Solid cast delivers the goods in this unusual robbery tale. Five men rob an armored car and stash the loot in a gas tanker truck. They then head for Los Angeles for one reason or another. Two ride in the cab, three hide inside the tanker with the loot. Henry Jones plays the gang's mastermind. A very old and corpulent Pat O'Brien is the veteran cop hot on their trail. Harry Bellaver, Larry Storch and Edd Byrnes, all familiar TV faces, are three of the robbers. Quite suspenseful, as the bad guys run into lots of roadblocks and quarrel among themselves. Definitely worth a look. What often hurts early TV shows are outdoor scenes, because of the film stock and sound quality of the time. This one, however, manages to handle its many exterior shots surprisingly well.
8 Reviews
A cracker-jack caper episode.
gordonl5623 November 2012
Warning: Spoilers
This episode is a nifty tale of a perfect plan going wrong.
Four men, Larry Storch, William Bramley, Harry Bellaver and Edd Byrnes, all from various backgrounds and jobs are brought together by, Henry Jones. Jones, referred to as "the professor" has spent a year planning out the perfect heist.
They are going to hit an armoured truck out of Reno and relieve it of $3,000,000. The cash is a once a year cash drop to smaller towns outside of Reno.
They stop the truck, teargas the guards and loot the truck of the cash in record time. Now it is time to move the cash to L.A. Jones has come up with a novel way of moving them and the cash through the sure to be, Police roadblocks.
Jones has had a gasoline tanker truck modified. The bottom half of the tanker is an airtight compartment for the gang and the loot. The men stash the coin and themselves while Storch jumps in the truck cab for the drive to L.A.
As this is all happening, Reno Police detectives, Pat O'Brien and Michael Macready are called to the site of the armoured truck robbery. They have the uniforms do a search of the area. All that is found is a ticket stub from a burlesque theatre in L.A.
The two detectives arrange for roadblocks to be set up. O'Brien and Macready head back to the office where they go through the files on hold-up men that fit the description. One of the files that pop up, belongs to William Bramley. They have copies of his picture sent to the roadblocks. They then make a quick flight to the L.A.
Once O'Brien and company reach LA, they visit the burly q theatre for info. The ticket seller tells the detectives the seat number on the ticket stub, is always bought by the same man. He then directs them to the back to speak to the dancers.
The dancers, Cece Whitney and Sigrid Valdis, give the detectives a description of the man. They just know him as a big tipper they call, the professor (Jones). The description does not match any of the file photos. .O'Brien next hits a bar for a talk with Bramley's girl, Indus Arthur. No joy there either as Arthur has not seen him in weeks.
A quick flight back to Nevada and the detectives start checking with the roadblocks. O'Brien is rather surprised that not a sign of the villains has been seen.
Needless to say, the gas truck breezes through the roadblocks with only a minor hic-up. A Highway Patrolman, William Boyett, climbs up on the tank to look inside. Storch distracts him by doing some impressions and telling a few jokes. Boyett laughs, then pulls out the photos of the suspected hold-up men. "Have you seen any of these men?" Boyett asks. Storch shakes his head and Boyett waves them on. He then radios the boys at the next roadblock about the funny man driving.
Storch now calls the group on the intercom that a photo of Bramley was among the ones the police had. That means Bramley will not be able to take a turn in the cab. Inside the tanker another problem is starting. Bellaver, keels over with a heart-attack. Jones radios the cab to pull over. They prop Bellaver up against a tree where he dies. Bramley, who has been nursing a bottle all trip, is less than pleased about spending the whole trip inside the tanker. Small places do not make him a happy camper. Bramley insists on a turn at the wheel. This results in a major dust up with Byrnes. Bramley comes out on the wrong end of several right hands and is flattened. Grumbling, Bramley crawls back in the tank with Jones and Storch while Byrnes takes a turn driving.
At the next roadblock, Don Kennedy, the Highway Patrolman Boyett had radioed, asks Byrnes to do an impression for him. Byrnes has no idea what is going on and mumbles out a poor joke. The cop grimaces and waves the truck through. Byrnes pulls over up the road and asks Storch to join in the cab. "In case anyone else needs a joke." O'Brien has now arrived at the second roadblock. He figures the hold up crew must have gotten by them by now so he calls in everyone from the first roadblock. While O'Brien is questioning the officers about any strange car etc, Boyett mentions the truck with the funny driver. Kennedy joins in and says the jokes were really bad. The two describe different men. The old light bulb starts flashing in O'Brien's head.
The cops call in a copter to check the road ahead. The copter sights the gas tanker and calls in the location. The cops take some short cuts and get ahead of the tanker. They pick a place with only one way in and set up another roadblock.
Just before the tanker truck hits the roadblock, Bramley, now thoroughly drunk, starts throwing items around inside the compartment. One of the objects hits a seam in the compartment welding which starts a small leak of gasoline from the above tank.
Just as the gas leak starts, the tanker rounds the corner and hits the roadblock. Byrnes is forced to swerve and hit the brakes hard in order to avoid a crash. O'Brien, Macready and the Highway Patrol yank the two from the cab. At the same time there is a "whoosh" from under the tanker as the hidden hatch pops open. Out pours the gas, the money, and the arm of Bramley. He and Jones had drowned in gasoline when the damaged seam had ruptured during the violent stop.
The perfect plan had sprung a leak.
A pretty good episode if you ask me. (colour)
Four men, Larry Storch, William Bramley, Harry Bellaver and Edd Byrnes, all from various backgrounds and jobs are brought together by, Henry Jones. Jones, referred to as "the professor" has spent a year planning out the perfect heist.
They are going to hit an armoured truck out of Reno and relieve it of $3,000,000. The cash is a once a year cash drop to smaller towns outside of Reno.
They stop the truck, teargas the guards and loot the truck of the cash in record time. Now it is time to move the cash to L.A. Jones has come up with a novel way of moving them and the cash through the sure to be, Police roadblocks.
Jones has had a gasoline tanker truck modified. The bottom half of the tanker is an airtight compartment for the gang and the loot. The men stash the coin and themselves while Storch jumps in the truck cab for the drive to L.A.
As this is all happening, Reno Police detectives, Pat O'Brien and Michael Macready are called to the site of the armoured truck robbery. They have the uniforms do a search of the area. All that is found is a ticket stub from a burlesque theatre in L.A.
The two detectives arrange for roadblocks to be set up. O'Brien and Macready head back to the office where they go through the files on hold-up men that fit the description. One of the files that pop up, belongs to William Bramley. They have copies of his picture sent to the roadblocks. They then make a quick flight to the L.A.
Once O'Brien and company reach LA, they visit the burly q theatre for info. The ticket seller tells the detectives the seat number on the ticket stub, is always bought by the same man. He then directs them to the back to speak to the dancers.
The dancers, Cece Whitney and Sigrid Valdis, give the detectives a description of the man. They just know him as a big tipper they call, the professor (Jones). The description does not match any of the file photos. .O'Brien next hits a bar for a talk with Bramley's girl, Indus Arthur. No joy there either as Arthur has not seen him in weeks.
A quick flight back to Nevada and the detectives start checking with the roadblocks. O'Brien is rather surprised that not a sign of the villains has been seen.
Needless to say, the gas truck breezes through the roadblocks with only a minor hic-up. A Highway Patrolman, William Boyett, climbs up on the tank to look inside. Storch distracts him by doing some impressions and telling a few jokes. Boyett laughs, then pulls out the photos of the suspected hold-up men. "Have you seen any of these men?" Boyett asks. Storch shakes his head and Boyett waves them on. He then radios the boys at the next roadblock about the funny man driving.
Storch now calls the group on the intercom that a photo of Bramley was among the ones the police had. That means Bramley will not be able to take a turn in the cab. Inside the tanker another problem is starting. Bellaver, keels over with a heart-attack. Jones radios the cab to pull over. They prop Bellaver up against a tree where he dies. Bramley, who has been nursing a bottle all trip, is less than pleased about spending the whole trip inside the tanker. Small places do not make him a happy camper. Bramley insists on a turn at the wheel. This results in a major dust up with Byrnes. Bramley comes out on the wrong end of several right hands and is flattened. Grumbling, Bramley crawls back in the tank with Jones and Storch while Byrnes takes a turn driving.
At the next roadblock, Don Kennedy, the Highway Patrolman Boyett had radioed, asks Byrnes to do an impression for him. Byrnes has no idea what is going on and mumbles out a poor joke. The cop grimaces and waves the truck through. Byrnes pulls over up the road and asks Storch to join in the cab. "In case anyone else needs a joke." O'Brien has now arrived at the second roadblock. He figures the hold up crew must have gotten by them by now so he calls in everyone from the first roadblock. While O'Brien is questioning the officers about any strange car etc, Boyett mentions the truck with the funny driver. Kennedy joins in and says the jokes were really bad. The two describe different men. The old light bulb starts flashing in O'Brien's head.
The cops call in a copter to check the road ahead. The copter sights the gas tanker and calls in the location. The cops take some short cuts and get ahead of the tanker. They pick a place with only one way in and set up another roadblock.
Just before the tanker truck hits the roadblock, Bramley, now thoroughly drunk, starts throwing items around inside the compartment. One of the objects hits a seam in the compartment welding which starts a small leak of gasoline from the above tank.
Just as the gas leak starts, the tanker rounds the corner and hits the roadblock. Byrnes is forced to swerve and hit the brakes hard in order to avoid a crash. O'Brien, Macready and the Highway Patrol yank the two from the cab. At the same time there is a "whoosh" from under the tanker as the hidden hatch pops open. Out pours the gas, the money, and the arm of Bramley. He and Jones had drowned in gasoline when the damaged seam had ruptured during the violent stop.
The perfect plan had sprung a leak.
A pretty good episode if you ask me. (colour)
We have along trip ahead of us in less then ideal circumstances
sol121823 January 2012
Warning: Spoilers
***SPOILERS*** Put on the case of a armored truck robbery Inspector Dan Zarila, Pat O'Brian, hits pay-dirt by finding a theater stub left at the crime scene by one of the robbers. As things turned out it was left by the brains of the outfit the meticulously minded "Professor" Raymond Shipley,Harry Jones. This was a key piece of information that Inspt. Zarila and the state troopers needed to catch the robbers but it took a number of mistakes on the robbers part to make that all happen.
High suspense on the nation's highway with "The Professor" and his motley crew of robbers trying to make it to L.A and safety as the state troopers from both Nevada and Californian are hot on their tail. Using as cover a oil tanker wasn't exactly the best way to travel with three of the robbers alway having to be hidden inside it, with the three million in stolen money, in the broiling desert heat. It's Roy Mueller, William Bramley,who starts to crack first which lead him getting clobbered by fellow robber and ex-US Marine Bill Colbert, Edd Byrnes, just to shut him up. There's also night club comedian now full time armored car robber Penny Shields, Larry Storch, who keeps things on the light side with his impersonations of James Cagney and Cary Grant. It's in fact Shield's imitation of Cary Grant that kept a state trooper from examining the tanker, by him cracking up, where the stolen money was hidden.
Things went from bad to worse for the armored truck robbers when one of them Fred Benner,Harry Bellaver,suddenly suffered a fatal heart attack and dropped dead in the desert! It was his heart condition that Brenner kept from "The Professor" when he hired him for the job that in the end turned fatal for him.
***SPOILERS***With Inspt. Zarila and the state troopers finally getting a handle to where the robbers were and where they were headed a trap or roadblock was set for them on the outskirts of L.A city limits. This turned out to be totally unnecessary with the remaining robbers including "The professor", in not fully securing their oil truck's fuel supply, ended up doing the job for them!
High suspense on the nation's highway with "The Professor" and his motley crew of robbers trying to make it to L.A and safety as the state troopers from both Nevada and Californian are hot on their tail. Using as cover a oil tanker wasn't exactly the best way to travel with three of the robbers alway having to be hidden inside it, with the three million in stolen money, in the broiling desert heat. It's Roy Mueller, William Bramley,who starts to crack first which lead him getting clobbered by fellow robber and ex-US Marine Bill Colbert, Edd Byrnes, just to shut him up. There's also night club comedian now full time armored car robber Penny Shields, Larry Storch, who keeps things on the light side with his impersonations of James Cagney and Cary Grant. It's in fact Shield's imitation of Cary Grant that kept a state trooper from examining the tanker, by him cracking up, where the stolen money was hidden.
Things went from bad to worse for the armored truck robbers when one of them Fred Benner,Harry Bellaver,suddenly suffered a fatal heart attack and dropped dead in the desert! It was his heart condition that Brenner kept from "The Professor" when he hired him for the job that in the end turned fatal for him.
***SPOILERS***With Inspt. Zarila and the state troopers finally getting a handle to where the robbers were and where they were headed a trap or roadblock was set for them on the outskirts of L.A city limits. This turned out to be totally unnecessary with the remaining robbers including "The professor", in not fully securing their oil truck's fuel supply, ended up doing the job for them!
The Jack Is High
telegonus10 December 2009
This is a tense and exciting entry of the Kraft suspense anthology. The plot is simple and familiar: a bunch of social outcasts, malcontents, guys who never got the breaks, pull off a night-time robbery and head with the loot in a gas truck to Los Angeles. There's nary a dull moment in this one, and the characters are well developed, especially for a television show.
The mastermind, a college English professor, is enigmatic, one senses he's a loner, a man who's never had his time in the sun and wants it now, before it's too late. His opposite number, the one real pro in the bunch, a demolitions expert with a criminal record, despises the professor even as he follows his lead. These two not only don't hit it off, they're stuck inside the truck the whole time, with the demo man fuming over being cooped up for so long. Also involved are an ex-marine with a bad temper, dishonorably discharged; a comedian who wants to own his own nightclub; and a humble older working man who wants the money primarily to send his gifted daughter to college.
Things are touch and go for these guys from the start. One of them dropped a card at the crime scene that left a clue for the police to find; fortunately for them, it's a lead that goes nowhere. The police aren't the brightest guys in the world but they know what they have to do, and they do it well. As to the criminals, they have a lot of luck on their side. The suspense in this episode is as high as the jack. By the last ten minutes or so I was rooting for the bad guys to make it, if only because they were so human, so flawed, like most of us, and even when not likable fairly easy to understand as types. The acting was above average all-round, with only Edd Byrnes seeming a bit too young and good looking for his bitter former Marine. Henry Jones is superb as the professor; supercilious, smug. too sure of himself for his own good.
The ending of this episode was, for me, a jaw-dropper. I didn't see it coming, and neither, in all likelihood, will you.A first rate crime story, I highly recommend it for those who like such things. For what it is, it's near flawless.
The mastermind, a college English professor, is enigmatic, one senses he's a loner, a man who's never had his time in the sun and wants it now, before it's too late. His opposite number, the one real pro in the bunch, a demolitions expert with a criminal record, despises the professor even as he follows his lead. These two not only don't hit it off, they're stuck inside the truck the whole time, with the demo man fuming over being cooped up for so long. Also involved are an ex-marine with a bad temper, dishonorably discharged; a comedian who wants to own his own nightclub; and a humble older working man who wants the money primarily to send his gifted daughter to college.
Things are touch and go for these guys from the start. One of them dropped a card at the crime scene that left a clue for the police to find; fortunately for them, it's a lead that goes nowhere. The police aren't the brightest guys in the world but they know what they have to do, and they do it well. As to the criminals, they have a lot of luck on their side. The suspense in this episode is as high as the jack. By the last ten minutes or so I was rooting for the bad guys to make it, if only because they were so human, so flawed, like most of us, and even when not likable fairly easy to understand as types. The acting was above average all-round, with only Edd Byrnes seeming a bit too young and good looking for his bitter former Marine. Henry Jones is superb as the professor; supercilious, smug. too sure of himself for his own good.
The ending of this episode was, for me, a jaw-dropper. I didn't see it coming, and neither, in all likelihood, will you.A first rate crime story, I highly recommend it for those who like such things. For what it is, it's near flawless.
Good caper story TV episode
searchanddestroy-13 October 2008
Warning: Spoilers
The only Kraft Theatre episode I have in my library is precisely about a topic I love: a caper movie.
A bunch of professional robbers pull an armored car heist in the middle of nowhere and disappear with the bullion. Afterwards, they escape hidden in a huge tank truck,a truck half filled with gasoline...
What a suspense, while the police force try hard to discover who the thugs are on the loose aboard the truck.
This episode is a funny - but not a comedy - wink to "White Heat",about the tank truck with the gangsters inside it, but when one of the hoods imitates Jimmy Cagney in the Raoul Walsh's movie. He is in front of some cops, when they are stopped at a road block, and tries to create a diversion so that the policeman does not inspect the tank too closely...
But I remind another caper movie when watching this episode. The beginning, and the following, the escape with the bullion, has something similar with the famous, the great, "Plunder Road", a little gem shot in 1957.
The characters are pretty interesting. The robbers I mean. Not the heats; all the same. As usual. Among the best episodes of the series.
A bunch of professional robbers pull an armored car heist in the middle of nowhere and disappear with the bullion. Afterwards, they escape hidden in a huge tank truck,a truck half filled with gasoline...
What a suspense, while the police force try hard to discover who the thugs are on the loose aboard the truck.
This episode is a funny - but not a comedy - wink to "White Heat",about the tank truck with the gangsters inside it, but when one of the hoods imitates Jimmy Cagney in the Raoul Walsh's movie. He is in front of some cops, when they are stopped at a road block, and tries to create a diversion so that the policeman does not inspect the tank too closely...
But I remind another caper movie when watching this episode. The beginning, and the following, the escape with the bullion, has something similar with the famous, the great, "Plunder Road", a little gem shot in 1957.
The characters are pretty interesting. The robbers I mean. Not the heats; all the same. As usual. Among the best episodes of the series.
Awfully good.
planktonrules14 October 2015
This is a rather sad episode. According to IMDb, a stuntman was killed in an accident while filming this show.
When the show begins, a group of robbers rip off an armored car with $3,000,000 aboard! To hide the loot and the crooks, they hide out in a tanker truck while one of them drives from Reno to Los Angeles. It's all an elaborate plot by the brains behind the robbery, a man who calls himself 'the Professor'. Assigned to the case is Inspector Zarilla (Pat O'Brien, in his second appearance on "Kraft Suspense Theatre" as a cop). And, as he follows the clues, he gets closer and closer to the gang.
This is a VERY good episode--tense, well written and quite entertaining. The final scene is also a doozy!! See this one...
By the way, one of the hoods was played by Larry Storch. I was never a fan of him but here he surprised me. His celebrity imitations were pretty good.
When the show begins, a group of robbers rip off an armored car with $3,000,000 aboard! To hide the loot and the crooks, they hide out in a tanker truck while one of them drives from Reno to Los Angeles. It's all an elaborate plot by the brains behind the robbery, a man who calls himself 'the Professor'. Assigned to the case is Inspector Zarilla (Pat O'Brien, in his second appearance on "Kraft Suspense Theatre" as a cop). And, as he follows the clues, he gets closer and closer to the gang.
This is a VERY good episode--tense, well written and quite entertaining. The final scene is also a doozy!! See this one...
By the way, one of the hoods was played by Larry Storch. I was never a fan of him but here he surprised me. His celebrity imitations were pretty good.
Big things were expected
drystyx22 November 2012
This is one of those TV episodes that was meant to launch careers. Big things were expected after this one. This episode is about a motley group of robbers, five men with nothing in common, who come together for a once in a lifetime play.
And they were, for a while, but actors need more than great talent and great films. They also need great luck. While this was a major show, known to most kids on the street, and most people you would work with, for many years, it got shuffled back behind the many other "serious endeavors".
Henry Jones was the key actor as the professor. Like a tragic Shakespearean protagonist, we watch him with great interest. Larry Storch was to take over Vegas as the greatest impersonator in the business. All five actors who played the band of misfit robbers expected this show to make their careers inevitable successes.
And it should have. It was a dramatic show, and full of animation, if not action. We were rarely given "dull" settings. Most of it was on a desert road.
What probably hurt them in the long run is that they didn't try to get a good take on Storch doing his impressions. Larry Storch could do impressions very well, but the director obviously meant to show him trying to do it in an agitated state, and the impressions were not the vintage "Storch impressions." That was the fatal mistake here.
Purists would disagree, saying that "reality" of the situation called for Storch's amateur character to fumble around in a stressful attempt to stop a cop from searching his truck. However, I think it's what ultimately put this great episode onto the back burner, and what put Storch on a back burner to Little.
While they all did great acting jobs, it probably would have been better to let Storch do what he headlined to do.
Still, if you get a chance, watch this. It will come back into popularity some day. It has classic potential.
And they were, for a while, but actors need more than great talent and great films. They also need great luck. While this was a major show, known to most kids on the street, and most people you would work with, for many years, it got shuffled back behind the many other "serious endeavors".
Henry Jones was the key actor as the professor. Like a tragic Shakespearean protagonist, we watch him with great interest. Larry Storch was to take over Vegas as the greatest impersonator in the business. All five actors who played the band of misfit robbers expected this show to make their careers inevitable successes.
And it should have. It was a dramatic show, and full of animation, if not action. We were rarely given "dull" settings. Most of it was on a desert road.
What probably hurt them in the long run is that they didn't try to get a good take on Storch doing his impressions. Larry Storch could do impressions very well, but the director obviously meant to show him trying to do it in an agitated state, and the impressions were not the vintage "Storch impressions." That was the fatal mistake here.
Purists would disagree, saying that "reality" of the situation called for Storch's amateur character to fumble around in a stressful attempt to stop a cop from searching his truck. However, I think it's what ultimately put this great episode onto the back burner, and what put Storch on a back burner to Little.
While they all did great acting jobs, it probably would have been better to let Storch do what he headlined to do.
Still, if you get a chance, watch this. It will come back into popularity some day. It has classic potential.
Poor crime story
lor_12 January 2024
To read the handful of IMDb reviews, you would think this Kraft Suspense episode was a classic, but it turns out to be poor. Let me lay it on the line: if this TV filler impresses you, get a life.
The central gimmick dominating the entire story is lifted whole-hog from "White Heat" -rejiggering a gas tanker truck to hide the criminals and their booty from inspection by the cops. Hack scriptwriter William Wood should be charged with plagiarism. I also recalled Clouzot's all-time suspense classic "The Wages of Fear", but here the suspense is dispensed with and replaced by a crummy trick ending.
The strangers united to pull off that one big job, but fighting amongst themselves is realy corny. And the casting is weak. C-level TV players, quite comedown from Kraft's often top talent lineups. The least famous of the leads, a hothead criminal, is played by William Bramley, who overacts outrageously. He looks like a dead ringer for Christopher Lloyd but without any of his talent. Similarly, Larry Storch is quite disappointing, not the great comedian being touted here.
For people watching old TV looking for gems, this ain't one of them. In fact, I immediately thought of Spielberg's debut "Duel", which was an instant classic (with a truck as the central character, too) that I saw in theaters, since it turned out to be so good that it was also released theatrically.
Sidelight: Sigrid Valdis, who plays a cocktail lounge pianist who interacts with detective Pat O'Brien, is Bob Crane's widow, with very few acting credits beyond this small role.
The central gimmick dominating the entire story is lifted whole-hog from "White Heat" -rejiggering a gas tanker truck to hide the criminals and their booty from inspection by the cops. Hack scriptwriter William Wood should be charged with plagiarism. I also recalled Clouzot's all-time suspense classic "The Wages of Fear", but here the suspense is dispensed with and replaced by a crummy trick ending.
The strangers united to pull off that one big job, but fighting amongst themselves is realy corny. And the casting is weak. C-level TV players, quite comedown from Kraft's often top talent lineups. The least famous of the leads, a hothead criminal, is played by William Bramley, who overacts outrageously. He looks like a dead ringer for Christopher Lloyd but without any of his talent. Similarly, Larry Storch is quite disappointing, not the great comedian being touted here.
For people watching old TV looking for gems, this ain't one of them. In fact, I immediately thought of Spielberg's debut "Duel", which was an instant classic (with a truck as the central character, too) that I saw in theaters, since it turned out to be so good that it was also released theatrically.
Sidelight: Sigrid Valdis, who plays a cocktail lounge pianist who interacts with detective Pat O'Brien, is Bob Crane's widow, with very few acting credits beyond this small role.
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