The Partners: The Episodes

1. HERE COME THE FUZZ
Lennie and George must solve a bank robbery within 24 hours.
Written by Don Adams, Earl Barret, Arne Sultan. Directed by Gary Nelson.
Yvonne Craig as Jessica Allen, *Joey Forman as Maj. Witzer.
Art Metrano as Club Owner (Lou), *Howard Morton as Byrd, Jesse White as Melnick.
[Aired 18 September 1971. . . This existed in two versions: the broadcast-length edit as well as a longer one, presumably the pilot film. . . The Partners work out of the 33rd Precinct but the city is never named. . . The car number heard throughout the series is eighty-three-twelve. . . . . Joey Forman played Harry Hoo in Get Smart, here becoming the first of a number of guest actors to appear in both series. . . All three writers had previously written for Get Smart. . . Director Gary Nelson was yet another Get Smart stalwart who ended up helming more episodes of both series than anyone else as well as returning for the Get Smart, Again! reunion movie. Other directors who worked on both shows were Earl Bellamy, Don Adams and Charles Rondeau.]

2. ABRA CADAVER
Lennie and George investigate what they believe to be a murder but the body appears elusive, appearing and disappearing.
Written by Arne Sultan and Earl Barret. Directed by Gary Nelson.
Guest Star: Harry Townes as Dr. Lippman. With Claire Brennan as Mrs. Bennett and Richard Roat as Mark Bennett.
[Aired 25 September 1971. . . “You better call the morgue this time, George.” “Why me?” “They won’t come any more when I call.”]

3. THE PRISONER OF FENDER
Lennie and George are sent to pick up a prisoner but two of the prisoner’s men get there first.
Written by Arne Sultan and Earl Barret. Directed by Richard Benedict.
Guest Star: John Larch as Sheriff Fender. Also Starring Marc Laurence as Kelso. Foster Brooks as Willy Cooper.
[Aired 2 October 1971. . . The title refers to The Prisoner of Zenda, Anthony Hope’s classic novel about a double who is called upon to take the place of a king. It has been filmed several times, most notably in 1937 starring Ronald Colman. The movie was brilliantly parodied in the Get Smart episode “The King Lives?” – co-written by Don Adams and guest-starring John Doucette.]

4. WATERLOO AT NAPOLEON
The Partners become involved with the F.B.I. who, after eight months’ work, are on the point of arresting a man.
Written by Burt Styler. Directed by Gary Nelson.
Guest Star: Stacy Harris as Brennan. With *Lyn Peters as Margo, Frank Christi as Nicholls, Victoria Hale as Helen, Pepper Martin as First F.B.I Agent and Bob Hastings as Second F.B.I. Agent.
[Aired 9 October 1971. . . Bob Hastings played Lt. Elroy Carpenter on McHale’s Navy.]

5. HOW MANY CARATS IN A GRAPEFRUIT?
A thief hides a huge stolen diamond in a grapefruit.
Teleplay by Arne Sultan and Earl Barret; Story by Ferdinand Leon. Directed by Gary Nelson.
Guest Star: David Huddleston as Lt. Ferguson. With *John Abbott as Professor, Juanita Moore as Mrs. Robinson, *Paul Comi as Andrews.
[Aired 16 October 1971. . . We meet George’s mother in this episode. . . David Huddleston later played Lt. John Ponce on Petrocelli and starred in the title role of 1985’s Santa Claus: The Movie.]

6. WITNESS FOR THE EXECUTION
Lennie is to testify against a gangster and so becomes a target for a hired killer.
Written by Bruce Howard. Directed by Joseph Pevney.
Guest Star: Paul Lambert as Landau. With *Gilbert Green as Grolin, Pat Delaney as Lisa, *Dick Yarmy as Andy.
[Aired 23 October 1971. . . The title refers to Agatha Christie’s play Witness For the Prosecution. Billy Wilder directed a film version in 1957. Oddly, there is also a Get Smart episode called “Witness for the Execution” as well as one called “Witness for the Persecution”. All three episodes share much the same plot but, ironically, it is not the plot of Witness for the Prosecution. . . Dick Yarmy is Don Adams’s brother.]

7. TO CATCH A CROOKE
When Lennie’s gun is found on the scene of a crime, he becomes the prime suspect. He tries to exonerate himself.
Written by Ed Simmons. Directed by Gary Nelson.
Guest Star: Herbie Faye as Al. Special Guest Star: Marty Ingalls as Eddie Polaski.
With *Ellen Corby as Mrs. Polaski, James Driskill as Belson, *John Francis as Marshall, *Loree Frazier as Loree, Robert Karvelas as Freddie Butler and *Ronald Long as Sydney the Stoolie.
[Aired 30 October 1971. . . The title refers to the 1955 Alfred Hitchcock movie To Catch a Thief starring Cary Grant and Grace Kelly. . . This episode can be seen as a return to one of Don Adams’s favourite themes: that of the innocent man accused. In interviews he named Les Miserables as his favourite book and the Fugitive send-up “Don’t Look Back” (which he directed) as his favourite Get Smart episode. . . Ellen Corby later played Grandma Walton on The Waltons.]

8. REQUIEM FOR A GODFATHER
After a million dollar robbery, The Partners pursue the wrong vehicle.
Written by Arne Sultan and Earl Barret. Directed by Christian Nyby.
Guest Star: Rick Jason as Dutch. With *Harry Bartell as Lester Simon, *Lewis Charles as Scaparelli, *Dort Clark as Al, Hal Frazier as Police Officer and *Ronald Long as Sydney the Stoolie.
[Aired 6 November 1971. . . The title seems to be a combination of Requiem for a Heavyweight and The Godfather, but this might be reading too much into it.]

9. TAKE MY WIFE – PLEASE
After an unsuccessful hold-up attempt, the bandits hold the bank president’s wife for ransom.
Written by Laurence Marks. Directed by Charles Rondeau.
Guest Star: Mark Roberts as Mallory. *Alan Dexter as Frank, Tom Castronova as Mickey, Nancy Merwan as Myrna.
[Aired 13 November 1971. . . Alan Dexter played the Parson in the 1969 film version of the Lerner & Loewe musical Paint Your Wagon, performing the number “The Gospel of No Name City”.]

10. HAVE I GOT AN APARTMENT FOR YOU!
When Lennie is swindled, The Partners are placed in the unusual predicament of investigating their own case.
Written by Ed Simmons. Directed by Don Adams.
Guest Star: May Britt. Joanna Cameron as Sgt. Kelly, Martin E. Brooks as Feeny, *Richard Karlan as Appleton, Sandra Gould as Mrs. Kitner and Robert Karvelas as Freddie Butler.
[Aired 27 November 1971. . . Sandra Gould played nosy neighbor Gladys Kravitz on Bewitched from 1966 to 1972 and reprised the role in an episode of the spin-off series Tabitha. . . Martin E. Brooks went on to play Dr. Rudy Wells on The Six Million Dollar Man from 1975 to 1978 and its spin-off The Bionic Woman from 1976 to 1978.]

11. OUR BUTLER DIDN’T DO IT
Chronic confessor Freddie Butler becomes the prime suspect for a murder but the Partners are sure he is innocent.
Written by Ed Simmons. Directed by Don Adams.
*Bryan O’Byrne as Dr. Horlock, Richard Derr as Dr. Brech. With *Laurel Goodwin as Sonya and Robert Karvelas as Freddie Butler.
[Aired 4 December 1971. . . Laurel Goodwin played Yeoman Colt in the original Star Trek pilot “The Cage”.]

12. NEW FACES
Two cases become inter-related in The Partners’ search for an escaped convict.
Written by Laurence Marks. Directed by Don Adams.
Guest Star: Paul Picerni as Carter. Michael Fox as Dr. Mitchell, *Sid Haig as Charlie.
[Aired 11 December 1971. . . Michael Fox had a long career spanning from the fifties to the nineties but may be best remembered by some as Sally Spectra’s confidant Saul Feinberg in The Bold and the Beautiful.]

13. NORTH IS NOW SOUTH
Crooke and Robinson try to clean up the protection racket when city rezoning almost causes a war between rival gangs.
Written by Milt Rosen. Directed by Earl Bellamy.
With *Len Lesser as Novack, Cliff Osmond as Slade, Jack Somack as Mr. Kellner and Jack Webb as the Commissioner.
[Aired 18 December 1971. . . The casting of Jack Webb in the cameo role of The Commissioner was no doubt a nod to Webb’s pioneering work in television police series – especially Dragnet which he created and in which he starred from 1951 to 1959 and again from 1967 to 1970. The picture on the home page is a scene from this episode.]

14. DESPERATE OURS
Killer Larsen, sent to prison by the evidence of Captain Andrews, is released and threatens revenge. He and his girl, Roxy, hold Higgenbottom hostage.
Written by Arne Sultan and Earl Barret. Directed by Gary Nelson.
Felice Orlandi as Killer Larsen, Karen Smith as Roxy, Robert Karvelas as Freddie Butler.
[Aired 25 December 1971. . . This is a loose parody of the 1955 Humphrey Bogart-Frederic March movie The Desperate Hours about a gang of escaped convicts who hold a family prisoner in their own home. In the episode, Lennie, before he realizes his predicament, tells George that he wants to get home to watch Desperate Hours on television. George tells him he doesn’t need to see Desperate Hours because he’s in it.]

15. THEY STEAL CARS – DON’T THEY?
Lennie and George are assigned to investigate a series of car thefts.
Written by Bruce Howard. Directed by Gary Nelson.
Guest Star: Jack Carter as Goody Goodson. With *Paul Condylis as Buzz and Robert Pratt as Tony. George E. Carey as First Man, Harvey J. Goldenberg as Second Man.
[Aired 8 January 1972. . . The title refers to They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?, the 1969 movie about contestants in a dance marathon. . . This appears to have been the last episode screened in the original Saturday night timeslot. Following cancelation, the remaining episodes were held over and burned off over the summer at 8pm Fridays.]

16. HEADLINES FOR HIGGENBOTTOM
When Sgt. Higgenbottom’s home is broken into, Lennie and George “capture” him and let the real thief escape.
Written by Arne Sultan and Earl Barret. Directed by Earl Barret.
Vincent Van Patten as Roger Higgenbottom, Patricia Van Patten as Raquel Higgenbottom, Jimmy Van Patten as Kid, *Loree Frazier as Loree, James Lemp as Kemmerman and Charles Pierce as Pretty Boy Clyde.
[Aired 28 July 1972. . . Patricia, Vincent and Jimmy Van Patten are Dick Van Patten’s real-life wife and sons. . . Sgt Higgenbottom’s first name is revealed as Nelson in this episode. This may be a reference to Nels Hansen, the character Dick Van Patten played in the fifties sitcom Mama or to another son, Nels Van Patten who was named after that character. . . Vincent Van Patten later played the Bionic Boy on The Six Million Dollar Man. In a turning of the tables, his father Dick Van Patten also appeared in that episode.]

17. MAGNIFICENT PERCEPTION
Mr. Zinser, a clairvoyant, is hired by the police department to help them find the whereabouts of a bomber.
Written by Ben Starr. Directed by Richard Benedict.
Guest Star: Hans Conreid as Adolph Zinser. John Chandler as The Bomber and Robert Karvelas as Freddie Butler.
[Aired 4 August 1972. . . The title refers to Magnificent Obsession, originally a novel by Lloyd C. Douglas. It has been filmed twice – in 1935 starring Irene Dunne and Robert Taylor; and in 1954 starring Jane Wyman and Rock Hudson. . . Interestingly, John Chandler later played a similarly explosives-obsessed character in the Columbo episode “Publish or Perish”. . . Hans Conried played Uncle Tonoose on Make Room For Daddy and was the host of Fractured Flickers.]

18. TWO OR FALSE
Gullible Crooke allows a woman to steal a valuable bracelet in his presence.
Written by Bruce Howard. Directed by Earl Bellamy.
Guest Star: Yvonne Craig as Michelle/Denise. With Fred Holliday as 2nd Salesman, *Eddie Ryder as 1st Salesman.
[Aired 11 August 1972. . . Yvonne Craig was also in the pilot epsiode. Her return here makes her the only guest star to appear in more than one episode of The Partners in non-recurring roles. Craig played Batgirl in the final (1967-68) season of Batman.]

19. TWO IN A PEN
Detective Crooke poses as a criminal and Detective Robinson masquerades as a guard inside a prison to learn the escape plans of Duke Fletcher.
Written by Bruce Howard. Directed by Earl Bellamy.
Guest Star: *Bruce Gordon as Duke Fletcher. *Alan Jaffe as Pete Trevino, Lee Delano as Manny.
[Aired 25 August 1972. . . Bruce Gordon had already established his gangster credentials as Frank Nitti in the original Untouchables series.]

20. THE 217 IN 402
The Organisation critically wound a prospective informer and the Partners must protect him to prevent them from finishing the job.
Written by Jerry Mayer. Directed by Richard Benedict.
Sherry Bain as Mulligan, *Norman Burton as Romero, *Rico Cattani as Sonny, *Ted de Corsia as Victor Manheim, Liam Dunn as Doc, Bruce Glover and Robert Karvelas as Freddie Butler.
[Aired 8 September 1972. . . Norman (a.k.a. Normann) Burton played Joe Atkinson on The New Adventures of Wonder Woman in 1977. . . In this inadvertent finale Lennie meets a young police woman named Mulligan and the two seem to hit it off (“What’s your last name, Mulligan?” “My last name’s Mulligan.”), leaving viewers to wonder if the relationship might have been developed had the series continued.]

Telemovie: CONFESSIONS OF A TOP CRIME BUSTER
A publisher reads a manuscript submitted by Lennie Crooke recounting some of his cases.
Story by Bruce Howard, Laurence Marks and Ferdinand Leon. Teleplay by Bruce Howard, Laurence Marks and Arne Sultan & Earl Barret. Directed by Earl Bellamy, Joseph Pevney, Gary Nelson and Charles Rondeau.
[This is a feature-length presentation comprised of the episodes “Two in a Pen”, “Take My Wife – Please”, “Witness For the Execution” and “How Many Carats in a Grapefruit?” with new linking sequences featuring *Robert F. Simon as Mr. Dunster, the publisher. In addition, snippets from “Two in a Pen” with what seems to be new dialog overdubbed by Bruce Gordon (as Duke Fletcher from the episode) have been inserted into the subsequent segments, presumably in an attempt to more unify the four separate stories. . . The new material also reveals that many of the villains from the other episodes are somehow related to Duke Fletcher. . . Robert F. Simon played the recurring role of Darrin’s father Frank Stephens in several episodes of Bewitched.]

*Guest actors who also appeared in Get Smart.