Comments from The I Spy Forum continued
The scene in the hotel room (it looked like a real hotel, not a set) is also good, where Sherman breaks down, begs for alcohol, and commits suicide when the agents backs are turned. I noticed that Sherman mentioned the existence of "tabloids" even back in 1966, I thought they were a more recent phenomenon. Anyway the off-screen suicide is well played, especially when Kelly looks up and sees what has happened, the look on his face is shock.
Then the detective work starts, and takes up the middle third of the episode, while they track down Magnussen, then Tilde, then Kelly confronts her at the beach, and shows his hidden ruthless side when he nearly lets her drown until she talks.
The short cemetery scene appears to be done on a set, and raises the question, why is an American diplomat being buried in Rome instead of back home in the USA? This is where they meet Sam Drake, and he tells them to interpret his orders regarding Collissi however they choose.
When the guys finally meet Collissi, and beat up his bodyguards to show him he needs to hire them, it raises the question "Didn't Collissi see them in the photographer's shop?" Apparently not, because he hires them, and actually starts to trust them a little, and even seems to like Scotty -- he admires Scotty's knowledge and wide range of experience and taste. And Collissi takes pride in "owning" them. He obviously trusts them enough to believe Kelly's story about Tilde calling.
I especially liked the part where he tests their speed with guns at the trap shooting range. It's one of the scenes that has always stayed in my memory from 20 years ago when I first saw the show.
There is little humor in the episode, except in the haberdashery, where Scotty orders Kel to feel the material "FEEL IT!!" he shouts, and Kelly replies with "Don't yell at me". The scene where they interrogate the butler is very amusing, especially Scotty's tango, and his insistence that everyone in Hollywood says "Hi Scotty!" when they see him.
After Tilde's off screen death, the guys turn ruthless again, and beat up Collissi (Kelly beats him up without letting the cigarette fall from his mouth -- classic!), then frame him with a cold efficiency that is almost as chilling as the final scene in Bridge of Spies. Putting his prints all over the place, making the apartment look like a fight had taken place, forcing a drug down his throat, calling the cops and taking off.
The tagline is humorous, as they fake their Italian accents for the young black American tourist, Scotty gets the girl at the end, and Kelly thinks he has one, but amusingly she meets someone else just as he is about to talk to her.
I used to not care for this episode, but re-watching makes me like it better each time, and now I like it enough to give it an A minus
June 28 2003 at 12:26 AM
From: SAM THAN
'ROME TAKE AWAY ALL THREE'
I was happy to rewatch this episode, I was always fond of Alf Kjellin (this guy directed WARLORD, after all!) He always imparted such a singular poignancy to all his roles (notably SHIP OF FOOLS - 1965). He was perfectly cast as the diplomat who lost his way, his heart, and ultimately, his life.
BUT the story had no heart, no pathos after he leapt to his death, and was too choppy. There was not enough character development of the 'bad guy' - sorry forget his name. His character was too one dimensional for one to
hate.
In the first act, the 'follow' scene was scored in too comedic a fashion, which I found jarring. (It was not Earle Hagen who scored this but his friend Hugo Friedhofer- Earle was unerring when it came to emotional enhancement).
I thought the Tango wannabe was too incongruous and silly to balance the dark
script. I DID think the set up ending was very clever, (though it would not work today, and as usual CULP was a joy to watch - as was Cosby.
The two best scenes were the one with Mr. Kjellin unravelling, AND that final super TAG scene with Scotty approached by the lovely lost traveller, and POOR Kelly left to his own devices. (Fat chance!)
SAM
June 28 2003 at 3:16 AM
From: Tatia Loring
Well, "Rome Take Away Three" has never been one of my favorite episodes and after re-watching it, I still feel the same way. In fact, I liked the Colonel's review far better than I liked the episode.
The best part of this episode was the talented actors who portrayed the diverse assortment of characters.
I don't know if it is because Colly Collisis (Nehemiah Persoff) was such an unpleasant and unlikable character or that this episode doesn't do Rome justice. The sparkle and beauty of Rome that was so apparent in "Sophia" (and "Tonia") just isn't present in this one. The locales are shown - but it almost seems like a standard travelogue in "Rome Take Away in Three" - no magic!! Of course, the story itself is a "downer," nothing upbeat at all (and the comic "tango" scene just doesn't work at all)
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