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ALIAS SMITH AND JONES EPISODE NOTES
EPISODE NOTES SYMBOL KEY
** a favorite episode® worth rewinding and checking out again§ worth stopping and staring awhile[: source
- This is my absolute favorite comedy episode. It is the only episode in the series that never seems to have a scene that lags or loses my interest. Even the one instance that is boring—the sheriff digging up the money—is mercifully fleeting and we go right back to an interesting moment.
- What’s with all the discombobulated voices in the opening teaser and again later as the townspeople yell and jabber about the robbers being caught? It is obvious the voices are disconnected from the scene, coming from somewhere in a sound studio, added after the fact. It is so distracting and such obvious editing it throws reality into our faces and we momentarily lose our absorption in the show, realizing we are watching TV…a real buzz kill…
- I like that Heyes scratches the nose of his horse as the boys tie them up and head off for the telegraph office. I don’t suppose men on the road as much as our boys were would become any more attached to their horses than someone in modern times would become attached to their rental cars, so I enjoy seeing the tiny moments when one of the actors shows kindness to his horse. Since Clay was Peter’s favorite horse and he used him often, I hope there was some attachment there, and what we were seeing is a real moment between Peter and Clay.
- Not knowing what “we don’t have a Sioux” meant, I cheated and asked for help. Apparently, “sou” is French for money, so say, sans le sou, means without a cent. [: AS&J Collections Board
- I truly adore the Peter moment as he writes out the telegraph message and we hear and see him place a hard dot after “have a sioux” and at the end of what he is writing. It is something I have noticed about his autograph, and even his will; Peter put dots in things he wrote, probably unconsciously, and I find it enormously expressive of a real Peter moment.
- I wonder if I am just a sucker at heart. If I were working in the telegraph office, I would have sent the telegram from the boys for free. And not because it is our boys. If someone is writing a message saying they are destitute and asking for work, I would do my best to help them out...wouldn’t you?
- Heyes presents us with a particularly nice little butt swagger as he and Kid head for the saloon to try to finagle some beer.
- I especially enjoy the smile that crosses Heyes’ face as he saunters into the saloon and first sets eyes on the bowl of eggs. We can almost see the wheels turning in his nimble mind and we know he is developing a plan.
- I get a kick out of the bartender. The actor uses some great facial expressions that make him very likable and funny. I really love the moment when he says “I ain’t ordering any beer” after Heyes asks if he has any money and opens the door for the trick to begin. And his little expression of temper when he smashes the winning egg on the bar is perfect.
- I love the whole stand-the-egg-on-its-end scene. Heyes appears supremely confident, although he shows relief with a smile and a sigh when the trick actually works. I like him confident. And he does that thing I love so much…setting up his prey by smiling along with the bartender, and then once the trap is set, with not the tiniest smile on his face, “yeah, but I can do it without even cracking the shell…” Kid looks on with dubious interest, and when Heyes has won the bet he smiles and gazes at his partner with pride. AND we get a very tasty little bonus…a fleeting glance at Heyes’ tongue, quickly and stealthily darting from his mouth to lick the egg. What’s not to love about this scene? It is very well done and appealing, from start to finish. Yes, very tasty indeed. ®®§
- I’ve tried the egg trick and it really does work. And I bet I’m not the only one who has tried it. Can we have a show of hands, please? Your confession will remain anonymous, I swear…
- Our boys always react so adorably to seeing a badge! It seems like they can never have any fun without some lawman horning in on it, though.
- I think Ben and Peter both have slight colds during this episode. I noticed Ben wiping/touching his nose a few times during the egg scene, and since he is an athlete and there have been no rumors to the contrary, I don’t think it was because he had just used cocaine, or “snuff” for that matter. After they leave the saloon and are headed to go send the telegraph, Peter’s voice sounds like he is a bit stuffed up. I could bring you some hot soup and some nurturing, boys.
- Hannibal Heyes is the Phil Helmuth of Old West Poker. He revels in telling disgruntled players why they are losing. After the loser proclaims, “something smells around here…” Heyes seems to delight in telling him, “Maybe the way you play poker. He opened -- you stayed on a pair of jacks…that’s just askin’ for trouble!” Smart and beautiful…what could be better?
- As things heat up between the Kid and the loser, Kid tries all his tools to keep peace; reasoning, cajoling, compromising; even giving the contender a chance to back out with his dignity intact…and finally, the quick draw. Stops his challengers in their tracks every time! Kid’s face is lovely in such moments, and Heyes looks at his partner with pride also.
- All the facial expressions Peter uses in this scene knock me out. He is just so right on the money, almost as if he is really in the moment, truly feeling what he is expressing. He lets forth an incredulous little laugh as the loser tells them one of them will have to leave the table, letting the man know he thinks he is a fool. The look on his face when the aggressor calls Kid sonny boy is point on. And he keeps a little grin on his face for most of the encounter, then a look of bemused resignation that this will be taken to the limit…right up until he spots the sheriff enter the saloon and tries to warn Kid with a guttural groan and barely discernable shake of his head. And I love the way Heyes has a “final say” toward the loser, when with facial expression alone he just can’t resist rubbing the man’s nose in the fact that the Kid outdrew him so competently. So much spoken by Heyes in this scene, without a single word. ®
- Ben has very strong veins in his hands. Very masculine, in a blond sort of way. (Sorry to any blond man fans…this girl just prefers her men dark and sultry.)
- Is that Grant from The Wrong Train to Brimstone we see at the table as Kid stands up to face his antagonist? Do the actors playing Grant and Gaines work in tandem, I wonder? Or am I wrong and that isn’t even the right actor?
- Kid does a beautiful twirl of his gun and lands it squarely in its holster…an attractive exclamation point at the end of the encounter. Ben really became quite adept at gun twirling. I wonder if he ever still does it just for fun and to keep nimble…
- The split second glimpses we have of Monty Laird reacting to the escalating encounter between the Kid and the whiner really crack me up. Monty ALWAYS overacts, and his reactions are simply priceless. The two “extras” I love to watch for are Monty Laird and Hal Frizzell, as I have said before. And the two men are like polar opposites of each other. Monty always reacting over the top, almost animatedly, and Hal always completely deadpan and expressionless, but closely watching Peter, which in my heart I so deeply appreciate.
- I like the acting of Kenneth Tobey, playing the sheriff. I like how he speaks, and shows respect to these two strangers who surprise him with their honesty at poker and Kid’s skill with the gun. He offers them jobs as deputies, and he doesn’t seem suspicious, or challenging or in awe in any way, just matter-of-factly impressed with what he has witnessed.
I wonder who the prop person who wrote out McCreedy’s telegraphic reply was, because I would think if I were writing out something that would be seen on screen I would be sure of my spelling. For one thing, the name of the town is Big Bend, not Big Ben…that’s a clock in England. And secondly, the word similar has only two i’s. Geesh.
- I am intrigued by the reaction the boys have to seeing the bank robbers brought in by the deputy. Their faces express sorrow for these men, and also a kinship. Hannibal Heyes and Kid Curry may be going straight, and being law-abiding may be becoming a habit as the Kid will later tell the judge, but they still feel a strong connection to outlaws in general. They see themselves and no doubt have twinges of melancholy at having changed their ways to the straightened path, even though they are aware it was the right and best thing for them to do.
- How cute is the toothpick with legs [:nancye crossing the street to the sheriff’s office with the news that the boys’ job with McCreedy fell through?
- Awww, too bad the perfect synchronicity of the boys getting off their horses in unison when the sheriff offers them $100 apiece to do the job is squelched by the fact that the horses are too close together and Kid bumps Heyes’ horse and breaks the spell as he dismounts.
- This is bound to sound rude, but wasn’t there a show once about human-lizard people? It might have been a series…I don’t think it was a movie. Anyway, every time I look at the sheriff, I think of those lizard people. I believe it is the extreme ruddiness of his skin and the shape of the back of his head. Now I don’t mean that negatively. I like the man. He reminds me of a kindly grandfather, but also, I admit, of a lizard person!
- Oh, my…have MERCY…I don’t care if Heyes gets rid of that badge, the reason I break out in a cold sweat every time I look over is because I notice a special something in Heyes’ saddle. Thanks to my observant friend’s eagle eye, I have become keenly aware that one Mr. Hannibal Heyes does clearly dress to the left, shall we say. *huge, elongated sigh*. (giggle) Now, I have made my favor for Peter’s left side known for quite some time…need I say more? *another wistful sigh* ® ® § ® §
- Excuse me; I just need a moment to compose myself.
- *sigh*
- I like that cute cowboy in the John Denver glasses…at first I thought he had a ponytail, which would have given me a tiny tingle, in honor of my hippie days, but it is just his bandana. Still he is cute in this scene.
- Heyes sitting there with his knees up, sporting a silly grin on his face, aiming his gun haphazardly over his right shoulder at the interloper in glasses is so cute, I could just burst. And the Kid is sweet as the man in charge as he says, “Joshua, you know where their horses are…check ‘em out, huh?” and Heyes jumps right up and does it, with a cute retort and a smile.
- It is time I confess to yet another of my obsessions about Hannibal Heyes. It is the way he walks. I could watch him all day (and do whenever I can!), and never, ever tire of watching him saunter along. One of the four best walking scenes for me in the series…yes, I said series…is Peter’s very distinctive gait as he leads the outlaws up to and between horses to start their journey to Junction City. I mean, damn, baby, where’d ya learn to walk like that? Just exquisite. ®®
- I would mortgage my house to buy Heyes’ buff jeans, hat or gloves. Seriously. *sigh*
- I believe I have truly gone off the deep end. I actually get a bit flushed as I watch Heyes drink his coffee in front of the fire. It is all the tiny nuances that do it to me. The way he puts the cup to his mouth, the way he swallows, the way he runs his tongue over his teeth inside his closed mouth…oh, my…I just savor this scene like chocolate…slow and smooth. Just what is it about this man to make a seemingly normal, intelligent, mature woman act like a swooning school girl? It is just not explainable. Now, I was married for many years. I calculate I probably saw my husband drink coffee more than 7500 times, a few of those times even in front of a campfire in the dark. And yet, I never once even particularly noticed it, let alone became aroused by it, even when we were still young and passionate. It is this man…it is Peter Duel who has something so special none of us can explain it. Either that, or I truly am nuts. *sigh*®§
- Peter’s scars are very visible in the glow of the fire light. It always moves me to notice them, because for a tiny moment, I remember he is Peter and not Hannibal Heyes. I love that his face isn’t perfect. I love the lines around his eyes, evidence that at times he has been happy and smiling. I always call him beautiful, because he is, but I am so thankful for his flaws; so appreciative of what makes him human and real.
- I love how the Kid says “got a better one?” when Heyes says his idea is a terrible one, even for him. It is like a little kid saying it, and it tickles me.
- I have never heard a man speak of another man’s tongue so much in my life! I’m not sure I’ve ever heard a man speak of another man’s tongue at all. Just a thought.
- Yes, I noticed what was noticeable to the left of the coffee pot handle just after Heyes enters Clitterhouse’s cabin. I simply chose not to comment, because I am afraid you will think I am, well, looking for such things… *giggle*
- Ugh…there are those creepy disconnected voices of the town folk again. Man, that is so distracting and irritating.
- Typical me…I feel hurt and betrayed right along with Heyes and Curry when the sheriff reveals their identities. I personally happen to believe giving your word means something, no matter who you give it to. Heyes’ shock is so beautifully apparent in the way Peter plays this scene…very, very well acted.
- I just want to go in the cell and comfort our two dejected boys.
- I love James Wainwright as “first bandit”,Ribs. [:phrase. Kyle, The Pilot I love how he speaks. I like his facial expressions. I wouldn’t call him attractive, but he is charismatic. Very good actor.
- As Heyes is talking to Ribs, telling him how to set up that creep Clitterhouse, I love the look on Kid’s face when Ribs tells Heyes he has brains. Kid just lights up with a prideful grin and crosses his arms across his chest…in his Ben way, but also almost like he is saying the word “love” in American Sign Language. Ok, maybe I am reaching now…but I just love love!!
Kid is singing, and I find myself smiling…it seems to me Ben is actually in tune, and while he overdoes the nasal twang on a couple of notes, he holds his own. Heyes foot can be seen in the foreground, moving a bit to the music. When Kid is told to shut up by the deputy, kindred Heyes takes over. So very sweet.
- I love the look of the scene as the outlaws reveal their escape plan to the deputy by pulling the gun. The camera angle is spectacular, as we look down the row of men from the front cell to the back cell. Very imaginative and quite nice.
- I adore how smooth Heyes is as he exits the cell during the breakout…tips his hat, grins and nods. The man just has cool written all over him.
- The endless line of deputized men coming from the livery stable after capturing the escapees is hysterical. It is also very reminiscent of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid when the deputies kept coming out of the railroad car. Very clever.
- Who among us isn’t grinning along with Heyes and the Kid as the crooked sheriff is brought in and jailed? He picked the wrong boys to mess with…he picked OUR boys, and there isn’t anyone smarter.
- I am embarrassed to be so nitpicky, but the deputy’s first response of “yes, sir” to the judge’s comment is the correct response. The judge is incorrect to sway the young man to change his response to “no, sir.” The judge should have known better, and would certainly be expected to speak more correctly than the presumably less educated young deputy.
- It is an embarrassment of riches in this episode as the camera gifts us with a jam-packed waist-to-knee shot of Heyes as he rises in the cell to go talk to Ribs. Slo-mo it if you don’t believe me. It is worth the repeat…® §
- Jack Albertson is just the cutest old guy. I just want to hug his neck.
Clay did some of his best acting (giggle) in the final scene as he moves his ear at just the precise moment Heyes speaks and leaves the visual path to Heyes’ face clear. Talented horse!
*I apologize for the darkness and poor quality of some of the pictures. I just didn't have the time or energy to give the photo side of the blog my best efforts this week...*
*I have just learned how to get vidcaps for myself. Today's pictures are my first attempt at capturing them and using them in my blog. Wish me success, please! *
- I’ve never been a fan of Jack Cassidy. To me, he always seemed slick to the point of sleaziness and way too affected for my taste. Yet, in this episode, I actually quite enjoy him. He seemed to make the role his own, and I also felt a strong chemistry between Peter and him. Something strange has actually happened to me since watching the series again. Most of the guest stars I really didn’t care for the first time around seem to have grown into my favor and I have seen qualities—good qualities—I had never noticed before. Joan Hackett is an example of another costar I couldn’t stand in the seventies (in fact I remember actively disliking her) but now like very much in the second coming of Alias Smith and Jones. Possibly my tastes have matured, or I was too naïve to see those qualities when I was so much younger. But like trying a bite of something you never could stand the taste of before, I’m glad I have given these actors a second try.
- Our boys look so handsome riding into town I almost catch my breath at first glance. I love how they look around, surveying the town they are entering, and apparently come to the decision to hang around awhile.
- There is not a fraction of a second in the porch scene that isn’t absolutely superb. It’s the beautifully arrogant and lighthearted way Heyes mounts the steps; it’s the way he overtly admires the woman sitting alone on the porch with a long appreciative gaze; it’s The Kid, relaxed with hat pushed forward and his boots on the rail; it’s Heyes joining him—sitting in chairs beside and facing each other, indicative of their obvious closeness; it’s how sexy our boys look, cigars in hand, rocking in their chairs and talking. And it’s also the knowledge that Heyes does know the odds against helping two pair; it’s the look and grin they share when talking about not knowing the sheriff; it’s Heyes softly rocking with his feet now up on the rail too; it’s The Kid immediately showing concern for a woman in distress; it’s the way Heyes clamps a cigar between his teeth as he speaks; it’s that for some reason I giggle every time I hear Heyes say “we can leave the porch of course”; it’s Kid chivalrously standing up to take action against a bully bothering the woman; it’s “Now, Kid“ from Heyes as he does; it’s the look on Heyes’ face as he sits back to enjoy the show of Kid stepping in; it’s The Kid decking the bully without even removing the cigar from his mouth; and it’s Heyes letting the bully know with a shake of his head that he and his partner come as a pair, and that even alone, the Kid isn’t someone he would want to mess with. It is a brilliantly done scene, perfectly set up and laid out to flow smoothly and gently impart a sense of the deep connection these men have with each other. For me, it is an unspoken commentary on what Alias Smith and Jones is all about. And it is absolutely flawless. ®
- Joanna Barnes’ character seems too old for either of our boys. While she is an interesting actress I do sometimes question what the casting director must have been thinking with some of the guest stars he placed in roles. I do, however, think she is attractive enough and I am not surprised Heyes would pick her as a sure thing before meeting her more attractive “sister”.
- “I guess you’ll, uh, just have to ask for a bigger bonus.” Kid says with a captivating grin when Heyes asks what if the sister looks like the one “you tried to dump on me in Carson City”. It is an especially fun exchange and impeccably played by both actors.
- I have long since gotten over taking any offense whatsoever over our heroes’ sexist penchant for divvying up the female characters. It really is a cute running theme through the show that just adds a bit of twinkle to the eyes of their characters. I especially enjoy the interaction between them in this instance. The Kid having the benefit of seeing the sister come down the stairs over Heyes’ shoulder before Heyes turns to glance and realizes his mistake is delightful.
- Heyes’ reaction when Janet asks if their escorts would mind if she and her sister stopped for a little swim is absolutely priceless.
- I do enjoy the moment when Kid puts his gloved hand over Heyes’ eyes when the younger sister chides them for peeking. It seems like it may be an unscripted moment, by Peter’s reaction, but I don’t know for sure because the script I have doesn’t even have this scene.
- You know, smart men would be very aware that these women frolicking in the water, splashing each other and laughing suggestively are putting on a show for their benefit, and that they are after something. They wouldn’t know what they are after—maybe just them—but come on, guys. Smart men would know they are after something. Even smart horny men.
- Hearing the cocking of a shotgun and a familiar man’s voice behind them certainly must have deflated the, um, shall we say arousal the boys were no doubt sporting while watching the women put on a private show just for their gratification.
- Oh, my. If something awful happened to you in Wichita once, boys, why didn’t you come to me for comfort? I would have made sure you were taken care of…*giggle followed by sigh*
- I despise the scene where Heyes beats Harry up. It is so contrary to Heyes’ character as we have come to know it, and it is over the top as far as the acting goes. Heyes yelling “Where…where?” just deeply grates on me. I suppose to some it may show how much Heyes loves the Kid, that he would become this violent to force his whereabouts from Harry, but I find it very unsettling and disappointing. I know Heyes to be a thinking man, using his brains and not brawn to accomplish almost anything. And Peter’s acting is disappointing to me in this scene as well. It feels very exaggerated and hammy.
- Once Heyes drags Harry to the water, it seems more like what I would imagine and what I can accept from Heyes, and what I expect from Peter as an actor.
- Harry’s short little spurts of language during the beating and subsequent near drowning are quite realistic though, and add a touch of authenticity to the sometimes ridiculous scene.
- Heyes really is in a dilemma and it is portrayed so expertly by Peter in the first scene in the hotel room as he shows disapproval over Harry’s comment about the money in the bank calling out to him…”come get me, come get me…” and then walks away from Harry, biting his lip and looking around the room like he is trapped, which of course he is. Very subtly expressed, and indeed, very well done.
- What? The Kid is off his food? I never thought I’d see the day. Especially when being fed by a gorgeous woman. The only thing Kid likes more than food and women is his sleep… maybe he’s just getting drowsy…
- It amuses me that Heyes is wearing his gloves as he writes his list of supplies Harry needs to procure for the heist. Wouldn’t it just be more comfortable to write with your hands uncovered? I have never understood the reasoning behind having them leave their gloves (and quite often their coats and hats) on indoors.
- While I didn’t like the scene displaying Heyes’ violence toward Harry, I do very much like the fact that the Kid feels sure in the knowledge that his friend cares so much about him he could be pushed to extraordinary means to find him. He expresses that surety when he says to the ladies after being told that the truth is Harry doesn’t know where they are, “Oh, well it better not be, because Heyes might just kill him trying to find out.” He may be saying it partially to try to frighten the women, but he also shows a bit of pride over the fact that he is that important to his partner.
- Janet’s little speech about the Kid wanting easy money and lonely women is so unfair. After the fact, yes, the boys did go for the dangled bait like hungry coyotes, but when the Kid first stepped in to help the woman it was because it is a large part of what defines him as a man. He is simply not someone who sits back and does nothing when a woman is in distress. We have watched him before, and will see him time and time again step in to help; the Kid, by nature, is a chivalrous man.
- So Heyes, in addition to his one million other skills, is also an artist! While that three dimensional drawing of the bar spreader isn't exactly expert, it is not the work of an amateur, either.
- I think Ben is a better actor when he is in scenes without Peter. He seems stronger and more emotive. I wonder if to some degree he was slightly intimidated by Peter’s talent and pulled back a bit in scenes when they acted together.
- Harry Wagoner is obviously enjoying the whole scheme and he also enjoys Heyes. I think other than his greed, what he is really after is to make Heyes like him, to consider him a worthy compatriot. He seems awed by Heyes’ skill and defensive when Heyes suggests he might be stupid.
- I wonder where Heyes would get a tapestry needle. Well, I guess he has gone out alone a few times; he may have stopped at the Sewing Bee Nook on the corner…and of course that wouldn’t have drawn attention to the handsome stranger in town.
- WHAT THE HELL??? What is Harry Wagoner snorting from the little tin box on the dresser? And not only what is he snorting, why is he snorting it? And why is this just thrown into the mix with no explanation, no reason, no possible story connection? Are we to think Harry Wagoner is a cocaine addict? I suppose he could be. Cocaine was medicinally available in the 1880s and apparently highly regarded by the upper class for recreational “therapeutic” use. And it was still in Coca-cola in the late 1880s. But it is just so ludicrous to toss this in the scene like that, with no back story or continuation. I just gotta repeat…what the hell?
- A perfect moment when Harry builds up to a dramatic exit with his speech about Heyes being a mouse in a tunnel, and as he tries to open the door with a flair his grandeur falls short since the door is locked and he is reduced to asking the mouse in the tunnel for the key.
- In sharp contrast to the scene when Heyes beat up Harry, the moment of violent potential in the Kid is quite good. “My head is a lot harder than your soft, pretty face, Lorraine, and I swear I will beat you with it like a club if you don’t untie my hands…NOW!…” is beautifully done and surprisingly masculine. I would not want to see the Kid actually do as he threatened, but the warning alone is very effective.
- I love Heyes’ unbridled appreciation for the safe. We know he finds intense gratification in cracking them, and this one in particular will pose a challenge that, although he is being forced into this action, will also greatly excite him.
- God. I love a smart man. Heyes knowing the formula for creating a vacuum in the safe totally turns me on. Of course it doesn’t hurt that he is also as gorgeous as he is.
- The Kid’s reaction to Lorraine saying Janet is her mother is point on. Ben did some really nice acting in this episode.
- Heyes’ enjoyment at Harry’s discomfort over the danger involved really tickles me. He plays on it and purposefully adds to it to torment the man. And of course, I am all for it because there is just no one cuter than Hannibal Heyes when he is amused.
- “Know any prayers, Harry?” asks Heyes. “None that will work robbing banks.” Just perfect.
- Harry jumping at the lighting of the fuse and Heyes’ look when he does is just so perfectly done, I wonder if it was spontaneous and not rehearsed. Really top notch.
- Aw…our boys are back together! I am delighted by Kid's reaction when he knows Heyes is on his way in the door. After being perfectly quiet and behaved throughout his captivity--except the one little attack on his captor, of course--he suddenly becomes very vocal behind his gag, prompting a "what's wrong with him?" from Heyes and a beautiful couple’s moment as Heyes pushes Lorraine aside and unties Kid himself. I positively adore these reunion moments when these men can’t hide their excitement at seeing each other again.