The Chinese Sunset

One of the problems with "The Fugitive" compared to "Route 66" and other shows is that it's pretty hard to have a comic or at least a light episode when your premise is a fugitive searching for a one- armed man who committed the crime he's accused of and chased by a policeman who wants to bring him in to be executed.

But they give it a good try with "The Chinese Sunset". Kimble is working at a hotel in Los Angeles and encounters Laura Devon who is what amounts to the "moll" of a flashy but small-time crook played by Paul Richards. Richards is a con man running out of money who thinks that everybody is basically corrupt. Laura just wants him to settle down and marry her. She's pleased that Kimble treats her with respect and impressed that he talks like an educated man. She'd like to talk that way: maybe it will impress Richards and get him to want to marry her.

The episode has been compared to Pygmalion, (the basis for "My Fair Lady") but I think it more resembles "Born Yesterday".

It seems at first that "Chinese Sunset" refers to the Asian-theme of the decor at the scene on the Sunset Strip, but the reference to China that reverberates throughout the story is a quotation from Lao-Tzu, "A Journey of a Thousand Miles Begins with a Single Step." This is a tale of friendship, not romance, between Kimble and a beautiful, intelligent (though uneducated) woman.

Jack Ficket (Kimble's alias) is a hotel employee who lets slip to Penelope that he went to college. Her nice but lawless boyfriend, Eddie Slade, has just gotten out of jail, and is staying in this dive while he hustles for a stake to get back into the bookmaking action he needs to support them in the style they both enjoy. Penelope can barely read or write, and asks Jack to teach her these things along with some advice on manners. She likes men like Eddie to pay her way and shower her with jewelry, but her desire to learn is the journey of a thousand miles. Kimble enjoys teaching her, and the company she provides as he wanders around the hotel cleaning up.

To improve, she reads the tale in Aesop of the cunning fox who promises to give foolish Farmer Jones back his chickens, only to eat them. This is an analogy to Eddie Slade, who hoodwinks others out of their savings, falsely promising to pay high returns later. "But the fox ATE the chickens!" says Penelope. Eddie tells Penelope everyone is hustling for money, he's just hoping to be more successful than some, and she finds this argument convincing at first.

But Kimble won't take money or loving as payment from her, which impresses upon her that all people are not hustlers--and keeps this story platonic. Kimble suggests it is more honorable to earn your way with no shortcuts. She says, "Look where it's got you," and Kimble admits she has a point. Eddie doesn't want Penelope becoming educated, but Kimble argues that Penelope's desire to grow is too powerful to be denied.

Will Penelope help her cunning fox steal chickens, or will she follow Kimble's way? One thing is certain: she's willing to bet her diamond earrings that Kimble didn't murder anyone.

Eddie Slade (Paul Richards) is a hood with plans of making a big killing...though right now, his 'friends' want nothing to do with him. Eddie's girl, Penelope (Laura Devon), is gorgeous but simple- minded...and Eddie likes her that way. But Penelope wants to improve herself, as she has little in the way of education and is embarrassed by this. Seeing how well cultured and educated Jack (actually, Richard Kimble in his latest alter ego) is, she longs to pick up on some of his fine ways. So, she convinces him to improve her mind and manners in order to make her proud not just of who she is outside but inside as well. All the while, a very nosy guy (Wayne Rogers) seems to be keeping an eye on her...or perhaps Kimble. Who is he and what is going on with him?

I noticed that the summary makes reference to "Pygmalion" with Professor Higgens and Liza Doolittle. While this is appropriate, an even more appropriate comparison is this episode with the movie "Born Yesterday". In fact, it's an obvious re-working of this film in many, many ways...as both are about a pretty trophy girlfriend who learns refinement and manners...to the consternation of the mobster boyfriend. Regardless, the story is very interesting and well worth watching.

Kimble, using the name Jack Fickett, works at the Chinese Sunset Motel, located on the Los Angeles Sunset Strip. Although called a motel, it actually is a moderately classy and busy hotel, with a large swimming pool, decorated lobby with a marble front desk, uniformed bellhop, large well-furnished rooms and suites, and 24 hour coffee shop (diner).

Eddie Slade (actor Paul Richards) and his girlfriend Penelope Dufour (actress Laura Devon) move in. Eddie is a gangster recently out of jail, who comes to LA looking for a financial stake. Unfortunately, a fellow gangster has given him two weeks, then he must leave.

Penelope is young, attractive and poorly educated, though not stupid. Discovering Kimble's vast store of knowledge, Penelope asks Kimble to help educate her. She will be 24 soon, old for Eddie Slade, and wants to marry him before he loses interest in her for being a dummy. Kimble discovers that he gets real satisfaction from seeing Penelope learn, and grow as a person.

Meanwhile, police Sgt. Bragin (actor Wayne Rogers), posing as a salesman, moves in at the motel to keep tabs on Eddie and Penelope. He soon become suspicious of Kimble. Oddly, no one becomes suspicious of Bragin, even though he is a salesman who never tries to sell anything, never even mentions what he sells, and spends most of his time hanging around the lobby, pool and coffee shop watching other people.

Although some of the characterizations are formulaic, it is incomprehensible that no one pegs Bragin for being a cop, and the actors who pull guns lack much-needed rehearsal of that action, this is a sweet, feel-good story that is quite entertaining.

Laura Devon is pitch perfect in her role as Penelope Dufour. She has a lot of really great scenes with David Janssen, who's pretty relaxed in this episode. They first meet in the coffee shop when she's sketching him. Art is a hobby of hers. Soon, Kimble says the wrong thing to her, seeming to question her values, and she's offended. But she admires his obvious education and good manners. Penelope and Kimble develop a friendship based on her wanting to improve herself through lessons in grammar and etiquette. It's gentle and humorous and based on a mutual respect. Although Penelope didn't get past the 4th grade and professes that "I'll betcha I'm doing better than most of them college kids," she's smart and wants to better herself.

At the beginning Penelope's barely able to sign her name to a check at the coffee shop. Later we see her signing her name with a flourish. It's a cute scene. While she works on improving herself, she's also bringing out the best in Kimble. In her company, he smiles and laughs. He enjoys being with her and watching her learn.

Besides Penelope's boyfriend Eddie Slade the gangster, there are a whole cast of characters living at the hotel. Many are involved in Hollywood – an agent, a lawyer, a script girl. Eddie resents Kimble teaching Penelope anything and decides to educate Penelope in his own way, teaching her that everyone's susceptible to a scheme that would earn them a quick buck. Kimble's not in danger from any of these characters, but from Sergeant Bragin, who's there to investigate Eddie but is also intrigued by Kimble because he seems so out of place working as a porter in a hotel.

"The Chinese Sunset" is a somewhat light, warm episode. David Janssen is less intense in this one. The relationship between Penelope and Kimble works very well. As Penelope says near the end, "I could never be sorry for knowing you." In the end, the audience hopes that Penelope continues on her journey of growth and knows that Kimble, as always, touched someone's life in a positive way as he continues on his journey of redemption.