Anatomy of Two Rapes

Episode aired Oct 11, 1974
49m

IMDb RATING

6.7/10

YOUR RATING

Action Crime Drama

Pepper and the squad investigate a pair of alleged rapes. The first involves a wealthy woman who claims that she was attacked on the eve of her daughter's wedding. The second involves a the ... Read allPepper and the squad investigate a pair of alleged rapes. The first involves a wealthy woman who claims that she was attacked on the eve of her daughter's wedding. The second involves a the rape and murder of a married woman, who was known for being very wild. The squad then arre... Read allPepper and the squad investigate a pair of alleged rapes. The first involves a wealthy woman who claims that she was attacked on the eve of her daughter's wedding. The second involves a the rape and murder of a married woman, who was known for being very wild. The squad then arrest a black man for the first rape, but serious questions arise about his guilt and whether... Read all

Director
- Barry Shear
Writers
- Pat Fielder
- Richard M. Bluel
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.7/10

YOUR RATING

Director
- Barry Shear
Writers
- Pat Fielder
- Richard M. Bluel
Stars

2User reviews

See production info at IMDbPro

Photos1

User reviews2

6.776

Featured reviews

7Prismark10

Anatomy of Two Rapes

I don't think I am going out on a limb here by claiming this was not a controversial episode.

The story begins with Pepper Anderson taking part in a mock interrogation of a rape victim. The police claim that 90% of women who are raped do not got to to the police because they are frightened as to how they will be treated by the police. This was back in 1974.

Pepper Anderson deals with the cases of two women who were raped. Wanda May Kubelski was a young model, a good time girl with an estranged husband. She was raped and murdered.

Carol Grainger is a well to do middle aged middle class woman who claims to have been attacked on the eve of her daughter's wedding. She was raped by a black man who also cut her hair.

Pepper Anderson believes that Grainger gets treated with kid gloves. It is questionable even if her story stands up to scrutiny.

The story simultaneously deals with sexual and racial politics. You can see it is taking potshots at other television shows that still treated women as bimbos.

It is strong stuff with a melodramatic ending. It also has an appearance by Pat Morita as a sleazy photographer.

Trivia
There is a scene where a woman with balloon designs on her shirt presents a clipboard to Sgt. Crowley. In the audio commentary of the episode actor Earl Holliman reveals that the woman won a contest to appear on the show and the interaction was invented to give her something to do in the episode.

Goofs
When the boys find the body of Wanda May her stomach moves visibly in the second shot revealing that the actress is breathing.

Quotes
Sgt. Bill Crowley: We thought that since our unit has been assigned to investigate rape victims' interrogation, we'd just start out showing you what not to do. I know it is shocking to me that ninety percent of the rapes in this country are never reported because the women are afraid of how we the police are gonna treat them. Now let's start it over again this time we do it the right way.