While they are camping in the Great Outdoors of a New Mexico State Game Refuge, Tod spots a deer being illegally targeted by a hunter, Hump (Gene Evans), and then quickly honks the Vet's horn to frighten away the young doe. Full of rage, Hump fires his rifle, charges the campsite, and shoots out 2 Vet tires before leaving the scene. If you would think that this would not be the end of hostilities, you would be right. Fisticuffs won't solve any problems here. Evans portrays the biggest SOB in the series thus far. The episode is recommended to be seen with that understanding.
3 Reviews
Most dangerous creep
lor_13 December 2023
I think of "Route 66" as an intellectual TV series, with weighty themes plus action footage & a weekly Maharis fistfight thrown in for the fans. But with Silliphant taking the week off, this segment is more of a melodramatic exploitation movie, like the indie action pics shown at drive-ins way back when -see for example the L. Q. Jones-directed 1964 feature "The Devil's Bedroom".
Gene Evans is memorably evil as the villain, a true capitalist who has taken the Law of the Jungle to its ultimate extreme. He's introduced hunting for an underage doe illegally in a New Mexican game reserve, ending up shooting out two Corvette tires when Good Samaritan Milner tries to stop him. It makes for quite a far-fetched vendetta, with Maharis especially perturbed at the creep when Evans starts shooting at the boys!
Set in Santa Fe, the show features quality location work in an obvious segue to Most Dangerous Game action toward the bizarre climax, with TV director David Lowell Rich throwing in as many crazy, over-the-top action cliches as possible late in the show. Nominal storyline about cutthroat capitalism, with Evans about to be bested by his partner Harold J. Stone (only cast member playing the script straight) in a nationwide trucking business, gets lost in the violence. Saving grace is Joanna Moore, doing a fine job playing Evans' extremely kookie companion, in a flavorful performance -probably targeted for a Joey Heatherton or Mimsy Farmer type on paper.
Gene Evans is memorably evil as the villain, a true capitalist who has taken the Law of the Jungle to its ultimate extreme. He's introduced hunting for an underage doe illegally in a New Mexican game reserve, ending up shooting out two Corvette tires when Good Samaritan Milner tries to stop him. It makes for quite a far-fetched vendetta, with Maharis especially perturbed at the creep when Evans starts shooting at the boys!
Set in Santa Fe, the show features quality location work in an obvious segue to Most Dangerous Game action toward the bizarre climax, with TV director David Lowell Rich throwing in as many crazy, over-the-top action cliches as possible late in the show. Nominal storyline about cutthroat capitalism, with Evans about to be bested by his partner Harold J. Stone (only cast member playing the script straight) in a nationwide trucking business, gets lost in the violence. Saving grace is Joanna Moore, doing a fine job playing Evans' extremely kookie companion, in a flavorful performance -probably targeted for a Joey Heatherton or Mimsy Farmer type on paper.
5/12/61: "A Skill for Hunting"
schappe121 April 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Gene Evans plays a guy who isn't simply a hard-hearted businessman: he's a cold-blooded bastard. He has a run-in with Tod and Buz when they scare off an out- of- season deer he wants to shoot. She shoots at them and shoots out their tires with a smile on his face. Later they catch up with him and Buz beats him up. He vows revenge. It winds up with a "Most Dangerous Game" scenario with T & B and his estranged wife being the hunted.
Tatum O'Neal's mother, Joanna Moore, is the cynical wife. Evans, whose character is named "Hump", is so mean he even pushes Harold J. Stone, the guy who played the insane villain "Gatluff" in the "Buffalo Hunter" episode of Gunsmoke, off a cliff. Now that's mean!
Tatum O'Neal's mother, Joanna Moore, is the cynical wife. Evans, whose character is named "Hump", is so mean he even pushes Harold J. Stone, the guy who played the insane villain "Gatluff" in the "Buffalo Hunter" episode of Gunsmoke, off a cliff. Now that's mean!
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