User Reviews

A well-made and engrossing show of the "Psycho on the Loose" genre, which Naked City did fairly occasionally. Much of the intensity and visual flair is due to director Lamont Johnson---himself a former actor--and a man who really understood how to make the best use of his camera and the dynamic visuals of New York City.

Composer Billy May's score is much less obnoxious than in some of his previous shows-- more subtle and imaginative. There's a bizarre instrumental effect when Burt Brinckerhoff starts going off the deep end.; at first I thought it was trumpets using "buzz" mutes, but I now think it's a group of KAZOOS in the orchestra that glide up and down in a weird cluster of sound. Very unusual and effective.

A good show. LR

***SPOILERS*** The severely mentally disturbed Bellevue Hospital attendant Erwin Lovegood , Burt Brinckerhoff, has been going around town knocking off policemen just because they remind him of his late dad Colonel Lovegood who was killed in action in the battle of Guadalcanal back in 1942 when he was six, that's Ervin, years old. Despite winning or earning the Congressional Medal of Honor for his efforts young Erwin always felt that his dad deserted him and his mom who had later committed suicide by downing herself in the bathtub. Brought up by his Aunt Lily, Carman Mathews, Ervin's fascination with men in uniform lead to his insane hatred of policemen in reminding him of his late father whom he hated with a passion.

It takes a while for the NYPD to crack this puzzling case but it's the usually super sensitive Det. Adam Flint, Paul Burke, who finds the clue that lead to Ervin's identity as the #1 cop killer. That was his obsession of buying toy solders to play war with in his one room apartment at Aunt Lily's house. We soon find out that this nut case Ervin is even more sensitive to human life and suffering then even the hyper sensitive Det. Flint is. But his way of solving the problem is causing more suffering, by killing policemen, then there already is in the world!

***SPOILERS*** The final showdown between the two sensitive souls Det. Flint & Ervin Godlove takes place on a New York City rooftop with at first Ervin Lovegood getting the best of Det. Flint and then realizing just how crazy and insensitive he is to human life meekly giving himself up and asking for forgiveness for what he did. In an ironic twist Bellevue attendant Ervin Goodlove ended up being a patient in the very mental ward that he worked in with the mental patients that he attended too.

That's not the first episode I see from this series. And I can say that I have already seen many rooftops endings since the beginning. I think that's funny, although the stories are not at all. That's all for this solid and moving story, not zo usual. Good point.

"Bring back Silliphant!" I cried watching this lousy segment of "Naked City", as the other scriptwriters delivered a hard to watch exploitation movie filled with contrivances.

Hambone Burt Brinckerhoff, in a role that should have gone to name talent with talent, say Dean Stockwell for instance, plays a psycho killer with hang-ups verging on necrophilia (but cleaned up for a TV audience). He kills cops and the trail of clues that result in Burke & fellow cops apprehending him is ridiculous.

Shooting on location at Bellevue Hospital, in the psychiatric ward, is wasted on this trash, unworthy of a quality show. If I want to watch a tawdry exploitation movie, give me the real thing, not ersatz television. And hire some great guest stars, you cheapskates!

This guy kills policemen because of the hatred for his father who was killed in the war..similar story with norman bates...both nutcases.