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Post by alpha128 on Jun 9, 2024 19:51:30 GMT
Since I am only 2 episodes away from the replacement episodes--I started to think about them--Charles Aidman I wasn't familiar with until I connected him to a Hec Ramsey he was in. I guess he could be Ross Martin's depressed brother. I am wondering how they decided on who to get to replace him. I was also wondering--when the show was created--did they have anyone else in mind besides Conrad and Martin? Charles Aidman was quoted in Sue Kesler's book: As for your other question, when the show created: Rory Calhoun
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Post by Prime etc. on Jun 15, 2024 6:32:02 GMT
"The Night of the Spanish Curse" The episode started weak and I was expecting it to be poor. It got better as it went along although I wondered if it was wise to plant explosives in a volcano.
The music was weird--sometimes it seemed too bombastic while other times it was interesting.
Jim's horse acted really strange when they were going around the lake before Artie shows up with the fake rattler. In fact I was wondering if it was his usual horse in that scene.
Gas--does the volcano count or the scene where Jim opens a panel and gets blasted with a cloud of smoke?
Violence--since he can't shoot them in the chest Jim aims for the head. I was going to say that Rory Calhoun came across as too folksy to be a lethal agent--Conrad had no problem with that.
How about the stunt where he crashes into a create? Was that him?
One shot that was really impressive was where they are bringing the captive woman into a cave and you see the valley beyond. Shot at a real cave or special effect? It was a neat shot.
Artie's disguise was fine--but Jim...let's talk about how bad he looked dressed up as a conquistador.
Not a good look for him--and he even had trouble removing the helmet.
I was wondering--what if Conrad had been injured and off the show for a few episodes--would they have replaced him or cancelled it?
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Post by alpha128 on Jun 15, 2024 21:37:38 GMT
"The Night of the Spanish Curse"
Gas--does the volcano count or the scene where Jim opens a panel and gets blasted with a cloud of smoke? How about the stunt where he crashes into a crate? Was that him? One shot that was really impressive was where they are bringing the captive woman into a cave and you see the valley beyond. Shot at a real cave or special effect? It was a neat shot. I was wondering--what if Conrad had been injured and off the show for a few episodes--would they have replaced him or cancelled it?
Gas--It's been three and a half years since I last watched the episode and I just don't remember. Your description of the latter scene sounds like it might qualify, but I'd have to rewatch it to be sure. Stunt--I believe Jimmy George took the fall for Conrad in that scene. But it's well documented that Conrad did the falling stunt in The Night of the Tycoons. Cave Shot--I believe it was a real cave. Conrad Injury--As you know, Conrad was injured while shooting The Night of the Fugitives. In response, the production was shut down for twelve weeks and the third season was shortened to 24 episodes (the first two seasons had 28 episodes each). If that injury had happened at the beginning of a season's production run, who knows what might have happened? I guess it would depend on the severity of the injury and the length of the recovery time. If Conrad was only going to miss a couple of episodes, they might have brought in a temporary replacement character. For example, Richard Basehart was ill during the shooting of the Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea episode The Menfish. That script was rewritten to feature Admiral Roy Park (Gary Merrill) instead of Admiral Nelson. Now that I think about it, the original series proposal had multiple secret agents - not only Jim West, but also Tom East, Sam South and Hal North. So in this scenario, we might actually have met one of those guys. However, in the advent of a crippling or lethal injury, I suspect the show would have cancelled.
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Post by Prime etc. on Jun 15, 2024 22:59:33 GMT
Conrad Injury--As you know, Conrad was injured while shooting The Night of the Fugitives. In response, the production was shut down for twelve weeks and the third season was shortened to 24 episodes (the first two seasons had 28 episodes each). If that injury had happened at the beginning of a season's production run, who knows what might have happened? I guess it would depend on the severity of the injury and the length of the recovery time. How many weeks was Ross Martin out? I assume longer than 12 weeks.
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Post by alpha128 on Jun 16, 2024 0:58:30 GMT
Conrad Injury--As you know, Conrad was injured while shooting The Night of the Fugitives. In response, the production was shut down for twelve weeks and the third season was shortened to 24 episodes (the first two seasons had 28 episodes each). If that injury had happened at the beginning of a season's production run, who knows what might have happened? I guess it would depend on the severity of the injury and the length of the recovery time. How many weeks was Ross Martin out? I assume longer than 12 weeks.
According to Sue Kesler's book, Ross Martin had his heart attack on August 17, 1968 and returned to work sometime in December. So it was longer, about four months.
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Post by Prime etc. on Jun 16, 2024 1:10:57 GMT
Actually I don't think they showed gas in the volcano scene. Just special effects fire. But it was weird that West opened up an oven and got hit in the face with a cloud of white smoke--then closed it--and then opened up the lower part which showed a fire. I guess they were using it to demonstrate how the fake volcano was done, not to fulfill their gas quote for the episode.
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vrkalak
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Post by vrkalak on Jun 16, 2024 20:35:59 GMT
Since I am only 2 episodes away from the replacement episodes--I started to think about them--Charles Aidman I wasn't familiar with until I connected him to a Hec Ramsey he was in. I guess he could be Ross Martin's depressed brother. I am wondering how they decided on who to get to replace him. I was also wondering--when the show was created--did they have anyone else in mind besides Conrad and Martin? I think Rory Calhoun was another option for James West. Don’t believe anyone else besides Martin was in mind for Artie role.
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Post by alpha128 on Jun 16, 2024 21:32:04 GMT
Since I am only 2 episodes away from the replacement episodes--I started to think about them--Charles Aidman I wasn't familiar with until I connected him to a Hec Ramsey he was in. I guess he could be Ross Martin's depressed brother. I am wondering how they decided on who to get to replace him. I was also wondering--when the show was created--did they have anyone else in mind besides Conrad and Martin? I think Rory Calhoun was another option for James West. Don’t believe anyone else besides Martin was in mind for Artie role. Welcome back vrkalak ! Pages 9-11 of Susan Kesler's book confirm what you wrote, as I noted here. In reply, Prime etc. wrote here that, "Rory Calhoun came across as too folksy to be a lethal agent", and I agree.
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Post by Prime etc. on Jun 16, 2024 22:12:27 GMT
I have only seen Calhoun in a couple of things like Motel Hell--and it seems to me he was too folksy to be Jim West, who I assume was meant to have something of a Connery kind of ruthless edge--which Robert Conrad has in the series. I see Conrad showing up as villains in a number of shows after WWW. Ross Martin doesn't have a villainous or ruthless side in the show. I know he did Experiment in Terror and Dying Room Only. On Columbo he was not really that villainous--on the other hand, Conrad was one of the most unpleasant killers in the series--even to the point of making Columbo angry at him.
Could Calhoun have done that battery on the shoulder ad?
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Post by alpha128 on Jun 17, 2024 2:41:22 GMT
Could Calhoun have done that battery on the shoulder ad? That would be NO!
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vrkalak
Sophomore
@vrkalak
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Post by vrkalak on Jun 17, 2024 12:10:13 GMT
I have only seen Calhoun in a couple of things like Motel Hell--and it seems to me he was too folksy to be Jim West, who I assume was meant to have something of a Connery kind of ruthless edge--which Robert Conrad has in the series. I see Conrad showing up as villains in a number of shows after WWW. Ross Martin doesn't have a villainous or ruthless side in the show. I know he did Experiment in Terror and Dying Room Only. On Columbo he was not really that villainous--on the other hand, Conrad was one of the most unpleasant killers in the series--even to the point of making Columbo angry at him. Could Calhoun have done that battery on the shoulder ad? When I think of Rory Calhoun, my mind goes to his role as the hunter Jonathan Kincaid on Gilligan’s Island.
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Post by alpha128 on Jun 18, 2024 0:14:40 GMT
When I think of Rory Calhoun, my mind goes to his role as the hunter Jonathan Kincaid on Gilligan’s Island. I wasn't familiar with your reference, so I found some footage on YouTube.
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Post by Prime etc. on Jun 29, 2024 4:26:08 GMT
"The Night of the Avaricious Actuary" The idea was one of the most Bond in the Old West storylines--I liked the giant tuning fork that was like a missile. The Epicurean gourmet scene was funny--especially with the hash house toothpick. I liked the set up of the shooting gallery also in the arcade. It was jarring to see someone else in disguise as Artie or maybe that prepares us for his hiatus.
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Post by alpha128 on Jun 29, 2024 16:27:04 GMT
"The Night of the Avaricious Actuary"
The idea was one of the most Bond in the Old West storylines--I liked the giant tuning fork that was like a missile. The Epicurean gourmet scene was funny--especially with the hash house toothpick. I liked the set up of the shooting gallery also in the arcade. It was jarring to see someone else in disguise as Artie or maybe that prepares us for his hiatus. Upcoming episodes The Night of the Janus - Jeremy Pike (Charles Aidman) and The Night of the Winged Terror: Parts 1 and II - Frank Harper (William Schallert) also have a lot of James Bond flavor as you'll see. Good observation about another actor briefly playing Artie in the last Ross Martin episode for a while. However, in this case, it was an emergency substitution. When the production team had time to prepare, they were able to manage Ross Martin's absence a lot better. But then the network undercut all their careful preparation by showing the episodes out of order, as noted in The Night of the 800 Pound Gorilla. You'll be able to appreciate the production team's efforts since you're watching in the Season 4 Alternate Viewing Order.
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Post by Prime etc. on Jun 29, 2024 17:24:53 GMT
It was jarring and yet more suspenseful because I thought Jim assumed it was Artie--and then, after he gets free--the real Artie would show up and he realizes the gas inspector was real! I think that would have been clever. I liked the henchman--he seemed amused. It also felt more James Bondian due to the number of women and the arcade angle of it--was like a casino atmosphere--so that also corresponded to a James Bond style. I was thinking they showed a number of children in this--rare to see them in any episode.
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Post by alpha128 on Jun 29, 2024 18:11:25 GMT
It was jarring and yet more suspenseful because I thought Jim assumed it was Artie--and then, after he gets free--the real Artie would show up and he realizes the gas inspector was real! I think that would have been clever. Yeah, that would have been clever. But apparently, the creators didn't have time for cleverness. Sue Kesler's book quotes director Irving Moore that the shooting gallery scene was the last one to shoot for the day. Furthermore, after Ross Martin's injury, production was halted for a few days. So apparently they had to finish the scene as best they could, and as quickly as possible.
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Post by Prime etc. on Jul 3, 2024 1:47:12 GMT
Seemed to me they also showed more of the train in the last couple of episodes. Rare to see so much of Artie's train car.
Here's a question--when they are out in the desert on the train-where do they find the women who show up for the epilogue?
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Post by alpha128 on Jul 3, 2024 2:51:03 GMT
Seemed to me they also showed more of the train in the last couple of episodes. Rare to see so much of Artie's train car. Here's a question--when they are out in the desert on the train-where do they find the women who show up for the epilogue? When that happens the train must not be too far from civilization. You'll see in the upcoming The Night of the Camera that three sisters arrive by carriage at the end of the episode.
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Post by Prime etc. on Jul 13, 2024 6:55:35 GMT
"The Night of Miguelito's Revenge" Well we are finally here!
I have to agree that this make more sense to see how they introduce his replacement. It would be weird to watch if they didn't explain it.
I can see why they picked Aidman--there is a similarity and even when in disguise you are reminded of Ross Martin.
There is a theme of identity substitution--first with West's encounter in the barbershop with Delilah, and then the introduction of Loveless (which surprised me--I didn't connect the title to him so it came as a shock). The flower girl substitution as well as the obvious encounter in the train car. I liked the gadget in the underwater trap and the obvious dummy that floats out.
What I REALLY liked was the scene with Loveless as the dummy and then the revelation that he had a mechanical figure on a hose--that was fantastic. Nightmarish. Somehow it just seemed a lot more creepy with it attached to a hose.
Nice ending joke as well.
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Post by alpha128 on Jul 13, 2024 15:23:04 GMT
"The Night of Miguelito's Revenge"Well we are finally here! I have to agree that this make more sense to see how they introduce his replacement. It would be weird to watch if they didn't explain it. I can see why they picked Aidman--there is a similarity and even when in disguise you are reminded of Ross Martin. Nice ending joke as well. I rewatched this episode recently, so it would be fresh in my memory as I write this. I thought the introduction of Pike was very well handled. Jim first encounters Jeremy across the room and with his back turned, and credibly mistakes him for Artie. Then Colonel Richmond enters to neatly explain the situation. And at the end, the drink poured for Artie mysteriously disappears, leaving an empty glass. IMO, the creators struck the right balance, finding a way to carry on without Ross Martin, but doing so respectfully. You'll see more examples as you proceed through the Season 4 Alternate Viewing Order where the audience is reminded that Artie is gone but not forgotten.
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