Every year Joe will visit a bad small town, have a bad interaction with an old war buddy, avenge a fellow PI, and work with a kid. The kid either hires him or is a witness in a case. The kid in this case, Kevin John (H. B. Barnum III), is both the client and the witness.
The kid looks up to an old boxer, Bull Evans (Ed Bernard), who is a victim in a hit-and-run but manages to shove the kid out of the way. Bull says, "Larry Gates killed me" with his dying breath. Lt Malcolm and everyone else thinks it is an accident, but Kevin John knows better. We know better too as Bull was visited by two bad guys looking for a notebook. We also know because Charlie Picerni is cast as Larry Gates, and he is always a bad guy (with one exception). Joe noses around a bit by going to the fights, interviewing Larry Gates and his manager, and checks out Bull's room which has been turned upside down in a messy search. Despite a suspicious death and the room search, Joe spends more time investigating Kevin John by interviewing his boss at work, his teacher (Lillian Lehman), and his mother (Mae Mercer). Joe comes to the conclusion that it was an accident. How he gets past the room search is not quite clear. Joe breaks the news to Kevin John during an airplane ride and the kid takes it badly and runs away. He shows up at his teacher's place who calls Joe. Joe takes him home and visits the gym owner Mr Barlow (Red Barry) where Bull trained. The guy loved Bull. After Mannix leaves, the guy meets Gates and his manager so we know they're in on something. Lt Malcolm tells Joe that Bull and others were in a crime ring and Bull was a runner for them. Joe tells the kid who doesn't buy it. Two bad guys think the kid has the notebook and visit him at home. Kevin John gets away with the bad guys chasing him and mom calls Joe. During the chase, Kevin John takes a fall and is hurt. He tells the bad guys that the notebook is under a boiler in the arena basement. He is found by Joe who calls an ambulance and goes after the notebook. Joe confronts the two bad guys in the basement. Great shooting gets one guy and the other surrenders and then the police show up right on cue to arrest everyone while not actually providing any real help. Art Malcolm has the best timing in the world in that regard. Kevin John is not hurt badly and, while in the hospital, he learns Bull was involved in the rackets but wanted out, so he is not such a bad guy after all.
The cast has none of the big guest star names usually seen on Mannix, but they are good. It is the kid's show and he does well. Mike Connors interacts with him better than with a couple other kid actors who have been on the show.
Two nice touches. Joe gives the boxer's landlord (Joseph Mell) a ten-dollar bill to see Bull's room and says, "I'm Alexander Hamilton." The landlord replies, "I voted for you." The second was having a woman spectator at the boxing matches doing knitting while watching.
Joe references "Jonathan Livingston Seagull", a rare topical reference for a Mannix episode that today's viewers probably wouldn't get. As an aside, Richard Bach, the author of JLS, was married to Leslie Parrish who guested on Mannix three times. (I knew you wanted to know that.)
The kid offered Joe eight dollars for pay. Joe probably doesn't take it so he works for free again. At least he isn't shot or beat up. Not a great episode but it is above average - a solid B.
The kid looks up to an old boxer, Bull Evans (Ed Bernard), who is a victim in a hit-and-run but manages to shove the kid out of the way. Bull says, "Larry Gates killed me" with his dying breath. Lt Malcolm and everyone else thinks it is an accident, but Kevin John knows better. We know better too as Bull was visited by two bad guys looking for a notebook. We also know because Charlie Picerni is cast as Larry Gates, and he is always a bad guy (with one exception). Joe noses around a bit by going to the fights, interviewing Larry Gates and his manager, and checks out Bull's room which has been turned upside down in a messy search. Despite a suspicious death and the room search, Joe spends more time investigating Kevin John by interviewing his boss at work, his teacher (Lillian Lehman), and his mother (Mae Mercer). Joe comes to the conclusion that it was an accident. How he gets past the room search is not quite clear. Joe breaks the news to Kevin John during an airplane ride and the kid takes it badly and runs away. He shows up at his teacher's place who calls Joe. Joe takes him home and visits the gym owner Mr Barlow (Red Barry) where Bull trained. The guy loved Bull. After Mannix leaves, the guy meets Gates and his manager so we know they're in on something. Lt Malcolm tells Joe that Bull and others were in a crime ring and Bull was a runner for them. Joe tells the kid who doesn't buy it. Two bad guys think the kid has the notebook and visit him at home. Kevin John gets away with the bad guys chasing him and mom calls Joe. During the chase, Kevin John takes a fall and is hurt. He tells the bad guys that the notebook is under a boiler in the arena basement. He is found by Joe who calls an ambulance and goes after the notebook. Joe confronts the two bad guys in the basement. Great shooting gets one guy and the other surrenders and then the police show up right on cue to arrest everyone while not actually providing any real help. Art Malcolm has the best timing in the world in that regard. Kevin John is not hurt badly and, while in the hospital, he learns Bull was involved in the rackets but wanted out, so he is not such a bad guy after all.
The cast has none of the big guest star names usually seen on Mannix, but they are good. It is the kid's show and he does well. Mike Connors interacts with him better than with a couple other kid actors who have been on the show.
Two nice touches. Joe gives the boxer's landlord (Joseph Mell) a ten-dollar bill to see Bull's room and says, "I'm Alexander Hamilton." The landlord replies, "I voted for you." The second was having a woman spectator at the boxing matches doing knitting while watching.
Joe references "Jonathan Livingston Seagull", a rare topical reference for a Mannix episode that today's viewers probably wouldn't get. As an aside, Richard Bach, the author of JLS, was married to Leslie Parrish who guested on Mannix three times. (I knew you wanted to know that.)
The kid offered Joe eight dollars for pay. Joe probably doesn't take it so he works for free again. At least he isn't shot or beat up. Not a great episode but it is above average - a solid B.
