This is the second Untouchables installment to be devoted of one Lieutennant Agatha "Aggie" Stewart, a fictional Commanding Officer of the Missing Persons Bureau of the City of Chicago, Department of Police. We have already written-up our views on "THE UNTOUCHABLES": Alegy (1962).
As for this one here, it had a plot that, while not a duplicate of the previous, it had certain necessary similarities.
OUR STORY:* In her duty as Commanding Officer of Chicago Police Department's Missing Persons Bureau, Lt. Agatha "Aggie Baggie" Stewart reviews a Missing Persons Report that has come to her attention. It is of a "John Doe"(an unknown identity)death, which has the most unusual circumstance of being the recipient of Flowers sent anonymously to the grave sight.
This happening doesn't go unnoticed by a member of the Noble Fourth Estate of the Land (a "Gentleman" of the Press) and Lt.Stewart picks up the gauntlet tossed at her to elucidate the case a little and find the identity of this "John Doe".
A receipt leads Lt. Stewart and Detective Frank (Eddie Asner) on a city-wide "Needle-in-a-Haystck" search of all Banks, looking for the teller who left his personal "Tellers' Mark" on the Bills used in the purchase of the flowers.
The receipt for the floral arrangement was from Dion O'Bannion's Florist Shop. Even though O'Banion was killed in the Year of Our Lord 1924, the Shop was now run by another of the old North Side Gang, and was the "unofficial official" Florist to the Chicago underworld.
It seems that one Claire Simmons (Claire North) had been an item together with this unknown corpus delicti, and she would be able to connect all the lines. And by doing her work, she also was influential in clearing up the Feds' problem. Read on.
Coincidentally, Federal Agents Ness, (Robert Stack), Hobson (Paul Picerni),Youngfellow (Abel Fernandez), Rossi(Nick Georgiade) and Rossman(Steve London)were also on an investigation of a $1,000,000.00 Canadian Whiskey Shipment brokered by Rudy Portugese (Antony Carbone), younger brother of the infamous Portugese Brothers Gang, and Canadian Hood, Arnie Retzik (Grant Richards).
The paths of the two Law Enforcement Officials once again crosses paths, demonstrating the teamwork that can possibly achieved when the Great and Wonderful Feds condescend to help out the "Local Yokels." Perhaps you find our theory about these two hour programs being used potentially as Pilots for a proposed Series of 'Aggie' Stewart-Missing Persons Series to be just a trifle far-fetched, even totally unlikely. Well, we have some examples of other Hollywood Big Timers who went that route.
In the same way(though not on an already existing series) we had Robert Taylor in "THE DETECTIVES"(1959-62), Oscar Winner Broderick Crawford in "HIGHWAY PATROL" (1955-59) and, a little later, Henry Fonda in "THE SMITH FAMILY"(1971-72). All series Starred Top Hollywood Movie Stars in Series, with roles as Coppers!
Episode also featured: Virginia Capers,Alan Dexter, Jerry Douglas,Gerald Gordon and Tom Reese.
NOTE: * Wow, leading with "OUR STORY"! That's just like PRINCE VALIANT in the Sunday Color Comics!