[profh0011]

This just in:
BANACEK: The Complete Series

Now here's an oddball package. Arts Alliance America put out the 1st season on 5-15-2007. They put out the 2nd season on 1-22-2008. They put out "The Complete Series" on 9-30-2008. Now, Season 1 has 2 discs, Season 2 has 3 discs. "The Complete Series" has BOTH previous packages in a SLIPCASE. I mean, really, they could have fit all 5 discs in ONE box, and taken up half the shelf space, but that would have required more work and money on their part.

But HERE's the part that "gets" me. THE PILOT MOVIE is included as a "bonus" with Season 2. NOT Season 1, Season 2.

You wonder, what kind of drugs was someone on when they did that?
"OOPS! We FORGOT the 1st episode!!!"



Right now, I just wish more of the later NBC Mystery Movie series had "official" releases. Most-- like HEC RAMSEY, MADIGAN, COOL MILLION, FARADAY & COMPANY, TENAFLY, AMY PRENTISS, McCOY, LANIGAN'S RABBI, don't. You gotta find those-- if you can-- on "BOOTLEG" sets, recorded off the air! (I've already got MADIGAN, and HEC RAMSEY will be next.)

The only "later" series that got an official release-- TWICE, in fact-- was THE SNOOP SISTERS. I got the 2nd version, which actually includes an earlier, unrelated movie that apparently "inspired" the series. MOST of these series were "inspired" by earlier, unconnected films... like "The Thomas Crown Affair" (Banacek), "Coogan's Bluff" (McCloud), "They Came To Rob Las Vegas" (Banacek), "Do Not Fold, Spindle Or Mutilate" (The Snoops Sisters), "The Sting" (McCoy) and even "The Mystery Of Marie Roget" (Quincy, M.E.).

[profh0011]

BANACEK
The Vanishing Armored Car Caper   (7 of 10)

An armored car carrying over one million dollars in gold somehow vanishes in the middle of a texas desert. Tire tracks go off-road and end at a sheer cliff. After 60 days, the insurance company is obliged to allow "anyone else" to try and recover the truck and the money... but what one company man is really afraid of is... "Banacek". He makes a living-- actually he makes a TON of money-- by collecting 10% of what he saves the insurance company from having to pay out. He's smooth and suave and BRILLIANT and never, ever seems to lose his cool.

About 3 weeks after the 1st season of The NBC Mystery Movies ended, this 2-hour pilot movie aired. I guess it was successful, as the following September, when NBC expanded the Mystery Movies to 2 nights a week (Wednesday AND Sunday), BANACEK became a regular series, rotating with MADIGAN and COOL MILLION. I came in a bit late to the party, but I eventually got hooked on the first 2 of those. MADIGAN only ran one season, but BANACEK ran two-- until its star had "creative differences" with the network. (I'm not sure what that means, but the same problem also ended HEC RAMSEY after two seasons.)

Anyone who saw THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR (1968) before this would probably recognize where a big part of it came from. In that, Steve McQueen played a bored rich guy who plans a bank heist, while Faye Dunaway played an unscruplulous investigator bent on getting the money back. McQueen's "Thomas Crown" and George Peppard's "Thomas Banacek" could have been brothers separated at birth. The series essentially took the villain of the movie and turned him into the hero.

But there's more! It was pointed out that the plot of an armored car vanishing in the desert was resued from another film from 1968-- THEY CAME TO ROB LAS VEGAS. I've seen that recently! The main difference is, that film focused mostly on the bad guys, this one sees it from the point of view of the investigator. I'll also mention one other film about an armored car heist, GUNS GIRLS AND GANGSTERS (1959), which also involves someone with a rifle shooting out a tire as part of the heist. I just love tracking down "influences" like this.

This episode reveals how Banacek's father worked for a company for 20 years before suddenly being fired and replaced by a machine. We then find out it was the very same insurance company he takes such pleasure out of being paid HUGE sums of money for doing their work for them.

Murray Matheson plays "Felix Mulholland", owner of a rare book store who provides his friend Thomas all sorts of obscure information. I've seen him in countless things, but the ones that stand out are a McCLOUD ("The Disposal Man") and a BATTLESTAR GALACTICA ("Greetings From Earth"). He's sort of "Rex Harrison-lite".

Ralph Manza is "Jay Drury", an Italian limosine driver who becomes friends with his new employer, and likes to guess how things may have been stolen. I've also seen him in countless things, including an episode of THE NANNY where he was friends with "Grandma Yetta".

George Murdock is "Cavanaugh", the head of the insurance company who realizes that in the long run, it's cheaper to pay Banacek than keep wasting money on his own investigators, or, worse, paying out the full amount of whatever is stolen. He appears in several episodes of the series.

Charles Robinson is "Arthur Patrick McKinney", a young, arrogant, insurance investigator who absolutely hates Banacek, and would do anything to see him fail. I worked with someone like that in the 80s-- a real scum. He seems set up to be a recurring foil, yet somehow never returned after the pilot movie.

Christine Belford is "Carlie Kirkland", another employee of the insurance company, who winds up getting romantic with Banacek... before she goes behind his back. When he forgives his chauffer for doing the same thing, but doesn't forgive her, he says, "All Jay and I shared was a limosine." She returned in several episodes of season 2, but by then had become just plain annoying. Murdock and Belford also later turned up on BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, he as the ship's doctor, she as a dangerous convict assigned to a suicide mission.

Ed Nelson (a very familiar face on TV for decades, including 514 episodes of PEYTON PLACE) is "Geoff Holden", a rather-crooked rich land developer who is just so much of an obvious main suspect, you kinda start hoping he WASN'T behind the robbery and several murders.

As with too many of the NBC Mystery Movies, I never got to see this pilot until some years after the series ended! It's a good film that sets up a lot, but it's never been one of my favorites, perhaps because of that extra half-hour. To me, the 90-minute format (including commercials) was perfect for these kind of movies, but when NBC started wanting them all to fit a 2-hour slot, too many of them felt terribly-padded. I'm afraid that includes this one.

[The Australian Panther]

The Collected Wisdom of Banacek
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykuGCT2uixk

enjoy!

[profh0011]

BANACEK:  Let’s Hear It For A Living Legend
The Football Player Vanishes   (5 of 10)

On live TV, a football player is tackled by 4 guys. But when they up, the man they tackled is GONE. The police and the insurance company both believe it's a publicity stunt, but, the team owner tries to convince Banacek it isn't. He agrees to look into it because, as he says, "I'd like to know how they did it."

I'm not big on sports, especially football, but this is a mystery show, so, I did my best to pay attention. It wasn't easy, as somehow, the connections, how certain facts came together to steer the investigator in the right direction, weren't always obvious or clear. And I watched this twice back-to-back this week, something I never do! Still, my late best friend used to say, that COLUMBO and BANACEK share in common, that, to him, the crime at the beginning, and the solution at the end, are the ONLY parts worth watching. Everything in between is just scene after scene of people standing around talking. I never really agreed with that, and found his cynical attitude kind of sad. Of course, he was also a speed-reader, and often went through an entire novel in one sitting-- getting the plot, but NO human element out of any story in the process. Too bad. I'd rather take my time and enjoy the ride.

Robert Webber (12 ANGRY MEN, REVENGE OF THE PINK PANTHER) is "Jerry Brinkman", the team owner, who at one point, Banacek suspects is behind it all, since he's got the best motive.

Stefanie Powers (THE GIRL FROM UNCLE) is "Angie Ives", ex-wife of the vanished player. She says she just wants to know he's alright, while slowly becoming interested in the Polish guy trying to find him.

Madlyn Rhue (STAR TREK: "Space Seed") is "Holly Allencamp", a rather flaky barfly who may hold a key piece of info to solve the mystery.

Conrad Janis (one of those ubituitous character actors you've seen in everything without knowing his name) is the video technician who helps Banacek view the original films of the game where the mystery occured.

Jock Mahoney (TARZAN GOES TO INDIA) is "Albert Bates", an ex-military guy responsible for a KIDNAPPING pulled off in such a way that until a ransom note arrived days later, nobody even realized was a kidnapping.

A curious piece of trivia, never mentioned in the episode itself, is that the office of the team owner is in the SAME building that houses the Insurance Company that winds up paying Banacek for finding the missing player.

How did they do it? WATCH THE MOVIE! I'm not gonna tell you.

[profh0011]

BANACEK:  Project Phoenix
How DOES a flatcar vanish from the middle of a moving train?   (6 of 10)

That's the question, when an experimental prototype car is being moved by railroad, and the train was going 50 MPH and never stopped along the route. I remembered how this one was done... it was the rest of the story I had virtually no memory of. Which makes re-watching it all the more fun.

William Windom (MY WORLD AND WELCOME TO IT) and Bert Convy (THE SNOOP SISTERS) are "Harry Wexler" & "Douglas Ruderman", owners of the company that designed the missing car.

Percy Rodrigues (STAR TREK: "Court Martial") and Herb Edelman (STRIKE FORCE) are "Faldor" and "Joe Haddenhurst", insurance company reps who would hate to pay out what the car was insured for; the latter has a personal hatred of Banacek, who will collect his usual 10% if he finds the car.

Peter Mark Richman (LONGSTREET) is "Andy Cole", owner of the rival car company, who will win big if the car isn't found and his own wins a big contract. More con-artist than designer, he's a prime suspect for who might be behind the theft.

Joanna Pettet (THE BEST HOUSE IN LONDON) is "Christine Verdon", who once worked for Cole, was also in love with him, and was caught stealing plans from his rival's company. She insists she was framed... and only conceited womanizer Thomas Banacek seems to be on her side.

Stafford Repp (BATMAN) is a helpful local police chief, who looks like he put on quite a few pounds since 1968. Bruce Kirby (who's been in practically everythng including 9 episodes of COLUMBO) is "Collier", an undertaker who also owns a laudromat. John Fielder (BUFFALO BILL) has a very unusual role as "Paddle", a hobo who once worked for a large bank, who provides Banacek some important info.

I mostly remember the ending of this because Banacek demonstrated how the crime was committed using a table-top model railroad set, and I was very big into those when I growing up. I won't tell you how it was done, but according to the Trivia section, the same method of stealing a train carriage from a moving train can be found in the story, "Sir Gilbert Murrell's Picture", from the book "Thrilling Stories of the Railway" (1912), by the Rev. Victor L. Whitchurch. Now if only this TV-movie had actually included that in the credits-- TSK!

[profh0011]

BANACEK:  No Sign Of The Cross
The Reverse Transfiguration   (6 of 10)

An aging ex-gangster decides to buy and then donate a priceless cross to an Arch-Diocese, and great security precautions are taken to ensure its safe delivery from Mexico to Los Angeles. But when the package containing it is opened, it has suddenly become a simple metal cross. HOW?

The Church calls in Thomas Banacek, asking him to perform a "miracle" while admitting it's really the insurance company who'll be paying his finder's fee should he succeed. 3 different gangsters are among the suspects, and the story rambles in such a way that I simply found it IMPOSSIBLE to figure out how the crime was pulled off, who did it, or even how Banacek figured it out! But, as usual, it's the guest-cast that tends to make one of these things. (Although, if you take note of WHO is least happy about his investigating... but, I've already said too much. Heh.)

Broderick Crawford is "Gilbert Deretzo", a sickly ex-gangster who hopes his gift to The Church will buy his way into Heaven. Crazy enough, I always remember him for an episode of GET SMART, but, he was also Jack Kirby's model for touch NYC cop "Dan Turpin".

Louise Sorel (STAR TREK: "Requiem For Methuselah") is "Alicia Danato", Deretzo's grand-daughter, who takes a liking to Banacek.

Victor Jory (THE GREEN ARCHER) is Paul Andros, a former rival of Deretzo; each accuses the other of being behind the theft.

Peter Donat (THE CHINA SYNDROME) is "Robert Morgan", a much-younger gangster who's so obsessed about "owning" things and people, he winds up attacking Banacek with a sword because his girlfriend kissed the guy.

Ahna Capri (ENTER THE DRAGON) is "Mme. Pompadour" (at a party), who Banacek warns should get out while she can, after seeing Morgan make a complete fool of himself.

Kermit Murdock (THE ANDROMEDA SYNDROME), Peter Brocco (THE HAUNTED PALACE) and Olan Soule (SUPER FRIENDS) fill out the cast as an Archbishop, a Cardinal, and hotel desk clerk. I wonder how many people ever saw Soule onscreen and realized that for 15 years he was the cartoon voice of BATMAN?

The solution to this is BRILLIANT, but it would have been nice if I felt I had even the slightest chance of figuring it out on my own while watching.

[profh0011]

BANACEK:  A Million The Hard Way
Money Under Glass   (6 of 10)

In a Las Vegas Casino, a publicity stunt involves a million dollars in cash on display under glass. But when someone nearby wins a huge jackpot on an oversized one-armed bandit, then causes a loud disturbance when they object to their picture being taken, the cash has vanished in seconds.

Apart from trying to figure out how this happens, Thomas Banacek’s toughest job this time around is trying to keep his chauffer Jay from constantly gambling all his money away.  But while he’s at it, he also gets very friendly and even romantic with the woman who was taking pictures for the casino.

Margot Kidder is “Linda Carsini”, the photographer and part-time pilot who finds herself falling for Thomas, while frustrated by his repeatedly postponing having dinner with her as his investigations keep taking him away.  When they first meet, there’s this remarkable exchange:  “Banacek. One name… like Superman?”  Incredibly, this was 6 years before Kidder wound up playing Lois Lane in the 1978 movie SUPERMAN.

Multiple interrogations, one plane flight in which someone sabotages the landing gear, a lot of running around and a lot of wracking his brains, and Thomas solves the crime.  And, as usual, the resolutions of these mysteries are always amazing to see explained.  At the end, though, I felt a great sadness come over the story, more than usual for this series, when he said goodbye to Linda.

[profh0011]

BANACEK:  To Steal A King
The Vanishing Coin Collection   (6 of 10)

A dealer in rare coins checks into a hotel which has set up a high-security suite with time-locked vault included, puts a high-priced set of coins into it and goes to sleep. The next morning, he wakes up, opens the vault... and the coins are GONE. Well, this is a BANACEK episode, what did he think was gonna happen?

Unusually for this series, Thomas spends the first 58 minutes of the story interviewing the people who were scheduled to bid for the coins at an auction, before he even begins looking into HOW they might have been stolen.

Kevin McCarthy (INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS, UHF), is "Allen Markham", a ruthless trader who's made enemies of both his former best friend and his own wife. As the story continues, we slowly learn that these broken relationships are involved in the crime.

Pernell Roberts (BONANZA) is "Matthew Doniger", one of the bidders, who gives Thomas a lot of important info on the man he's trying to help.

Roger C. Carmel (STAR TREK: Mudd's Women) and Logan Ramsey (STAR TREK: Bread and Circuses) are "Oliver & Roland Garson", a pair of brothers obsessed with collecting rare items, and have their entire home filmed with counterfeit items, in order to keep the insurance costs down. They attempt to bribe Thomas into finding the coins for them-- without telling the insurance company-- with implied threats if he turns down their offer-- and naturally, he turns them down.

Janis Paige (PLEASE DON'T EAT THE DAISIES) is "Lydia Markham", who feels betrayed by her husband's behavior toward her from several years earlier, doesn't have any sympathy for him when the robbery happens.

David Spielberg (MADIGAN: The Park Avenue Beat) is "Wendell Church", who works direct for the insurance company, and deeply resents that if Thomas finds the stolen coins, he get 10% of their value, while if he did it, he'd only get his weekly paycheck.

Brenda Vaccaro (McCLOUD: The Park Avenue Rustlers) is "Sharon Clark", a bank employee who admits she's in it for the money, who Thomas winds up liking because of her honesty. For whatever reason, I've always liked Vaccaro in everything I've ever seen her in, including when she did a voice on several episodes of THE CRITIC.

The solution is actually a lot less complex than in some episodes, and ironically, it's the Garsons who gave Thomas the idea to solve it.

[profh0011]

BANACEK:  Ten Thousand Dollars a Page
The Book and the Bullying Billionaire   (6 of 10)

A newly-constructed art museum has a high-security room designed to put a priceless book on display, which is considered impossible for anyone to steal from. When the alarms go off, an army of police arrive, the automatic door to the room is opened, the book is GONE and there is no sign of any burglar... Thomas Banacek is called in. As he fences with an insurance company rep who absolutely hates his guts, and deals with the maniacal, power-mad owner of the book, he comes to realize that just about everyone in any way involved with the book's owner hates the man, and would love to see the book never recovered.

David Wayne (Jim Hutton's father on ELLERY QUEEN), under heavy make-up (but no one could ever disguise that voice) is "Walter Tyson", an old, crippled rich guy who always insists on getting his way, until he meets Banacek, who refuses to allow himself to be "hired" to work on a job he's already working on.

Stella Stevens (THE NUTTY PROFESSOR) is "Jill Hammond", who not only has a reason to hate her boss, but also starts out with a grudge against Thomas for something he allegedly did to a friend of hers-- when, in fact, he was out of the country at the time! She winds up apologizing-- but things don't really get much smoother after that.

David Doyle (CHARLIE'S ANGELS) is "Elliot", who resents Banacek and is constantly trying to get him to tell him what he knows or suspects about the crime. Whether or not he hopes such info might allow HIM to collect the finders's fee instead of Thomas, we never find out.

George Lindsey (THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW) is "Lt. Bradshaw", a friendly and very helpful police detective assigned to the case.

Ted Cassidy (THE ADDAMS FAMILY) is "Jerry Crawford", brother to someone Banacek suspects was involved in the theft, who first admits what he knows-- then tries to kill Thomas to prevent the info from going anywhere.

Ralph Manza as chauffer "Jay Drury" oddly only has one brief cameo in this story, as Thomas winds up mostly driving himself around. Murray Matheson as "Felix Mulholland" is annoyed that, when Thomas asks him for the first time ever about a rare book, he's NOT interested at all in its history!

Not a bad episode, merely an average one. BANACEK as a series didn't last long enough to get boring or run out of ideas or steam. Maybe that's a good thing!

[profh0011]

BANACEK:  THE GREATEST COLLECTION OF ALL
The Missing Masterpieces   (7 of 10)

$23,000,000 worth of rare, privately-owned paintings, at the end of a nation-wide tour, are being shipped by truck back to Boston. For 5 hours, 2 security cars, one in front, one in back, escort the truck, and the woman who organized the exhibit is in the rear car, never once taking her eyes off the truck. Yet, when the cases are unloaded and opened, all but ONE of the paintings have vanished! Police pull over the departing truck and a thorough examination of it is made, but no obvious clues turn up. That's when Thomas Banacek is called in. As he does his usual investigation, he not only slowly romances the woman everyone suspects must be involved, but also has fun spreading rumors about the insurance man who hates his guts and resents an "outsider" being called in to save HIS job!

This one had a cast of actors I'd seen before, including Mike Farrell (MASH), Lloyd Gough (THE GREEN HORNET), Barbara Stuart (GOMER PYLE), John Hoyt (STAR TREK: The Cage), Garry Walberg (QUINCY), Robert DoQui (TARZAN), Gene Dynarski (STAR TREK: Mudd's Women), Arch Johnson (THE MONKEES), and George Murdock (BATTLESTAR GALACTICA). Penny Fuller (CHINA BEACH) was "Gloria Hamilton", who had a bigger chip on her shoulder than most women Thomas takes an interest in. He didn't seem to mind.

One fun moment was when Banacek wants to talk to the man in charge of security, who deeply resents the insurance company being responsible for his having been suspended from his job. Instead of helping Banacek solve the case quicker so he can get back to work, he decided to take out his rage on Thomas in a back alley... only, he's the one who winds up lying on his back unconscious.

Most episodes of this short-lived series tend to run along similar lines, with a clever crime & solution, and a long stretch in the middle of investigations where it's often near-impossible to figure out how things will end along the way. I rated this one higher than average, simply because it was FUNNIER than most.