The Flintstones (TV Series) The Rolls Rock Caper (1965) User Reviews

Everybody's a Jackie Gleastone!

[williamlangan-22870 · 9/10 · 21 May 2020]

Last Sunday, MeTV played this episode of The Flintstones. It was Season 5's The Rolls Rock Caper written by Alan Dinehart, Herbert Finn and Arthur Pierson. It's one of the great police satires based on Burke's Law. It features Allan Melvin (Sam The Butcher from Brady Bunch and Barney from All In The Family), Henry Corden as the French Maitre'd and various voices by Mel Blanc (particularly the bully who wants a piece of Fred), Jean Vander Pyl and Gerry Johnson who play several (& I do mean several) of Aaron Boulder's romantic interests and Miss Vander Pyl plays the beautiful but evil villainess! Plot summary: Fred helps Wilma with the dishes and is asked to take out the trash. Fred still has his apron on and when he asks the trash man if he's too late to give it to him, the trash man days "No, Dearie, you just made it!" "Everybody's a Jackie Gleastone," snorts Fred (an homage to the Great One, without whom there's be no Flintstones). Barney sees Fred and teases him about the apron. Then the Flintstones and the Rubbles' enjoy a game of bridge. And in the other room, Bamm Bamm and Dino enjoy a game of basketball. Fred and Barney offer to pick up some ice cream at the store. On their way back, Aaron Boulder is riding in an impressive Rolls Rock car and stops them. He asks for their help to solve a murder mystery and gives them badges. They stop at one apartment. A sultry lady flirts with Fred. "Lady, I have to warn you, I'm a married man!," explains Fred. "And besides, you're melting my ice cream!" In the apartment, a guy takes to beating up on Fred several times. "Listen, I don't like cops!" So Aaron tells Fred to throw them out the window and it's Fred himself who gets thrown out the window! "I'll meet you in the steam room," Aaron tells Fred and Barney. At the steam room, Fred is given a massage and has his arms literally tied behind his back. After the sauna, Aaron thinks the murderer is on a boat. On the boat, Fred spots the murderer whose cigarette holder is really a carrying case for dynamite! warns him "Stop!," she warns. "Or I'll blow this boat to Kindgom Come!" Barney suggests "I think she's only bluffing, Fred!" Alas, she blows the boat up. As they reach shore, Fred and Barney turn in their badges. Aaron Boulder confesses the badges were really microphones and his hat was tells them his hat had a camera hidden. "Smile!," Boulder says. "You're on my favorite crime!" Then he takes them home and agrees to explain the whole story to Wilma and Betty. No need, they already saw the episode and Wilma warns Fred not to participate in any more love scenes with strange women. "You'll wind up in living color- black and blue!" What I liked: I liked the nod to Jackie Gleason, probably a thank you to him for not pulling the plug on The Flintstones (though he considered it). I liked the scene on the yacht where Barney removes the apple from the pig's mouth. "Put it back!," demands the pig! I'm sure many of you noticed in the sauna scene, Barney was wearing swim trunks and in the next scene, he's wearing his street clothes (it didn't take him long to change!). Fred does take quite a beating and winds up with 2 black eyes, which disappear in the next scene (the miracle of animation!). I also liked the jazz score by Hoyt Curtin as Aaron Boulder tells Fred and Barney they're TV stars for a day. All in all, a delightful satire and I give this 9 gallons of gravel pistachio ice cream out of 10!