User Reviews

Jonathan is definitely all that, don't get me wrong, but in the end he's a boy that likes his toys, the toy in question an old King George-era car for Jennifer's birthday. Definitely a classic bonehead husband move with this gift for him rather than her; that's OK, I've been known to buy my husband plenty of shirts that are "for him" but that are my taste not his. Bonehead wife! Heh. Anyway, there's a ton to love about this episode right off the bat. I was laughing out loud more than a few times. The pounds vs. dollars tete-a-tete was very amusing, and then there's a ton of props and lines that made me squeal. The best line of the show and a sign of the times, when the dock foreman hands off this ridiculous car to Jennifer and says, "You're really gonna look terrific … sittin' in the gas lines. There's a lot of Jennifer-is-no-slouch'iness to this ep. She can fix her own damn sink, thank you very much, you can leave the driving to her, she'll open up the hood of a vintage car (as if she'll know what the hell she's looking at), and she'll go grease monkey like a pro. Then there's the corset she preens in. Awesome shot of her in that doorway. She looks so good without objectification. It's something out of Downton Abbey meets Penny Dreadful. Now one thing, I've worn a corset for a role in the past, and I can promise you, sitting on the ground in that thing is not easy. I'll bet you anything she had to be lowered and hoisted back up. The scene where the woman offers herself up to Jonathan is really good. He lets her down with a leading man sensitivity that calls for every single moment of closeup that was shot for it. Very much enjoyed the notes in the late Andra Akers's performance as a woman unabashedly attracted to Jonathan. The gratuitous low-speed car chase scene with champagne torpedoes is hysterically absurd, and I needed more of it until the shot of Jonathan giving up and running after the bad guy, since his legs would move faster than the car would. The mystery driving what this car is all about is a doozy, and when it was finally revealed I was really impressed. I was a bit disappointed with the kicker. For one thing, their bedroom doesn't appear set yet, as their bed has no headboard at all and a very weird painting above it that really just didn't fit. Of course, me watching these out of order, it's not like anyone knew that yet. The bigger deal is that Jennifer goes and gets herself a fur coat. It's not what William Holden would have wanted, and it's not what Jennifer would later be established to want. A big oops in the character development department. Holden had not yet died here, that's clear. I need to watch the fake fur episode again to see how this might be references (or not). Overall, the whole thing is silly in many ways, from the image of Max cranking a car to the costumed afternoon to the concept of what they resorted to in the end, but in the Hart universe it's really par for the course. So, I loved this one. Knocked it down a point for the fur coat.

Jeremy Brett stars in this rather unusual but interesting Hart to Hart mystery. And the mystery here is the car, and you don't know why an English couple ( Jeremy Brett and the lady playing his wife) are so desperate to get their hands on a car that Jonathan has bought for his wife's birthday; the fact that they are willing to kill for it makes you watch on and see why the car is special. Well, it is vintage and it has its appeal, and car enthusiasts would certainly lap this up. Not the best episode, but entertaining enough.

Jeremy Brett, who in a few years would become the consummate Sherlock Holmes, here plays a bad guy after a car Jonathan (Robert Wagner) buys in London for his wife.

Some interesting insights into the 1970s. Mrs. Hart, a writer, sticks a small slip of correction tape in her typewriter. I used those nasty things myself. They were drier, however, and less messy than Liquid Paper. They also mention "gas lines." Under liberal Republican Nixon and Democrat Carter domestic production of oil and gas was low and OPEC had the US in a hammerlock, lowering supply. Where use was particularly high, as in California ("LA is a great big freeway"), supplies were so low and prices so (comparatively) high drivers had to fill up on an even/odd system. When domestic production is low prices go up and the US is reliant on other countries.

So much for the 1970s. Bad clothes, bad music, bad hair and I was in high school. Too bad.

Jonathan buys a car Brett & Co. Badly want. Why?

It includes a car chase at 25 mph. I know, we saw the same sort of thing earlier on "Charlie's Angels" and later on "Remington Steele." But in this case they keep us guessing until the last few minutes about what it is, and when it comes, it's worth it.

Good performance by Brett. Enjoyable episode especially for anyone with an appreciation for vintage vehicles.

Johnathan bought the car in London. It was shipped to the US. The other couple stated it was easier to let Hart transport the car for them then they would do what they had to to get the car back. Johnathan told Jennifer that he tried to contact the showroom but it was closed. Johnathan was going to call again later (7 hours) when the showroom reopened. Quite easily the fur coat could have been fake. Jennifer doesn't wear fur. The studio wardrobe probably has an expensive line of coats for actresses to wear and you can bank on fake most of the time. Also, did you forget they were acting? Did you know that though Jennifer eats meat and so on Stefanie Powers is a vegetarian and has been since she was a teen. Her step-father took her to a slaughterhouse so she could see that people give up their horses whether they are young or old, healthy or sick and they are sent to the slaughterhouse. He wanted her to learn that an animal you own is a lifetime commitment. She doesn't eat meat or where furs. That's her moral core. Watch With This Hart I thee Wed or Chamber Of Lost Harts. Max brings prime rib to the table. That doesn't mean she eats it.