User Reviews

This episode of "Mannix" seems pretty mundane at the beginning. A father and mother are involved in a custody battle and the mother has hired Mannix to track the boy down, as the father has run off with him. However, after seeing the boy and his father, someone nearly runs the boy down--and it looks deliberate. The father grabs the boy and disappears again. Later, when Mannix is able to find them again, someone once again makes an attempt--this time on the father. A third time this occurs--and the idiotic father seems a lot less concerned than I'd be!! Who wants to kill these two and why? They aren't rich, they aren't famous and the father's record is clean!

This is a pretty interesting episode of the series and pretty unique. I liked the plot but did find it odd that the father was such a butt-head about the whole thing. Still, it is very good--and a nice chance to see Christopher Knight (as the boy) in his days before playing Peter on "The Brady Bunch" as well as a chance to hear Mike Connors speak what sounds like fluent Armenian.

By the way, for about the 6 or 8th time in the show so far, Mannix suffers a head injury. According to IMDb, he ended up getting knocked out over 50 times during the series and here he smashes his head against a curb. He SHOULD have had pretty massive brain damage after just a few of these--yet, like magic, he remained in his faculties and was as effective as ever later in the series. I guess Mannix was like the Energizer Bunny...he just kept going and going and going.

"A Coffin for a Clown" is a strong outing. The plot starts out rather simple (most do), and then come the plot twists. As the story unfolds, it's a child custody case, more or less, but soon there's multiple dangers about.

It's a bit confusing at times, but our man Mannix gets it all straightened out in the end.

On the way we meet an interesting cast: "Bowery Boys" plus "Hazel" plus "The Brady Bunch". Also the great Norman Fell, same year he appeared in "The Graduate", and a decade before "Three's Company".

Joe speaks Armenian for the first time and we get another reference to Mannix the former mercenary.

There's also a humorous scene when Wickersham thinks Joe is shacked up with a dame on company time.

Two fights.

Mannix smokes two cigarettes and kills two men.

Yet another amazing pistol shot.

Wickersham: "Any idea who killed him?" Mannix: "Yeah. I did."

Body count of three. The third is the result of a suicide. Might be the first time a suicide was shown on network television.

An uncredited Carey Loftin portrays a henchman. Loftin was one of the greatest stunt drivers and stunt coordinators in the history of film. Check out his IMDb credits.

One dune buggy really gets around with three different drivers.

Harvey Parry (Ed Regan), another legendary stuntman, has a small role in the episode. Check out his IMDb credits, among them doubling for Harold Lloyd in "Safety Last!"

And finally, a possible homage to a classic film, "Arsenic and Old Lace". Mortimer Brewster convinced his aunts to commit themselves to Happy Dale Sanitarium. Mannix pays a visit to the Happydayle Convalescent Home.

When all is said and done, there's one loose end. The best part is, Mannix knows it, and assures Wickersham he will take care of it.

This was the only episode Alexander Singer directed, as there were a lot of producers who liked his work. Singer handled one top show after another, such as MISSION IMPOSSIBLE at the time, later directing CAGNEY AND LACY and LOU GRANT. Many more, including tv sitcoms. Singer got the job done here as the performances are excellent.

That's the key about MANNIX. If you didn't care for a particular story, you could always fall back on a reliable cast. Here, Joe is in the middle of a bitter custody battle for a boy (played by Christopher Knight, prior to the BRADY BUNCH). As the last reviewer noted, and its so true.... Joe smokes two cigarettes and kills two creeps! This is one of those snowball-type episodes that really grows. Does someone want the kid dead or his father OR BOTH?

ThIs was also thoughtfully cast, and the guest stars are dynamic. Frank Campanella ( Joe Campanella's real life brother) plays Burt Loman. Former HAZEL co-star Whitney Blake portrays Loman's wife Cloris. Perhaps the most famous of all is Gabe Dell, from the BOWERY BOYS. Gabe (as Alan) would appear a few more times on MANNIX in some fine dramatic roles. He had returned to the Broadway stage in the 1960s, amid much acclaim. Casting directors loved Gabe (and so did we) because we all grew up watching the Bowery Boys.

Special nod to femme fatale and/or gal friend Diana Muldaur (as Fran) who makes her first of several key appearances. Also note Larraine Stephens as Helen. Do not forget grumbling Norman Fell (before THREES COMPANY). Fell had a long career, usually playing cops in his early years. Not too long after this episode, he would land a great role in BULLITT (1968) opposite Steve McQueen.

Correct. This is the first episode where Mike Connors speaks Armenian (his native language). He has a goofy scene with eccentric rug dealer Ariam Katcher (as Arikonian) --who looks a bit like Peter Lorre??? Katcher was actually Turkish.

Watch this ending. Classic early MANNIX. Filmed at Griffith Park and Bronson Canyon, which is a director's dream. Also note that Joe had a house in the first season, a split level home, though it disappeared by the second season. His office became his home, with an apartment upstairs. And that was one cool place, so well designed and furnished.

SEASON 1 EPISODE 10 remastered CBS dvd box set. You may want to buy the box set BECAUSE of this episode.