Over the next few days I'll be putting up some of my favorite Christmas pieces, mostly TV episodes, and hopefully more rare than not. (How many times can you see Rudolph, Home Alone, or Frosty the Snowman?)
Leading off is everyone's favorite beatnik, Johnny Staccato. And a strange series it is. Not sure how much of Staccato is put-on by Cassavetes (since he was quitting the show every other week); or does it just seem like a put-on, because it's so plugged into such a specific atmosphere and moment? (See Kiss Me Deadly.)
This one, from Christmas Eve 1959 (Boog, Shrevie, and Fenwick must've watched it before the Colts / Giants championship game), is called "The Unwise Men" and stars the great Jack Weston. (Best part: JC's cheery closing.)
