(TV Series)

(1962)

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8/10
Nutbar with a Rifle
gordonl5616 September 2014
Warning: Spoilers
THE DETECTIVES – The Outsider - 1962

This one is episode 85 of the 97 episode run of, THE DETECTIVES. This series starred Robert Taylor and ran between 1959 and 1962. The first two seasons ran at a half hour and the last season had a runtime of an hour. The series followed the detective squad in a big city precinct. Cast regulars included, Mark Goddard, Russell Thorson, Tige Andrews, Lee Farr and Adam West. Robert Taylor headlines as Police Captain, Matt Holbrook.

Dabbs Greer has just been let out of the prison after a long stay. He needs a place to stay, so he heads to the city to look up his dead brother's wife and child. Greer's stay in prison has loosened Greer's grasp on reality. He figures everyone in a uniform is out to get him. He breaks into a pawn shop and steals a high-powered rifle and 12 rounds of ammo.

The next day, he bags a postman with a shot from a nearby roof. The Police are called. Detectives, Adam West, Tige Andrews, Mark Goddard and their Captain, Robert Taylor, are soon on the case. Things heat up as another postal type is shot and killed several blocks away. Then a third is fired on, but manages to dive under some cover and survives. The cops are at a loss to what could be motivating these attacks. They go through their files looking for clues. They then get a possible lead by checking just released convict lists.

They pay a visit to the apartment of Greer's sister in law, Patricia Huston and her daughter, Diane Mountford. The swine, Greer, is holding the young daughter hostage and has Huston lie to the Detectives. This does not fool the cops as they can see the fear on Huston's face.

The cops leave and call in reinforcements. Once the Police are set up, they call on Greer to surrender. Needless to say this has no effect other than to draw several rounds as an answer. Dabbs soon runs out of ammo and the Police charge in and slap the cuffs on the creep. Dabbs is babbling to himself about men in uniforms always hurting him.
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5/10
The Outsider
Prismark1011 June 2020
Dabbs Greer is Ed just out of prison and looks to be out of his mind. It looks like he was released without any assessment. He steals a rifle and a violin case, destroying a valuable violin.

Ed has gone to stay with his late brother's wife temporarily. She has a young daughter and it is obvious that both might be in danger as he is off kilter and soon goes postal.

The Detectives are on the hunt of someone killing postmen with a high powered rifle, in fact all time off is cancelled.

The kind of random killing would had been shocking in the early 1960s. However the pacing of this episode was slow, maybe as the show has not quiet got to the grips of the increased length in the third season.

Despite the plodding pace and Dabbs Greer's slightly hammy psychotic. There were nice touches such as the daughter ringing the police but cannot pronounce a certain word properly.
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