclusion seems like an unnecessary and pointless trip to the cliche-o-matic. Even in the 1990s, if you’re going to make “They killed his partner” part of your hero’s motivation, you have to make some effort to sell the audience on it, either by getting the audience to care about the dead partner, or by showing how deeply it affected the hero. None of that happens here.

While I thought Walker’s character worked well for the most part, the writers had him intentionally mispronouncing Trivette’s last time for the entire episode. Really, I can’t think of any non-illegal behavior that’s more insufferable than that. It’s a weak joke that could have sabotaged the show if other factors weren’t in its favor.

Even in the pre-9/11 days, it’s hard to believe it would be as easy to drop off a bomb at the Texas Rangers’ headquarters as is portrayed in the episode.

Also, while I thought Galiard Sartain did a decent job, I did find myself longing for the late Noble Willingham, who would play C.D. in the main series.

Overall Thoughts:

In some quarters, the original Walker, Texas Ranger is a bit of a joke, and you can see hints of why in this episode. But I think you also see why it remained a ratings hit for most of its eight-year run.

It’s a fun show to watch, the action is good and the characters are likable, even if they have some rough edges. Walker himself is perhaps the most prickly. He’s tough, relentless, and very gruff. Yet, at the end of the day, he lets a rape victim take sanctuary at his ranch in the midst of big investigations, and agrees to a dangerous rodeo stunt, one which landed him in the hospital the last time he tried it, in order to help out orphans.

While some may view the show as corny, the series really seems to be quite earnest. In particularly, Trivette’s story of his own origins, growing up as a fan of The Lone Ranger, reflects the sort of heroic tradition that the series puts its protagonists in. It was a very intentionally a throwback even in 1993.

Fundamentally, viewers approved and liked hanging out with these characters in between the big fight scenes.

The pilot has some weak spots that the series would improve on a little. It’s still a fun way to spend ninety minutes for anyone curious as to how a cultural phenomena like Walker, Texas Ranger began.

Rating 3.25 out of 5

The full episode is available for free on YouTube.

Audio Drama Review, Golden Age Article

Audio Drama Review: The Great Gildersleeve, Volume 3

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The Great Gildersleeve was one of radio’s landmark comedies, which really brought along the development of the sitcom. Throckmorton P. Gildersleeve (Harold Perry) was a character introduced on Fibber McGee and Molly.  The character proved so popular, he was given his own series. He departs from Wistful Vista and his thriving business (Gildersleeve’s Girdle Works) to Summerfield to help take care of the financial affairs of his niece Majorie (Lurene Tuttle) and his nephew Leroy (Walter Telly) after the deaths of their parents. Gildersleeve ends up forced to permanently relocate to Summerfield after some misunderstanding by Judge Hooiker (Earle Ross).

Most of the circulating Gildersleeve episodes are in so-so condition, so checking out Radio Archives’s Great Gildersleeve collections seemed a good way to enjoy this series. We’re starting with Volume 3 because Volumes 1 and 2 were collections of later “lost episodes” from 1951 and 1952 that had recently been discovered. This collection features twelve programs and eleven of the first twelve episodes that are in circulation. The Audition was from May 1941 and the episodes collected are from August 31-November 16, 1941.

If you’ve listened to later episodes of the series, these can feel a bit barebones in terms of the supporting characters. It’s striking that these episodes don’t even feature Mr. Peavey (Richard LeGrand), let alone the entire stable of characters who would be introduced in subsequent seasons, and who give Summerfield the feel of a real town. Instead, the focus is on the family, Judge Hooker, and their housekeeper, Birdie (Lillian Randolph). In a way, this is an asset, as the show gets to establish its main characters in these more carefree days, prior to Pearl Harbor and America’s entrance into World War II.

The comedy works very well for the most part. Peary is in top form as Gildersleeve, providing pitch perfect delivery of his lines. Peary’s take on Gildersleeve is known for his signature laugh, but the noises he makes go far beyond that, as he emits a staggering number of perfectly timed comedic noises. Peary also has a few solid catchphrases, which can have different meanings depending on his tone of voice, such as, “You’re a bright boy, Leroy.” Earle Ross is a perfect foil for Gildersleeve, and these scripts go a long way to establishing the Judge and Gildersleeve as frenemies, a theme that would play out in the first Great Gildersleeve movie.

The first episode and audition are essentially the same, with a few minor differences. The largest is that, in the audition, Harlow Wilcox from Fibber McGee and Molly appears, to make an ad for that show’s sponsor, Johnson Wax, as the sponsor hadn’t been nailed down yet for the first episode. The first episode has a typical commercial for the show’s ongoing sponsor Kraft in its place. The episode is about GIldersleeve taking a trip to Summerfield to handle the estate of Marjorie and Leroy’s parents and accidentally annoying Judge Hooker, who forces him to take a long-term relocation. After that, the series is essentially episodic for the rest of the set.

The plots are deceptively simple. The second episode has Gildersleeve and Leroy returning home and eating a cake that Marjoie had baked for guests. However, their efforts to remedy the situation turn it into comedy gold. Simple plots, like everyone getting locked out of the house, Gildersleeve and Leroy visiting an old friend and ending up babysitting, and Gildersleeve trying to get thrown in jail to expose local corruption, are all well-executed. The characters are likable and generally well-intentioned. Gildersleeve is more competent than many old time radio protagonists, but his big mouth, pomposity, and tendencies to exaggerate lead to some really good comedy. The writers often include ironic twists that, when revealed, make everything else funnier.

The last episode in the set is the first Thanksgiving episode of the series. In November 1941, America (even though not involved in World War II) was strengthening its defenses and many new soldiers were being inducted. Summerfield is home to an encampment of new soldiers, and Gildersleeve gets the idea of inviting servicemen for Thanksgiving and encourages everyone in town to do so. He goes down to the Army camp the next day, in the hopes of collecting a serviceman, only to find they’ve all been taken. He has to fight with Judge Hooker to take home with one serviceman. It’s an absurd situation, but also one that reminds modern listeners that a new, less carefree era was on its way for Gildersleeve and the city of Summerfield.

The series does have some issues that could be nitpicked. In particular, it struggles with its relationship with Gildersleeve’s former show. The first episode sets up Gildersleeve as living in the same world as Fibber McGee, only having to moved from Wistful Vista recently. Yet, at another time, the series refers to Fibber McGee and Molly as people with a radio show. Also, the first episode had a major goof. It’s established at the start of the episode that Fibber McGee and Molly are out of town, but Judge Hooker calls them at Wistful Vista in the end to get a reference, and talks to Fibber McGee.

Howerever, this is modern-day nitpicking. Overall, for an eighty-year-old series, the opening episodes of The Great Gildersleeve are a delight that mostly stand the test of time quite well.

Rating: 4.25 out of 5

The Great GIldersleeve, Volume 3 is available from Radio Archives.

Golden Age Article

Radio Detective Story Recommendations

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Recently, I saw a Tweet asking podcasters when was the last time that they recommended another episode of their podcast that listeners might enjoy based on the episode they were listening to. This specific activity isn’t something I do often with our podcast, since we’re working through different detective series and honestly, I can’t remember all the details of more than 3,800 episodes enough to be handing out 1:1 plot recommendations.

However, what did occur to me is that listeners who like the programs that we’re currently playing may enjoy another series from our archives that’s similar. I’ll be making specific recommendations for our current programs in podcast episodes next week. In this article, I’ll not only cover those series that we’re currently featuring, but those we’ve started, going back to Season Eleven. Note: I’m only going to do series that we did for a long time (apologies to so many of the short programs we’ve done).

Mondays:

If listeners enjoyed Dan Holiday’s adventures in Box 13, they might also like Night Beat. Box 13 is tough to find a match for and the characters’ motivation does differ. Dan Holiday needs to write novels and gets inspiration from the adventures that he’s sent on by people who mail Box 13, while Randy Stone spends his nights prowling around for a story that goes into the next edition of his newspaper, The Star. What both have in common is that not only do they each have a journalism background, but their methods lead to them investigating mysteries that you don’t really hear on other mystery programs.

Another tough program to match is Casey, Crime Photographer. No one’s going to match the exact quirkiness of Casey, Crime Photographer with the presence of unique characters like Ethelbert the bartender and the Blue Note (which is a character in and of itself), or Casey’s unique code of honor and role. However, if you want a similar style of mystery, you might enjoy Nick Carter, which was also produced in New York and has a similar style of crime fiction.

For people who love Spade, I’d suggest checking out Richard Diamond. This hard-boiled detective series starring Dick Powell, like Sam Spade, has plenty of humor, and like Spade it also has some romantic interludes. Diamond is a bit of a lady’s man and can spout a line of well-timed sarcasm. As a program, Richard Diamond has more violence than Sam Spade, and more and better singing.

Tuesday:

If you enjoyed the Australian version of It’s a Crime, Mr. Collins, you might also like The Adventures of the Abbotts, a 1955 NBC series whose scripts were later reused on It’s a Crime, Mr. Collins. The Abbotts generally features better quality acting and sound quality vs. It’s a Crime, Mr. Collins. 

If you liked the serialized radio adventures of Dick Tracy, unfortunately, we don’t have a detective program quite like that. However, you may enjoy our Old Time Radio Superman podcast.

For lovers of the Australian version of The Fat Man, I’d recommend checking out Barrie Craig, Confidential Investigator. While not advertised based on weight, Barrie is established to be a big guy who gets into and out of lots of trouble.

If you were delighted by our extended revisit to Jeff Regan, I’d suggest listening to our dedicated Jeff Regan feed where you can find all the episodes we did of the series going back to our first season. Regan is another tough series to match very well: Regan’s status as an employee, his crazy uncle boss Anthony Lyons getting him involved in weird cases because of greed isn’t something you’ll find in other series. Richard Diamond may have the most in common as on this series, as some truly silly set-ups can lead to some genuine moments of hard-boiled action and peril.

Mister Chameleon was a a bit of an acquired taste for many people. If you enjoyed it, then you might also enjoy the other programs created by Anne and Frank Hummer, including Hearthstone of the Death Squad, Inspector Throne and the longest-running detective series of all-time, Mister Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons. We created a “Keen and Company” feed with all of those programs.

Several good matches for our current Tuesday series I Hate Crime are available. That Hammer Guy (the radio adventures of Mike Hammer), That Strong Guy (AU), and The Man From Homicide all feature more violent, rough-edged protagonists. They were among the series that some listeners complained about at the time, but if you like I Hate Crime, they may be worth checking out on my Hated Detectives feed.

Wednesdays:

Our last two Wednesday series, The Man Called X and Dangerous Assignment, featured stories of international troubleshooting and intrigue. If you enjoyed either of those series, you might want to check out The Adventures of Frank Race. In addition, we did another espionage-based series starring James Monks as I.A. Moto. The series is included with another James Monks-led series, The Avenger, in a combined podcast feed. In addition, even though it’s not in the detective genre, you might like Top Secret, starring Ilona Massey as a World War II/Cold War Secret Agent. We did the entire series for The Amazing World of Radio.

Thursdays 

Our last two Thursday series, Mystery is My Hobby and Philo Vance, have some similarities to each other. Both feature genius detectives solving cases with the glowing admiration of minions of the law. Fans of Philo Vance might enjoy Boston Blackie, a series that was also produced by Ziv Productions, features an organ-based theme and also utilized New York character actors. Fans of both series might also enjoy more famous genius detectives like Sherlock Holmes, Nero Wolfe, and Hercule Poirot. 

Fridays

Yours Truly Johnny Dollar is our Friday mainstay and each era is a little different in terms of what the show is most like.

With Edmond O’Brien as star, the series was one of the bleakest old time radio detective programs.The closest series to the tone and feel of O’Brien’s take on Johnny Dollar would be the Jack Webb episodes of Jeff Regan. If you’re into downbeat mysteries, you might also enjoy another short Webb-led series, Pete Kelly’s Blues, which is part of our Forgotten Detectives feed.

The John Lund version of Yours Truly Johnny Dollar was a big mix of different types of stories, including a lot of script reuse from series such as Richard Diamond. Overall the type of stories being featured were quite a bit different than the hard-boiled tales of the late 1940s and early 1950s. There are some very rich and multi-layered stories that reflect evolving listener tastes. Other programs from the mid-1940s, such as Barrie Craig, Confidential Investigator and The Abbotts, are most comparable.

Saturday 

We’ve featured several Saturday procedural programs including The Silent Men and Tales of the Texas Rangers along with several shorter series. One program that procedural fans would do well to remember is our first Saturday series The Line Up, a series focused on realistic police cases, with each episode featuring a lineup scene. If you’ve enjoyed our other Saturday offerings, The Line Up is a must-listen.

If you have any recommendations or favorite golden age detective series that I’ve not discussed, feel to mention it in the comments.

DVD Review, Golden Age Article

Film Review: Cosmo Jones in the Crime Smasher

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Frank Graham created the character of Cosmo Jones for his radio series Nightcap Yarns, where he voiced all the characters in a Monday-Friday program. One of the more recurring stories to emerge was Cosmo Jones, an eccentric little “professor” who solved crimes whether the police wanted him to or not.

In 1943, the series received a poverty row adaptation as Monogram released Cosmo Jones in The Crime Smasher. The main plot centered around a socialite being kidnapped after a gangland killing.

The highlight of the movie was getting an actual on-screen appearance by Frank Graham, who also did radio announcing work and starred in the more serious detective program Jeff Regan, Investigator in the 1949-50 season. He had also served as narrator for a lot of short subjects and animated features (the most famous of which was Disney’s The Three Caballeros). Graham does a great job embodying the character of Cosmo Jones, the small, eccentric professor. He shows some decent physical comedy skills and is fun to watch as far as that goes.

The rest of the movie is weak. It feels unfocused at times. Edgar Kennedy and Mantana Moreland, two Monogram mainstays, were in the film but the script didn’t give them a lot to work with. The story is simple enough, but seems to get sidetracked, and much of the humor doesn’t land. Like many films, they felt the need to tack on a boy-girl romance between two side characters that just isn’t that compelling. It mostly seems to take away from the main attraction of seeing Cosmo Jones work on-screen. The film is not horrible or particularly offensive, but it isn’t good, either.

The film’s an odd curiosity for modern viewers. It’s a movie adaptation for a radio character for whom we have scanty recordings. The one episode we do have from Frank Graham’s run on Nightcap Yarns that features Cosmo Jones includes a fight between Jones and several policemen that would have taken Monogram days to shoot and an elaborate stunt in a museum that would have probably blown their production budget for the entire year. All this occurred in a twelve-minute radio story with nothing more than Frank Graham’s voice and a few sound effects.

As such, this was one of those ideas that would never have worked as a film, but you can’t blame either Monogram for giving it a try in the midst of World War II. I can only recommend it if you’re curious to see Graham act or if you’re a completist fan of either Kennedy or Moreland.

Rating: 2.25 out of 5