McCloud (TV Series) Walk in the Dark (1970) User Reviews

A wicked sense of humor

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 1 July 2015]

Throughout the run of the McCloud series, J.D. Cannon was sometimes shown to have a wicked sense of humor. To give Dennis Weaver a look at New York City law enforcement from a different angle he assigns him to a unit that is exclusively female. It's Captain is Nina Foch and she has no sense of humor.

That unit which trains police undercover women one of them being Susan Saint James is currently looking for a serial rapist/murderer who preys on women at night in Central Park. One of their own working undercover is recently murdered.

As he always does McCloud comes up aces in both catching the criminal and earning the grudging respect of Foch. In one of the best McCloud stories of that first season I have to hand it to the perpetrator. He has devised a truly clever disguise so that no one would suspect him and he's got the perfect hideout for him to commit his crimes.

I think you'll agree when you see this episode.

one of the stronger episodes from season one

[trashgang · 6/10 · 27 September 2012]

I figured it out this time, just like McCloud. There's something weird going on with the box they sell over in Europe. First of all, you only can find season 1 and 2, together in one box. The other 5 aren't anywhere to find for example in Belgium. The titles are all different then those appearing on us sites. The time stated is very strange for episodes, over on region 2 DVD's they clock in at 72 minutes but I knew how it was all possible. They combined two US episodes in one for Europe. So here we have it, Murder Arena is a compilation of Walk In The Dark and The Concrete Corral.

This time McCloud is send by his boss Clifford to a female division of cops. of course he think that it all is a big mistake but soon his leading officer he falls in love with. In fact, he's the playboy of the police squad. If you know that two episodes collide in one you can spot it sometimes towards the editing. But this episode did really work. The two stories fit perfectly into one even as Walk In The Dark is over after 55 minutes. It's the weaker part here, but The Concrete Corral really works out fine. If you are used with McCloud then he's really doing fine again here and do figures it out in his own manners.

This time not that much few over old New York. But the way they shot a few scene's is really beautiful. The way they shot McCloud standing on a train with Empire on the horizon is really nice. It's again low on everything but it do works.

Gore 0/5 Nudity 0/5 Effects 1/5 Story 3/5 Comedy 0/5

The Central Park Stalker

[profh-1 · 6/10 · 22 August 2023]

Chief Clifford, in one of his sneakier moments, re-assigns McCloud from patroling a gang-infested neighborhood to training with an all-women's squad. In between flirting with not one but two lady officers, he takes part in a karate class, then while taking one of his fellow officers out for dinner, happens to run across Detective Vince Polk, who casually comments that McCloud will probably be working on a murder case--something Clifford certainly did NOT mention. When it turns out his new lady friend has volunteered to act as "decoy" for a murderous strangler, and that a longtime friend of hers was only just killed by their quarry, Sam feels she's not thinking straight, and insists on helping-- to the increasingly-angry objections of the squad leader, who puts in a formal complaint with Clifford! Despite this, Clifford is actually sympathetic, and unofficially, tells Joe to "help out". It turns out Clifford assigned McCloud to the women's squad specifically because one member of the squad had been killed, he didn't want it to happen again, knew Sam could help, but didn't want to step on the toes of Sgt. Dameron ("office politics"). What follows is a tense, moody sequence in almost pitch darkness, during which McCloud's prairie tracking skills come in handy nabbing the killer and saving a life.

This turned out to be the only episode of this season to get a special spotlight in TV GUIDE the week it aired. Looking at it now, I'm not surprised, as it was the first of two episodes written by then-series executive producer Leslie Stevens! A far cry from his excessively-technical OUTER LIMITS scripts, this adds a lot of character to Sam, allowing him to be romantic, funny (when yodeling cowboy songs over the telephone), angry, and better at his job than his new temporary boss ever imagines.

I could have done without the Tim Morgan song "Take A Look Around", which was clearly added to pad out the timing. I believe this was the first of several such musical numbers included in various McCLOUD episodes over the course of its run. I'm gonna guess this was the work of Glen Larson, who started his career in show business as a member of the singing group The Four Preps!

Aside from regulars J. D. Cannon & Terry Carter, this episode was also the 2nd appearance of Ken Scott as Detective Vince Polk, who here is seen to be getting to be friends with McCloud long before he was joined by Detectives Grover & Simms in season 3.

Nina Foch is "Sgt. V. J. Dameron", head of the women's unit, who at first, welcomes McCloud with warmth and humor, but later becomes increasingly angry and hot-headed at his repeated independant attitude bordering on insubordination. Their interactions in this story predict the later growing irritation of Chief Clifford, who at times became quite apoplectic, despite his early admiration for McCloud's work. I'll always think of Foch mostly as the top secretary in EXECUTIVE SUITE (1954), though I first saw her on THE OUTER LIMITS episode "The Borderland"-- also written by Leslie Stevens. The other day, I was quite surprised to find her as the target of an insane strangler herself in the much-earlier film, RENDEZVOUS WITH BOSTON BLACKIE (1945). That's an uncanny connection!

Ann Prentiss is "Officer Murdock", who McCloud flirts relentlessly with (at first). She stands out in my mind as a murderous KAOS agent in the 2-part GET SMART episode that guest-starred Don Rickles. The sister of Paula Prentiss, she sadly gained a different noteriety when she was convicted for assault and conpiracy to commit murder in 1997.

Susan Saint James is "Officer Keach", who McCloud gets VERY romantic with. Long a favorite of mine, I've seen her in THE NAME OF THE GAME, McMILLAN AND WIFE, and LOVE AT FIRST BITE.

One of my recent favorites, Bart Burns, is nearly-invisible in this episode as "Detective Reimer", a member of the squad backing up the "decoy" as she walks through the park at night, hoping to be attacked by a killer. Not long ago, Burns became my FAVORITE "Pat Chambers" on the 1958 MIKE HAMMER series with Darren McGavin.

I'll say it again-- it is SUCH a pleasure to be able to see these 1st-season episodes INTACT after they were missing in action for 50 YEARS.

But certainly not in Paris

[searchanddestroy-1 · 31 January 2015]

I was amused by this episode supposed to take place mostly in Paris France, not Texas. Amused because even the dumbest guy could see that every french scene is fake. Universal - or any other - Studios instead of actual Paris atmosphere. French accordion score during several sequences, of course, and french cars in the US studios fake streets. Many french dialogues, or with heavy french accent, but everything sounds phony here. I laughed because of this involuntary screenplay, for which I did not try to get the intrigue. I only laughed. But after all, why not?

But I assure you: this is a very pleasant piece of work. Quite entertaining, and I repeat, so involuntary funny.