THE BROTHERS BRANNAGAN – Tune in for Murder – 1960
This series, which ran during 1960 to 1961, stars Stephen Dunne and Mark Roberts as a pair of brothers who are private investigators. The two are based in Phoenix, Arizona. The series ran for a total of 39 episodes. This is the first episode in the series.
An armored car loads up at a Phoenix bank. The car is going out on its weekly run to supply some of the banks outside town. The armored car pulls over at a small fruit stand out on the highway. The old woman who runs the stand, Edith Porter, brings out a tray of plums and passes it in. The guards make this stop every week for a box of fruit.
The armored car pulls off. A big Chevy now pulls up to the stand. Exiting from the stand, is Vic Morrow with a .38 pressed to the back of Porter. She is shoved in the back of the car, Morrow climbs in and the car sets off after the armored car. They pull up behind the armored van. Morrow picks out a radio control device and hits the button. There is an explosion in the armored car which swerves off the road and crashes. The driver of the armored car jumps out and collapses.
Sometime later, the armored car is found with both guards shot. The local Police are at the scene when P.I. types, Stephen Dunne and Mark Roberts pull up. The armored car outfit has hired them to recover the 95 large that had been stolen. The Police Lt in charge, Paul Bryar, agrees to exchange any info he gets if the brothers do the same.
A look inside the armored van shows it covered with pieces of plums. Roberts and Dunne quickly figure out that there must have been nitro or such in the bottom of the fruit container. The two decide to backtrack along the highway for fruit stands. They finally come on Porter's stand. There is no one there. But Porter's purse and i.d. was left behind when Morrow and company went after the cash van.
The two brothers split up, Roberts to check in with the Police, while Dunne has a look for the Porter's address. This leads to an out of town hunting lodge ran by Rebecca Welles. Dunne's visit does not turn out the way he wished. It seems that Morrow and gang are hiding out at the lodge. They have taken Welles as a hostage, along with Porter, and now Dunne. They plan on using horses from the lodge to go over the hills to a small airport. They intend to take a small plane and fly off with the 95 grand.
When Dunne does not return that evening, Roberts is soon on the horn to Lt Byrar. A quick trip to the lodge soon suggests what has happened. Roberts, Byrar and some officers, horse up and set off in pursuit. Up the trail a piece, they come on a knocked out Dunne. After being revived, Dunne fills everyone in on Morrow's plan. Pyrar radios the info in and the cops all close in on the airport.
Dunne, Roberts and the Police make it to the airport in time to prevent Morrow and gang from escaping. Guns are pulled and more than a few rounds exchanged. One of Morrow's men as well as a cop, bite the big one.
The two women are rescued and Morrow is trussed up for his trip to jail.
A pretty good opening to what is a much better series than I was expecting.
The director is long time television man, Anton Leader. He did a few big screen productions of which the most well-known would be, CHILDREN OF THE DAMNED from 1964.
This series, which ran during 1960 to 1961, stars Stephen Dunne and Mark Roberts as a pair of brothers who are private investigators. The two are based in Phoenix, Arizona. The series ran for a total of 39 episodes. This is the first episode in the series.
An armored car loads up at a Phoenix bank. The car is going out on its weekly run to supply some of the banks outside town. The armored car pulls over at a small fruit stand out on the highway. The old woman who runs the stand, Edith Porter, brings out a tray of plums and passes it in. The guards make this stop every week for a box of fruit.
The armored car pulls off. A big Chevy now pulls up to the stand. Exiting from the stand, is Vic Morrow with a .38 pressed to the back of Porter. She is shoved in the back of the car, Morrow climbs in and the car sets off after the armored car. They pull up behind the armored van. Morrow picks out a radio control device and hits the button. There is an explosion in the armored car which swerves off the road and crashes. The driver of the armored car jumps out and collapses.
Sometime later, the armored car is found with both guards shot. The local Police are at the scene when P.I. types, Stephen Dunne and Mark Roberts pull up. The armored car outfit has hired them to recover the 95 large that had been stolen. The Police Lt in charge, Paul Bryar, agrees to exchange any info he gets if the brothers do the same.
A look inside the armored van shows it covered with pieces of plums. Roberts and Dunne quickly figure out that there must have been nitro or such in the bottom of the fruit container. The two decide to backtrack along the highway for fruit stands. They finally come on Porter's stand. There is no one there. But Porter's purse and i.d. was left behind when Morrow and company went after the cash van.
The two brothers split up, Roberts to check in with the Police, while Dunne has a look for the Porter's address. This leads to an out of town hunting lodge ran by Rebecca Welles. Dunne's visit does not turn out the way he wished. It seems that Morrow and gang are hiding out at the lodge. They have taken Welles as a hostage, along with Porter, and now Dunne. They plan on using horses from the lodge to go over the hills to a small airport. They intend to take a small plane and fly off with the 95 grand.
When Dunne does not return that evening, Roberts is soon on the horn to Lt Byrar. A quick trip to the lodge soon suggests what has happened. Roberts, Byrar and some officers, horse up and set off in pursuit. Up the trail a piece, they come on a knocked out Dunne. After being revived, Dunne fills everyone in on Morrow's plan. Pyrar radios the info in and the cops all close in on the airport.
Dunne, Roberts and the Police make it to the airport in time to prevent Morrow and gang from escaping. Guns are pulled and more than a few rounds exchanged. One of Morrow's men as well as a cop, bite the big one.
The two women are rescued and Morrow is trussed up for his trip to jail.
A pretty good opening to what is a much better series than I was expecting.
The director is long time television man, Anton Leader. He did a few big screen productions of which the most well-known would be, CHILDREN OF THE DAMNED from 1964.