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Drugs, A Shooting, A Kidnapping
gordonl5616 July 2016
Warning: Spoilers
THE RICHARD BOONE SHOW "Run, Pony, Run" 1963

THE RICHARD BOONE SHOW was an American anthology series that ran for 25 episodes during 1963 and 1964. The shows all featured the same "company" of actors in each episode with a couple guest stars thrown in. The regular cast is, Richard Boone, Harry Morgan, Warren Stevens, Bethel Leslie, Guy Stockwell, Robert Blake, Ford Rainey, Laura Devon, June Harding and Lloyd Bochner.

This episode is the 21st of the production run.

Robert Blake headlines this episode. Blake is a drug addict who gets caught in the middle of the night burgling a drug store. He hotfoots it out the back to where he has a stolen car parked. Outside, he runs into another Policeman. He pulls a gun and shoots said Policeman. He now speeds off as the second cop fires at him. An all-points bulletin is sent out and a Police prowler is soon on Blake's tail.

Blake manages to throw the tail and parks at an all-night supermarket. There, Blake car-jacks a woman waiting in the parking lot for her husband. The woman, Laura Devon, says nothing as Blake has a gun shoved in her ribs. They drive right past several Police cars that have just arrived.

Blake drives to the nearest alley and rifles through Devon's purse. All he finds is a lousy 3 bucks in singles. He needs cash to get a fix as he is starting to go through withdrawal. He slaps Devon around and says he needs some cash. She takes him to her office. She tells him there is a box with some petty cash in it. They hit the office and Blake finds a whopping 27 more dollars.

The night guard, Warren Stevens, shows up wondering who is in the office so late. Devon tells Stevens that she is there getting some important papers ready for the boss. Of course she is only saying that because Blake has the gun on her.

While all this is going on, the wounded Policeman has been rushed to hospital in serious condition. The Detectives have also arrived on the scene. The two, Ford Rainey and John Wesley talk to the second cop getting a description of the suspect. Rainey says it must be one of the local hop-head types.

By this time the husband of the missing woman, Devon, has called in the Police. The Detectives figure that the two events are tied together. They quickly find the car Blake dumped and call in the fingerprint boys.

Blake has by now discovered that there is a safe in Devon's office. Devon tells Blake that it has a time lock and can't be opened till 8 in the morning. Blake hauls Devon to his fleabag rooms in a rundown apartment. At the apartment is Blake's girl, June Harding. Blake intends to keep Devon there till the time lock opens.

Blake leaves a tied up Devon with Harding while he goes out to see if he can score. The Police are out in force grabbing up every dealer they can find in order to get a lead on Blake. Blake's dealer, Harry Morgan is collared by the Police just as Blake arrives.

Blake is really starting to come unglued from the lack of any new drugs. He heads back to the apartment just as withdrawal hits him big time. He is soon bouncing off the walls as his girl Harding tries to calm him. Devon manages to free herself, grabs her stuff and makes for the door. She stops as she watches Blake thrashing about the floor etc. The Police are soon kicking in the door and putting the grab on Blake. His dealer, Morgan, has given up Blake's address to the Detectives.

This is a fairly hard hitting episode for 1963. Blake is quite convincing as the druggie losing control.

The series was only on for the one year but was nominated for 8 Emmy and Golden Globe Awards, winning a Golden Globe for best Television Drama.
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Terrific little drama
searchanddestroy-16 January 2016
What an exciting flick here, with a Bob Blake at his top, where he plays a petty thief and junkie who shot a cop after a shop robbery. Well, you have already read the topic of this powerful crime drama. And you have as usual the so riveting character study in this story. One good scene, when Robert Blake's junkie friend explains to the abducted woman all the things he did for her, to save her, at least trying. This shows that Blake is not the one he seems to be at first sight. I repeat, he gives here a more than powerful performance, especially the sequence when he is the junkie in needing drug crisis. He was truly a great actor. You also have in this episode the police force point of view, and not only the behind closed doors drama between the kidnapped woman and the junkies. Very high rate episode. In this series, you have plenty of them. It is very difficult to tell what is the best episode among the whole of them. And look for the unforgettable bittersweet ending. Absolutely terrific.
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