Don't miss this one. 10 Stars.
George Schenk wrote this REAL creepy tale. George would go onto write one of the best tv movie mysteries, the PHANTOM OF HOLLYWOOD, the following year, starring Jack Cassidy. He later produced over 300 episodes for NCIS.
Best of all is the casting of James Olson (who passed last year), playing a rather "quiet" guy called Randall, who kills one of Barnaby's detective friends, about to crack a complex murder case. Olson made one of the best villains on the series. He was in a league of his own, sort of from the Alfred Hitchcock school of depraved villains.
Naturally, Barnaby keeps his gun ready. Wait for the ending.
Walter Grauman directs this cat and mouse thriller beautifully, with just the right music. Enter homicidal Randall, out to nail a few other people connected to the case. Truly has the feel of a HAWAII FIVE O episode, and no surprise James Olson also appeared quite a few times on that top show.
The Greek typewriter --without giving too much away --is a fairly clever investigative angle here, positioned beside an American typewriter. This was adopted from many old mysteries. Watch closely. There are a number of familiar faces, including Jean Bryan, playing a secretary, best remembered as PATTY DUKE'S mom and veteran Peter Mamakos, long time heavy in movies and tv. He plays the owner of a bar who serves milk to Barnaby while auditioning a belly dancer?
Look for Mary Jackson (the WALTONS), getting strangled as she is about to eat lunch all alone in a dark warehouse!
A Halloween treat.
For all of us late, late show mystery buffs. The title was also used on CANNON in Season 2, starring Anthony Zerbe.
SEASON 2 EPISODE 6 remastered CBS/Paramount dvd box set.