Thu 10 Oct 2019
ROADBLOCK. Pilot episode, 1958. MCA-TV/Revue. Later shown on (Heinz) Studio 57 as “Getaway Car,” 29 March 1958 (Season 4, Episode 19, in first-run syndication). Michael Connors, John McIntyre, Wallace Ford, Olan Soule, Irene James. Teleplay: Fredric Brady, based on the story “The Homesick Buick” by John D. MacDonald (EQMM, September 1950). Director: Earl Bellamy.
The only clue the California cops have to catch a gang of bank robbers who made their getaway in separate automobiles is by cross-referencing the locations of the stations the radio of one of the cars was preset to. The driver himself is dead, with no ID on him, having been shot while driving away.
I don’t get it. VIN’s have been around since 1954, and the car didn’t look older than that, but maybe it was. No matter. The rest of the case is based on faulty deductions, luck and pure guesswork. No wonder this pilot episode of a proposed new series, sort of a early precursor to CHiPs, went nowhere fast.
A young Michael Connors plays a special motorcycle-riding state investigator in this one, young and very earnest. Most of the other roles are played by old-timers who could do short plays like this in their sleep.
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Note: Michael Shonk also reviewed this busted pilot a while ago on this blog. You can read his comments here.
October 10th, 2019 at 7:30 pm
The cast here is much better than the material, and I had the feeling the MacDonald story must have gotten short shrift in translation to the small screen, though I haven’t read this one.
October 10th, 2019 at 7:35 pm
Not much of MacDonald’s story in this one. Here’s a link to a fellow blogger who says a lot more:
http://thetrapofsolidgold.blogspot.com/2009/11/homesick-buick.html
October 11th, 2019 at 12:20 am
Steve, the link to my review doesn’t work. Try this https://mysteryfile.com/blog/?p=55115
It is a post I did on four different failed pilots.
October 11th, 2019 at 7:18 am
Oops. I accidentally failed to save what was supposed to be the final version of my review. It’s fixed now. I’m glad you caught that. Thanks, Michael!