Season 1 episode 17
Mark’s note:
Will and Sonny’s trailer is looted and burned. Barry Sullivan, the insurance adjuster and an old friend of Sonny’s, seems intent on proving Pruitt guilty of the crime and has all the evidence to prove Sonny did it! Sonny winds up in jail and things look especially bleak especially after Sonny mortgages his rig for his bail. Sonny and Will scramble to find the real culprits but every clue leads to a dead end.
Seymour Robbie nicely directs the episode with more than the usual amount of dolly shots, creative Kenworth travelling shots, and a well-done mini-chase.
Acting is also noteworthy, particularly Claude and Frank in jail, and angst ridden scenes between father and daughter guest stars, Barry and Jenny Sullivan.
Barry’s Bits:
When I recently looked at the episode, “Fraud”, I recalled that our script consultant, Robert Lewin had suggested it would be fun to have Barry and Jenny Sullivan, father and daughter, in this taut action thriller. You will remember both Jenny and Barry from appearances in a vast array of feature films and TV shows. All of us at “Movin’ On were fans of Barry Sullivan’s acting. Offering Barry the opportunity to work with his daughter immediately secured them both for our episode.
Directed by Seymour Robbie, “Fraud”, gives Will the opportunity to show off his legal skills and keep Sonny from getting into more trouble than just one overnight stay in the San Diego jail. I know you’ll especially enjoy the prison telephone dialogue with Sonny and Will on different sides of the glass partition that separate the visitors from the inmates.
Sonny has been set up, his cargo stolen and his trailer burned, and an insurance fraud scam put in motion. Being set up by his double-dealing friend brings Sonny to the boiling point. The confrontation between Sonny and Zack (Barry Sullivan) is very believable and it’s fun to watch two wonderful actors do their thing.
I’m also certain you will notice that Rosey Grier has a small role in this episode. We all really liked Rosey and wanted to see how he and our guys worked together and looked on film prior to creating the recurring characters Moose and Benjy, which we did in season two.
Enjoy the beautifully photographed “third star” as it cruises through downtown San Diego with the picturesque skyline in the background. Make sure to check out the lovely shot of our Kenworth rolling over the long span bridge. I’m sure you’ll agree it’s nice work all around.
