I remember this episode rather fondly from 1974 when it first aired. It's a particularly good episode of the series, since it features veteran actor Louis Hayward as the bad guy, Millotson. For once the "villain" isn't some young thuggish guy, or even an older paunchy middle-aged bad guy. Millotson as a wronged toymaker is actually pretty good, and the fact that he's a fellow magician and enthusiast, like Tony, gives him some depth. So does giving Millotson a son (Scott Hylands) who worries about his father's health while sidekicking for him, makes Millotson more interesting than the typical series villain. Sadly, they pretty much disappear for the last half of the episode.
Also, it helps that Simon Scott as Jackson Wyndham is such a jerk. It helps to give Millotson some depth, rather than just making him a bland series villain. Jackson is a bit of an idiot, refusing to call in the police even when he narrowly escapes a bomb. His "I don't negotiate with extortionists" stance seems a bit short-sighted here. There's a difference between extortionists who threaten you, and extortionists who put bombs in your phone.
Also, there are some nicely macabre touches, like using puppets in the opening and closing scenes. 'The Wild Wild West" did the same thing with "Night of the Puppeteer" almost a decade earlier, and pulled it off. It must be something about puppets.
I also liked actor veteran Ivor Francis as a toy company president who hates toys. He doesn't have much to do with the plot, and you expect him to be in cahoots with Millotson. Credit to writer Larry Brody, who has Francis' character Thomas Donald pick up the phone after Tony leaves and... has his R&D team come up with a near-copy of the magic kit Tony used to talk his way in.
Also credit to director Jack Arnold (or second unit director Frank Orsatti), who does a fairly tense sequence when Tony is trying to avoid son Millotson's toy airplane. Pat Williams' musical score helps with scene. Say what you will about the series, but Williams' music was always top-drawer.
The show is beset by the usual plot problems and 70s tropes. The puppet film responds instantly to whatever Jackson does, even though the film is pre-recorded. And we're a long way from Tony's "protect the innocent" attitude: Jackson is hardly an innocent. Even if later he says that he didn't know how Millotson got ripped off.
And sadly, the episode falls apart in the end. Which is pretty standard for the show: did the staff not know how to wrap up an episode? Dominick gets some screen time and is mostly there to fill in for Jerry while providing comic relief. But why didn't he call the police like Tony told him to? Tony handcuffs the son and doesn't do any magic. And at the end, Tony is just as sick of the running gag of Dominick trying to guess how he did an illusion: Tony just walks off from his supposed "friend".
Maggie and Jackson get romantically involved for no other reason than It's In The Script. And the betrayal by Jackson's lawyer friend adds nothing to the plot. It's never shown that Millotson needs the lawyer's help to get close to Jackson to plant his traps. So when the lawyer draws a gun, all it draws is a collective yawn and "so what?" Although the visual of the lawyer being gagged and part of a puppet trial (literally!) is kind of amusing.
And why does Jackson have a loaded Gatling gun in his poker parlor/study? There's no indication that Hal brought bullets with him when he rigged the gun to remote-fire. That seems like asking for trouble right there.
So after the model airplane-versus-Corvette car chase, the episode goes downhill. But it's still probably the best of the back half of the season episodes.
But that's just my opinion, I could be wrong. What do you think?
Also, it helps that Simon Scott as Jackson Wyndham is such a jerk. It helps to give Millotson some depth, rather than just making him a bland series villain. Jackson is a bit of an idiot, refusing to call in the police even when he narrowly escapes a bomb. His "I don't negotiate with extortionists" stance seems a bit short-sighted here. There's a difference between extortionists who threaten you, and extortionists who put bombs in your phone.
Also, there are some nicely macabre touches, like using puppets in the opening and closing scenes. 'The Wild Wild West" did the same thing with "Night of the Puppeteer" almost a decade earlier, and pulled it off. It must be something about puppets.
I also liked actor veteran Ivor Francis as a toy company president who hates toys. He doesn't have much to do with the plot, and you expect him to be in cahoots with Millotson. Credit to writer Larry Brody, who has Francis' character Thomas Donald pick up the phone after Tony leaves and... has his R&D team come up with a near-copy of the magic kit Tony used to talk his way in.
Also credit to director Jack Arnold (or second unit director Frank Orsatti), who does a fairly tense sequence when Tony is trying to avoid son Millotson's toy airplane. Pat Williams' musical score helps with scene. Say what you will about the series, but Williams' music was always top-drawer.
The show is beset by the usual plot problems and 70s tropes. The puppet film responds instantly to whatever Jackson does, even though the film is pre-recorded. And we're a long way from Tony's "protect the innocent" attitude: Jackson is hardly an innocent. Even if later he says that he didn't know how Millotson got ripped off.
And sadly, the episode falls apart in the end. Which is pretty standard for the show: did the staff not know how to wrap up an episode? Dominick gets some screen time and is mostly there to fill in for Jerry while providing comic relief. But why didn't he call the police like Tony told him to? Tony handcuffs the son and doesn't do any magic. And at the end, Tony is just as sick of the running gag of Dominick trying to guess how he did an illusion: Tony just walks off from his supposed "friend".
Maggie and Jackson get romantically involved for no other reason than It's In The Script. And the betrayal by Jackson's lawyer friend adds nothing to the plot. It's never shown that Millotson needs the lawyer's help to get close to Jackson to plant his traps. So when the lawyer draws a gun, all it draws is a collective yawn and "so what?" Although the visual of the lawyer being gagged and part of a puppet trial (literally!) is kind of amusing.
And why does Jackson have a loaded Gatling gun in his poker parlor/study? There's no indication that Hal brought bullets with him when he rigged the gun to remote-fire. That seems like asking for trouble right there.
So after the model airplane-versus-Corvette car chase, the episode goes downhill. But it's still probably the best of the back half of the season episodes.
But that's just my opinion, I could be wrong. What do you think?