Highway Patrol (TV Series) Double Cross (1957) User Reviews

She knitted real good, didn't she?

[biorngm · 8/10 · 11 April 2019]

Gruesome tale of robbery, murder when three people carry out a planned crime resulting in death to a husband and wife by their male accomplice, the couple double-crossing the other man. The deceiving begins with the couple, husband handing off stolen money to his wife before meeting up with their accomplice. The conspirator kills the husband in cold blood instead of the planned phony robbery to be staged on the side of a road. The man contacts the spouse for the money they kept from him, meeting her at his motel hideout. When she tells him, the money is at home, he kills her too, going after the money.

The Highway Patrol had the house staked out because Dan suspected her all along. The reaction she gave when Chief Mathews went looking for her husband at their house was not what he expected; there was something wrong with her behavior. Dan was correct with his assumption. She made the mistake of trusting the partner in crime, meeting him alone. She didn't know her husband was already dead, but felt she wait to hear from him before settling with the collaborator; bad mistake.

Well played episode with a shootout at the house prior to the arrest. Three officers and Chief Mathews versus the three criminals all acted perfectly pulling the stolen loot from a surprise location.

Double Triple, More?

[darbski · 8/10 · 2 August 2018]

***SPOILERS*** NO peeking if you haven't seen this episode. This whole thing is a SPOILER. The first double cross was Wigram's first cousin defaulting on a load that he had no way to pay back. Wigram had co-signed the loan. Next cross was Wigram deciding to ripoff the bank, and the messenger service he worked for. After that, he rips off Grolier, who then supremely rips off Wigram by shooting him dead. Grolier then goes after Alma, Wigram's really cute wife. She will not tell him where the loot is until she knows her Huz is safe. (sorry, Alma). Grolier then strangles her, and goes to her house, where he is caught while tossing the place for the dough. It turns out that she had it in her knitting bag, all along. That was the last cross, and it was effective. I wonder if she knew, by then what was up? Now, then.... What happened to the cousin who started it all in motion? Oh, I know they can't criminally prosecute him, but if he has a conscience he'll at least kill himself for being such a complete louse. Why, when Grolier shoots at Dan through the door, does the door have NO bullet holes in it? The messenger/bonding company will get the money back to give to the bank, so they'll be square, but ---- How fast did Grolier get the chair (or gas) after that? Next question. Alma was good looking and smart, but WHY for Pete's sake did she fall right into Grolier's trap like the "spider to the fly" only in reverse? Maybe sh'd given up, hence the loot in the knitting bag. Alma has a sweet 1957 Ford convertible, the Highway Patrol drive Buicks, except Dan who has a new Mercury; they ALL need shock absorbers badly. This is a very sad (Alma) episode, but a good one. I'll give it an 8.

A Hitchcockian episode of Highway Patrol

[AlsExGal · 8/10 · 24 April 2024]

Henry Wigram, a trusted employee of the Bonded Messenger Service, conspires with his wife and an accomplice, John Grolier, to steal a twenty thousand dollar payroll. What is actually going on is unclear at first - Wigram picks up the payroll at the bank and drives off. Along the highway he tosses the bag with the money to his wife who is waiting along the road. Then he meets up with the accomplice where a robbery is supposed to be staged. Instead, Grolier double-crosses Wigram and shoots him dead. Yes, it will look like a robbery, because it is! But Grolier just shot a man dead for a sack of worthless scrap paper, and in 1957 he'd be facing the death penalty. Complications ensue. Why do I say this episode is Hitchcockian? You'll have to watch and find out, as in watch to the end.

Wigram's wife seems convincing when Dan Matthews of the Highway Patrol comes to talk to her about the robbery - nobody knows about the murder yet because the body has not been found. She asks why would her husband risk a good job and the more than adequate living that his salary buys? Digging under the surface - as Matthews always does - finds that Wigram cosigned an 8000 dollar loan for a cousin who then defaulted. So half of that twenty thousand would have paid off that debt and then some. So like a film noir, we have an average guy , Wigram, thrust into extraordinary events and making the wrong choices to deal with them.

Note that at the beginning of the episode Wigram drives away from the bank in his company car labeled "Bonded Messenger Service". Maybe that is just for illustration's sake, or maybe that was something that was actually safe to do in 1957, but I imagine that today such a person would be in an unmarked car for the safety of all concerned.