Synopsis
Includes:
Ironside: Split Second to an Epitaph, Part 2 (1968)
Ironside: The Sacrifice (1968)
Ironside: Robert Phillips vs. the Man (1968)
Ironside: The Macabre Mr. Micawber (1968)
Ironside: Reprise (1968)
Ironside: Desperate Encounter (1968)
Ironside: Side Pocket (1968)
Ironside: An Obvious Case of Guilt (1968)
Ironside: Price Tag: Death (1968)
Ironside: I, the People (1968)
Ironside: Shell Game (1968)
Ironside: Sergeant Mike (1968)
Ironside: Split Second to an Epitaph, Part 1 (1968)
Ironside: A Drug on the Market (1969)
Ironside: Moonlighting Means Money (1969)
Ironside: And Be My Love (1969)
Ironside: A World of Jackals (1969)
Ironside: The Prophecy (1969)
Ironside: Rundown on a Bum Rap (1969)
Ironside: Why the Tuesday Afternoon Bridge Club Met on Thursday (1969)
Ironside: Up, Down and Even (1969)
Ironside: In Search of an Artist (1969)
Ironside: Not With a Whimper, But a Bang (1969)
Ironside: Puzzlelock (1969)
Ironside: A Matter of Love and Death (1969)
Ironside: The Tormentor (1969)
Ironside: Split Second to an Epitaph, Part 2
In this second half of a two-part story (originally telecast as a single two-hour episode), Ironside (Raymond Burr) is in the hospital awaiting an operation that may cure his paralysis--or bring about his death if things go wrong. In typical fashion, the detective is able to put aside his own worries and solve a number of problems facing his fellow patients. Meanwhile, a homicidal drug thief steps up his efforts to bump off Ironside, who is the only witness to his most recent killing. The huge guest cast includes Joseph Cotten as the chief surgeon, Troy Donahue as a priest, former child star Margaret O'Brien as a patient, and future Jaws costar Lorraine Gary as a nurse. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Ironside: The Sacrifice
Ironside (Raymond Burr) comes to the aid of his old friend and comrade-in-arms Al Cervantes (Ricardo Montalban), a Mexican-American police detective accused of murdering an abortionist (which in 1968 was an illegal profession). Although the evidence against Cervantes seems overwhelming, Ironside suspects that the man is being framed. Other key players in this tense drama are crooked lawyer F.A. Hobarth (Robert Alda), shady boxer Valdez (Rafael Campos) and conspicuously missing B-girl Rita (Poupee Boucar). Future Marcus Welby MD costar Elena Verdugo appears as Cervantes' wife. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Ironside: Robert Phillips vs. the Man
Paul Winfield (Sounder) guest stars as Robert Phillips, a prominent African American militant accused of murder. With racial tensions at an all-time high, Commissioner Randall (Gene Lyons) asks Ironside (Raymond Burr) to quietly conduct an investigation to ascertain Phillips' guilt or innocence. Determined to thwart Ironside's efforts are a number of extremists--both black and white--who intend to use Phillips' arrest as catalyst for a bloody, apocalyptic race riot. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Ironside: The Macabre Mr. Micawber
It is altogether fitting that Burgess Meredith, who'd played The Penguin on Batman, should guest-star in this episode, which likewise boasts an "avian" theme. A wealthy man has been murdered, and his faithful manservant (Meredith) has been charged with the crime. To get to the truth of the matter, Ironside (Raymond Burr) must rely upon the dead man's pet myna bird Mr. Micawber, who talks only in riddles--one of which may very provide the solution to the mystery. "Michael Shayne" creator Brett Halliday cowrote this episode, which marks the American directorial debut of Ironside associate producer Jeannot Szwarc, later a fixture of the Rod Serling anthology Night Gallery. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Ironside: Reprise
Tragedy strikes the Ironside team when policewoman Eve Whitfield (Barbara Anderson) is seriously injured in a shooting. As Eve hovers between life and death, Ironside (Raymond Burr) flashes back to his first meeting with the socialite-turned-cop, a time when he was unconvinced that she was cut out for police work (and incidentally, when he was still able to move around without a wheelchair). Meanwhile, Sgt. Ed Brown (Don Galloway) is poised to take the law in his own hands and kill Eve's attacker unless Ironside and Mark (Don Mitchell) can talk him out of it. Featured in the cast of this "retrospective" episode Quinn Redeker, who later shared an Oscar for his screenplay contributions to the 1978 theatrical feature The Deer Hunter. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Ironside: Desperate Encounter
While vacationing in California's timber country, Ironside (Raymond Burr) is invited to visit an old hermit friend--who then mysteriously disappears. Investigating the situation, Ironside runs up against a stone wall of silence, with everyone in town--apparently under orders from a pair of wealthy lumbermen--refusing to cooperate in any manner. Ultimately, Ironside himself vanishes, and Mark (Don Mitchell) is charged with the Chief's murder! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Ironside: Side Pocket
Ironside (Raymond Burr) wants to find out why young Tim Patterson (Michael Christian) has forsaken a stellar college career to become a pool hustler. It turns out that Tim has taken it upon himself to square the huge gambling debts incurred by his ne'er-do-well brother Bobby (Carl Reindel)--a task made difficult by venal professional gembler Phil Vance (H.M. Wynant). The episode's highlight is a demonstration of the genuine pool-playing prowess of guest star Jack Albertson, cast as champion cue-wielder Money Howard. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Ironside: An Obvious Case of Guilt
Anne Baxter guest stars as Ironside's attorney friend Carolyn White, whom the authorities have tagged as the "most obvious" suspect in the murder of her cheating spouse. Convinced that Carolyn is being framed, Ironside (Raymond Burr) dedicates himself to proving his thesis, while his colleagues accuse him of allowing his heart to rule his head. Meanwhile, the search goes on for the murder victim's missing body--a search that yields startling results. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Ironside: Price Tag: Death
Ironside (Raymond Burr) heads to San Francisco's Skid Row to solve the murder of a street person. In the course of events, the Chief tries to rehabilitate Rafe (Ralph Meeker), a fiercely proud ex-cop who has become a shabby derelict. Meanwhile, another down-and-outer named Jack (Clu Gulager) confounds the authorities with a trail of forged checks. It soom becomes clear to Ironside that either Rafe or Jack is the murderer...and is more than willing to murder again. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Ironside: I, the People
Milton Berle is both guest star and cowriter of this episode, which was clearly inspired by the rantings of provocative TV talkshow host Joe Pyne. Playing completely straight, Berle is cast as vituperative TV personality Ross Howard, who hopes to parlay both his war record and his media notoreity into a political career. Not surprisingly, Howard has made dozens of enemies throughout his career, one of whom begins sending him death threats. Despite his distate for Howard's tactics, Ironside (Raymond Burr) agrees to protect the man from his unknown would-be murderer--a difficult assignment that becomes even more so when Howard's alcoholic wife is killed by a car bomb. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Ironside: Shell Game
The second-season opener of Ironside finds wheelchair-bound detective Robert Ironside (Raymond Burr) engaging in a high-stakes game of "sleight of hand". With a touring exhibition of rare jewels arriving at a San Francisco museum, Ironside must keep the method of shipment secret from master jewel thief Arthur Justin (Sorrell Brooke)--who in the past has had an irksome habit of remaining at least two steps ahead of the Law. For the sake of authenticity, several genuine jewels are seen in this episode, including the Kimberly and Transvaal Diamonds (studio publicity of the time indicated that the real gems were insured for seven million dollars, which was real money back in 1968!) ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Ironside: Sergeant Mike
The title character in the episode is a well-trained but ill-tempered Alsatian, who is the only witness to the murder of a sweet old lady. It turns out that the victim was anything but a paragon of virtue--in fact, she may well have been an accomplished con artist. What Ironside (Raymond Burr) finds curious is the fact that the old lady was killed in a manner similar to several other recent murders...in which all the victims were elderly males. Former football pro and future movie action star Fred Williamson appears as a detective. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Ironside: Split Second to an Epitaph, Part 1
Ironside departs from its usual one-hour format with this extended episode, originally telecast in a two-hour slot and later syndicated as a two-parter. While witnessing a murder committed by a drug thief, Ironside (Raymond Burr) incurs a shock to his spinal chord which may enable doctors to operate and cure his paralysis. The bad news is that the operation might also kill the detective--if the homicidal thief doesn't knock him off first! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Ironside: A Drug on the Market
Judith Coleman (Victoria Shaw), recently widowed friend of Chief Ironside (Raymond Burr), is being plagued by weird phone calls, strange disembodied voices, and mysterious "accidents". Can it be that Judith has been driven insane by her husband's death? Ironside doesn't think so; he is convinced that someone is trying to drive the woman crazy--but who, and why? This episode boasts a particularly strong supporting cast of reliable "heavies" and eccentric character players. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Ironside: Moonlighting Means Money
Ed (Don Galloway) and fellow police officer Ray Leonard (Linden Chiles) are suspected of killing a dope peddler in cold blood. Even worse, Ray was driving the dead man's "business" car while moonlighting as a cabbie, suggesting that he himself was involved in drug-running. Though suspended from the force, Ed mounts his own investigation to clear himself and prove his colleague's innocence beyond all doubt. Featured in the cast are two craggy-faced gangster movie veterans, John Marley and Eduardo Ciannelli). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Ironside: And Be My Love
While investigating a series of burglaries amongst San Francisco's wealthiest residents, Eve (Barbara Anderson) falls in love with one of the victims, suave society columnist Larry Van Druten (Chad Everett). Things become so serious that Eve considers quitting the force to become Larry's wife. There's only one problem: Ironside (Raymond Burr) suspects that Van Druten is the mastermind behind the robbery spree. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Ironside: A World of Jackals
Film star Gloria James (Lynn Borden has disappeared and her maid Janet Loomis (Ena Hartman) is kidnapped just before relating some vital information to Mark (Don Mitchell). These events, coupled with a conspicuously phony letter and an attempt on Mark's life, lead Ironside to suspect that the key to the mystery is Gloria's estranged husband, a fiercely possessive mob kingpin named Frank Rich (William Smithers). But Ironside had better confirm his suspicions in a hurry; if Gloria James and Janet Loomis aren't already dead, they soon will be! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Ironside: The Prophecy
Martha Scott guest stars in this offbeat episode as self-styled clairvoyant Francine Miller. All of Francine's recent prophecies have come disturbingly true, including her dire predictions concerning the members of Ironside's team. Now Ironside himself is faced with the dilemma of recovering a valuable DaVinci recently stolen from a San Francisco museum, all the while avoiding the "certain death" (replete with foreboding portents) predicted for him by the redoubtable Ms. Miller. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Ironside: Rundown on a Bum Rap
Mark (Don Mitchell) comes to the aid of his old boxing coach Bakey Baker (James Gregory), now an impoverished derelict. Unjustly accsued of felonious assault, Baker is unable to afford a decent lawyer, and the authorities are callously prepared to hang the man solely on the basis of circumstantial evidence, refusing even to listen to his side of the story. Mark's frustration with the iniquities of the legal system reaches the crisis stage when he can't even persuade his liberal law-school instructor Maria Wakeman (Janet MacLachlan) to take up Bakey's cause. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Ironside: Why the Tuesday Afternoon Bridge Club Met on Thursday
Jesse Royce Landis guest stars as Chief Ironside's idomitable Aunt Victoria, who insists that her nephew investigate the disappearance of one of her bridge-club members, a Mrs. McPhee. Victoria suspects that the missing woman's self-effacing husband Harvey (Arthur Hill) has murdered his wife. When Ironside (Raymond Burr) seems unwilling to cooperate, Victoria and her septugenarean friends (among them Ellen Corby, aka "Grandma Walton") decide to turn detective themselves and solve the mystery. This not-altogether-serious episode would seem to be a dry run for the later crime series The Snoop Sisters, which starred Helen Hayes and Mildred Natwick. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Ironside: Up, Down and Even
Eve (Barbara Anderson) is upset that her niece Kimberly (Susan O'Connell) has been arrested on a marijuana possession charge--especially since it is the girl's second offense. Though she knows she will be institutionalized unless she reveals her supplier, Kimberly refuses to talk. In order to save the girl, Ironside conducts an investigation which leads him to Kimberly's high school--and a near-impenetrable wall of silence. In typical late-1960s fashion, the adult "enablers" are proven to be just as culpable as the pot-smoking kids. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Ironside: In Search of an Artist
So far as the authorities are concerned, Ironside's artist friend Danny Fielder (William Burns) died just after confessing to the murder of his wife's chauffeur. Why, then, is a San Francisco gift shop prominently displaying a brand-new painting that was obviously created by the "late" Mr. Fielder? In order to get to the truth, Ironside (Raymond Burr) must reopen an old murder case--and in so doing, sets himself up as a candidate for a quick and painful death! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Ironside: Not With a Whimper, But a Bang
Ironside (Raymond Burr) investigates when a local college campus is besieged with phony bomb threats. It happens that there is another potentially explosive situation involving the bitterness between college newspaper editor Neal Morgan (Philip Chapin) and a pair of Army bomb-disposal squad members (played by stars-in-the-making Ed Asner and Gerald S. O'Loughlin). Things reach the crisis stage when a "fake" bombing turns real and one of the Army men is killed. This is the final episode of Ironside's second season. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Ironside: Puzzlelock
Former cop turned assistant DA Mel Grayson (Simon Oakland) uses his experitise in the realm of "circumstantial evidence" to sinister advantage. Murdering his wife, Grayson arranges the evidence to make it seem as though the woman has been killed by a burglar. By the time Ironside (Raymond Burr) figures out that something is amiss, a new wrinkle has been added: the fabricated "murder clues" could very well put the noose around the neck of Grayson's own nephew Paul Deke (Dennis Cooley) ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Ironside: A Matter of Love and Death
The body of a young woman is found in a San Francisco park, and the evidence points to a notorious but unidentified criminal abortionist (this episode was of course filmed long before Roe-v-Wade). In order to flush out the criminal, Eve (Barbara Anderson) dons an elaborate disguise--including a brunette wig--and poses as an unwed pregnant girl. Will Ironside (Raymond Burr) and his team be able to trap the villain before Eve becomes the next victim? ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Ironside: The Tormentor
Baseball star Clint Atkins (Gary Collins) is being plagued with hate mail, extortion notes, death threats and even a mysterious barrage of gas pellets. Curiously, Atkins insists that the police stay out of the matter, and that he will handle the problem all by himself. Naturally, Ironside (Raymond Burr) isn't about to let that happen. Featured in the cast are several authentic major league umpires, as well as guest star Gary Collins' real-life wife Mary Ann Mobley. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
