Log 132: The Producer (Episode 10, Season 1)

Episode 10

Before we get into this episode, I have to comment on the title. Why is this episode called "The Producer"? Who is "the producer" in this? The only producer I see in this episode is Reed's dog, Queenie, who has produced a litter of puppies. But why name the episode after her? 

Anyway, on a slightly unrelated note, there was a 1954 Dragnet episode called The Big Producer, Martin Milner played a high school student in it. 

Peter Malloy when he was a juvenile delinquent.

Log 132: The Producer is a fun episode about Jim trying to give away Queenie's litter of puppies while he and Malloy foil a robbery, rescue a boy, and search for a prowler. I am going to get off topic quite a bit during my commentary on this episode. There are so many things in this episode that make me think of other things and I will have to share them with you, because it's my blog and I have free rein here. 

This episode starts in the locker room. Reed approaches Walters and asks him if he would want a puppy to give one of his children as a birthday gift. Walters has "a wife, five kids, three cats, a duck, a salamander, and a turtle", he does not need a puppy. He's very adamant about this and gets a wee bit upset at the prospect of another mouth to feed.

This is supposed to be a photo of Queenie's puppies. How is this random collection of canines from the same litter?

Poor Jim looks crushed after Walters vehemently refuses his offer of a puppy.

As Walters storms out of the locker room, Malloy enters the scene.

"What was that all about?"

After Walters' little hissy fit, there is still ten minutes left until roll call so Pete and Jim go get some coffee. Jim decides to try again with Woody, however this time he is going to be more subtle and "sell them with psychology".

Malloy settles in to watch Jim try his psychological approach on Woody.

Jim strikes out again. Woody's wife is allergic to dogs.

Did you see Malloy's coffee mug in this scene? It has his name on it! Which reminds me of another personalized coffee mug that Martin Milner once handled.

This one, that was sold as part of the "Martin Milner Private Collection" on eBay. Why would I think of this mug, you ask.

'Cause I own it, that's why! That's me and my "Marty" mug (and the bonus picture that came with it)!

Okay, back to our story. Reed and Malloy are now in the car and Reed is pressuring Malloy into coming up with an idea to unload the puppies.

"If you were any kind of friend, you'd come up with some ideas on how we could find good homes for those puppies."

"We? For cryin' out loud, I didn't leave the gate open so Queenie could become a mother."

"It wasn't the gate, it was the window. She eloped in the middle of the night."

Jim has a gate? Does this mean that he finally figured out the mortgage payments he was talking about in episode 8 and bought a house? I wonder if he and Jean have painted the bathroom in their new house yet. 

No time to ask as they are dispatched to 4371 North Central for a 459 silent. 

4371 North Central is the address of the Free Form Swimwear company. This call may be my favorite of the entire series. When I am not watching Adam-12 or blogging about Adam-12, I am working at my job in the apparel industry. I can relate to this setting. I know what those sewing machines and garment racks feel, sound, and smell like. Jim and Pete are in my territory on this call.

Let's see what's going on at Free Form Swimwear.

Malloy and Reed approach the building from the alley.

I wonder if Free Form was an actual company or if this sign is covering the real sign that was on this building.

Brinkman (who is referred to as "Brink" in the dialogue) and Miller arrive as back-up and quickly issue a code 4 to another unit that arrives on the scene.

Pete notices that a back door is ajar.

He and Reed enter the building to investigate.

This place either has the largest mice or the shortest trespassers; or hobbits.

They ain't Alice, that ain't no rabbit hole, this ain't Wonderland.

And this guy ain't no white rabbit. He's a gun-totin', Nehru-jacket-wearin' thief named Brian Taggert. Malloy knows he is not working alone despite Taggert's insistence to the contrary.  Malloy's suspicions are confirmed when he sees the back door move.

Reed runs outside and catches the partner Taggert denied he had.

Taggert's got man-boobs, which are accentuated by his synthetic knit Nehru jacket; his partner is also rather well-endowed. These two are the bustiest suspects that have ever been busted by Reed and Malloy. She's their biggest bust so far! (Thank you, I'm here all week.)

While Miller keeps an eye on the suspects, Malloy shows Reed how he knew Taggert had a partner. He found these cigarette butts on the floor, one of them has lipstick on it.

Jim and Pete then load Taggert and his partner in the car for their free ride to the Rampart police station.

This is cute, Mac is checking Reed's spelling on his report. Jim has forgotten the "I before E, except after C rule" several times.

Thanks for the spelling "help", Malloy.

At least I know about birth control for animals and humans.

Malloy asks if one of the mid-watch cars can take the girl to Sybil Brand Institute. They still haven't had 7 yet and they have to book Taggert into Central Jail.

Sybil Brand Institute is a real place. It was once the primary correctional facility for women in Los Angeles County. This is where Susan Atkins confessed her involvement in the Tate/ La Bianca murders to fellow inmates, which led to the arrest of Manson and his followers. The Institute no longer houses real inmates, it closed in 1997 and is now used as a filming location.

While they are on their way to get some dinner, Reed notices a crowd. He and Malloy stop to see what is happening.

A crowd has gathered because poor Tommy Martin has his head stuck in a fence. 

This man has jokingly told Tommy that he will now have to stay with his head in the fence forever.  The man is played by Foster Brooks, this is the first of his five appearances on Adam-12. If you're like me, you remember him as the drunk rabbit breeder from the Monkees in Manhattan. An episode that also featured frequent Dragnet guest actor Olan Soule as a room service waiter in a red jacket. Geoffrey Deuel was also in the episode as a bridegroom, he is the brother of  Pete Duel who played Gidget's brother-in-law on the TV show Gidget. Which we all know Martin Milner guest starred on as the Great Kahuna.  Whew.
Oh, and that Monkees episode also featured Mike in a very LAPD-esque cop uniform. Thanks to Cool Cherry Cream on Tumblr for the Monkees cap.

Okay, back to Tommy and his problem. First, Malloy tries to hold Tommy's ears down while Tommy tries to slide his head out of the fence. That didn't work, but we did get see Milner's large, freckled mitts. Reed thinks some grease will do the trick.

This boy runs to the gas station on the corner for some thick grease. He returns seconds later with grease in hand. 

The grease does not work, either. Malloy finally tells Reed to get the jack from the car.

This works!

Everybody's happy. But I imagine Mrs. Martin will not be when she sees the grease on Tommy's head. 

Reed is happy, until Malloy shakes his hand to congratulate him on a job well done.

 This iconic scene of Malloy and Reed helping the boy with his head stuck in a fence has been seen at countless lunch tables since it was depicted on the 

Adam-12 lunchbox.

Speaking of lunch, it's time for Jim and Pete to take Code 7. Guess what their dinner conversation is about. If you said "Queenie and her pups", you would be correct. Jim tells Pete how he and Jean found Queenie, then Jim tries to convince Pete that he needs a puppy. Pete thinks this is a bad idea since he is a bachelor living in an apartment.

Reed thinks Malloy's bachelorhood is exactly why he needs a puppy. When he goes home "at night, there's nothing there but four cold walls, emptiness, and silence".

What Reed calls "emptiness and silence" Malloy calls "peace and quiet". But, Jim persists.

Malloy calls him a "meatball".

Malloy tells Reed he is out of his mind. Reed does not want to take "no" for answer.

When the waitress comes over Jim tries to sell her on a puppy. Strike three, she has cats.

I'm never gonna get rid of these dogs. If only there were some way to prevent these sort of things from happening. 

Back in the car, Reed comments that there is only fifteen minutes until end of watch. Malloy asks him if he is trying to jinx them.

"All units in the vicinity and 1-Adam-12, 1-Adam-12. A prowler there now at 456 Bennington, apartment 3, 1-Adam-12 Code 2."
"That's what I mean."

This is the lady who has called about the prowler. Malloy lights her fire, in more ways than one. She is sure she has seen a prowler at her bedroom window for several nights. Tonight he tried to get into her apartment.

Oh, hey look, it's future Academy Award nominated actress, Karen Black. She is playing 23-year-old department store model Susan Decker.

"What's your name?"

"Malloy. This is my partner, Jim Reed."

You don't even that I'm standing behind you. Do you lady?

After Miss Decker blatantly flirts with Malloy, Reed suggests that she needs a watchdog.

Oh, were you there behind me the whole time?

"I don't know too much about dogs, could you pick one out for me and bring it over? Tomorrow, maybe?"

Reed, "He sure can."

Malloy, "I'll try"

"I'll be waiting."

On their way back to the station, Malloy is upset that Reed volunteered him for doggy delivery duty. He reminds Reed that it is against regulations to fraternize with anybody you meet on the job. He suggests that Jim and Jean deliver the puppy to Miss Decker. 

Malloy thinks Reed may have finally found a solution to his puppy problem. He tells Reed that offering the puppies to single girls as watchdogs is not a bad idea. In fact, Malloy knows "quite a few girls that live alone like her". He may be able to find homes for the whole litter!

Reed: You're right Pete, single girls should have dogs to guard against perverts.
Malloy: Now, let's not carried away. I don't want to kill my social life. 

Well, that's the story. Nothing else to see here. But, lets watch some of the closing credits.

Is this Milner giving the camera "the finger"?!? 

I like this episode a lot. It's a good, balanced episode. The more serious calls at the swimwear factory and Miss Decker's apartment are balanced with the funny parts about Jim trying to give away the puppies and Tommy Martin's predicament. The banter between Pete and Jim in the restaurant is really funny. Pete is so flummoxed by Reed's persistence that his anger boils over. I like everything about this episode, so I give it a rating of:

Do you agree? See you next time! KMA-367