Grand Theft Auto including what happens to the cars after they're stolen. Good suspense and action. Stunt men earn their money on this show. Check out every lead.
2 Reviews
Improper Car Care
nlathy-839-30067720 April 2021
Stolen Junk Cars, Bug Infestations, Multiple City Benches And Evil From Mayberry
chashans25 June 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Actor/Writer Leo V. Gordon returns for his fifth and final appearance on Adam-12. While he did write this episode, he wrote himself a part in which his character shows up only in the concluding minutes. That's too bad, because usually whenever he guest-stars, his character is always a force for Malloy and Reed to deal with.
Somebody in the greater Los Angeles area is going around with a Tow Truck, hauling away abandoned - or just simply - old cars. Without permission, that is. Unfortunately, one of the old junkers taken was still in use and the only means of transportation for one young woman. It's nice to see Malloy and Reed showing some true concern for this poor soul. They promise to do their best in tracking down her car.
Their investigation takes them to the home of another young woman. She's upset because someone abandoned a 1965 Lincoln Continental Convertible in front of her house. It's partially blocking the end of her driveway. Hold on a moment here. The Connie is a 1965? AND a convertible?! This car was only 10 years old at the time this episode was filmed. It looks to be in good condition if only rather filthy. Some 50 years later, as I write this in 2023, this car is considered an absolute classic. These cars sell from between 50 to 100 Thousand Dollars! I would kill for one of these Connies. But then, Malloy and Reed's Grandchildren would come and arrest me, so better not. Anyway... M & R ask this young woman to keep an eye on the Connie to see if any wayward Tow Trucks show up to haul it away.
This episode includes a scene of heartbreak. Heartbreak for two characters who never utter a word. M & R are dispatched to the site of a house which is being fumigated. It's completely tarped over so to have it's indoors bugspray-bombed. Another segment which hopefully taught youngsters in the viewing audience a very important lesson. Two teenage boys were seen dodging under the tarp and most likely went inside. Who knows why? Of course, those end credits contain that usual weekly reminder - the incidents seen in the episode are true. The heartbreak is apparent on the faces of Malloy, Reed and the Paramedics who attempt to revive the boys after retrieving them from the house. They're gone. Martin Milner, Kent McCord and the unspeaking actors portraying the paramedics do a great job conveying the loss of life to the viewers. Very sad, considering how many times this exact scenario has probably played out in reality.
There is a truly unbelievable goof contained in the episode. The Director is fully to blame, though I have to wonder if the show's Editor could have possibly performed a bit of magic to fix this one. Rolling along on patrol on a nice sunny day, Reed spots a possible wanted suspect sitting on a city bench, waiting for a bus. The Director gives us a good long shot of the dude, the bench and the city street. Even mountains can be seen in the distance down the city street.
Adam-12 continues past the guy on the bench. Reed has Malloy circle the block so as to take a second pass and get a real good look at the man.
When the squad returns to the scene - it's an entirely different scene! The suspect is gone, but there's a bench there, sure. However, the city street the bench is on is completely changed. Different buildings and no mountains whatsoever in the distance. Even the sun is shining on the scene from a different direction. The Director holds on this secondary bench and location much too long. The change is so obvious that the viewer is led to believe that if Malloy and Reed are capable of mistaking two entirely different locations as being the same location, then neither of them are ever going to make Detective.
Later, M & R are notified that the '65 Lincoln has indeed been towed away. They're able to catch up with the Tow Truck and follow it to an automobile scrapyard. Leo Gordon (middle name, Vincent) appears here as the owner of the scrapyard. Reed's car, a Green Ford Fairlane (I think that's what kind of car it is) also appears in this scene. It's in a line of cars about to be scrapped by Gordon's scrapyard owner character. This car is much too new and much too nice. It shouldn't have been included here, but I suppose the production had to use what cars they could get. This Fairlane has been being featured as Reed's personal vehicle for numerous episodes by this point in the series.
Leo Gordon gets to do his thing. Mean, surly, incredible hulkish. This guy could scare off John Wayne, Clint Eastwood and Charles Bronson with a mere snarl and snort of evil. It's just too bad that his appearance is over so quickly. Also recovered is the old junker taken from the poor soul young woman from the top of the episode.
Through-out the episode, Malloy speaks of his new girlfriend and her fatherless 9 year old son, David. David, usually a good student at school, has recently been having trouble with his grades. Malloy frets over how to help the boy. But why is Malloy so worried about this kid? Is the Mom, Judy threatening to quit the relationship if Malloy doesn't "fix" her kid? Geesh. This sounds like the sort of thing evil Helen Crump on "The Andy Griffith Show" would have threatened her boyfriend, hero Sheriff Andy Taylor with, if he didn't help her son. Wait. Another comparison - like in my review for the previous episode - to the evil, surly, mean, snarling and snorting Helen Crump? Uh...
Oh, no...
Somebody in the greater Los Angeles area is going around with a Tow Truck, hauling away abandoned - or just simply - old cars. Without permission, that is. Unfortunately, one of the old junkers taken was still in use and the only means of transportation for one young woman. It's nice to see Malloy and Reed showing some true concern for this poor soul. They promise to do their best in tracking down her car.
Their investigation takes them to the home of another young woman. She's upset because someone abandoned a 1965 Lincoln Continental Convertible in front of her house. It's partially blocking the end of her driveway. Hold on a moment here. The Connie is a 1965? AND a convertible?! This car was only 10 years old at the time this episode was filmed. It looks to be in good condition if only rather filthy. Some 50 years later, as I write this in 2023, this car is considered an absolute classic. These cars sell from between 50 to 100 Thousand Dollars! I would kill for one of these Connies. But then, Malloy and Reed's Grandchildren would come and arrest me, so better not. Anyway... M & R ask this young woman to keep an eye on the Connie to see if any wayward Tow Trucks show up to haul it away.
This episode includes a scene of heartbreak. Heartbreak for two characters who never utter a word. M & R are dispatched to the site of a house which is being fumigated. It's completely tarped over so to have it's indoors bugspray-bombed. Another segment which hopefully taught youngsters in the viewing audience a very important lesson. Two teenage boys were seen dodging under the tarp and most likely went inside. Who knows why? Of course, those end credits contain that usual weekly reminder - the incidents seen in the episode are true. The heartbreak is apparent on the faces of Malloy, Reed and the Paramedics who attempt to revive the boys after retrieving them from the house. They're gone. Martin Milner, Kent McCord and the unspeaking actors portraying the paramedics do a great job conveying the loss of life to the viewers. Very sad, considering how many times this exact scenario has probably played out in reality.
There is a truly unbelievable goof contained in the episode. The Director is fully to blame, though I have to wonder if the show's Editor could have possibly performed a bit of magic to fix this one. Rolling along on patrol on a nice sunny day, Reed spots a possible wanted suspect sitting on a city bench, waiting for a bus. The Director gives us a good long shot of the dude, the bench and the city street. Even mountains can be seen in the distance down the city street.
Adam-12 continues past the guy on the bench. Reed has Malloy circle the block so as to take a second pass and get a real good look at the man.
When the squad returns to the scene - it's an entirely different scene! The suspect is gone, but there's a bench there, sure. However, the city street the bench is on is completely changed. Different buildings and no mountains whatsoever in the distance. Even the sun is shining on the scene from a different direction. The Director holds on this secondary bench and location much too long. The change is so obvious that the viewer is led to believe that if Malloy and Reed are capable of mistaking two entirely different locations as being the same location, then neither of them are ever going to make Detective.
Later, M & R are notified that the '65 Lincoln has indeed been towed away. They're able to catch up with the Tow Truck and follow it to an automobile scrapyard. Leo Gordon (middle name, Vincent) appears here as the owner of the scrapyard. Reed's car, a Green Ford Fairlane (I think that's what kind of car it is) also appears in this scene. It's in a line of cars about to be scrapped by Gordon's scrapyard owner character. This car is much too new and much too nice. It shouldn't have been included here, but I suppose the production had to use what cars they could get. This Fairlane has been being featured as Reed's personal vehicle for numerous episodes by this point in the series.
Leo Gordon gets to do his thing. Mean, surly, incredible hulkish. This guy could scare off John Wayne, Clint Eastwood and Charles Bronson with a mere snarl and snort of evil. It's just too bad that his appearance is over so quickly. Also recovered is the old junker taken from the poor soul young woman from the top of the episode.
Through-out the episode, Malloy speaks of his new girlfriend and her fatherless 9 year old son, David. David, usually a good student at school, has recently been having trouble with his grades. Malloy frets over how to help the boy. But why is Malloy so worried about this kid? Is the Mom, Judy threatening to quit the relationship if Malloy doesn't "fix" her kid? Geesh. This sounds like the sort of thing evil Helen Crump on "The Andy Griffith Show" would have threatened her boyfriend, hero Sheriff Andy Taylor with, if he didn't help her son. Wait. Another comparison - like in my review for the previous episode - to the evil, surly, mean, snarling and snorting Helen Crump? Uh...
Oh, no...
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews