ToryCorner

In Season 5, this series has lost all of its heart with lackluster writing and a cut budget (the huge manor house converted to an army hospital only has three patients?). Even more distracting is Herriot's sudden very bad hairpiece. Carmody is much too much a caricature and annoyance; the cases have become blah; the charming Mrs. Hall is wasted; even the return of Tristan didn't boost the energy level at all. It's turning into a bland Hallmark TV movie. Exactly how did things get so out of kilter? I don't usually write reviews but this letdown in quality has very much gotten to me. I've worked in film/television production so I know the signs of a fizzling project and it's always heartbreaking. My wife and I very much looked forward to this program every year but because of this downhill slide, we'll be abandoning future viewings.

A surprisingly good little Western under Phil Karlson's capable direction. The Robert Louis Stevenson twist is original and works nicely. Gloria Henry never looked as pretty although Forrest Tucker is so over-the-top that he makes Irving Bacon come across as subtle. I speculate that one reason this Western may not have been readily packaged for TV distribution is its lead, William Bishop. Although a capable actor, he doesn't have it in him to be personally engaging. His smirk signals the untrustworthiness of a used car dealer and, for that reason, in this lead role he's miscast. Had the movie been made a few years later with Audie Murphy in the lead, it would have achieved more longevity.