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Run For Your Life
Starring Ben Gazzara
Episode:
Who's Watching the Fleshpot
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To contact us, click Homepage link above
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Synopsis: Paul's college friend Mark Shepard (Bobby Darin) gets him to help out in his tourist business on the Riviera, and they become involved with smugglers when they earn a sports car for assisting May Huston (Eve Arden) and her daughter Marcia (Davey Davison). With Jeff Corey as Abe Lincoln, Jocelyn Lane as Brigitte Lemaire, Nicholas Colasanto as Benno Capalupo, Maurice Marsac as Delgado, Nadia Sanders as Poucette Clement, Thordis Brandt as Else Brandt, Peter Camlin as the First Croupier, Maurice St. Claire as the Second Croupier
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Episode 22
First broadcast on
March 7, 1966
Written by John Thomas James
(Roy Huggins)
Directed by Leslie H. Martinson
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SEE INDIVIDUAL PHOTOS OF ENTIRE CAST AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE
and watch a video clip from the episode on the same page!
Creative Team
Producer
Jo Swerling Jr.
Associate Producer
Paul Freeman
Music
Pete Rugolo
Director of Photography
John L. Russell A.S.C.
Art Director
Howard E. Johnson
Film Editor
Robert Watts
Unit Manager
Willard Sheldon
Assistant Director
Michael Messinger
Set Decorators
John McCartey &
Perry Murdoch
Sound
Corson Jowest
Color Coordinator
Robert Brower
Color by Pathe
Editorial Dept. Head
David J. O'Connell
Musical Supervisor
Stanley Wilson
Costumes by Burton Miller
Makeup
Bud Westmore
Hair Stylist
Larry Germain
Links to Other Episodes
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Mark tries to get Paul to join his business
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The Plot:
Having been unable to get a room in a Riviera town, Paul spots a tourist service owned by college friend Mark Shepard.
Delighted to see him and in need of an assistant, Mark provides him with accommodations at his own place, but also wants Paul to help act as guide for client May Huston and her daughter Marcia, and saying what a great life it is, even join him in the business. Paul agrees to help out, but just for the one occasion.
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Abe Lincoln tries to buy May's sports car
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When she returns to her hotel, a shady man calling himself Abe Lincoln tries to buy May Huston's flashy sports car, but she tells him that she's taking it back with her on the ship to America. When she gone inside, Abe signals his accomplice Benno, who disables the car while Abe keeps watch. Paul and Mark meet the ladies for a night on the town. May is full of fun, but daughter Marcia is totally uncooperative and miserable. They get in the car, but having been tampered with, it won't start. Benno drives up in a mechanic's van, and May happily leaves him to fix her car, and the couples proceed to a night of revelry.
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Mother and daughter have different temperments
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As May and Mark enjoy themselves dancing, Marcia sits sullenly at the table with Paul, refusing each of his cordial invitations. May explains to Mark that it's because she wants to marry a dreary young man, and her mother dragged her off on this European vacation. Meanwhile, the crooks have May's car, and are hiding diamonds inside it for smuggling to America. The couples go to a nightclub, and afterwards, for a swim. On the beach Marcia gets into an argument with Paul about the proper use of one's time, scoffing at the way she feels he is wasting his time.
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May gives them her car for helping with Marcia
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In a dramatic turnaround by Marcia in the next scene, she gives a second thought to Paul's philosophy, and mother and daughter decide to fly back to the US. As a tip for their services, May gives Mark and Paul her elegant sports car, in light of the miracle they worked with her daughter.
Hearing about May's change of plans and fact Mark and Paul now have the car, Abe and Benno attempt steal it in the night from outside Mark's home. He and Paul go chasing after the thieves on foot, and when the car breaks down, the crooks flee, but fire shots at Paul and Mark.
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They search for something hidden in the car
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They decide there must be something in the car the thieves wanted, so try and take it apart in a search, but find nothing.
Then, in expectation that another theft will be attempted, they “tune down” the car in order to follow the thieves on bicycles without being detected. With the machine barely driveable, they are able to stay in touch with Abe and Benno, tracing them to his garage where they see the thieves removing the cache of diamonds from the car. While each would like to go in and get the diamonds, neither has the courage, so they wait and watch.
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The crooks collide
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The thieves drive back to their hotel, and Benno takes the car away to dispose of. Paul and Mark follow Abe inside, hoping to get the diamonds. When he leaves his room to take a bath, they search it in vain until Benno returns, and they hide in closet and under bed respectively, Mark nearly crushed when Benno throws himself in bed.. Abe and Benno discuss finding a new carrier for the diamonds when Mark's wrist alarm goes off. A fight ensues with Paul and Mark the underdogs, but in the clamor, the two thieves collide and knock each other out.
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The police threaten to deport them
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But just as Paul finds the diamonds in Abe's bathrobe, there is a knock at the door, and it is the police.
However, even their hope of a reward for returning the diamonds is met with anger by the detective who had been watching the men in expectation of finding the leader of the smuggling gang, only to have been thwarted when Paul and Mark blew the surveillance operation.
Escaping the police station with no more than shouts and threats, Paul and Mark meet May and Marcia outside.
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Mark gives Marcia his watch
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Out in the street they run into May and her daughter, about to depart in a taxi.
Marcia gives a goodbye kiss to both men, and Mark gives her his wrist alarm for her hope chest.
However, May confiscates it in exchange for the sports car whose whereabouts they lie about.
After the women's taxi leaves, Mark and Paul decide to put their heads together to come up with a plan to find the vehicle..
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Notes & Comments: This comes as close to a Nothing episode as Run For Your Life could produce. Light-hearted, fine, but it was really entirely too wispy.
Most regrettable was the minimal use of Bobby Darin's talent for brashness which had him reduced to a pussycat. Only Eve Arden shone through, taking no notice of the bad material, and playing her part to perfection.
The script definitely belonged to some other series.
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and watch a video clip from the episode on the same page!
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Bobby Darin as
Mark Shepard
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Eve Arden as
May Huston
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Jeff Corey as
Abe Lincoln
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Davey Davison as
Marcia Huston
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Jocelyn Lane as
Brigitte Lemaire
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Nicholas Colasanto
as Benno Capalupo
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Maurice Marsac
as Delgado
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Nadia Sanders as
Poucette Clement
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Thordis Brandt
as Else Brandt
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