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Rendezvous at Big Gulch (Terror in the Neighborhood)
Encyclopedia
Rendezvous at Big Gulch (Terror in the Neighborhood) is the fifth episode broadcast (but actually the third episode produced) of the short-lived TV series Police Squad!
. The episode was directed by Reza Badiyi
and written by Nancy Steen
and Neil Thompson
. As usual, the episode was produced by Robert K. Weiss
.
The episode refers to Mommie Dearest
(released by Paramount Pictures
, whose television division
produced Police Squad!), a Joan Crawford lookalike pays off the mob at the "Mommie Dearest Day Care Center".
Dutch Genderson is a clear spoof on the James Bond
character Ernst Stavro Blofeld
. He is introduced sitting in a chair stroking a cat, and his face is not initially revealed. Even his bending low upon his announcement, "When I'm through with him, he'll be dead!" is meant as a (more subtle) joke, since up to You Only Live Twice
Blofeld's face is never seen in the movies.
from several local shops. A ballet teacher, Jill, cannot pay because of bad business and is beaten. Frank Drebin, the detective, interviews the woman but she seems reluctant to cooperate, saying she did not get a good look.
Frank and Ed discover the gangsters are working all across the country. Wanting to catch them in the act, Frank opens up a locksmith store along with fellow detective Norberg (a store that actually says on the window "A.N. Abandoned Locksmith Shop.").
Rocky and Leo's offer of protection is turned down. They assault the store with machine guns, which is not noticed until they toss in a rock with a note. Frank drives the rock (backwards) to the lab. Analysis of the note and the rock reveals nothing.
Rocky and Leo try to intimidate the two men again, but are beaten and left dazed on the street. The entire neighberhood sees this and cheers.
After Frank's victory, Leo and Rocky are seen talking with their boss Dutch Genderson, who tells them that when he's through with Frank, Frank will be dead.
When Norberg has another delivery a beautiful woman called Stella comes into the shop. She is trying to seduce Frank; she tells Frank she wants her key duplicated 50 times and that Frank can keep the 50th key himself (the other 49 are intended for the Chicago Bears
). Two weeks later, when Frank tries to open the door with his key, Stella starts shooting through the door. Frank however wasn't behind the door, so when he comes in, he grabs Stella. The phone rings, and Stella is made to pick it up. The person calling is Dutch Genderson, providing Frank the opportunity to set up a trap for Dutch. After the phone call Frank arrests Stella on an attempted murder charge. Before going to meet Dutch, Frank goes to his regular source of answers, Johnny the Snitch. Johnny tells Frank about Dutch's bad childhood. All Dutch has ever known is the world of crime. Frank then asks Johnny for concrete evidence against Dutch. Johnny gives Frank some photostats that make Dutch look pretty dirty. When arriving at Dutch's office Dutch attempts to shoot Frank, but before he has a chance, Frank shows him the photostat that Johnny gave him. Instead of trying to arrest Dutch, Frank tries to become part of his organization. Dutch tells Frank to kill the old tailor as his first assignment. When going to the tailor store, Leo and Rocky grab Frank and tell him that there has been a change of plans, they're hitting a dance teacher. When Frank comes in the other policemen have just left and Jill blows Frank's cover by calling him lieutenant. A big fight inside the ballet school starts, Frank wins the fight and calls the Police Squad.
Police Squad!
Police Squad! is a television comedy series first broadcast in 1982, created by Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker and starring Leslie Nielsen. A spoof of police procedurals, the series was packed with ZAZ's usual sight gags, wordplay and non sequiturs...
. The episode was directed by Reza Badiyi
Reza Badiyi
Reza Sayed Badiyi was an Iranian-American film director. Badiyi was well known for directing episodes of many popular television series...
and written by Nancy Steen
Nancy Steen
Nancy Steen American television producer, writer and actress.Steen began her career as an actress at Dudley Riggs' Brave New Workshop in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She then began appearing the television series Charlie's Angels, Taxi, Mork & Mindy and M*A*S*H.Her television producing and writing...
and Neil Thompson
Neil Thompson
Neil Thompson is an English former footballer who played in defence, chiefly on the left side of the pitch, for Scarborough, Ipswich Town and Barnsley amongst others. Thompson subsequently became a football coach and had spells at York City, Scarborough and Boston United as player-manager...
. As usual, the episode was produced by Robert K. Weiss
Robert K. Weiss
Robert K. Weiss is an American film and television producer. His productions include films by director John Landis, producer Lorne Michaels, and the “Z. A. Z.” team of Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, and Jerry Zucker. He also co-created the science-fiction TV series Sliders...
.
The episode refers to Mommie Dearest
Mommie Dearest
Mommie Dearest is a memoir and exposé written by Christina Crawford, the adopted daughter of actress Joan Crawford. The book, which depicts Christina's childhood and her relationship with her mother, was published in 1978.-Christina Crawford's claims:...
(released by Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
, whose television division
Paramount Television
Paramount Television was an American television production/distribution company that was active from January 1, 1968 to August 27, 2006.Its successor is CBS Television Studios, formerly CBS Paramount Television...
produced Police Squad!), a Joan Crawford lookalike pays off the mob at the "Mommie Dearest Day Care Center".
Dutch Genderson is a clear spoof on the James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
character Ernst Stavro Blofeld
Ernst Stavro Blofeld
Ernst Stavro Blofeld is a fictional character and a supervillain from the James Bond series of novels and films, who was created by Ian Fleming and Kevin McClory. An evil genius with aspirations of world domination, he is the archenemy of the British Secret Service agent James Bond and is arguably...
. He is introduced sitting in a chair stroking a cat, and his face is not initially revealed. Even his bending low upon his announcement, "When I'm through with him, he'll be dead!" is meant as a (more subtle) joke, since up to You Only Live Twice
You Only Live Twice (film)
You Only Live Twice is the fifth spy film in the James Bond series, and the fifth to star Sean Connery as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. The film's screenplay was written by Roald Dahl, and loosely based on Ian Fleming's 1964 novel of the same name...
Blofeld's face is never seen in the movies.
Plot
Two gangsters, later revealed as Rocky and Leo, collect protection moneyProtection racket
A protection racket is an extortion scheme whereby a criminal group or individual coerces a victim to pay money, supposedly for protection services against violence or property damage. Racketeers coerce reticent potential victims into buying "protection" by demonstrating what will happen if they...
from several local shops. A ballet teacher, Jill, cannot pay because of bad business and is beaten. Frank Drebin, the detective, interviews the woman but she seems reluctant to cooperate, saying she did not get a good look.
Frank and Ed discover the gangsters are working all across the country. Wanting to catch them in the act, Frank opens up a locksmith store along with fellow detective Norberg (a store that actually says on the window "A.N. Abandoned Locksmith Shop.").
Rocky and Leo's offer of protection is turned down. They assault the store with machine guns, which is not noticed until they toss in a rock with a note. Frank drives the rock (backwards) to the lab. Analysis of the note and the rock reveals nothing.
Rocky and Leo try to intimidate the two men again, but are beaten and left dazed on the street. The entire neighberhood sees this and cheers.
After Frank's victory, Leo and Rocky are seen talking with their boss Dutch Genderson, who tells them that when he's through with Frank, Frank will be dead.
Act II: Gesundheit
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
). Two weeks later, when Frank tries to open the door with his key, Stella starts shooting through the door. Frank however wasn't behind the door, so when he comes in, he grabs Stella. The phone rings, and Stella is made to pick it up. The person calling is Dutch Genderson, providing Frank the opportunity to set up a trap for Dutch. After the phone call Frank arrests Stella on an attempted murder charge. Before going to meet Dutch, Frank goes to his regular source of answers, Johnny the Snitch. Johnny tells Frank about Dutch's bad childhood. All Dutch has ever known is the world of crime. Frank then asks Johnny for concrete evidence against Dutch. Johnny gives Frank some photostats that make Dutch look pretty dirty. When arriving at Dutch's office Dutch attempts to shoot Frank, but before he has a chance, Frank shows him the photostat that Johnny gave him. Instead of trying to arrest Dutch, Frank tries to become part of his organization. Dutch tells Frank to kill the old tailor as his first assignment. When going to the tailor store, Leo and Rocky grab Frank and tell him that there has been a change of plans, they're hitting a dance teacher. When Frank comes in the other policemen have just left and Jill blows Frank's cover by calling him lieutenant. A big fight inside the ballet school starts, Frank wins the fight and calls the Police Squad.
Recurring Jokes
Every episodes has some jokes that are used in every episode of Police Squad!- Tonight's special guest star was Florence HendersonFlorence HendersonFlorence Agnes Henderson is an American actress and singer. She is perhaps best known for her role of Carol Brady on the ABC sitcom The Brady Bunch from 1969 to 1974...
, gunned down while she was singing in the kitchen, surrounded by bottles of vegetable oil (she was a commercial spokesperson for Wesson Oil at the time). Henderson later made a cameo appearance in Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult, as herself nominated for an Oscar. - Next week's experiment: Bring those magazines you found under your father's bed.
- Johnny's next customer is a fireman wanting to know how to stop the fire at the brubaker building.
- The freeze frame gag of this week: When Ed pours Frank some coffee, the episode ends and the coffee spills all over the place.
Goofs
- As Frank drives back (backwards) to the police station, all the cars on the road are also driving backwards (obviously because the rear projection video was simply played backwards).