User Reviews

Dick is a chauffeur, complete with cap, for Richard Anderson, who would later be the last actor to play his brother-in-law, Len Taft. There was a rumored spinoff, My Three Lens, which never came to be. Anyways, Anderson is a rich and nice guy who is going to build a factory in his old small hometown. There is going to be a party for him given by his old friends, but Dick overhears a death threat over the phone. The voice sounds just like Ed Asner, and sure enough, there's Ed among a group of Anderson's old friends. It turns out that all of these old chums hate Anderson because he left the crummy town and became somebody. They blame him for stuff that he really didn't do. Kind of like his chauffeur. Interesting that Leonard 'bones' McCoy shows up after having had a few too many and says "dammit Dick, you're a doctor. Not a chauffeur." Dick's identity becomes known when the sheriff gives him a gun to guard Anderson against any death threats and then fingerprints him. This is the most important man in town, but don't waste the cops time looking out for him. Just give his chauffeur a gun. They tell Dick they won't send the prints in until the show is over, but they then decide to send the prints in as soon as he leaves the room. So the cops show up and Dick barely escapes, but he doesn't leave until he finds out that Asner is the threat, which was obvious all along. He prevents Asner from shooting Anderson and gets a ride to the bus stop. It's uncertain if Anderson ever builds the factory after the way his old "friends" treated him, but it is certain that Richard Kimble remains....a fugitive.

"You can't go home again" or at least maybe you shouldn't try if you've made a big success of yourself. The people you left behind might not be as admiring as you'd expect. Especially if one off them lost a pro football career due to an auto accident he blames you for and another is a girlfriend who wanted to be more than that. Even the people without specific grudges won't be comfortable comparing your success with the mundaneness of their lives.

Richard Anderson, making his third appearance in the series, plays the successful businessman who has decided to "save the town" by putting a factory there that will bring many jobs and pump a lot of his wonderful money into his old home town. People seem to be appreciative on the surface but there is more than air of resentment, especially since he's been getting phoned death threats. Anderson's chauffeur is Richard Kimble, whom he found hiding in his garage and feverish six weeks before. Dr. Kimble likes his employer and feels he owes him something and is concerned about the phone calls which Anderson brushes off as being from some crank. He's refused official security from the local Sheriff, an old friend. The Sheriff recruits Kimble to carry a gun- of course he'll need finger prints to get the permit approved. (Don't tell the NRA but they do a background check). The gun represents another problem-= the last thing Richard Kimble wants to do is to shoot and maybe actually kill somebody.

It's a nice set up but. Anderson is a bit too "nice". He's tolerant of the people who obviously resent his "big man" status. He feels sorry for the person who wants to kill him. The back story of the football player's injury is weak- they went to a bar and, as they were getting out of the car a drunk backed into them and the football player got the worst of it. It was Anderson's idea to go to the bar. So what?

In Mel Proctor's book on the series, "The Official Fan's Guide to The Fugitive", Anderson says he went to a class reunion himself in 1993 and felt a little resentment of his success as an actor and it reminded of this episode. Ed Asner, who plays the football player, has some grumpy quotes in the same book. "I felt that Richard Anderson was always too pretty so the thought of putting a bullet in him was delectable to me." No doubt he was kidding but he wasn't kidding when he said "Most of my roles in The Fugitive didn't thrill me. The football player was one of the few good ones… Malinek's limp took a lot of concentration and energy and was a pain in the ass." It was a good thing he wasn't playing Chester on "Gunsmoke".

He had an equally sour opinion of David Janssen's acting: "I really found it painful to watch David Janssen grimacing every time a cop came around. He looked like the dopiest person in the world, giving himself away to the cops every time rather than playing it cool and smooth. Why he wasn't arrested the second week of the show and sent back to Indiana, I'll never know. I thought David was a good actor but a lot of the time, David didn't give a s--t. David had great talent but was lazy and coasted." I couldn't agree less.

George Forster (Richard Anderson) is a very rich and successful man. Now, many years after leaving his hometown, he's returning for a party being held in his honor. At his side is his friend and trusted employee, Tom (David Janssen).

Everything looks like it's going to be great for the party...at least initially. However, Dr. Kimble realizes that initial looks can be deceiving and there is actually a lot of hate and animosity about Forster. In fact, he even overhears a phone call where he hears one unknown person talking about killing Forster!! But Forster won't believe anyone hates him or wants to kill him...though evidence of this sure piles up as the show progresses!

There is one problem with this show that is no one's fault. It seems the guy on the phone who wants to kill Forster was a small- time actor in the 1960s but became VERY famous later...and it's not hard at all now to recognize the voice...so there's no suspense here. But apart from that, it's a great episode...one where human nature in all its ugliness comes out during the course of the film. And, what's interesting is that Forster apparently NEVER really hurt anyone and IS a nice guy...but folks' jealousy and hatred of their own lots in life come spilling out at him.

By the way, Anderson guest starred on the show 6 times. In the previous season, Anderson was MUCH more balding...and so you now realize that he often acted with a hair piece...which he wears in this one.

Kimble is employed by George Forster, a successful businessman. He drives George to his old hometown, a small midwestern town. George is setting up a factory there, and has come home to celebration and acclaim.

Unfortunately, jealousies are right under the surface of the welcoming town. Years ago George had asked one old friend for a loan, and the friend refused, leaving him out of George's spectacular success. Another lost his football career to a parking lot accident that he blames on George. Another was a young woman whose father would not allow her to be with her first love George because he was a broke young man without any prospects.

Complications set in when an anonymous threat is made on George's life. Kimble is issued a gun by the sheriff, who unfortunately must send in Kimble's prints to get the permit.

The episode has an outstanding cast, including Richard Anderson, Ed Asner, Milton Selzer and Fay Spain. Actor DeForest Kelley (Dr. McCoy on Star Trek) does a good job in a minor role as the town drunk.

What stands out for me is the wonderful collection of character actors from that era. I enjoyed this episode primarily because of Richard Anderson who always delivered a strong but understated performance.