Prolific actress Jo Van Fleet said in later years she was generally offered roles of much older women, and even when she was quite young. That said, she turned in some powerful performances (including winning an Oscar), and is quite convincing here.
For a change of pace, Jo plays a "female" crime boss, kind of a campy about face, replete with a Godfather/Godmother light Italian accent. She wants Mannix to join her team, and is quite persuasive. The down side --for Joe-- he finds himself implicated in a robbery and loses his license. What a mess... or was it all planned that way?
Exceptionally written and directed. No question here. Look for comedian Jack Carter in a very dramatic role. Carter was very popular as both a comedian and actor, much like Milton Berle. One of his early film appearances was with Elvis and Ann Margaret in VIVA LAS VEGAS.
In a hilarious coincidence, Robert Reed is back as Tobias and at the same time the living room set from the BRADY BUNCH, is used again. The set, including parts of the kitchen, den and patio were re-used for years. I agree with other reviewers in the past; no one at the time knew the show would become a part of tv history. It could also be Paramount simply didn't want to invest in building another new set, history or not!
The big question here. Why wasn't Jo used in the GODFATHER film series? Missed opportunity. Her next appearance would be in an episode of the MOD SQUAD, playing a harrassed school teacher, and she should have won an Emmy. Jo Van Fleet was very selective in appearing in cop shows.
Look for Dorothy Neumann as a scrubwoman, whose career spanned 60 years, and quite famous for playing witches in many cult films. Second episode of SEASON 4, remastered color CBS dvd box set.