User Reviews

The crooks in this installment of "Barnaby Jones" are quite unlike any in previous episodes. Instead of career criminals or total sociopaths, these three are friends who see an opportunity to get $300,000 and greed takes over. There are complications...the biggest of which is the robbery victim is accidentally killed. The other big complication is that one of the three (Dick Van Patten) is the nervous type...the type to spill his guts if he's pushed by the police or Jones.

I loved the notion of seeing such ordinary folks, especially Dick Van Patten, playing criminals...it was a nice change of pace. Plus, in real life 'nice guys' do sometimes commit the most heinous of crimes. Overall, original and interesting...a nice change of pace.

Joel Murcott wrote this episode, who did many stories for ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS. Murcott brought a bit of the Hitch irony to this tale, the kind you wouldn't want to be in these guys shoes too long.

Great cast with Christopher Stone as the ring leader of a greedy trio who attempt to pull a slick holdup of a businessman carrying $300,000 in cold cash. The victim drops dead and all goes haywire. Two more factors: Dick Van Patten plays the nervous member (always one in the bunch) who is more a liability than an asset, and he's got a beautiful wife (played by Jo Ann Harris) with expensive tastes. Sounds like a Hitch story, right?

This house of cards begins to cave, especially when Barnaby starts putting the pieces together, which is fun. You also catch the "vibe" Barnaby gets when questioning the suspects as they literally sweat it out, and Van patten is sweating, blaming it all on the air conditioning. "Better nip that cold in the bud!" Barnaby quips, knowing he's onto something.

To note, Christopher Stone appeared in scores of tv shows through the 70s and 80s, perhaps best remembered for a recurring role on DALLAS. Jo Ann Harris, likewise, a popular tv actress. Dick Van Patten, long before his much lighter role as the dad on EIGHT IS ENOUGH, was a solid dramatic actor and used frequently by Quinn Martin.

Alas there is that one trying question... how do you stuff 300,000 dollars in a suitcase? The trivia notes are correct. And that always seems to be a major stumbling block on many cop shows; how much cash can you really, really put inside anything?

Recommended. From SEASON 3 CBS remastered dvd box set.