City of Wheels

Best part of this episode is the extensive look at VA hospital center in Long Beach, CA. The dramatics are mainly staged in the various recreation and rehab facilities where Buzz and Tod work. Seems one of the patients, Frank (Hill), is too emotionally scarred by wheelchair confinement to relate to others, especially Buzz whom he sees as a rival. This causes a breakup of his budding romance with nurse Lori (Leslie) which he blames on Buzz. Among the many good guys, he's a hard case, for sure.

Catch that water basketball game where anything goes among the floating patients. My gym classes were never like this. The plot is more a character study than anything suspenseful. Nonetheless, the acting is first-rate, as usual (note Milner and Maharis expressively subtle eye movement). Also, can't help noticing the facial resemblance between Maharis and Hill-- nothing hangs on this, of course. Dialog is straightforward without the philosophical notes the series (Silliphant) sometimes sounded. All in all, it's an interesting behind-the-scenes 60- minutes that makes good background use of real patients.

George Maharis and Martin Milner give wonderful performances here in telling the story of our heroes. I have volunteered at verterans hospitals and am always available when they need me. I have also studied trauma which is critical in treatment and recovery. Steven Hill played the role of a tormented individual whose only ability is to lash out even at people trying to help and the woman he loves, well played by Bethel Leslie. We are finding out more about PTSD and the devasting effects it can have to military personnel who have experienced combat. Some are living in a world they can't control and we have to understand what we can do for them. Our veterans gave the ultimate sacrifice for us. They should be first in our hearts.

Writer Frank Chase treads a thin line between drama and sentimentality in this rather romantic "problem" feature set at a VA hospital in Long Beach.

Main conflict is between Maharis and a Korean War vet with a chip on his shoulder, very subtly played by Steven Hill. Story doesn't wallow in the obvious sympathy for the wheelchair-bound patients getting rehab with M & M working as swimming pool lifeguard and A/V helper at the hospital, but instead centers on M & M romancing two nurses, well-cast with top-notch character actresses Bethel Leslie and Jacqueline Scott.

Several notable elements include a terrific underwater photography scene of Maharis saving Hill from drowning when Steven attempts suicide, and a terrific directorial touch by Elliot "Cat Ballou" Silverstein for the final brief pantomime scene in extreme long shot for Bethel & Steven's reconciliation.

I was struck how much Steven looked here like almost a composite of John Cassavetes and Peter Falk, who later became such significant screen buddies. I was introduced to Hill's work back when "Mission: Impossible" debuted on TV and he later was featured in Cassavetes' movie "A Child Is Waiting".