MCMILLAN AND WIFE: TERROR TIMES TWO (TV)
Summary
One in this series of dramas about San Francisco police commissioner Stewart McMillan, his wife Sally, and the crimes they investigate.
A meeting of mob bosses is interrupted when a man appearing to be Stewart breaks in and fires at them. The gun turns out to be loaded with blanks and the head mob boss, Frank Carstairs, introduces the gunman as “Claudio Manton,” who bears an extremely close resemblance to Stewart. His plan is to have Claudio impersonate Stewart and act as police commissioner as a means of getting to Harry Benson, a key witness set to testify against them and expose their operations. Stewart has worked over the course of a year to get Benson to testify before a grand jury and is busy ensuring his protection. Carstairs has Stewart filmed in secret in order to familiarize Claudio with aspects of his life, and records Stewart’s voice to allow Claudio to impersonate it. He completes his physical impersonation of Stewart with minor cosmetic changes, such as contact lenses to change the color of his eyes. Claudio is instructed to switch with Stewart at a restaurant where he and Sally are having dinner, and infiltrate the police department and have Benson transferred into the mob’s custody. He is warned to interact with Sally as little as possible, fearing that she will expose him as an impostor.
Stewart and Sally go out to celebrate their “unofficial anniversary.” Stewart leaves the table to take a phone call, but it is a trap and he is kidnapped. Claudio goes to Sally in his place and claims that there has been an emergency, and that he will be occupied for most of the night. Sally allows him to leave, although she is suspicious about it. Meanwhile, Sergeant Enright almost accidentally runs over a woman who appears to be suffering from dizziness and disorientation. He identifies himself as a police officer and offers to take her out to dinner. Claudio is sequestered in a hotel room, and Carstairs prevents him from leaving or calling Sally. Stewart is taken to Carstairs’ home and is secured to a chair and held at gunpoint. During his date, Sergeant Enright learns that Sheila, the woman he encountered, has recently become homeless; she worked as a waitress while studying for an art degree, but lost her job and had a falling-out with her former housemates. She explains that she has contacted her father in Sacramento and plans to move back in with him for a time. He perceives that she is distraught and offers to drive her to Sacramento. While he is distracted, Sheila empties a powdered drug into Sergeant Enright’s coffee.
Carstairs confronts Stewart and makes vague threats before leaving. While driving to Sacramento, Sergeant Enright becomes drowsy from the drug and decides to pull over. He falls asleep and Sheila decides to exit the car and hitchhike. The next morning, Claudio enters Stewart’s office and searches through his files for reports on Benson, although he is unable to locate them. He makes a few calls inquiring about the matter and finds out that the files are in the Department of Corrections. Sally comes to visit and enters the office despite “Stewart’s” instructions not to be disturbed. She says that she missed him last night and asks to go to lunch with him, but he claims that he is too busy and she leaves. Sergeant Enright is awoken in the morning by a highway patrolman, and he is puzzled as to why Sheila didn’t steal anything from him. He drives back to police headquarters.
Claudio, still impersonating Stewart, tries to convince the district attorney to move Benson a day earlier than planned; he is in the hospital under quarantine, supposedly suffering from an infectious disease. Claudio reports his findings to Carstairs, and they decide to arrange for him to be taken out in an ambulance under Carstairs’ control and Claudio’s supervision. Sergeant Enright arrives at the headquarters, and “Stewart” immediately assigns him on a task involving a great deal of busywork, which will occupy him for the next few days. Claudio attempts to have Stewart’s substitute secretary send flowers and a note to Sally, but it turns out that she is in Carstairs’ employ and refuses his request. He tells her that he suspected as much and expresses his outrage at Carstairs for mishandling the Benson situation. Carstairs interrupts Claudio’s attempts and upbraids him for jeopardizing their scheme. He threatens Carstairs by claiming that he will turn over evidence of their operation to the district attorney if he does not comply. Carstairs correctly assumes that Claudio intends to seduce Sally, but believes that he will be unsuccessful.
Carstairs shows Stewart a news broadcast showing Claudio impersonating him and waving off news reporters. Stewart deduces that Carstairs intends to kill Benson, himself, Claudio, and then Sally, and he pleads with him not to kill the latter. Claudio, still in disguise, and Sally sit down for a romantic dinner at home. They are interrupted by the arrival of Sergeant Enright, who expresses concerns about “Stewart’s” safety. He reports that he investigated Sheila and that her story was apparently completely false; since she stole nothing, he concludes that her aim was to keep him out of the city for the time being in order to leave Stewart vulnerable. Claudio tells Sergeant Enright that he is imagining things and sends him on his way. He remarks that Sally is “innocent,” and she is confused by this. He fakes a phone call to the hospital and pretends that there is some urgent matter there that he must attend to. He leaves Sally, who is frustrated and bewildered by “Stewart’s” erratic behavior.
Stewart eventually manages to escape his captors and flees Carstairs’ home. He soon runs into two officers in a police car and gets a ride with them back to headquarters. Sergeant Enright arrives at the hospital, as the sergeant on duty laments that the commissioner has rescinded the extra security arrangements surrounding Benson, and that he disagrees with such a decision. Claudio calls Sally and asks her to meet him at the hospital. Claudio arrives at the hospital just as Stewart attempts to contact them; they believe it is a prankster and disconnect him. However, he manages to get through to Sergeant Enright, convince him of his identity, and warn him about the plot to kidnap Benson. Claudio goes outside and instructs Sally to enter a nearby limousine to wait for him. Before she can do so, however, Stewart arrives and confronts both her and Claudio. Claudio flees back into the hospital and Stewart gives chase. During the confusion Carstairs and his men are arrested. Stewart and Claudio continue to chase each other around the front of the hospital, now packed with cars. Stewart manages to corner Claudio and gets him to give himself up. With everything cleared up, Stewart reunites with Sally and they complete their long-awaited romantic night together. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: NBC
- DATE: March 4, 1982 8:30 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:12:45
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:33911
- GENRE: Drama, police/private detective
- SUBJECT HEADING: TV - Drama, police/private detective
- SERIES RUN: NBC - TV series, 1971-1977
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Leonard B. Stern … Executive Producer, Created by
- Paul Mason … Producer
- Ted Rich … Associate Producer
- Ron Winston … Director
- Gloria Goldsmith … Writer
- Luichi De Jesus … Music by
- Henry Mancini … Theme Music by
- Rock Hudson … Cast, Commissioner Stewart McMillan, Claudio Manton
- Susan Saint James … Cast, Sally McMillan
- John Schuck … Cast, Sergeant Charles Enright
- Nancy Walker … Cast, Mildred
- Andrew Duggan … Cast, Frank Carstairs
- Martin E. Brooks … Cast, Deputy D.A. Chapman
- Charlotte Stewart … Cast, Sheila
- Alan Manson … Cast, Freddie
- Peter Masterson … Cast, Joey
- Larry Hovis … Cast, O'Day
- Carl Esmond … Cast, Zeiss
- Celeste Yarnall … Cast, Miss Jones
- Noble Willingham … Cast, Sheriff
- Leo J. Matranga … Cast, Waiter
- Paul Sorenson … Cast, Waiter
- Beverly Washburn … Cast, Operator