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Run For Your Life
Starring Ben Gazzara
Episode:
Cry Hard, Cry Fast Part 1
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To contact us, click Homepage link above
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Synopsis: A horrific crash killing four people occurs when Paul's car stalls on a highway. With James Farentino as Frank Frazer, Charles Aidman as Hal Andre, Jack Albertson as Harry Krissel, Susan Clark as Kathryn Aller, Diana Muldaur as Dr. Jean Winter, Joan Van Ark as Donna Hayward, Anthony Eisley as Walter Brea, Noami Pitlik as Joan Shedd, Richard O'Brien as Lt. Thomas Fay, Robyn Millan as Suzie Scholl, Mary Jackson as Mrs. Foster, Gary Walberg as Herbert Scholl, Don Hammer as Charlie, Gene Dynarski as Walter Healy, Virginia Gregg as Trudy Krissel, Jane Dulo as Alice Scholl, Shelley Novack as William Christie, Ellen Weston as Rose, Jim Nolan as Ed Scanlon, Arthur Peterson as Dr. Lipsky, Sherry Boucher as Francie
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Episode 71
Season 3 - #11
First broadcast on
November 22, 1967
Based on the Novel
by John D. MacDonald
Teleplay by Luther Davis
Directed by Michael Ritchie
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SEE INDIVIDUAL PHOTOS OF ENTIRE CAST AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE
Creative Team
Producer
Paul Freeman
Music
Pete Rugolo
Director of Photography
Bud Thackery A.S.C.
Art Director
Robert MacKichan
Film Editor
Nick Archer
Unit Manager
Donald Baer
Assistant Director
Carl J. Bellamy
Set Decorators
John McCartey &
Robert C. Bradfield
Sound
Carl Crain Jr.
Color Coordinator
Robert Brower
Color by Technicolor
Editorial Dept. Head
Richard Belding
Musical Supervisor
Stanley Wilson
Costume by Burton Miller
Makeup
Bud Westmore
Hair Stylist
Larry Germain
Assistant to Producer
Steve Heilpern
Links to Other Episodes
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Lt. Fay reports on the accident
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The Plot
A hearing is taking place about a road accident involving a car purchased the day before, and driven by Paul, causing four fatalities and two serious injuries to the occupants of three other vehicles.
Paul's car was apparently stopped on the highway, blocking two lanes.
An unidentified car behind him swerved to the left, and managed to pass, continuing its journey.
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Scholl honks to get the family out, and insults a neighbor
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The second, driven by Herbert Scholl (who had a record of 42 driving citations in the previous eight years), was driving at over 70 mph when it swerved to the right and crashed into a telephone pole.
He and his wife Alice, were killed, their teenage daughter badly injured.
The family were going off on a vacation, all in bad humor, Scholl himself rude and irascible with everyone, the daughter petulant, and the mother caught in the middle.
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Katherine's boss lets her go without warmth
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The third car was driven by Katherine Aller, a woman extremely preoccupied by the loss of her job as secretary to a man with whom she'd been having a romance, broken up by his wife. Her boss lets her leave in a very neutral manner, saying that he'd promised her nothing, and even warned her that things might end like this.
To avoid Paul's car, she veered to the left, but was unable to get back on the road, and turned over twice before her vehicle ended up on its top, trapping her inside.
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Frazer shows the teller a gun and she gives him money
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Lt. Fay goes on to explain that a third car, going no less than 70 mph, then hit Paul's stationary vehicle, causing him to spin counter-clockwise to the right of the road, while this additional car spun off to the right and burst into flames. Though fire damage means that they don't have any information about the occupants, the police do know that it was a stolen car, and their laboratory is examining some personal items found in the trunk.
What the police have not yet found out is that this vehicle was used by Frank Frazer when he robbed a bank of some $40,000.
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Frazer is about to grab the hitch hiker by the hair
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his friend Charlie was driving it, and later perished in the accident. The pair had stopped a while after the robbery to place a tire in the trunk in which Frazer had hidden the cash. A hitch hiker is standing nearby, and against Charlie's advice, Frazer suggests they give her a ride, changing any possible description with a white car containing two men to one including a woman. She insists on sitting in front, but after dark, Frazer grabs her by the hair, and pushes her head against the seat in front to kiss her.
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Paul struggles to control his car
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Paul's car was effected by wheel rod failure which made it impossible to control his car, and after a crashing noise and struggle, his vehicle stopped completely..
Paul did everything to avoid it, and after he stopped, was safely passed by a first car, and then was responsible for the family car to swerve right and hit the telephone pole.
After that, the secretary's vehicle veered right and overturned, and then the robber's car with Frazer attacking his female passenger hit Paul and went on fire.
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Paul mumbles something about his car before collapsing
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Paul is thrown from his machine, and though he regained consciousness quickly and manages to stagger to his feet, after speaking to rescue people who immediately swarmed the scene, and seeing people's faces covered again and again, he collapses, and is taken to the hospital along with other victims.
Frazer actually managed to escape unharmed. Later, he sees his car at the complex where it was taken, but guards make it impossible to reach before it is locked out of sight in a garage..
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Hal Andre tells Paul a war will be waged against them
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He had told the police that he was a hitch hiker, but investigators note that the effects inside indicate the occupants to both be men, though the bodies taken from the car were male and female. When it's confirmed that the car was stolen, they decide to try and find the man who said he was a hitch hiker.
Paul asks Dr. Jean Winters how many people were killed in the accident. She finally admits the number to be four. Later Paul is visited by Hal Andre from his insurance company, who says that war is breaking out over the accident.
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Alice Scholl 's sister is uninterested in contacting Suzie
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The sister of Alice Scholl, who lost her life in the accident, is appalled that her husband wants to travel to see their niece Suzie in the hospital. Trudy Krissel says she had no contact with her sister since they were growing up, didn't like Herbert Scholl, and last saw Suzie when she was a small child. But Harry Krissel insists that it's their responsibility to look after Suzie, and packs to go to the hospital.
Working from a description by the patrolman who'd spoken with Frazer, a police artist manages to put together an image of the man.
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Dr. Winters tries to communicate with Katherine
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Dr. Winters finds Paul in the room of one of the victims, the secretary Katherine Aller, who is not responding. He asks her prognosis, but the doctor says it's really too soon to say whether the woman will recover from the bone damage she's suffered, but is starting to respond a little when spoken to.
“I don't want to go anywhere with you” is Suzie Scholl's response to Harry Krissel when her uncle goes to see her. When he speaks gently to her about money coming in, and says everything will be all right, she rejects him completely, and says she doesn't know him.
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Andre offers to chat with Suzie's uncle
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After he's left Suzie's room, Hal Andre stops Krissel, and asks if they might have a chat. Andre then goes to Paul, who is feeling deep guilt for all the death and suffering he feels were caused by him. Andre tells him that he can't go voicing these sentiments, or the insurance company will be ruined by the victims' claims against Paul, who says there's nothing to stop him doing so above and beyond any settlement they make.
Andre tells him that if he keeps spouting off like that to the police investigators the next day, they'll be coming back with a manslaughter indictment.
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Dr. Winters gives Paul a list of Katherine's friends to call
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Dr. Winters visits Paul, telling him that after getting a few more tests back, she should be able to release him . She then gives him a list of names that were found among Katherine Aller's things, and asks Paul if he might ring the people, and see if some friends or relatives could be found.
Later Dr. Winters looks through a microscope at Paul's blood samples, and recognizes the disease which is about to take his life. She tells her chief, Dr. Bradshaw, about it, and they discuss whether Paul should be told. Bradshaw insists on it.
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Dr. Winters faces telling Paul he's going to die
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Bradshaw tells her that she has seen patients die, but this is the really difficult thing, to tell someone that they're going to die. Dr. Winters says she doesn't think she's able to tell Paul about his fate, but Bradshaw insists she can. He says it's her first experience with such a situation, and he won't let her put it off.
“Maybe he'd be better off not knowing, and maybe he'd prefer not to know,” Bradshaw adds, “but we don't have the right to make any guesses about that. As doctors, we have an obligation to tell him. He's your patient.”
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We have what is apparently (1) a very inexperienced doctor being able to read lab reports which would be (2) the province of staff especially employed at that task (3) seeing an abnormality in Paul's tests that (4) instantly and conclusively leads her to believe that he is dying.
The fact that his disease is (5) supposed to be extremely rare, and even in the hospital in question, would be (6) sent to a specialist in the field, it is more than likely, that it would rather (7) be sent to an outside source for confirmation.
Although it is not the quantity of folly here, but the “quality” of the preposterousness, new heights are achieved when Dr. Winters presents her “findings” to her superior.
This pompous idiot (8) tells her that telling someone they're going to die is something she must learn - although this would inevitably fall to a specialist, not a general doctor. He also insists that she (9) lose no time in telling Paul, (10) even “if he might be better off not knowing or would prefer not to know.”
There is (11) no consideration as to whether he has a family member who should first here this speculative news, nor any consideration of (12) suggesting that he see a specialist, or (13) consult his general practitioner - or even find out whether he has one.
Not just an insult to the medical profession, this is a gross affront to viewers' intelligence.
Were the series still running, it would almost be a reason to stop watching it.
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James Farentino
as Frank Frazer
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Charles Aidman
as Hal Andre
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Jack Albertson
as Harry Krissel
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Susan Clark as
Kathryn Aller
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Diana Muldaur as
Dr. Jean Winter
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Anthony Eisley
as Walter Brea
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Noami Pitlik
as Joan Shedd
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Richard O'Brien as
Lt. Thomas Fay
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Robyn Millan as
Suzie Scholl
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Mary Jackson
as Mrs. Foster
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Gary Walberg
as Herbert Scholl
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Don Hammer
as Charlie
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Gene Dynarski
as Walter Healy
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Virginia Gregg
as Trudy Krissel
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Jane Dulo as
Alice Scholl
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Shelley Novack
as William Christie
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Ellen Weston
as Rose
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Jim Nolan
as Ed Scanlon
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Arthur Peterson
as Dr. Lipsky
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Sherry Boucher
as Francie
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