User Reviews

Robert Stack and his squad are given very little to do here as the episode revolves around guest star Barbara Stanwyck. No doubt that her character of a missing persons lieutenant in the Chicago PD of the Thirties was meant for a television series that was never picked up. I don't recall Stanwyck ever playing a police officer in any of her big screen work.

In this story Stack is coming to Stanwyck for help. He has to locate the daughter of mobster John Larch who is dying of leukemia and who was raised by adoptive parents. Only then will he make a deal with Eliot Ness to smash his own criminal organization before his rivals start a war for Larch's territory.

The trail leads to Peggy Ann Garner, all grown up now with a bitter tale to tell of how she was used and abused. Both Garner and Stanwyck do well by their roles and there's also a bit part by Edward Asner as one of her subordinates.

The 1962-63 season would prove to be the ultimate year for ABC's Thursday evening resurrection of the Volsted Act ad National Prohibition. Like all series TV, it had run its course. Every bad guy from the 1920's-1930's had tangled with Ness and the boys. So, after having its Lion's share of ratings "THE UNTOUCHABLES" was calling it "a Wrap!" It was, and remains, a most memorable,with series varying little in quality and quite a bit in Historical Accuracy. But, it was truly a great ride while it lasted and did serve to make us younger folk aware of the 'Dry Era', its bad guys and the Great Depression.

But life must continue, the torch would always have to be passed on to new generations of series. The names, the faces and titles would be different, but all genres of series would continue.(Mostly) And in order to get a new series signed on by a Network, the usual process called for a "Pilot" episode to be produced, shopped around, and maybe sold to one of either CBS, NBC or ABC*, as these were the only 3 Networks out there then.

But, what if the "Pilot" was one episode from an already existing show? In that case, co$t$ would be reduced, the need for a weekly episode would be met, giving the "Pilot" a ready made audience.

So, not to be outdone, the "Suits" at DESILU came up with 2 Hour Long episodes with Miss Barbara Stanwyck appearing as the same character, one Lieutennant Agatha 'Aggie' Stewart, Commanding Officer of The Missing Persons Bureau, Detective Division, Chicago Police Department.

In the first of the two shows, "Elegy", she is introduced as a tireless worker, caring human being, Fair and tough Police Boss and long time acquaintance of Elliot Ness'. She runs a tight ship, but is still very familiar and personable to her men. She has some recurring characters in Virginia Capers as Office Secretarial Clerk and Ed Asner as Detective Frank (only name given).

In this outing, a Terminally Ill Gangster,Charley Raddick (John Larch)wants to file a Missing Persons Case on his estranged daughter,Margaret Radick alias Margaret Wilson (Peggy Ann Garner). As there is an on-going Federal Investigation for violation of the Volsted Act, Ness and the Lady Lieutennant cross paths once again.

There is as much or more screen time given over to the CPD Missing Persons Investigation than to the Federal Treasury Prohibition Agents Ness, Hobson, Youngfellow, Rossi and Rossman.

In the storyline, particular care is given to making her(Lt. Stewart)a very tough cookie, but still remaining lady-like always.

There is sort of laughable minor error is pulled, not that it made ant difference to the story. At one point to0 the investigation, Lt.'Aggie'asks Detective Frank how he would like to go to Evanston, Ilinois. Nodding his head, he states "It's a nice town!" They make it sound as if Evanston was some distance away, when it actually it borders our town due north of the Great City of 'Broad Shoulders".

It's a minor boo-boo, but it still deserves to be mentioned right here!

A real dirt-bag mobs boss, Charley Radick, is dying from Leukemia and he'd give anything to see his daughter one last time. But when he went looking for her, she'd disappeared...presumably to get away from the filthy life of organized crime and her filthy father. Frustrated, Radick offers Ness an intriguing offer...find Margaret Radick and then he'll leave a huge pile of evidence Ness can use to destroy the mobs! Well, Ness and his assistant, Lt. Stewart (Barbara Stanwyck) are not helping Radick out of sympathy as much as to use Margaret to get that information from her father.

All in all, this episode was probably the most unlike the TV series of any...at least up to this point. Ness was more a tangential character and the star, clearly, was Stanwyck playing the good guy...or gal! It also is MUCH more sentimental than normal...and not quite as hard-edged as usual...and for me, that's a bit of a disappointment.

If some one had told me that Barbara Sanwyck would play a character in this series, I would have bet my last shirt or cent on a lady gangster character, a gang leader. After all in many westerns - THE FURIES, MAVERICK QUEEN, FORTY GUNS, CATTLE QUEEN OF MONTANA, she was a female male leader. And on the contrary, she is here a detective in MP squad...Not a bad character, not a miscast, but NOT FOT HER. She deserved better. it would have fit for June Allyson, for instance. But not Stanwyck. That's my own opinion.