I cry every time I watch this episode since first seeing it back in the early 60's. (Even now the tears flow at 71 years old.) Among the series, it is one of the best and brimming with pathos, joy, love and human emotions. Jordan is incredible as the scar-faced man, and Barbara Barrie delivers a very sensitive performance. Of course Paul Burke does his usual good job as the caring and very sensitive cop. As usual, the glimpses of New York City in black and white remind us of different times when life seemed much simpler. Also it is always fun to see the various models of cars on the streets..it was a time when cars actually looked different from one another. I find it rather hard understand the low rating on this as this one is not to be missed!
3 Reviews
Poignant and well done
mlbroberts16 January 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Richard Jordan is a young man who lives in a condemned building, hiding away, only coming out at night to steal the money people leave in empty milk bottles for the milkman who comes in the morning (I know - nobody would get that today, but that's how you got milk in the city when I was a kid - leave the empty bottle on the stoop with money for the next delivery and the milkman would deliver overnight). We come to learn he has lost his family in a fire that burned and disfigured his face, and his social skills are non-existent. All he knows is what goes on in the city overnight and he just watches.
Jordan moves like a cross between a rat and monkey, leaping from balconies, hiding in shadows and corners, until he sees Barbara Barrie being attacked on her way home from work. He rescues her but stays out of sight. She still asks him to see her home, and a friendship begins. Jordan shows her everything that he's watched in the city overnight. She begins to feel for him, but her life is just as hidden and strained - she is obsessed and consumed with the need to work.
Enter Paul Burke as Detective Flint, who catches up with Jordan the thief and arrests him but realizes his problems and feels for him. From there, we gradually move Jordan back into life and a job and to Barrie.
Jordan was a fine actor, very young here, based in New York and the Shakespeare Public Theatre who moved west and into film in the mid 1970s. From an extremely wealthy and prominent family (his grandfather was the famous judge Learned Hand), he could pretty much do what he wanted as an actor and following a huge success as lead in a miniseries "Captains and the Kings" he turned down a long-term tv contract because he didn't want to be stuck in one role. His last appearance was as Gen. Armistead in the 1993 film "Gettysburg," which was released after his early death from a brain tumor. Barbara Barrie is a wonderful actor of great range and has had a long and illustrious career. She is still living. Her achievements ranged everywhere from Barney Miller's wife on TV to the original production of "Company" on Broadway.
Jordan moves like a cross between a rat and monkey, leaping from balconies, hiding in shadows and corners, until he sees Barbara Barrie being attacked on her way home from work. He rescues her but stays out of sight. She still asks him to see her home, and a friendship begins. Jordan shows her everything that he's watched in the city overnight. She begins to feel for him, but her life is just as hidden and strained - she is obsessed and consumed with the need to work.
Enter Paul Burke as Detective Flint, who catches up with Jordan the thief and arrests him but realizes his problems and feels for him. From there, we gradually move Jordan back into life and a job and to Barrie.
Jordan was a fine actor, very young here, based in New York and the Shakespeare Public Theatre who moved west and into film in the mid 1970s. From an extremely wealthy and prominent family (his grandfather was the famous judge Learned Hand), he could pretty much do what he wanted as an actor and following a huge success as lead in a miniseries "Captains and the Kings" he turned down a long-term tv contract because he didn't want to be stuck in one role. His last appearance was as Gen. Armistead in the 1993 film "Gettysburg," which was released after his early death from a brain tumor. Barbara Barrie is a wonderful actor of great range and has had a long and illustrious career. She is still living. Her achievements ranged everywhere from Barney Miller's wife on TV to the original production of "Company" on Broadway.
Just face it!
sol-kay21 January 2013
***SPOILERS*** The kind hearted and socially minded Det. Adam Flint, Paul Burke, does his good deed for the day in uniting two lost souls who's lives intertwined one night in the Big Apple, NYC. That's when Jonas, Richard Jordan, saved Sarah Hinson, Barbara Hinson, from being robbed of her handbag by a mugger with a handbag fetish. He's just interested in stealing ladies handbags not what's in them. Jonas who sleeps by day and roams, stealing milk money to survive, by night has a serious problem that makes him terrified of the light of day. Jonas face is messed up from a boiler explosion that he suffered, that killed his entire family, as a kid back in Pennsylvania!
Revealing his messed up and burnt face, that looks a lot better then if he went 15 rounds with Mike Tyson, to Barbara Jonas is upset when she shows any sympathy towards him! In fact Barbara has even more serious issues then even he has! Being brought up in a strict religious home she can't bring herself to accept anything, like a buttered roll that Jonas handed her, unless the person who gives it to her worked to get it! It's the Cupid like Det. Adam Flint who uses tough love to get the two somewhat social misfit together. And in the end have them overcome their hang-ups by not running away from them but in fact facing them head on!
For once Det. Flint got it right he even ended up catching the mugger, David Clark, who stole Barbara's handbag. Instead of his usually over the top bleeding heart liberal approach to the matter Det. Flint got both Jonas and Barbara to confront their problems like a tough US Marine drill sergeant and overcome them like a man or in Barbara's case woman. That's by getting Barbara to see her new found boyfriend in the light of day and not end up passing out in fright. As for Jonas Det. Flint got him a job in a bakery where the people whom he works with treated him, despite his looks,like a normal human being! Which in fact is all that he ever wanted in life.
Revealing his messed up and burnt face, that looks a lot better then if he went 15 rounds with Mike Tyson, to Barbara Jonas is upset when she shows any sympathy towards him! In fact Barbara has even more serious issues then even he has! Being brought up in a strict religious home she can't bring herself to accept anything, like a buttered roll that Jonas handed her, unless the person who gives it to her worked to get it! It's the Cupid like Det. Adam Flint who uses tough love to get the two somewhat social misfit together. And in the end have them overcome their hang-ups by not running away from them but in fact facing them head on!
For once Det. Flint got it right he even ended up catching the mugger, David Clark, who stole Barbara's handbag. Instead of his usually over the top bleeding heart liberal approach to the matter Det. Flint got both Jonas and Barbara to confront their problems like a tough US Marine drill sergeant and overcome them like a man or in Barbara's case woman. That's by getting Barbara to see her new found boyfriend in the light of day and not end up passing out in fright. As for Jonas Det. Flint got him a job in a bakery where the people whom he works with treated him, despite his looks,like a normal human being! Which in fact is all that he ever wanted in life.
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