The Beryllium Eater

One trend in this series is encounters with arrogant businessmen, people who are used to controlling people and events. It started with Everett Sloane's Caleb Garth in "Black November", the premiere. It continues here with Edward Binns as Fred Durant and would continue with Lee Marvin, Albert Dekker and Gene Evans in episodes later in this first season.

In this one, Edgar Buchanan is the classic "old prospector" who has discovered a beryllium mine, (it's a metal that strengthens other metals when combined with it but can also be toxic: I suspect it was chosen to illustrate the varied relationships in this story). The boys befriend Buchanan and oppose Durant and his thugs who want to take over the claim. They find an ally in Durant's sexy but embittered wife, played by Inger Stevens. It ends in a wild battle in the desert where Todd rescues a staked down Buz in a sort of demolition derby of trucks, (no, not the corvette, fortunately).

Beryllium was one of the "strategic" minerals used in toughening aircraft metals. The government was paying a good price for it in the 50's to augment our Cold War armaments. Of course, the best known of these strategic minerals was uranium. I mention this because the mineral has since drifted into even greater obscurity.

To me, the best part of this episode is the great desert scenery, including the actual mine operation. This is the sort of asset that separated the series from the rest of the TV herd. Anyway, Buzz and Todd rescue grizzled prospector Buchanan from a beating from claim jumpers who want his beryllium strike. Now the boys have to take on a rich mine owner who employs the thugs. It's an okay story. But Inger Stevens' role as the neglected owner's wife comes across as pretty contrived, though she does furnish real eye candy. Anyway, the photography is great, along with a typical bravura performance from Buchanan. So, whenever the story wanders, there are more than enough compensations.

The boys are working as hardhats on a big Arizona corporate mining site in this offbeat episode -even the opening is different, as we watch cutesy old prospector Edgar Buchanan celebrating striking it rich, but having to deal with his recalcitrant mule. This is followed by the opening credits where the Corvette customarily motors down a dirt road and M & M give Edgar a ride to town.

This is the first segment not written by Stirling Silliphant, and scripter Richard Collins provides a more conventional (not poetic) story. Edward Binns is the evil mine owner who's out to steal Edgar's find, having his minions beat the miner almost to death. Clearly, this is a job for our boys to interfere and look out for the cute old prospector's interests.

Inger Stevens is convincing as the sultry, sexy wife of Binns who comes on to Maharis (of course). With Inger helping them, it's time for the boys to cement Edgar's claim, and it only takes a single punch for feisty George to knock out Binns' evil foreman.

Unfortunately, though the location and theme might have been used for a modern version of Von Stroheim's silent classic "Greed", instead the action plays out like a B Western. The tying up of loose ends before the boys head off in the 'vette is unconvincing.

This episode is not the best so far, rather amusing, and charming too, thanks to the Edgar Buchanan's presence and also Inger Stevens character. For the rest, it's a story closer to the comedy than pure drama, as we had already seen earlier in the ROUTE 66 series. Not boring and amusing, fun, where characters are enjoyable but without providing any kind of powerful performances, gripping situations, as we will see later in the show. So don't focus too much on anything engrossing, and I also tried to find any social message. It was hopeless. Just an amusing entertainment, rapidly forgettable. That's good enough to me.

In the first season of Route 66, their convertible corvette sure does a lot of dirt road driving. Being a classic car guy I cringe every time I watch their corvette drive and romp over rough dirt roads. I wonder if anyone else feels the same way.

That said this episode is set in northern Arizona in and around the city of Page. Having lived in Arizona since 1967 I found that part interesting. I like the guest actors too. Edgar Buchanan makes a great old prospector and Inger Stevens does a great job playing the unhappy sexy wife of a multi-millionaire. It wasn't the best episode of Route 66 in my opinion but the actors and the location hold it together. My guess is the story of the Lost Dutchman Mine had a lot to do with the writing of this episode. All in all its worth a watch especially if you live in northern Arizona.