A hit man shoots his victim, a notorious crime boss, from a sniper's perch, but moments later can find no body where the man fell. Unable to convince the men who hired him that the crime bos... Read allA hit man shoots his victim, a notorious crime boss, from a sniper's perch, but moments later can find no body where the man fell. Unable to convince the men who hired him that the crime boss is actually dead, he concocts a story about being a witness to a shooting and hires Joe ... Read allA hit man shoots his victim, a notorious crime boss, from a sniper's perch, but moments later can find no body where the man fell. Unable to convince the men who hired him that the crime boss is actually dead, he concocts a story about being a witness to a shooting and hires Joe Mannix to investigate whether a man really was killed that night, and if not, what happene... Read all
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaLast episode in which Gail Fisher appears.
- GoofsWhen Mannix was chasing the motorcycle in the dirt the hood of his car was ajar, but when he lost the motorcyclist and was stopped the hood was fully closed.
- Quotes
Joe Mannix: [Norman Thompson enters Joe's office] Mr. Thompson.
Norman Thompson: Uh, th-thank you for seeing me, Mr. Mannix.
Joe Mannix: Please, sit down.
Norman Thompson: Oh, uh, thank you. I, uh...
[chuckles]
Norman Thompson: I don't quite know, uh, wh-where to begin. I...
Joe Mannix: Well, now, just take your time. What seems to be bothering you?
Norman Thompson: Well, it-it's something that I saw the night before last, or at least I'm... I'm pretty sure I saw it.
Joe Mannix: What's that?
Norman Thompson: A man shot.
Joe Mannix: Go on, Mr. Thompson.
Norman Thompson: [sighs] Well, it-it was just after 2:00 in the morning and I was on my way to my hotel, the Markham- I always stay the Markham when I'm in town- and heard what I-I-I thought at first was a backfire. Only there were... there were no other cars on the street. So-so then I realized the sound must've come from one of the buildings- maybe a-a window or the roof. I looked up; there was nothing. And then I-I-I looked across the street.
Joe Mannix: And?
Norman Thompson: Well, outside one of the apartment buildings, I saw a man had fallen in the bushes, and I realized what I had heard was a gun and the man was shot. And I also knew from the way he was lying there that...
[sighs]
Norman Thompson: ... that he was dead.
Joe Mannix: "The way he was lying there"?
Norman Thompson: Well, I-I-I was in the army in Korea, Mr. Mannix. You get to know when a man has been... hit fatally.
Joe Mannix: What did you do?
Norman Thompson: Well, I'm-I'm afraid I panicked. I went on to my hotel.
Joe Mannix: And, uh, what do you want me to do, Mr. Thompson?
Norman Thompson: To find out if I saw what I think I saw. I've-I've heard nothing about it since.
Joe Mannix: Well, you know it would be much easier and a lot cheaper if you called the police department. Now, they would do it for nothing.
Norman Thompson: I suppose so. I mean, I-I know I should have... have notified the police, but I-I-I just... I can't afford to get involved right now.
Joe Mannix: Why not?
Norman Thompson: [chuckles softly] Well, I-I was our that evening with a lady, a... a married lady. I... I was afraid that if I called the police, there'd be questions.
Joe Mannix: Now, uh, you say you were across the street, and you're pretty sure about all of this? The shot and the man dead in the bushes?
Norman Thompson: Yes. The sound of the gunshot and the body. The combination scared me. All I could think of was getting out of there, because of my... my friend.
Joe Mannix: The lady.
Norman Thompson: Yes.
Joe Mannix: And you went straight to the Markham?
Norman Thompson: Yes, I've been watching the newspapers, and there's been nothing. Nothing! It's driving me crazy. I-I see a man shot dead, and then... nothing. I'm-I'm even beginning to wonder if...
Joe Mannix: Wonder what?
Norman Thompson: [sighs] Well, it's possible that I was mistaken, and that he wasn't dead, he was just hurt, and that he died because I failed to notify somebody in time. I mean, I-I've got to know, Mr. Mannix. You understand, don't you?
[Mannix just smiles at Thompson]
Norman Thompson: Can you help me?
Joe Mannix: Well... I'll do what I can, Mr. Thompson.
Norman Thompson: I-I-I can't ask you to spend a lot of time on this. I-I'm not a rich man.
Joe Mannix: Well, let's not worry about that right now. And so far, there isn't even a case.
Who better to play a hitman than the most deadpan John Hillerman, best remembered for MAGNUM PI. Here, he plays Thompson, a professional hitman, who may or may NOT have killed his victim. This makes him a walking target. Of course, he hires Joe to prove HE IS a killer so he won't be eliminated. What a wonderful life!
This is as wild as it gets and extremely original for the last season, with some fine acting on everyone's part. Veteran 1930/40s actor Eddie Quillan also makes an appearance as Willie. According to the last reviewer, this was Gail Fisher's final appearance, however this may have actually been the last series episode -- but aired out of sequence. Episodes, for one reason or another, were rearranged, and sometimes at the last minute. That's primarily why all us reviewers always complain about season premier episodes, which should have run in the #2 spot instead.
Filmed --as usual -- at Griffith Park, about as good as it gets for a remote, hilly area to play hide and seek with bad guys. SEASON 8 Episode 23 remastered CBS dvd box set.
- tcchelsey
- Dec 14, 2022
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Filming locations
- Griffith Park, Los Angeles, California, USA(Miles of hillside roads within Griffith Park are filmed showing Mannix tailing his client, hitman Norman Thompson, guest star John Hillerman's role, who himself is murdered by the motorcyle riding hitman; that results in a furthur, lenthy pursuit.)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro