When an embezzling engineer is demoted and his brother takes over his former position, he makes plans to kill him.When an embezzling engineer is demoted and his brother takes over his former position, he makes plans to kill him.When an embezzling engineer is demoted and his brother takes over his former position, he makes plans to kill him.
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Did you know
- TriviaThis episode features an original music score by jazz great Benny Carter.
- GoofsDuring the dinner scene at the Mexican restaurant, the lighting on Joanna Moore appears to change noticeably about halfway through.
Featured review
Brilliant Surrealistic Abstract Art Imitates Life Television
The brilliance of this episode is subtle, and takes a few viewings to truly appreciate. It goofs on so many uptight American social norms that were just starting to be questioned in the mid 60's. (and many, for good or ill, ultimately rejected.) The idea that being a good 'company man' would always lead to reward and a long ever-rising career and the gold watch at the end. The scene where Lawford is called to his boss' office to learn he's been demoted in favor of his brother is a hilarious satire of how arbitrary, ruthless, and stupid corporate leadership can be, the semi-demented boss played perfectly by. Alan Baxter. It plays with the notion that the perceptions we take for granted as being 'reality' are superficial presumptions...that there is a deeper, weirder reality at play. Subtle breaks of the fourth wall reveal some postmodern-ish deconstruction, some 'air quotes' telling us this is a TV show, a constructed reality. One of these moments is when brother Farnum and Lawford's wife walk off after telling him she's leaving him for Farnum, they're in perfect lockstep. There's also a theme of no matter how slick, how 'in', how goodlooking etc. You are, life can kick you in the face at any time with no rhyme or reason required. Lawford had been ruthlessly, totally booted from Frank Sinatra's life at this point, which meant no more Rat Pack membership and the loss of all the future highly lucrative gigs that entailed. The loss of one f the most important friendships and relationships, business or otherwise, in Lawford's life. For a reason that was 100% unfair, something Sinatra blamed him for that he was not only blameless but utterly powerless to do anything about (and he tried desperately): JFK (then Lawford's brother-in-law) snubbing Sinatra during his celebrated Palm Springs visit in favor of Bing Crosby, due to the Kennedy's (totally legitimate) concerns about how Frank's mob ties would impact his image. Lawford was the only reason Sinatra even had a relationship with JFK at all, and now he blamed him when it came to a humiliating end, as Lawford's character blames and ultimately murders his brother for. I'm not entirely certain Lawford was even aware of what they were trying to do and say with the episode, he seems a bit confused and lost about how to play the bizarre and absurd goings-on, which is actually perfect for the character and episode. What at first watch may seems like a throwaway episode, one of the lightest weight of the entire series, actually reveals itself as the opposite. And: it's also just massively entertaining and often hilarious. A hidden classic of American episodic television, and a must-watch. A few times.
helpful•02
- wpbhomes
- Jan 3, 2024
Details
- Runtime48 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1
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