THE FIFTH WHEEL – 1956 – A Peter Lorre comic crime slash noir. This "live" episode is from the anthology series, "Climax!". This series ran for 166 episodes between 1954 and 58. This one stars Peter Lorre, Hume Cronyn, James Gleason, Buddy Baer, John Lupton, Bonita Granville and Donald MacBride.
Lorre and Baer are a pair of bank hold-up men planning their next job. They have the bank lined up so all they need to do is steal a getaway car. They decide on a automobile that has been sitting outside their rooms for a week.
What Lorre and Baer do not know about the car is that the, "No Worry Finance Company" is looking for said auto. They want to repossess the car for late payments.
Then we meet the Reverend, Hume Cronyn and his niece, Bonita Granville. Cronyn has decided to purchase a car so his fellow Reverend, James Gleason and himself can go fishing.
Lorre and Baer have now stolen the car. Baer waits at "Lou's Beanery" while Lorre pulls the hold up. Lorre gets 35 large in the job and hides the cash in the car's spare tire. He then heads for his meeting with Baer. He parks the car outside the beanery and joins Baer inside.
Not two minutes later, the boys from the finance company drive by and spot the car. They quickly put the grab on the car and drive it away. They take it to the lot of "Friendly Fred" the friendly used car salesman.
Inside Lou's Beanery, Baer and Lorre are having a coffee and discussing what they are going to do with the cash. They come out and are dumbfounded when they find the auto gone. "Someone has stolen our stolen car!" Cries Lorre. The next day Cronyn hits Friendly Fred for a car. Needless to say he buys the car with the tire full of loot. Cronyn proudly drives the car home. He calls Gleason and arranges a fishing outing for later that day. Granville reminds him to be back in two days. Granville and her beau, John Lupton, are getting married and Cronyn is doing the service.
Lorre and Baer, who while walking up the street had seen Cronyn pull up and park. Lorre, seeing that the driver is a priest, decides on the gentle approach.
Lorre knocks on Cronyn's door and asks for a talk. He would like to buy Cronyn's car. "I just bought the car from the dealer an hour ago." "I'll give you 100 dollars more than you paid." Responds Lorre. Cronyn declines the offer and Lorre leaves. Lorre tells Baer they will return later tonight and just steal the car back.
A short time later Gleason arrives at Cronyn's place and the two head off for two days of fishing.
In the meantime, the Police have come up with a description of the car used in the robbery. They also got the first 3 numbers off the plate.
The next day, a Highway Patrolman, Thomas Browne Henry, discovers the car at Cronyn's and Gleason's fishing hole. The two are arrested and thrown in jail. City Detective Donald MacBride is called and he grills the two men. Once they prove who they are, the Police let them go. The cops figure it must be a different car they are looking for.
Into the car jump Cronyn and Gleason and off they roar. Cronyn has the wedding to perform that afternoon.
They get a couple of miles down the road and blow a tire. Off it comes and the money filled spare goes on. Cronyn finds a new crisp 10 dollar bill in the trunk which he pockets. Because of the delay with the Police and the tire, Cronyn has missed the wedding.
A somewhat miffed Granville is waiting in her uncle's place when Lorre and Baer come calling. They want to know where Cronyn and the car are. "I have no idea", says Granville. Lorre pulls a gun and says, "I must insist on a better answer than that." Cronyn gets back to town and drops off the car at Granville's fiancée, Lupton's" garage. Which of course just happens to be across the street from Cronyn's church. He gives Lupton the "found" 10 dollar bill to repair the tire and fill the tank with gas.
Cronyn heads home and finds the frightened Granville with Lorre and Baer. Lorre asks about the car and is told it is across the street. Lorre shoves 500 bucks at Cronyn and says he has "bought" the car. The pair dash across the road, grab the car, and take off.
Granville has now told Cronyn about Lorre and Baer being the hold-up men. The Police are quickly called. Lupton now comes over and says he never had a chance to gas up the car. Of course Lorre and Baer run out of fuel and are captured.
The diminutive 5'5"Lorre and the massive 6'7" Baer are quite good as the "can't" catch a break crooks. The 33 year old Granville still looks 20 here.
The writer of this comic bit was, Whitfield Cook. Cook did the adaptation for Hitchcock's STRANGERS ON A TRAIN and the story for his STAGE FRIGHT. The director was Allen Reisner. He worked only in television. (b/w)
Lorre and Baer are a pair of bank hold-up men planning their next job. They have the bank lined up so all they need to do is steal a getaway car. They decide on a automobile that has been sitting outside their rooms for a week.
What Lorre and Baer do not know about the car is that the, "No Worry Finance Company" is looking for said auto. They want to repossess the car for late payments.
Then we meet the Reverend, Hume Cronyn and his niece, Bonita Granville. Cronyn has decided to purchase a car so his fellow Reverend, James Gleason and himself can go fishing.
Lorre and Baer have now stolen the car. Baer waits at "Lou's Beanery" while Lorre pulls the hold up. Lorre gets 35 large in the job and hides the cash in the car's spare tire. He then heads for his meeting with Baer. He parks the car outside the beanery and joins Baer inside.
Not two minutes later, the boys from the finance company drive by and spot the car. They quickly put the grab on the car and drive it away. They take it to the lot of "Friendly Fred" the friendly used car salesman.
Inside Lou's Beanery, Baer and Lorre are having a coffee and discussing what they are going to do with the cash. They come out and are dumbfounded when they find the auto gone. "Someone has stolen our stolen car!" Cries Lorre. The next day Cronyn hits Friendly Fred for a car. Needless to say he buys the car with the tire full of loot. Cronyn proudly drives the car home. He calls Gleason and arranges a fishing outing for later that day. Granville reminds him to be back in two days. Granville and her beau, John Lupton, are getting married and Cronyn is doing the service.
Lorre and Baer, who while walking up the street had seen Cronyn pull up and park. Lorre, seeing that the driver is a priest, decides on the gentle approach.
Lorre knocks on Cronyn's door and asks for a talk. He would like to buy Cronyn's car. "I just bought the car from the dealer an hour ago." "I'll give you 100 dollars more than you paid." Responds Lorre. Cronyn declines the offer and Lorre leaves. Lorre tells Baer they will return later tonight and just steal the car back.
A short time later Gleason arrives at Cronyn's place and the two head off for two days of fishing.
In the meantime, the Police have come up with a description of the car used in the robbery. They also got the first 3 numbers off the plate.
The next day, a Highway Patrolman, Thomas Browne Henry, discovers the car at Cronyn's and Gleason's fishing hole. The two are arrested and thrown in jail. City Detective Donald MacBride is called and he grills the two men. Once they prove who they are, the Police let them go. The cops figure it must be a different car they are looking for.
Into the car jump Cronyn and Gleason and off they roar. Cronyn has the wedding to perform that afternoon.
They get a couple of miles down the road and blow a tire. Off it comes and the money filled spare goes on. Cronyn finds a new crisp 10 dollar bill in the trunk which he pockets. Because of the delay with the Police and the tire, Cronyn has missed the wedding.
A somewhat miffed Granville is waiting in her uncle's place when Lorre and Baer come calling. They want to know where Cronyn and the car are. "I have no idea", says Granville. Lorre pulls a gun and says, "I must insist on a better answer than that." Cronyn gets back to town and drops off the car at Granville's fiancée, Lupton's" garage. Which of course just happens to be across the street from Cronyn's church. He gives Lupton the "found" 10 dollar bill to repair the tire and fill the tank with gas.
Cronyn heads home and finds the frightened Granville with Lorre and Baer. Lorre asks about the car and is told it is across the street. Lorre shoves 500 bucks at Cronyn and says he has "bought" the car. The pair dash across the road, grab the car, and take off.
Granville has now told Cronyn about Lorre and Baer being the hold-up men. The Police are quickly called. Lupton now comes over and says he never had a chance to gas up the car. Of course Lorre and Baer run out of fuel and are captured.
The diminutive 5'5"Lorre and the massive 6'7" Baer are quite good as the "can't" catch a break crooks. The 33 year old Granville still looks 20 here.
The writer of this comic bit was, Whitfield Cook. Cook did the adaptation for Hitchcock's STRANGERS ON A TRAIN and the story for his STAGE FRIGHT. The director was Allen Reisner. He worked only in television. (b/w)