Quarter Past Eleven

This episode is a reunion of sorts. Guest star Lee Van Cleef and Neville Brand played a pair of bank robbers part of a gang in one of my favorite noir films Kansas City Confidential. Here Van Cleef plays a mysterious man who arrives in town gunning for Captain Parmalee just when the men are putting together a surprise party for his four year anniversary taking over the Laredo post for the Texas Rangers.

This was one of the weakest episodes I've seen of the show. Given how menacing Lee Van Cleef is here and in just about every other part I've ever seen him in I can't buy that he would fall for the psychological warfare the Rangers are playing on him. The ending is definitely not in line with the Lee Van Cleef image.

This episode only for those who are devoted Laredo fans.

The Rangers are planning a surprise anniversary party for Captain Parmalee, sadly the cook resign from the Saloon and running away to get marry, but early had a bank robbery and the Captain put all three on the track of the robbers, meanwhile appears on the Town a quiet man Big Mike Kelly (Lee Van Cleef), the Rangers got the Bank's gold back at a gunfight nearest, then Reese decides make the cake by yourself using a recipe, he starts with a small cake, somehow he was adding too much ingredients and so on it becomes bigger and bigger, meanwhile Captain Parmalle has a little chat with Kelly and discover that he actually is Fallon, that already had faced in the past, both were injury, now Fallon wants to knows which is best draw and defy him to a duel at quarter past eleven, funny and enjoyable!!

Resume:

First watch: 2020 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 6

Reese (Neville Brand) plans an anniversary celebration for Capt. Parmalee (Philip Carey), who has been leading the Rangers of Company B for four (or three) years. While Reese lines up some dancing girls, Chad (Peter Brown) and Joe (William Smith) get the whiskey. Unfortunately, the men have difficulties finding someone to bake the cake. Even worse, a mysterious man from Capt. Parmalee's past, Lee Van Cleef (as "Big Mike Kelly" aka Fallon), challenges him to a "High Noon" duel at 11:15.

The comedy highlight should have been Reese baking the captain's cake, with Joe assisting; but, it falls flat. Guest starring villain Lee Van Cleef served a similar role in the classic "High Noon". This episode falls at least forty-five minutes short of the original. It isn't much, but Mr. Carey gets a larger than usual role in the episode's action.

*** Quarter Past Eleven (3/24/66) Irving J. Moore ~ Neville Brand, Philip Carey, Lee Van Cleef