I disagree with the guy who reviewed this and said it was silly. I loved this episode. Anyone who watches early 70's Detective shows and expects realism is already a loser. Peggy goes undercover as a hooker and the jail scene is classic where she runs into the great Joyce Van Patten. Virginia Capers was probably one of the best black actresses around back then her role adds a dash of realism to the campy goings on around her. Lots of great location filming. Enjoy this one as much as I did just don't overthink it like some of the pretentious previous users did.
6 Reviews
Unusual ep where Peggy and Joe bust up a dope pushing ring
belanger7510 August 2019
There is enough story here for two eps. Looks like it maybe was a two parter condensed down to one. In a lot of ways it looks more like a 1970s exploitation film than a Mannix ep. Beautiful guest starJoyce Van Patten plays a dope pusher . Some good scenes and I recommend it.
Far fetched plot but so what?
calvinboldjm17 April 2024
Warning: Spoilers
Gail Fisher did an excellent job in this spisode, where Joe was not much more than an observer. None of the cast detective regulars appeared at all. There were four major plot holes:
First, Peggy poses as a hooker and gets arrested in order to go undercover. Doubtful that the police would allow a private citizen to go undercover in a drug ring, and second plot hole, even more doubtful that a major player would recruit a pinched hooker based on a chance meeting in jail. Third, later in the episode, the detective on the case who asked Peggy to go undercover remembers the house depicted in a painting and goes to poke around in it. Really, no backup, just stroll in? Of course he gets shot. And fourth but not least, one of the main drug ring participants gets a conscience and says "...but we're selling to kids..."? Where has he been?!?
In the end, it's a fictional cop show that always wraps up neatly in an hour with some good guys but mostly bad guys dead or captured, and the plot details are not always on the realistic side. Witness episode 2 of this season, where a hit man tries to kill a priest who wouldn't even recognize his confessor let alone the hit man the confessor hired. That plot completely derailed the whole episode. Peggy as a hooker/drug dealer? I can live with it.
First, Peggy poses as a hooker and gets arrested in order to go undercover. Doubtful that the police would allow a private citizen to go undercover in a drug ring, and second plot hole, even more doubtful that a major player would recruit a pinched hooker based on a chance meeting in jail. Third, later in the episode, the detective on the case who asked Peggy to go undercover remembers the house depicted in a painting and goes to poke around in it. Really, no backup, just stroll in? Of course he gets shot. And fourth but not least, one of the main drug ring participants gets a conscience and says "...but we're selling to kids..."? Where has he been?!?
In the end, it's a fictional cop show that always wraps up neatly in an hour with some good guys but mostly bad guys dead or captured, and the plot details are not always on the realistic side. Witness episode 2 of this season, where a hit man tries to kill a priest who wouldn't even recognize his confessor let alone the hit man the confessor hired. That plot completely derailed the whole episode. Peggy as a hooker/drug dealer? I can live with it.
CAMPY FUN, BUT STILL DANGEROUS FOR PEGGY
tcchelsey1 October 2022
Gail Fisher did an excellent job in this episode, and you can tell she was havin' a good ole time playing a sassy hooker? It also showed off her acting skills, and Mike Connors thought the world of her. They were close friends til the end.
This is perhaps the largest, and most versatile part Gail had on the show. Peggy attempts to get the goods on one bad mamma named Dodie (well played by Joyce Van Patten) tied to a dope ring. Joyce was very popular on tv, sister of Dick Van Patten, appearing in both sitcoms and cop shows. Around the time this episode was filmed she appeared in both STREETS OF SAN FRANCISCO and HAWAII FIVE O.
This story is a mover and a shaker and with a host of familiar faces, such as Leonard Stone (as a real bad guy) and Oscar Beregi as a doctor. Also look for veteran actress Virginia Capers, and popular character actor Stanley Adams, who always reminded me of a Fred Flintstone type, generally loud and eccentric. He could also play some nifty villains too.
I agree with the last reviewer, there's enough story material here for a two part episode, nevertheless well written and directed. Catch the noir-ish music from scene to scene. Spot On.
Some interesting on location settings, such as historic Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City where many screen legends are buried. The series also frequented Valhalla/Pierce Bros. Cemetery in North Hollywood, the one with the beautiful flowing fountain.
Recommended. SEASON 6 EPISODE 18 color remastered CBS dvd box set.
This is perhaps the largest, and most versatile part Gail had on the show. Peggy attempts to get the goods on one bad mamma named Dodie (well played by Joyce Van Patten) tied to a dope ring. Joyce was very popular on tv, sister of Dick Van Patten, appearing in both sitcoms and cop shows. Around the time this episode was filmed she appeared in both STREETS OF SAN FRANCISCO and HAWAII FIVE O.
This story is a mover and a shaker and with a host of familiar faces, such as Leonard Stone (as a real bad guy) and Oscar Beregi as a doctor. Also look for veteran actress Virginia Capers, and popular character actor Stanley Adams, who always reminded me of a Fred Flintstone type, generally loud and eccentric. He could also play some nifty villains too.
I agree with the last reviewer, there's enough story material here for a two part episode, nevertheless well written and directed. Catch the noir-ish music from scene to scene. Spot On.
Some interesting on location settings, such as historic Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City where many screen legends are buried. The series also frequented Valhalla/Pierce Bros. Cemetery in North Hollywood, the one with the beautiful flowing fountain.
Recommended. SEASON 6 EPISODE 18 color remastered CBS dvd box set.
Peggy gets the lead in his one
Guad428 April 2021
Warning: Spoilers
I see the reviews are all over the place on this episode. I think I'm in the middle. I enjoy seeing Peggy (Gail Fisher) get a chance to carry an episode and there is the great guest cast that usually happens on this show but there are some logic lapses. Why would the police let a civilian go undercover? Peggy gets on the inside too easy. It is based on Dodie Green (Van Patten) "liking her style". Most crime rings don't go for style points as recruiting criteria. In fact, Dodie comes across as the wannabe cool high school girl rather than a harden criminal. Never explained why they need a hooker to be part of the team. James Watson asks Peggy to marry him after knowing her for two or three days. Mannix surrenders his gun in the climax when there is not a reasonable expectation that it will help him or Peggy. As often happens in this series and others like it, one of the criminals has an attack of conscience at a very opportune time for Joe and Peggy and shoots his fellow conspirators to end the threat. Then another baddie has the same dizzy spell and surrenders her gun. Then the cops show up just in time to arrest people. None of the regular police lieutenants play in this outing as the cops duties are left to Leonard Stone and Paul Picerni. Paul was a bad guy killed by Mannix in his last appearance and his real life brother is always getting shot or beaten up by Joe. Three of the characters are not around for the credits. Joe gets knocked out and worked over. Sure enough, he doesn't get paid.
If you can overlook the logic strains, not a bad episode. I have a feeling Gail Fisher is a much better actress than credited and it would be nice to see a script that allowed her to prove it. This isn't it but it is a move in the right direction.
If you can overlook the logic strains, not a bad episode. I have a feeling Gail Fisher is a much better actress than credited and it would be nice to see a script that allowed her to prove it. This isn't it but it is a move in the right direction.
Really dumb...and a good example why the show had seen better days.
planktonrules2 January 2016
I have so far watched every episode from the first five seasons and about two thirds of season six. I have found that the show is good but by season six, the quality had dropped a bit. Sure, some of the shows were very good...but too many seemed like they had just run out of ideas...and "Out of the Night" clearly shows they'd run out of ideas. It's a bad episode mostly because they have Peggy doing stuff that simply makes no sense...none whatsoever.
When the show begins, someone Peggy knows has a child dying in the ER because of a drug overdose. Now understand, ALL of Peggy's friends throughout the series either die, are accused of a crime they didn't commit or have disappeared...so being one of Peggy's friends or their family members is a very bad thing! However, what happens next is just nuts. A detective recruits Peggy to go undercover to infiltrate the drug trade! She is to pose as a prostitute...and inexplicably, she almost immediately is recruited by a drug contact...and it just happens to be the same one the cops have been looking for and don't know the identity of until Peggy just walks into it!! And I know this will sound mean, but Peggy just doesn't look like a prostitute* but like a pudgy middle-aged mom (when you see her in a bikini, you'll unfortunately see what I mean). Now had they played her as a housewife who needs money for drugs, it might have worked...but a $350 a trick prostitute...not likely. What follows is one near miss after another for Mannix and Peggy...all the while she DOES have a son waiting for her to return.
The bottom line is that the show never makes sense and the infiltration works way too fast and way too easily. I think the show has, by now, jumped the shark and I only hope that it regains its solid footing in upcoming episodes.
*Sadly, in real life Gail Fisher DID become a drug addict once the show was complete.
When the show begins, someone Peggy knows has a child dying in the ER because of a drug overdose. Now understand, ALL of Peggy's friends throughout the series either die, are accused of a crime they didn't commit or have disappeared...so being one of Peggy's friends or their family members is a very bad thing! However, what happens next is just nuts. A detective recruits Peggy to go undercover to infiltrate the drug trade! She is to pose as a prostitute...and inexplicably, she almost immediately is recruited by a drug contact...and it just happens to be the same one the cops have been looking for and don't know the identity of until Peggy just walks into it!! And I know this will sound mean, but Peggy just doesn't look like a prostitute* but like a pudgy middle-aged mom (when you see her in a bikini, you'll unfortunately see what I mean). Now had they played her as a housewife who needs money for drugs, it might have worked...but a $350 a trick prostitute...not likely. What follows is one near miss after another for Mannix and Peggy...all the while she DOES have a son waiting for her to return.
The bottom line is that the show never makes sense and the infiltration works way too fast and way too easily. I think the show has, by now, jumped the shark and I only hope that it regains its solid footing in upcoming episodes.
*Sadly, in real life Gail Fisher DID become a drug addict once the show was complete.
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