Victoria Page is a famous actress making a comeback after a year in a sanitarium. Someone is trying to scare her back into the mental ward. Joe thinks the answers might be related to an unfi... Read allVictoria Page is a famous actress making a comeback after a year in a sanitarium. Someone is trying to scare her back into the mental ward. Joe thinks the answers might be related to an unfinished movie she was in called, "The Deadly Madonna."Victoria Page is a famous actress making a comeback after a year in a sanitarium. Someone is trying to scare her back into the mental ward. Joe thinks the answers might be related to an unfinished movie she was in called, "The Deadly Madonna."
Photos
- Projectionist
- (as William Benedict)
- Lisa Adams
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe party scene at the beginning was filmed at The Brady Bunch (1969) house.
- GoofsAfter the fire at Nemo's, Joe is standing on the sidewalk talking to Art Malcolm. Clearly visible behind him is a storefront for "Kelly's Liquors." Joe says he has to go to "Los Angeles Street" to check out a lead. When he gets out of the car, he is about three doors down from that same Kelly's Liquors he was at with Art Malcolm.
- Quotes
Hal Seagrave: Well, Mr. Mannix, I take it you're what we used to call a gumshoe.
Joe Mannix: Bogey would be proud of me.
Hal Seagrave: Mm. If you're here for the lowdown on the Labor Day party in Malibu, it'll all be in next week's issue. Should be good for a couple of divorces, which I guess, means some quick money for you chaps.
Joe Mannix: I don't handle divorce cases, Mr. Seagrave.
Hal Seagrave: Aw. You quite obviously haven't got a healthy interest in dirt.
Joe Mannix: I find it tough enough living with smog.
Hal Seagrave: I assume that, uh, you're here on someone's behalf.
Joe Mannix: Mm, someone who's interested in the golden days of Hollywood.
Hal Seagrave: Mm... Nostalgia time. Mm! Gable and Tracy fighting over Myrna Loy. Lombard and Harlow... Ty Power and Flynn. All the beautiful, magical people.
Joe Mannix: Including, of course, Victoria Page.
Hal Seagrave: That name somehow falls short of stimulating me. Is she your client?
Joe Mannix: Yes.
Hal Seagrave: Why come to me? Surely not for help. The last time I saw Miss Page was in court, 15 years ago, when she sued me for libel. Fat chance.
Joe Mannix: Meaning, uh, she lost the case.
Hal Seagrave: She lost.
Joe Mannix: But the melody lingers on.
[Seagrave nods]
Joe Mannix: Obviously, you still hold a grudge.
Hal Seagrave: One that I shall cherish to the end of my days.
Joe Mannix: Why?
Hal Seagrave: Mark Baxter used to be top of the heap. He was number one director in Hollywood. Then he found this mousy, undernourished fugitive from a repertory company in, of all places, Long Beach. He taught her how to... how to talk, how to wear clothes. He gave her a presence, a posture, an incandescent glow. Then he put together a movie package to launch her as a ready-made star. And how did our lady thank him? Halfway through, she walked out on him and the picture. That, uh... that finished Mark Baxter in Hollywood.
Joe Mannix: That's what you hold against her?
Hal Seagrave: I couldn't care less about their love life. But I ponied up $50,000 of my own money to get The Deadly Madonna rolling. And then when it ground to a halt, thanks to dear Vicki, I was out every nickel.
Joe Mannix: You once let it be known that you had a work print on The Deadly Madonna.
Hal Seagrave: Yeah. I kept it in a closet, gathering dust, to remind me that show business is for fools.
[sighs]
Hal Seagrave: Then, a few years ago, I got a tip that...
[sighs]
Hal Seagrave: ... that Mark Baxter was holed up in some mission for drunks downtown. So I, uh, I sent it to him. I figured he needed it more than I did to cheer up his declining years.
Joe Mannix: Do you, uh, remember where you sent it?
Hal Seagrave: Some dump on Los Angeles Street.
Joe Mannix: Well... thanks for your help, Mr. Seagrave.
Hal Seagrave: Mr. Mannix... I'm sorry I couldn't be more specific, but, uh, Skid Row is not exactly my beat.
Joe Mannix: Some drunks have all the luck.
This is an entertaining episode with an engaging mystery and investigation and a great twist also. The performances from Anne Baxter and Barbara Babcock are excellent and the performances from the rest of the cast are strong too.
There are lots of video quality issues as most of the scenes are grainy and scratchy. This is by far the worst-looking episode I've seen yet and is the second episode this season (after Desert Run) with serious video quality issues, but this one is much worse as the issues are prevalent throughout most of the episode. Shame on CBS for the poor remastering effort and for putting this garbled version of the episode on the DVD.
There's only one cliché - the police rush in at the end to wrap everything up. Joe doesn't get clobbered over the head, shot at or run off the road by another car, but he does get used as a bird dog again.
There's a good fight scene at the end. There are no chases of any kind.
The total body count is two.
The grey and white plaid pants worn by Barbara Babcock at the beginning are hideous. This is now the third episode out of the last four that has had someone wearing horrendous-looking plaid pants.
Despite the picture quality issues, this is still a solid episode.