The entry starts off well enough. Ten-year old Richie (Herrman) is neglected by his hard- driving businessman father (Meeker) and is feeling lonely. One day he boards the Lake Erie tour boat that Buzz and Tod work on. Under mysterious circumstances, he falls overboard only to be rescued by Buzz. Later, Dad receives a threatening note stating that Richie was pushed overboard and that further attempts will be made. Tellingly, no money is demanded. To this point the storyline manages some suspense, while providing a good look at lakefront Cleveland. However, the resolution is a real stretch along with a super-pat turnaround.
The 60-minutes focuses mainly on Richie's lonely meanderings around town. Actor Herrman is appropriately downbeat (count the smiles). Meeker, however, is largely wasted in a role a hundred lesser actors could handle (earlier in his career, he was compared with Brando). Also, as the boat captain, eccentric (e.g. The Bad Seed {1956}) actor Henry Jones picks up an easy payday. All in all, it's an uneven episode, with an unusually spotty screenplay for a superior series.
The 60-minutes focuses mainly on Richie's lonely meanderings around town. Actor Herrman is appropriately downbeat (count the smiles). Meeker, however, is largely wasted in a role a hundred lesser actors could handle (earlier in his career, he was compared with Brando). Also, as the boat captain, eccentric (e.g. The Bad Seed {1956}) actor Henry Jones picks up an easy payday. All in all, it's an uneven episode, with an unusually spotty screenplay for a superior series.
