Art Carney stubs his toe with this ill-advised comedy farce for the Chrysler Theatre". A truly lousy production, it self-destructs in the first minute.
That's because veteran sitcom director Rod Amateau (famed for Burns & Allen, Bob Cummings and "Dobie GIllis" series) opted for an infuriating laugh track -instantly irritating. Art Carney plays a stuffy curator at an art museum who has brought a priceless painting from Lisbon for display under extreme security, only to be confronted by a supposedly comical set of would-be thieves, leading to dumb slapstick stagings.
The gimmick here is that Carney's character was formerly a fence for art thieves and many of the would-be caper colleagues are merely trying to protect him and his reputation. The casting is unimpressive and the action silly, especially a useless running gag involving pre-"Laugh-In" Arte Johnson styled as a beatnik (how amusing!) intent on stealing a cannon.
Unless you have a tremendous tolerance for stupid sit-com content, this one's excruciating to sit through.
That's because veteran sitcom director Rod Amateau (famed for Burns & Allen, Bob Cummings and "Dobie GIllis" series) opted for an infuriating laugh track -instantly irritating. Art Carney plays a stuffy curator at an art museum who has brought a priceless painting from Lisbon for display under extreme security, only to be confronted by a supposedly comical set of would-be thieves, leading to dumb slapstick stagings.
The gimmick here is that Carney's character was formerly a fence for art thieves and many of the would-be caper colleagues are merely trying to protect him and his reputation. The casting is unimpressive and the action silly, especially a useless running gag involving pre-"Laugh-In" Arte Johnson styled as a beatnik (how amusing!) intent on stealing a cannon.
Unless you have a tremendous tolerance for stupid sit-com content, this one's excruciating to sit through.
