User Reviews

Newt and Marcie are out driving through the baron roads of the desert, they manage to reach a remote garage, where Harry fills up the car with his overpriced petrol and tells them that the engine is in real trouble and close to breaking. They agree to his repairs, and dine in the local café, run by Harry's wife. The couple are being taken for a ride, but are more then ready.

Having Roald Dahl's introduction was a definite attempt to regain the thread with the earlier series, the US made episodes in Series 7 were atrocious on the whole, but the last episode 'in the cards,' showed with good writing, and a serious take on the story it can work out particularly well.

This episode was another well made US episode, a truly interesting storyline with some cracking twists, fantastic performances, Warren Oates is just wonderful as Harry, a truly serious and charismatic performance. It looks great too, it's really well filmed, the location work looks fantastic. Easily the best US Tales episode.

8/10

This was one of the American episodes of Tales of the Unexpected, and what a surprise to see Roald Dahl's introduction. He wasn't though giving his introduction in his comfortable lounge chair by the fireside as he did in the early episodes (I'm not sure if that was really filmed at his place), here he stands up in a studio.

There's much electricity and tension in this episode, and the malevolence you can cut with a knife. Bud "Harold and Maude" Cort to his credit played his role in a cool and understated way. You could see he was going to pay the mechanic's bill...with interest if you know what I mean. Kind of a precursor to Natural Born Killers I guess.

Here the mechanic (Warren Oates) whistles a few Gospel hymns (What a friend we have in Jesus being one of them).

I wonder where this was filmed, as the atmosphere was lonely and impressive.

I hadn't realised that this was Warren Oates' last role before his tragically early death - he was a wonderful, charismatic actor. Bud Cort and Jennifer Holmes are very good in this episode, too. I wonder if Quentin Tarantino ever saw it, as I was reminded of the couple in the Pulp Fiction 'book ends'. It's based on a short story by Lawrence Block, so it has that in its favour, as well, because he really is a superb writer.

Nothing' Short of Highway Robbery – 1985 This is an episode of, "Tales of the Unexpected". This UK series ran for 112 episodes between 1979 and 1988. Production was divided between the UK and the US.

This particular episode was one of the US made productions. It is also the final role for actor, Warren Oates.

A young couple, Bud Cort and Jennifer Holmes are driving through the desert country of Southwest America. They are on their way to a job in New Mexico. Cort sees that the gas is running low. They pull over at a rather weather beaten old, "Last Chance for Gas" station. The owner, an equally weather beaten, Warren Oates, comes out of the garage and says. " Howdy." Holmes asks him to fill the tank while Cort goes looking for the restroom. Holmes notices that the gas prices are 15 cents a gallon higher than average. She mentions this to Cort when he returns. Cort just says that Oates is trying to make a living out here in the middle of nowhere. "Nickel and dime stuff." Oates is now checking the oil and calls Cort over to show him something under the hood. "Your fan belt is loose and needs to be replaced. You would not make it another 40 miles like this. The desert is nowhere you would want to breakdown. $30 bucks and 20 minutes and I'll have you on the road again." Cort agrees to the deal.

The pair, Cort and Holmes, head to the small café attached to the side of the garage. They order some coffee from the woman, Bettye Ackerman, and look at the menu. Holmes comments that the prices are outrageous. Again Cort just smiles and answers, "It is just nickel and dime stuff. They have to make a living. We'll just have some coffee and eat later." After they pay for the coffee, they check on Oates and their car. Oates it seems, has also changed their water hose and several other parts besides the fan belt. " I took it on myself to change these as the old ones were shot. It will add another $60 bucks on top of the other bill." Holmes tells Cort she thinks that Oates is taking advantage of them. Cort just smiles and tells her to calm down. "It is better to be safe out on the highway." He says to her. Oates now adds that Cort should have the front shocks changed. They are also shot and could give out any minute. "We don't have the time right now. We need to get to town for some work." Cort just pays the bill and pulls Holmes into the car. "We need to get to that job." Off they go and not a mile down the road the car starts shaking. Cort turns around and heads back to the station.

"I guess the shocks were bad." He says to Oates. "Would you please replace them and anything else that needs work." Oates has the car up on the hoist and starts pulling parts out of everywhere. "You know he caused the car to screw up?" Holmes mutters to Cort. Again, Cort just smiles and answers, "Lets hope he finishes the repair in time so we can make the job in Albuquerque." Oates finally come out from under the car and grins at the pair. "Everything is done. Here is a bill for all the parts and labour. Sorry it took longer than I thought it would." Cort smiles as he reads the huge bill total. "Just let me grab my wallet from the car glove box." He then asks Holmes if they have time to get to Albuquerque for the, "Job." Holmes responds in the negative. "The hold up job would have gotten us $20,000." Cort reaches in the glove box and pulls out two revolvers. He pockets one and hands the other to Holmes.

Cort points at the café, nods to Holmes, then heads over to Oates to "settle" their bill.

What a great little episode of what was, for me at least, an unseen series.

The director was veteran television director, John Peyser. Peyser worked in TV from 1949 to 85 on series such as, STUDIO ONE, THE MAN BEHIND THE BADGE, MEET MCGRAW, CRUSADER, THE RIFLEMAN, PERRY MASON, THE UNTOUCHABLES, BONANZA, COMBAT, HAWAII 5-0 and BAA, BAA BLACK SHEEP.

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Warren Oates was one of my favorite character actors, though he's hardly recognizable here as Harry the garage guy, underneath that scraggly beard. I didn't know this was his last acting role until I read a couple of the other reviews, but a quick check showed he died three years before this episode aired! Talk about keeping a show on ice!

Well, this is the kind of story every one dreads, that of being taken advantage of by an unscrupulous mechanic. Marcie's (Jennifer Holmes) antenna was up right from the start when Harry found a problem with their car's fan clutch, and from there it was one thing after another. Her husband Newt (Bud Cort) on the other hand, was a bit more trusting, and unwilling to break down in the middle of a desert if the various problems weren't taken care of. Old Harry took things just a step too far for the young couple, and it appeared their $247.51 repair bill put them both over the edge.

This was a case study in how you just never know who the other person might be when you look to take advantage. Since the unlucky couple were probably going to be late to their next 'job' anyway, they decided to take what comfort they could in teaching Harry and his wife a nasty lesson.