Last Rites for a Dead Priest

Frank Mulvaney (Jackie Cooper) disguises himself as a priest to steal valuable gems worth $3 million at a convention in a hotel. Security has been tightened as the cops from New York City have been brought in.

Mulvaney likes to plan his jobs meticulously. He has several accomplices that he is working with. They are sloppy and have criminal records. As he stakes out the convention, a pickpocket recognises him.

Not wanting any loose ends. Mulvaney kills the pickpocket.

The heist takes place but one of the accomplice is shot and injured. He is the bag man and he is on the run. Mulvaney wants to get to him but the cops are hot on their tail.

One of them is caught with incriminating clothing which he was to dispose of. He took them to the dry cleaners instead and the smell of tear gas gave him away.

The story has a familiar trope. The crook who disguises himself as a priest. Everyone trusts a priest. Cooper is having a soaraway time as the deadly crook.

Once again Kojak shows his quirky humour. He is offered a cigar and turns it down. He offers the other guy a lollipop.

Frank Mulvaney (Jackie Cooper) is a criminal genius...and a completely sociopathic one. While he hides his identity by posing as a priest, this guy is anything but a good guy! In order to protect himself and make sure his jewel robbery goes off without a hitch, he doesn't like to leave loose ends....and that means killing his partners if necessary! But because of his disguise, the police tend to overlook him and think he's just an innocent do-gooder. And, when one of the gang is shot during the robbery, Mulvaney is determined to find him and silence him...just like he did with a previous 'loose end'!

This is a pretty good episode of "Kojak" and is interesting because, for once, the Lieutenant is nice to Detective Stavros. Ironically, Kojak often is kind of mean to poor Stavros...and in real life the pair were brothers! Well written and worth seeing.

Jackie Cooper who plays a master crook who disguises himself as a Catholic priest gives one outstanding performance in this Kojak episode about a jewel heist. Cooper plans the heist and of course it ends up a bust thanks to Telly Savalas and the Manhattan South Squad.

I have to say it was rather unrealistic to have expected to ask for and get for this kind of work people with no criminal record. Yet that's what Cooper wants and the fact he doesn't get them is one of the reasons his plan goes awry.

Another reason is his paranoia. Someone recognizes him while he's casing the scene of the crime and Cooper kills him. That puts Manhattan South in the picture more than ever. In fact two other people are killed in the course of the story.

Cooper is shown to be a meticulous planner. But you can't account for everything.