A View of Nowhere

I agree with the last reviewer, there are shades of Hitchcock's REAR WINDOW. In typical Mannix fashion, Joe is in a helicopter and see's a murder --or what looks like a murder being committed --but no one believes him. Also there's no body, no police report, no nothing. Of course, it makes him look like a darn fool by the villains. Pretty clever stuff.

Interestingly, this storyline was also used by famous Miss Marple (Margaret Rutherford) in her first whodunit, MURDER, SHE SAID (1961), only it took place on a train. Watch for that classic.

Applause for Michael Wilding (ex-husband of Liz Taylor, the actor before Richard Burton). Wilding, always a treat to watch, plays a debonaire gent called Philip. This was one of his final tv roles; he suffered from epilepsy, which contributed to his fatal fall down a flight of stairs. British Hazel Court (famous in Hammer horror films) plays Barbara. They make a memorable team.

Veteran actress Kate Woodville plays Joanna. Future tv star Jack Bannon (LOU GRANT) ironically plays a priest. This episode was filmed around the time of the death of his famous mom, Bea Benadaret (PETTICOAT JUNCTION). His step father, a well known businessman, died suddenly a few days later. A very sad story and time in Hollywood. Jack turned up in some other roles in the series in the next few years.

Look again for Frank Campanella as Lt. Angstrom, who may have been auditioning for a regular role, though it eventually went to Ward Wood as Malcolm.

Yes! Joe's Dodge gets a good workout here, one of the best parts of the episode, and skillfully directed.

Real estate note: A beach scene was filmed along Sunset Boulevard in Pacific Palasades, CA. Today, a 1 bedroom apartment in that area is astronomical. The real deal home of the rich and famous.

A recommended whodunit to who? SEASON 2 EPISODE 11 CBS/Paramount dvd box set. The box set runs a bit higher than the first season due to the introduction of Gail Fisher. Great picture of Joe on the cover.