One of the seemingly oddest pairings in film history is Andy Griffith and Ida Lupino as a Manhattan apartment super and his wife in this watchable but predictable and instantly forgettable TV movie. If it wasn't for the veteran actors in the leads, this would be a film to pass over. Lupino's heading to her sister's, and Griffith heads to a bar where he meets a young woman who talks her way into their apartment, setting up Griffith being held captive by a group of bank robbers, some of whom are quite deranged. The sudden return of Lupino creates more tension, but in just 73 minutes (obviously formatted for the 90 minute movie of the week), it's obvious how this will play out.
Griffith, a Broadway trained serious actor, was far more complex a talent than the small town widowed sheriff he played on TV. He's the focus here, but I refuse to believe that his character would be this gullible, even if tempted by a much younger woman. A bit of interesting detail shows him trying to interact with tenants and pretty much getting the cold shoulder or just plain rude. In that aspect, it's a realistic view of Manhattan, seemingly set between the meat packing district and Union Square. Lupino's dowdy housewife claims she never went to high school, a useless reference that tries to dumb down her character, not something I associate with Lupino in any character she ever played.
Definitely a curiosity for a look back at the type of TV entertainment adult audiences went for in the early 1970's, it tries too hard to be hip and relevant which instantly dates it. That aspect makes it actually pretty disturbing on some aspects, cheapening Griffith's seemingly decent hard working middle aged man and turning him into an unwilling letch. The actors playing the gang do their work as directed, but add no nuances to make them interesting. Ranks as a below average antique in the early years of the history of TV movies.
Griffith, a Broadway trained serious actor, was far more complex a talent than the small town widowed sheriff he played on TV. He's the focus here, but I refuse to believe that his character would be this gullible, even if tempted by a much younger woman. A bit of interesting detail shows him trying to interact with tenants and pretty much getting the cold shoulder or just plain rude. In that aspect, it's a realistic view of Manhattan, seemingly set between the meat packing district and Union Square. Lupino's dowdy housewife claims she never went to high school, a useless reference that tries to dumb down her character, not something I associate with Lupino in any character she ever played.
Definitely a curiosity for a look back at the type of TV entertainment adult audiences went for in the early 1970's, it tries too hard to be hip and relevant which instantly dates it. That aspect makes it actually pretty disturbing on some aspects, cheapening Griffith's seemingly decent hard working middle aged man and turning him into an unwilling letch. The actors playing the gang do their work as directed, but add no nuances to make them interesting. Ranks as a below average antique in the early years of the history of TV movies.