THE GREAT SHELL GAME

• I don’t care what anyone says, I think Heyes looks dapper in his tailored brown corduroy jacket. But I wish they would retire those awful synthetic brown slacks.
  
• I nominate the understated and tasteful outfit Diana Muldaur is wearing in the first scenes as the best by a female guest star in the series, although a couple of the high end getups Diana Hyland wears in next week’s episode, Return to Devil’s Hole, place a close second.
• I am certain, even if I were the hottest chick at the county fair, I would never walk past a man as fine as Hannibal Heyes, who has tipped his hat and wished me a good morning, without so much as a glance. Even if the Grace character is supposed to be unapproachable, she does have blood running through her veins, does she not? She would at the very least just have to take a quick look and let out a nearly audible ‘mmmm’…
• However, our boy is all man as he turns with an approving grin and watches Grace stroll over to her buggy. Yes, he is watching her to make sure she gets in the buggy so he can follow her, but he is also watching her because he enjoys women, and he also seems to like looking at them.

• The long still shot of Heyes astride his horse as he watches Grace drive away is simply breathtaking. Peter has such ease on a horse; he fits it so well, almost as if they are one. §

• And as he turns the horse and begins to ride away I am stirred by the remarkable connection between Peter and the horse--almost as if there is no separation. He sits tall in the saddle; there is no jerkiness or bouncing…just a ride as smooth as Mulberry silk and a man who looks exquisitely graceful doing it. *appreciative sigh* ®



• Boy, this cold, detached woman can sure warm up quickly when she needs to use someone for something, can’t she?
• Grace gives Heyes a full body scan with her eyes when he says he will lift the buggy and she is to slip the wheel on. A look of admiration crosses her face---but I wonder if she is showing awe over the pure physical splendor of this man or his proposed demonstration of strength lifting the buggy….my bet is on both…



• Diana Muldaur is a striking woman. At first glance, she seems a bit cold and aloof, like her character, but she actually kind of sizzles. I think she is exactly right for this role. I also think she looks a little like Helen Hunt.
• There’s Monty Laird at the table behind Grace as she and Heyes get to know each other. I like spotting Monty and Peter’s good friend Hal Frizzell in scenes…they both blend in quite nicely in the backgrounds and it’s almost a game to me to spot them.
  
• Heyes looks very impressive in his three-piece suit and tamed hair. I love him in sophisticated mode. Let me rephrase that: I love him in any mode.



• Ooooohhhhhh, there’s a close-up of Peter’s hand and wrist as he knocks on the door of Soapy’s room. I know, for others it may not be a moment worthy of comment but for this girl, with my draw to men’s hands, I simply cannot help but pause and savor the sight. And it’s my blog and I’ll stare if I want to….*giggle* §
• A little Peter nuance that I love: Heyes takes Grace’s hand as they rise from the couch in Soapy’s room, and still holding her hand as they walk toward the door he passes it to his other hand, behind his back. It is such a familiar and boyfriend thing to do. It is very sweet, somehow. ®
• Gee, Grace, isn’t that an awful lot of cleavage for the 1880s?



• The look on Heyes’ face and the humming along to Soapy’s drunken singing as they help him to his room is just perfect.



• Eww…that bit of spittle on the lower lip of Soapy in the ‘bringing him home drunk’ scene is really creeping me out! And once, he spoke to Grace so forcefully that her hair moved from his breath. I hope there wasn’t spit involved in that too!
• There’s Hal Frizzell second in line at the betting windows… Ok, ok. I hear you. I will drop the game. Spoil sports…
• Grace’s rebuffs of Charles Morgan trying to get her to give him the time of day are priceless. “Ma’am, we still haven’t been properly introduced.” “No, we haven’t, have we?” And she just walks away! Excellent!
• Finally, Heyes’ first kiss of the series. Waited for and appreciated. I must say he did it well. A gentle, chaste first kiss, a throaty response to Grace's question, "Do you realize what we are doing?", a penetrating look into her eyes, and finally a deep and aggressive kiss. Very nice indeed. ®





• Heyes beginning to fall for Grace--making it difficult for him to continue with the deception--is very poignant. We haven’t seen our hero in this predicament before. Because even though it hasn’t been exposed to us yet, we know the outcome of the episode and we know the reason for the swindle. So we are actually seeing our first glimpse at a couple’s moment with our boys apart. And because we know the intense loyalty he has to the Kid--we know that no matter what, Kid will always come first—before women, or money or freedom or love.
• The woman in the black dress dancing while Soapy, Heyes and Grace share drinks has the strangest way of dancing I have ever seen. Her left arm just hangs there limp through the whole dance, like she doesn’t care enough to put her whole body into the experience. Quite strange and weirdly fascinating to me. I sure hope she puts more energy into other encounters with her mate. And oh my god, the couple dancing next to them is dancing to two separate beats. They are not in rhythm—with the music or with each other--at all. Who hired these fools? Monty could have put his dress from Wrong Train to Brimstone back on and danced with Hal and it would have been better than these two couples! Plus it would have given me another Monty/Hal sighting!



• This episode supplied me with one of my all time favorite pictures of Peter. A pensive Heyes in formal attire. Those eyes. Those lips. *deep sigh* I am struck yet again by this man’s natural beauty. § [It was one of the very first pictures I came across online after rediscovering Peter just 6 months ago, and it nearly dropped me to my knees...*yet another tear*]



♥

• I’m going to wager we could see Peter’s dimples at 50 feet.
• It’s a great segue from Heyes’ half of the episode to Kid’s half. Morgan, enamored with Grace, holds Heyes at gun point while Heyes tells the story of what happened to the Kid in Mexico…



• Having commented on Peter’s ease on a horse I feel it is only fair to comment on Ben’s riding style. Here comes Kid, riding into Hidalgo, his whole body limp and bouncing like a rag doll with every step of the horse! It makes me laugh! I guess we could say Ben is as one with his horse too…because his body accentuates every move the horse makes! It is just so endearing. Really, really sweet. But when we think about it, and analyze it—as is my habit--it actually totally fits with the personalities of the two characters. Heyes is a bit more refined, more mannerly and possessing a certain savoir faire. And his style of riding shows that. The Kid is more laid back, a bit more coarse, a little less socially correct and his riding style shows that also. These actors seemed to live their characters on screen. Good job, boys!



• I thought Kid’s horse was stolen. He doesn’t have a penny to his name. Where did he get the horse he is riding as he “runs down one last possibility”? Yes, I am pretty sure that is Kid riding in the dark…I can tell from the bouncing…! *giggle*
• Great job on the manners, Kid…you actually took your gloves off to eat your burrito. But hey, don’t talk with your mouth full, ok?



• It’s a great ploy to pretend you are husband and wife. Not only will you fool everyone on the stagecoach, you set the TV audience on alert that there may be some romance ahead.



• Now, I am just speculating here…but it is my guess that Kid took a lingering peek at Grace while she was bathing in the river.
• Don’t we just love our boys in the hero role, coming to the aid of the maiden in distress? The Kid is quite alluring as the protector as he shoots the rattle snake and holds Grace in his arms to comfort her. Very satisfying to watch.



• It is a really lovely and romantic scene when the Kid and Grace kiss. There is a soulful Spanish guitar serenade as Grace and the Kid have an intimate conversation. “I may never see you again, and I don’t want to care.” “And do you care?” asks Kid. “Yes.” Kid searches her eyes and then leans in for a kiss…a deep, meaningful kiss—not the least bit hesitant. It is quite romantic. The camera angle of the kiss is particularly good…we see both Ben’s bottom lip and his closed eyes. Very visually stimulating. ®
  
• The kissing styles of the two men are quite diverse. Mmm, mmm, mmm…variety is the spice of life…indeed.
• Are Ben’s eyes really that blue? I wonder if they had colored contacts in those days. I don’t think the general public did, but maybe Hollywood did.



• And on the subject of blue eyes, it occurs to me that if the Kid and Grace were to have children, their eyes would be absolutely magnificent. What a gorgeous genetic match-up that could be…
• Ben jumps on his horse during the escape from jail…without so much as touching a stirrup! We have seen him do it before and we will see him do it again and it cracks me up every time! Mounting horses seems to be an issue for Ben continuing through the whole original series. It’s cute.
• The Kid tells Grace, “Mr. Smith’s waiting for us over at the hotel…he tells me he fell as madly in love with you as I did.” To which Grace replies, “That makes three of us.” I immediately wonder, because it’s just where my mind goes…was there such a thing as a ménage à trois in the 1880s?
• I love the look of the last scene, where the Kid and Grace walk away holding hands. A very pleasing image, somewhat reminiscent of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance KId. ®

THE GIRL IN BOXCAR #3

• I am anxiously awaiting the opportunity to write about a fun or sexy or special episode. Unfortunately, this isn’t it.
• I like the scene where the boys come into the lawyer’s office with the letter. There is something about the way Heyes looks around and surveys the place, and the way he looks at the lawyer that I like, although I can’t quite figure out what he is looking for.



• I like the boys taking out the lookout on the stairs. They are all business as they tie up and gag the man, and Kid kindly replaces the hat on his head. Our boys are nothing if not courteous.
• I have decided, just now, that I am particularly enamored with Peter’s left profile. I like him from any angle, of course, but something in the shape of his jaw, the tilt of his nose and the depth of his dimple from the left just leaves me breathless…
  
• Please permit me a moment of self-indulgence. I have nothing witty or insightful to say about the following picture. Sometimes, without understanding what it is about them precisly, images of Peter just stir me so deeply I can only murmur softly, "damn, baby". *sigh* §



• I always chuckle at Ben’s many techniques of mounting a horse! In the first few episodes, no matter how he does it, it seems somewhat awkward and clumsy. He gets better as time goes on, but he never truly seems comfortable mounting or riding. And somehow I find that very appealing. One of the best things about this show and its actors is the small imperfections that make it so human.
• Poor Heyes sure didn’t get very far in the good chase Kid advised him to give…Kid hasn’t even stepped out of the shadows yet and Heyes’ horse falls and he lays there just waiting for his pursuers to catch up.
• I love the arrogance with which Heyes faces the man questioning him. He is a born brat, our Heyes--I can tell--and I find that quality absolutely irresistible. And how does he manage to look so gorgeous being smacked around by a thug? Truly, I think only Peter could pull that off.




• Ever heard of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants? I say we track The Journey of the Ugly Bag. It first reared its ugly head in the Pilot, as our boys saw Lom Trevors off to the state capital with the ugly bag. And now, there it is in the hands of Annabelle on her quest for authenticity. Wonder where it will appear next.



• Kid! Stop!! Take your saddlebags! Why would you leave them with this runaway girl, when they have $50,000 in them? Are you so motivated by the search for food you lose all your sense? $50,000 couldn’t weigh that much; taking your saddlebags with you wouldn’t be much of a burden. And speaking of light weight saddlebags, why didn’t you bring a couple of sandwiches yourself for the trip, Kid? I guess you predated the Boy Scouts by about 3 decades, or you might have thought to be prepared.
• Oh, my. The look on Annabelle’s face and the little hug she gives herself when she shuts the door on the train as her hero goes off foraging for food tips us off to the fact that she is already in love…Careful, Kid.
• After being kicked away from the moving train, the Kid--lying on the ground, but still clutching his cute sack lunch--may not be quite the macho hunter-gatherer, at least in this instance, that young Annabelle’s vivid imagination may be telling her he is.
• I think I am having a time-travel experience! Here come the four men chasing Kid up the road by the pond---only wait a minute…those aren’t those men….those are the 4 ranch hands from Kimbro’s place…about to meet up with Clay Grainger, the Virginian and Denny Todd…what happened?...where am I?....what series am I in?...and…and…did the Virginian have a name??
• Chivalrous Kid gives chilled Annabelle his coat when they reunite…but he wasn’t chivalrous enough to save her a single morsel to eat. The man does seem ruled by his stomach. I love how Annabelle says “All of it?” after Kid confesses to eating the food. As I am, she is aghast at his gluttony.

• Annabelle cries a river, and yet not a single tear, as she and the Kid try to get help from the old couple. What’s up with that? A cute young actress, but some fine tuning on the acting is still needed.

• I admire your restraint, Kid. A nubile 17 year old snuggles up to you for warmth and you respond by showing no interest. If you can control your sexual appetite so well, why can’t you control your appetite for food?



• No wonder the man playing Stacy, the second banana with the common sense to Griffin’s hothead character, looks familiar. He is Jack Garner, brother of James Garner. Talented family, that.
• Neither of our boys can stand up to a woman’s tears, apparently; although Kid’s reaction seems much less compassionate than Heyes’ had been with Mary Cunningham. Still, it is a nice quality, going all soft when a woman cries.
• I don’t like the Kid handling Annabelle roughly. It isn’t necessary and it is a less than appealing glimpse at part of Kid’s character. Don’t be manhandling a teenage girl because of your own carelessness with $50,000, Kid.
• I really hate the Kid pushing the old man around, and forcing his way by bullet into the locked room when he and Annabelle return to look for the money. He needs his calming influence, Heyes, there to protect him from himself. But there is real sadness and a fleeting expression of shame on his face when he realizes what is on the other side of the locked door. Ok, Kid, you have redeemed yourself. Now, carry that shame with you for awhile and learn from it.



• It is wrenching when withered old Mr. Lambert laments “Nothing here belongs to any of ya"…and almost wails, "this is my home…” and charges Griffin, who quickly gets the better of him and tackles him down into the hay. This old man has been terribly violated. He is not up to a fist fight with these younger men. I have to give him props for being feisty, though.
• You mean all it takes is for Heyes to walk into the barn with a gun and a beautiful smile and everyone calms down?

• Heyes feels, more than sees, that the Kid is about to punch the lawyer, Mr. Greer, and stops him…”Cool down, cool down” he says softly, and rests his hand on Kid’s shoulder. And the Kid does cool down. That is the beauty of their relationship. Kid is too worked up and angry, but Heyes is able to stay detached, and he removes his hand from Kid's shoulder only to punch the lawyer himself. Kid is perfectly satisfied with that and I find that connection quite lovely. These characters are like two halves of each other. To steal a phrase for them from Jerry McGuire, you complete me…®

  

  

• Why are the boys so fixated on getting Annabelle a room with a bath? Are they trying to say she smells? Or do they just want to picture her luxuriating in a tub?

• Why is Kid Curry deep kissing a 17 year old girl? And a long, deep kiss at that. If he was so inclined, why didn’t he act on his desires in the Lamberts’ barn, when Annabelle was sidling up to him to get warm? I don’t care how much this young woman has matured while out experiencing the “authentic” side of life; she is too young for a 27 year old (according to his wanted poster) worldly man. My, how TV has changed. The word ‘damn’ was edited out by the censors, but they allow a shady grown man to make out with a 17 year old runaway. Interesting.
  
• Episodes with our heroes apart are ok, but are sorely lacking in that wonderful chemistry between Heyes and Curry. Since I think that is the essence of the show, I tend to not care a whole lot for episodes focusing on only one of the characters. And this episode falls flat in the bottom of the barrel for me.

WRONG TRAIN TO BRIMSTONE

Hi friends! I have been sick for several days, so please forgive any typos or general draggishness in this week's notes. ~cherie

• It is so sweet to hear Shoshone making her opinion heard in the background! And I know it is Shoshone, thanks to my very own expert at doggie articulation, my brilliant Chihuahua Justin, who always sits up, perks up his ears and watches the TV when Shoshone barks, and ONLY when Shoshone barks. I have tested him. I know. I have promised him top billing, so here is the famous Mrazmatazz Just in Jest, alias "Justin".

• As our poor boys are thwarted at every turn trying to get the hell out of Dodge, or wherever they are, Heyes gets just a tiny bit bratty in his interactions with the horse trader and the railroad clerk, and I have to admit, I like it. I like the sarcastic tone and the tilted head. I've always been a sucker for a smart-ass. Peter’s acting is never, ever flat—not even in the most trivial scenes.

• Ok, am I psycho, or are these men gorgeous even at this angle?

• Our two law-abiding boys mug two men in a restroom. What is wrong with this picture? I hope they at least left the money for the tickets. And since we are already on the subject, are those horses I see you boys stealing when you leave the train to warn the Devil’s Hole gang? I always heard they hanged horse thieves.

• Hey, I think I am having a psychic vision! I predict we will see Grant reappear in another personification as Jesse Jordan in The Posse That Wouldn’t Quit and Gaines as the disgruntled poker player up against Kid’s fast draw in Jailbreak at Junction City. This series has more recycled actors than Peter had recyclables in his kitchen. I thought only cats have nine lives.
• Oh, my. Poor Monty Laird just does not make a very attractive woman! I chuckle at the various incarnations of Mr. Laird—and he seemed to be game for just about anything.
• The scene where Heyes and Kid notice the men removing their women’s apparel is fun. Our heroes have seen a lot in their short lives, but I would venture to guess this is the first group of cross dressers they have come across. Both have looks of such confusion and astonishment on their faces; it is very amusing.
  
  
• It is cute when the boys, engulfed in amazement that they have boarded a train full of men who want to see them dead, or at the very least behind bars for 20 years, are forced to join in the revelry over the prospect of their own massacre by waving their guns with false enthusiasm.

• I am noticing that in most episodes, Heyes is the one with manners. I have heard him say thank you many times, and it is always he who stands first and tips or removes his hat when a lady is present. Sometimes he even coaches the Kid with a glance or a gesture to follow suit. I think his mother must have raised him well in the ten short years he had her before she was killed. [:The Men That Corrupted Hadleyburg]
• The actress playing Sara Blaine (Beth Bickell) reminds me very much of Faith Hill. It’s something about the eyes…they seem eerily familiar. Wouldn’t it be something if she were actually Faith Hill’s birth mother?

• I wonder when San Franciscans began to take umbrage at having their city called Frisco. I know for a fact it was a hot issue in the 1970s…but was it in the 1880s?
• Those buff colored jeans fit you so much better than your baggy brown synthetic slacks, Mr. Smith. My personal thanks to the wardrobe department.
• Ok, I am pretty sure Heyes had an orgasm when he opened the lock box and saw the gold. Caught breath, guttural moans and unadulterated joy on his face. Beautiful, simply beautiful. ®
  
• 
• A poignant exchange between Heyes and the Kid as they discuss whether they should somehow warn Wheat and the boys, at the possible cost of their coveted amnesty, that they are riding headlong into an ambush. It shows an impassioned and honorable side to the Kid and a momentarily selfish and less than honorable side to Heyes that we haven’t previously seen. These characters have layers that they gently expose with each episode and we learn more and more about who they really are. One thing is certain. Neither is one-dimensional or stereotypical. They are each quite complex in their character and depth.
  
• Heyes plays Briscoe like a cheap fiddle when he questions the boys about who trained them. Heyes is always so quick on the response, instinctively knowing what will work as an answer. He is a consummate liar and always seems comfortable in the act.
  
• One look at Heyes’ face as several agents bring in the Gatling gun and we know he will go along with Kid and they will do whatever they can to warn the Devil’s Hole Gang of impending doom.
• Hal Needham is ok in his four-line role of Wheat, but Sir, you are no Earl Holliman.
• My god, Peter. Those dimples. That smile. *deep sigh*

• With guns pointed at them, Heyes and Curry are told to get “inside” and in perfect synchronicity they hoist their rear ends up onto the railroad car. Ben has been quoted as saying those in-sync moments, which happen several times throughout the series, were unplanned. That just reinforces our feeling that these two had a special connection.
  
• 

• In a wonderfully sweet moment, both Heyes and the Kid remove their hats and their faces are awash with a flash of sorrow, as the bodies of the fallen outlaws are brought onto the train.
  
• Briscoe: “You want to tell me your names? Just for something to put on the tombstones?” GREAT line.
• J. D. Cannon does an exceptional job as Harry Briscoe. He has completely made the character his own. I can’t help but laugh out loud when he says “That is Kid Curry! Dead! And I’m not about to believe anything else…especially from a pair of owl hoot rag bats!!” His delivery is right on the money and the line is just so absurd it is hilarious.
• Does anyone else find our boys sporting a 5 o’clock shadow and a bit of road dirt even more attractive than usual, or is it just me?
• Heyes’ demeanor as he dresses down crooked agent Daley is brilliant. Up against a Heyes all full of bravado and aggression, poor Daley can do nothing to stand up for himself but stammer and let the stogie fall out of his mouth. A really wonderful scene. Peter and William Windom both played it to the hilt, and to perfection.

• The scene where our heroes jive Briscoe with new descriptions of Heyes and Curry absolutely cracks me up. Ben is particularly good as he tells of Curry carrying his left shoulder low…his demonstration of how Curry “looks” is spectacular.

• And so our favorite outlaws ride off, the promise of amnesty their driving force, and their smiles showing a slight arrogance over their gift for wrangling their way out of whatever tight spot they might find themselves in.