Mannix (TV Series) Cold Trail (1971) User Reviews

Quite good--mostly because of the wonderful change of locales.

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 21 November 2014]

When "Mannix" first began, the show seemed a lot fresher and had more adventurous settings. Over time, the exotic locations seemed to all be around Los Angeles and there was a certain sameness about many of the shows. They were good...but similar. Because of this, I was thrilled as I watched "Cold Trail" as it begins on the ski slopes! But it isn't 100% unique, as soon some young ladies who Joe meets and befriends are set upon by EVIL!!! One is murdered and the other seems like she might be next.

While the reason why all this was happening seemed more than a tad unlikely, it also was novel and the show worked pretty well overall. An interesting change of pace.

Absolutely loved this episode!

[newmanjames-17221 · 9/10 · 25 March 2022]

There is so much to love about this episode: the scenic locations, a great car chase down the mountain that keeps you on the edge of your seat, use of a spear gun as a murder weapon. A heroin who may have set up her friend to be murdered (you know she must have suspected someone was following her...sounds like a great time to pull the switch on ski suits), campy acting that borders on self-parody, with an especially wonderful and diabolical performance by Patricia Medina (the scene with the bantering between Patricia and Nicolas Cortland posing as her entitled son while they're drugging Joe Mannix and the heroin is particularly delightful). This is what television of that era was all about...escapism. When you find a gem like this hold onto it tight.

Nicely done outing

[Guad42 · 8/10 · 26 May 2023]

A good episode that has two groups chasing the big guy and his young lady companion after the woman's friend is killed on the ski slopes. Which group are the good guys and which are the bad? You will be kept guessing - always a good hallmark for any story.

The plot has been covered by others so a few comments. When one of assassins picks up the wrong woman's unconscious body on the ski slope, he is clearly picking up a dummy. Paul Mantee plays a character named Frank Viola. There was a pitcher in the major leagues named Frank Viola beginning in the early 1980s. He had a good career, including a Cy Young award. Boris Sobelman received a 'story by' credit for this episode. He had died several months before this episode aired. George Voskover, one of the jurors in "12 Angry Men", always reminds me of Eli Wallach.

One thing stayed the same. Joe works for free again. This is well worth your time. Do see it.

ONE HECK OF A COLD TRAIL FOR JOE!

[tcchelsey · 10/10 · 6 August 2022]

Strictly for mystery buffs. 10 Stars.

Who else to direct than Barry Crane, also the producer. Crane was an outstanding director, so you know this is going to roll. He also was a professional bridge player and often played bridge with Mike Connors between scenes.

This one has a beautiful change of scenery; Mannix chasing the bad guys during a skiing vacation, which is quite original. A college professor's seemingly innocent daughter is targeted by kidnappers --BUT is she really that innocent? Two superb veteran actors co-star. Patricia Medina, wife of Joseph Cotten, star of many American and British films (THE THREE MUSKETEERS, VALENTINO) plays Mrs. Corot, in one of her final roles. You can be sure Barry Crane asked Cotten to appear on the show. That would have been amazing if he said yes.

Also look for Czech actor George Voskovec, very much in demand in both American and British films. Best remembered as the psychic in THE BOSTON STRANGLER. Rough and tumble guy Paul Mantee plays Frank, one of many memorable roles he made on the series and MISSION IMPOSSIBLE.

A bit creepy at times, especially when Joe is drugged and watch the bizarre camera angles. Super photography. The only episode pretty Heidi Vaughn appeared in (who resembled Jaimie Smith jackson), later to leave acting to become a teacher for many years until her passing.

Watch the car go over the cliff in an OUTSTANDING chase scene; and this time the car does NOT look like an old clunker. Paramount must have added more to the budget. Possibly filmed up at Lake Tahoe, a skier's paradise.

Wait for the ending and see if you guessed right. SEASON 5 EPISODE 2. CBS remastered dvd box set.

Interesting and engaging

[tavasiloff · 10/10 · 14 February 2021]

An interesting and engaging episode. The story line held my interest, waiting for the next scene. I agree that the change of scenery was a nice addition.

I Always Have Been a Mannix Fan

[williammaceri · 10/10 · 18 September 2022]

I've watched Mannix from the very beginning. It's always great action, pretty realistic story lines and the production was always top shelf. But what really draws me to the show are the 60s, and 70s vintage car scenes. When I was young my first choice of car was a '70 or '71 black 'Cuda, but they were too expensive at the time, so I bought a '69 Mach l and never regretted it. The Mannix car chases are great, they usually featured Mopars of every model. Plymouth, Dodge, Chryslers and Imperials although that would change over the years. GM'S Chevrolet Camaros, lmpalas, and Cadillacs were used too, and of course in the very beginning that customized Toronato. I watch the 50s and 60s Perry Mason shows for the same reason, the cars. But this episode includes skiing, I love to ski. I wanted to know what mountain they used but locations only listed Paramount Studios. I know those mountain locations were not a set on some Backlot. But really, it's all about those Mopars, especially when we get to hear them start. That 60s Chrysler starter cry goes right through me. I love that.

A Real Mystery Right Up to the End (a real review, not just a synopsis)

[WYAdams · 10/10 · 22 September 2022]

Mannix and two young women are standing on a ski trail. They decide to ski to the lodge and Mannix starts down the hill. The two women are alone when the woman in yellow says her binding is loose and tells her friend to go on ahead. Somewhere along the trail a skier wearing a hockey mask way lays her. We then see Mannix and the woman in yellow at the restaurant without the woman in blue. Shortly thereafter we learn the missing woman was found dead from an apparent skiing accident.

Mannix is suspicious because her body was so far from the ski trail. Also, while waiting for the surviving woman to pack he spots a picture of the women wearing opposite colored suits and surmises that the surviving woman was the intended target. Just before they leave someone tries to kill Mannix.

We also see a mystery man in a house who gets the news about the dead woman being the wrong woman and sends an armed man who appears to be a goon to correct the mistake and finish the job of killing the woman.

As Mannix drives down the highway from the resort a car with two men gives chase, one of them makes several attempts to shoot out the tires of Mannix's car. After an exciting gun filled chase Mannix spins his car sideways so it blocks the road. The driver of the bad guys' car swerves to avoid an aciident and drives over a steep hill. The car explodes for no apparent reason except for dramatic effect. It is stupid and contrived, but is a common effect used to make scenes more exciting.

Mannix examines his car and mysteriously discovers a wheel is bent making the car undriveable. Another stupid plot twist, since sliding a car cannot possibly bend a steel wheel, but it was necessary to the plot. Sure enough a man from the lodge arrives and volunteers to take Mannix and the woman to his house so they can call road assistance. Mannix and the woman are given drugged drinks which renders them unconscious. Who didn't see that coming?!

This is a review and not a synopsis so this is where I stop telling the story and actually review it complete with criticism.

We have two separate groups who are after this innocent woman. There does not seem to be a reason and it is a great mystery. While there are a couple of obvious plot twists, it is unlikely the viewer will solve the mystery of the two groups after the woman and why they want her. There is also the mystery of why they killed her friend thinking it was her but took her captive without killing her too.

There is a hint as to why she was kidnapped near the end, but we don't get all the details until the wrap up at the end.

This is a great episode for people who love real mysteries, and I doubt most viewers will figure out what is happening. I enjoyed every minute even with the two negative points I wrote about. I strongly recommend this episode.

Voskovec's good acting overcomes plot holes

[george_cherucheril · 8/10 · 8 April 2024]

This is a change of pace episode featuring Mannix on vacation at a ski resort. I am not sure how Mannix can afford this trip because he never earns any money for his work. In this episode he befriends two attractive women. Just before the trip ends, one of the women is murdered. Mannix quickly determines the culprits murdered the wrong woman because the women traded the ski jackets they had been wearing on the last day of the trip!

Marie Fenlon played by Heidi Vaughn is the woman they intended to kill. Vaughn is a beautiful woman but she is not a good actress and maintains one tone. Though she could not act she was great eye candy. No surprise, Mannix is again unlucky in love and the two do not connect romantically.

Patricia Medina played Mrs. Corot. As another reviewer correctly noted, she has this weird make up on her face which is distracting. If you look at her head shot on IMDB she is actually a good looking woman. She was married to Joseph Cotton.'

I like George Voskovec as Niles. My first encounter with Voskovec was in the 1957 movie "12 Angry Men." Voskovec had good range as an actor and could play a variety of characters. His ability to act helps make this episode better.

Paul Mantee is usually a bad guy in many Mannix episodes but this time he gets to play one of the good guys. It was a refreshing change of pace.

As it turns out, it was a team of Russian agents trying to verify that Marie is the daughter of a Russian spy who defected to the United States. They wanted to use her to find her Dad and kill him.

They send a car with two hoods, to chase Mannix and Marie as they drive down the hill from the ski lodge. The hoods start shooting at Mannix's tire but like most shooters on Mannix have horrible aim and fail to hit the tire. Mannix simply hams on the breaks and the driver behind him is not trained well enough to react to the maneuver and his cars flies of the cliff and explodes killing both men.

Gilbert Douglas played by Nicholas Cortland shows up. Marie says he can be trusted. He drives Mannix and her to meet with Mrs. Corot whom we met earlier and Niles. They all have drinks. Mannix and Marie started becoming sleepy and pass out. This is the moment we find out that Gilbert, Marie and Niles are the bad folks. They quickly get ready to vacate the house with Marie in hand. Niles tells Gilbert to kill Mannix.

Of course Mannix manages to wake up at the right moment at 100 percent strength and no sign of grogginess from being drugged. Mannix manages to convince Gilbert that he is being used as a patsy. Mannix points out that the house is rented in Gilbert's name that Niles and Mrs. Corot plan on using him to kill Mannix and throw him under the bus as he will surely face a murder charge. Gilbert buys what Mannix sold him and fires off his gun twice into the furniture allowing Mannix to live.

Unfortunately for Gilbert as he walks out of the room, Niles confronts him and asks if he killed Mannix which he states he did. Then Niles says thank you for your service and goodbye. He shoots and kills Gilbert. He wants to make it look like Mannix and Gilbert killed each other in a shootout. He is smart enough to check the room and sees Mannix on the floor apparently dead. He would have been smarter to take Gilbert's gun and plug a few more bullets into Mannix.

There is a scene where Mannix opens his office door at night and sees a shadow. He locks the door and runs back in pushing Peggy into his office. He tells her to call the police and runs out of the window. After Mannix leaves, this man somehow manages to walk in anyway. How did the man get in the office when the door was locked? Why did Mannix leave Peggy alone without making sure the man was gone? Why does Peggy continue to work for Mannix? His office is not safe and she cannot afford to be killed as she is a widow and has a young son who needs her.

My problem with the episode is that once Mannix and Marie were drugged there would be no escape in real life. A professional team would ensure that Mannix was dead before he had any chance to wake up. They would have had Gilbert immediately kill Mannix and would then kill Gilbert.

Contradictory, sloppy, laughable and filled with cliches

[pkfloydmh · 5/10 · 23 August 2021]

The plot is compelling but is ruined at the end by a key contradiction that was left unresolved. Agent Viola clearly states Marie is the professor's ADOPTED daughter but then in the very next scene, Marie states she's his REAL daughter. So which is it?? I have no idea. This loose end was left hanging, which is unforgivable.

There's a lot of sloppiness in this one. The cameraman is clearly visible in Joe's sunglasses while he's skiing and Marie makes a horrible mistake when she points to the wrong person in the picture she shows to Joe as she was clearly talking about how she had been in the blue coat for the last few days but points to her friend in the yellow coat in the picture instead of herself. Very sloppy. Hard to believe this wasn't edited before the episode aired. Then in the scene at Joe's office when Joe notices someone lurking outside, Joe clearly locks his door and then a few seconds later, the guy is magically in his lobby. HOW DID HE GET IN??? Did he walk through walls? I mean, this is just laughable, but at the same time it's also appalling, because the producers think their audience is so dumb that they'll buy this.

I don't know what's going on with Patricia Medina. Her face is so white she looks like a zombie. I don't know if she's wearing too much makeup or what, but she looks absolutely ghastly.

There are several cliches here. Joe gets clobbered in the head again and gets shot at many times but never hit and a doctor injects Marie with a truth serum in order to get her to reveal her heritage. He should have also injected Patricia Medina with the serum to get her to reveal what's going on with her face.

This is the second straight episode without any fight scenes, which is a first for this show. There hasn't been a single punch thrown in season five yet, which is hard to comprehend. It's rare to find ANY episode without any fight scenes, let alone two in a row. Let's hope we see some improvement in coming episodes.

The bodies pile up in this one, with a total body count of three. I'm surprised Patricia Medina didn't see to it that her makeup artist was added to that count.

There's a really good chase scene in the middle of the episode, so that's worth a couple of points.

So overall, a mixed review. The story and acting are good and so is the chase scene, but there are a lot of missteps too, so the end result is a mediocre episode.