POLICE STORY: SLOW BOY {SERIES PREMIERE} (TV)
Summary
The two-hour pilot film for this anthology of police dramas created by former Los Angeles policeman Joseph Wambaugh. In this episode, Sergeant Joe LaFrita is one of the hard-nosed cops in a special unit of the police force set up to stop felonies in progress. LaFrita is teamed with newcomer Sergeant Chick Torpi on the case of Slow Boy, a known felon whom the unit has been trying to put away for some time. Lieutenant Dave Blodgett receives information from his snitch, Ray, that Slow Boy is going to pull off a robbery. Determined to catch him in the act, LaFrita and Torpi lie in wait at the supermarket for Slow Boy to make his move. Surveying the market, they notice that Slow Boy has friends with him. A shoot-out develops and Slow Boy takes a hostage, but LaFrita refuses to bargain with him. Taken into custody, Slow Boy finds the best lawyer in order to clear himself of all the charges. Meanwhile, the hostage, Jenny Dale, can't believe LaFrita would have let Slow Boy shoot her just to arrest him. LaFrita criticizes Torpi for his performance and concludes that Torpi is not cut out for this type of police work. He discusses the problem with Blodgett. That night, LaFrita goes to Jenny's apartment to explain what happened at the supermarket, but she refuses to hear him out. Back at the station, Chief Harry Stahlgaher doesn't appreciate the job that LaFrita has been doing and criticizes Blodgett's whole unit. Stahlgaher wants to disband the unit, despite its outstanding performance. Blodgett refuses and stands by LaFrita and the whole unit. While at home, LaFrita gets a call from Jenny and meets her at a restaurant to talk about the supermarket incident. As the conversation develops, they start to talk about their personal lives and end up dating each other. Also, Blodgett has Ray wired so he can get information from Slow Boy, but Slow Boy sees through the ruse and doesn't disclose anything incriminating. Finally, in an undercover operation, Sergeant Solly Piccolini gets teamed up with another sergeant with whom he doesn't get along.
Piccolini reluctantly goes through with his assignment to survey Slow Boy. Slow Boy seems to figure out that Piccolini is a cop and does nothing out of the ordinary. Blodgett and LaFrita have a verbal battle over the situation with Piccolini. Blodgett stations units outside Slow Boy's place to watch him around the clock. LaFrita and Torpi are on the shift when they receive a call about an officer who needs assistance. Realizing that the call is only four blocks from Slow Boy's place, they speed off to answer it. After realizing there is no officer in trouble, they race back to Slow Boy's and find him gone. Blodgett's snitch, Ray, turns up dead in what appears to be an accident. LaFrita visits his ex-wife, Martha, and she tells him of her plans to get re-married. It doesn't bother LaFrita much until she brings up the idea of her new husband adopting their daughter. LaFrita promptly goes over to Jenny's place, proceeds to hold back on her, and storms out. Later, Patti, a local drug user/prostitute, informs LaFrita of Slow Boy's next move. Blodgett sets up a sting operation and almost changes the plans when he thinks LaFrita may do something stupid because he wants to get Slow Boy so badly. As the robbery is about to go down, Slow Boy notices that things are amiss and runs away from the scene. LaFrita and Torpi give chase and when Slow Boy is surrounded, he takes a hostage. LaFrita doesn't bargain with him and the ensuing shoot-out leaves LaFrita wounded and Slow Boy dead. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: NBC
- DATE: March 20, 1973 8:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:37:12
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T88:0060
- GENRE: Drama, police
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama, police
- SERIES RUN: NBC - TV series, 1973-1977
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- David Gerber … Producer
- Christopher Morgan … Associate Producer
- William A. Graham … Director
- Joseph Wambaugh … Created by
- E. Jack Neumann … Writer, Developed by
- Jerry Goldsmith … Music by
- Vic Morrow … Cast, Sgt. Joe La Freida
- Edward Asner … Cast, Lt. Dave Blodgett
- Diane Baker … Cast, Jenny
- Chuck Connors … Cast, Slow Boy
- Ina Balin … Cast, Martha
- Ralph Meeker … Cast, Chief Harry Stahlgaher
- Harry Guardino … Cast, Det. Salvatore Piccolini
- John Bennett Perry … Cast, Chick
- Hal Williams … Cast, Marshall Rhodes
- David Doyle … Cast, Kurt Mueller
- Kim Hamilton … Cast, Officer Harriet Parsons
- Kevin Dobson … Cast, the Patrolman
- Sandy Baron … Cast, Ray
- Barbara Rhoades … Cast, Marnie
- Jim Luisi … Cast, Toby O'Brien
- Mel Scott … Cast, K.T.
- Michael Baseleon … Cast, Jay Castle
- John Karlen … Cast, Detective #1 - 1st Supermarket Robbery
- Taylor Lacher … Cast, Detective #2 - 1st Supermarket Robbery
- Dianne Hull … Cast, Patty Fresno
- Joe Bernard … Cast, Whitey
- Byron Mabe … Cast, Arnie Dillon
- Dominique Pinassi … Cast, Vicki
- Mario Marchado … Cast, Newscaster
- Charles Isen … Cast, Walter Yeats
- Richard Kalk … Cast, 12 Y 5
- James Almanzar … Cast, 21 Y 5
- Gerald York … Cast, Assistant
- Nelson D. Cuevas … Cast, Eddie