After some episodes that strayed from the Prime Directives of the Route 66 series, this ethnic tale in Cleveland returns us to crucial matters: M & M exposed to a close-knit, local culture and its strict folkways, and their intervention, helping to save the day. Even the issue of staying in your lane and heritage, or breaking out, hitting the road to search for your personal truth is part of John Vlahos's screenplay.
The basic story is simple and familiar: a romantic conflict that accidentally results in death, as Robert Redford's girlfriend Teresa falls off a cliff pre-opening credits. His guilt feelings and hiding the incident propel the deep emotions of both their families.
Most surprising to me in this great cast is that young Robert Redford, looking somewhat different with darker hair than the superstar we know and love, does not have a juicy or even major role. He plays the weakling, almost the generation gap, conflicted James Dean type ("Rebel WIthout a Cause") and only has one brief good scene at the show's climax, confronting his father.
And that father is not a pushover, no Jim Backus to James Dean, but Nehemiah Persoff in one of his finest roles. As a Polish steelworker, he's as ebullient and dominant as Quinn's Zorba the Greek, a real force of nature, and even gets to do a lively folk dance, trying to teach his co-worker at the forge Maharis how to dance!
Also powerful is Martin Balsam, more subtle as the dead girl's dad; Actors Studio alum Peggy Feury (like Persoff, previously terrific on the sister show "Naked City") solid as her mom; and especially Naked City regular Nancy Malone as Redford's sister, a terrific performance. Having grown up in Cleveland at the time this was made, I appreciate the local color on screen.