Noirsville Bonus - Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer Noir TV Series (1958–1959)

  

Goodbye Al - Director: Frank Arrigo. Written by Ken Pettus (as Steven Thornley) DOP was
John L, Russell

This episode starred Darren McGavin as Mike Hammer, Val Avery as  Sheriff Jenkins, Walter Coyas as Todd Stryker, Melanie York as Kate Carter, Ned Glass as Al Sparks as Pete Kellett as a Hood.

One of Mike's low life friends Al calls him up to ask him to talk to bookie who he owes money to. It was just to by time.

Al skips out of town to some upstate shitburg and there gets framed for murdering the female owner of the diner he got a job at. He calls up Mike again and tells him his increasing problems. Basically it's out of the frying pan and into the fire.

Sheriff Jenkins (Val Avery)  

Mike Heads up to Forge River and finds out that it was the town big shot Tom Stryker who framed Al. Tom Stryker runs his wife's lumber mill, which employs most of the townies. Everybody in town clams up when Mike starts shaking things up by asking questions.

Kate Carter (Melanie York)

A "lose" woman Kate Carter, tries to figure out what Mike wants. When Mike starts getting too close to the truth Stryker makes his move, by having Kate lure Mike to a remote logging camp.

This was a studio bound episode with backlot outdoor locations. A simple Crime episode. 6/10 This is the last episode on the last disc in the TV Series box set. I was impressed overall, but like with any series with different directors, writers, DOP's, and supporting casts there are going to be great episodes, average episodes, and below average episodes.

Out of a total of 78 episodes about a third of them are quite noirish and about half have a decent amount of on location NYC bridges between studio shots. It's a series well worth owning. The A&E HOME VIDEO studio's Mickey Spillane’s Mike Hammer: The Complete Series Box Set was well worth the purchase. 7/10