Post by zimmerman on Nov 26, 2013 17:36:14 GMT -5
COLONEL BARBOSSA: Would you care to read your own dossier?
JAMES: No thanks Colonel, I lived it.
Even though The Night of Jack O'Diamonds was the first Wild Wild West episode to be filmed for the third season that takes place in Mexico, The Night of the Assassin was the first Mexico-themed episode to be aired. Coming in-between an amazing string of episodes that included The Night of the Bubbling Death, The Night of the Firebrand, and The Night that Dr. Loveless Died, The Night of the Assassin delivered another great action-packed hour of excitement and adventure that only Wild Wild West could deliver.
The episode is packed to the gills with some great guest stars, including, in his second guest appearance on the series, Donald Woods, here trading his villainous turn as corrupt Senator Stephen Fenlow in The Night of the Skulls, for a good-guy character, Senor Griswold, who tries to keep our agents in line during this assignment and tries his best not to get them in any trouble, at one point even encouraging our agents to not go out at night, a plotline that would later be reused by Colonel Richmond later in this season with The Night of the Underground Terror. A great moment for Griswold's character is when he is discussing the case with Jim and Artie on the train when Artie returns from posing as a soldier when Halverson is injured and later, on the train , when our fair agents unearth the letter hidden in the pottery barn.
Silent film star Ramon Navarro, in one of his last appearances on camera before he was killed by a couple of thieves who broke into his house a few months after this episode was aired on CBS, did a very good job hosting our fellow agents and doing his best to be a gentlemen, yet secretly brought together key people to try to pull off this assassination attempt at President Juarez.
Also really good in this episode is Conlan Carter, perhaps better known as "Doc" in Combat as Frank Halverson, the assassin. He really does a good job getting into the essence of this particular character, whether it is his tense encounter with Perricho Mendozza (Who later gets killed by Colonel Barbossa's men), the intimading fear and shock that comes on his face when he is grilled by Colonel Barbossa, and the just-as-shocked look on his face when Artie appears as his "Long-lost father" Leroy Halverson, and later the slight argument that he has with James and Artie as they persuade him to get into the coffin . Another interesting characteristic about Frank Halverson is that he has a really strong grip! Just watch the way he knocks out Colonel Barbossa as he escapes from Jail!
The episodes primary Big Bad, Colonel Arsenio Barbossa, is played with menacing, ruthless passion by Robert Loggia. Upon watching this episode, you get the feeling that "Colonel Arsenic", as he is affectionately nicknamed, likes to crush people out the same way he crushes his walnuts!! . Plus, he is one up on James and Artie, by actually obtaining a copy of James' rather long dossier. Yet this Colonel with a major yen for power and the presidency has a surprisingly tender moment when he watches and feeds his pet fish.
Another great character in this episode is Mexican Secret Service Agent Colonel Lupita Quesada De Guarde Vel Dalle, also known as Colonel Gonsalez. Expertly played by Nina Roman, she is a refreshing change of pace from the numerous female villians that James seems to romance week after week. She also has got some spunk and passion, as she slaps both James (and later Artie on the Wanderer as the assignment is completed) after our Heroes kiss her. She is mostly all business, yet she gives our favorite Secret Service agents a major surprise when her bodyguard , A Lieutant Ramirez (played by a pre-Vega$ Phyllis Davis) turns out to be a woman as well, helping to create a surprising double-date for our heroes. She also expertly takes down Colonel Barbossa with one shot, expertly telling James a couple of minutes later that "We do our own housecleaning, Mr. West." .
Artie has quite a lot to do in the disguise department in this episode: He first appears in character as one of Colonel Barbossa's men who watches guard over Halverson's injured body, then later appears as a priest claiming to carry the remains of Halverson's associate Perrichio Mendozza. But my favorite disguise in the entire episode is when he appears as Frank Halverson's father, "Leroy Halverson"--"A fine Texas gentlemen who does not have long to live." He really tests the patience of Colonel Barbossa, doesn't he? . Every time I watch this episode, I always get a chuckle of Artie as Halverson's father, particularly when he tells Barbossa that he is Frank's "Daddy, You-ding-a-bat-bing, I'm here to take my son home!" This cover also gives a great interrogation scene between Artie and Halverson in his cell, ending with Artie encouraging Halverson to take the eight-hour sleeping pill.
James also has several great moments in this episode as well: When he creates the diversion that causes the thrawting of Juarez's assassination attempt, later causing him to rip his pants in the beginning of the programs first act. James also gets to knock out several people in this episode, including two guards in the prison where Halverson is staying, which led to yet another encounter with Barbossa. Another great moment is when James flies past one of the guards on his way to knocking out one of said guards. Plus the episode contains two really great fight scenes, when Barbossa and his men are trying to escape, which was preceded earlier in this episode by the smashing good fight in the pottery barn with Colonel Lupita and her Mexican Gringos!
Also worth noting is a rare moment when Artie had to be censored, with his words changed to "tomato" when James opens the coffin trying to find Halverson's body, but instead finding Artie gagged and tied up when Artie tries to tell James that Halverson escaped.
The episode also contains a great score by Walter Scharf, who helps to provide an authentic Mexican musical feels for the entire episode. This score would prove to be so popular that portions of it would be reused for several additional episodes in the Third Season. It is hard to believe that this is the same Walter Scharf who would later co-write Michael Jackson's first solo #1 hit, "Ben", an ode to a rat, in 1972.
Overall, an excellent, action-packed filled episode of Wild Wild West worth watching again and again.
A Perfect 10 out of 10 from me. .