Didn't We Meet At A Murder? on a Leap Day

Not really tonight, but on February 29, 1972 CBS aired "Didn't We Meet At A Murder?"

A gangster (Simon Oakland) lands in Honolulu and promptly gets murdered. Five-O is left scratching their heads because there's not a lot clues to go on.

The guy, Maurice Mauritany, is befriended on the plane by a blonde lady, Bonnie (Joanne Barnes), and they meet at his hotel room. There, a TV repairman named Clem (Morgan Upton) is dinking around with the TV, much to Mauritany's annoyance. Then another man shows up! Frank Wellman (Bill Edwards) is from the Honolulu Business Council. Before Mauritany knows what's going on, the three shoot him!

When Five-O figures out what's going on, these three were being blackmailed by a carpet seller named Chang (Kwan Hi Lim). He's hired an ex-con former PI named Charlie who gives McGarrett a lot of grief. The theory is that Charlie dug up dirt on all three and they were blackmailed into killing Mauritany.

The whole idea is to dig a tunnel into a bank vault that's next door. Only, the Chang and his cronies are caught red-handed by McGarrett and Five-O.

Mr. Mike does a much better job at reviewing this mess of an episode: http://www.fiveohomepage.com/5-0log4.htm#94

Bonnie and her boy toy Rick (John Hansen) actually killed her husband and they're the last to be arrested when they were on the way to Singapore! Clem was caught hauling dirt after Wellman commits suicide when Danno closes in. This is probably one of the weirdest sequences in the whole series. Thanks to McGarrett's dialogue, we discover Wellman was a transvestite! However, I would think that the pictures would be more convincing if we actually saw Edwards in drag but I know that's asking *a lot!*

Not one of my favorite episodes but the scene with Danno about to call for backup is crazy! this is where Wellman crashes onto the sidewalk below. We don't see it of course, but Danno makes it convincing.

Happy 50th, "Didn't We Meet At A Murder?" :cool:

The "dig a tunnel into a bank" caper notion is a direct lift from the Sherlock Holmes story "The Redheaded League".

Another thing about the episode is how at the end, Joanna Barnes clearly wasn't available for the scene of her being arrested as it plays out entirely in a long shot (obviously a double) and clearly dubbed voices of her and McGarrett.

What are the chances that they would tunnel through the wall and end up exactly in the vault? I don't think so ... surely the vault would have tons of steel surrounding it. They would need the skills of a safecracker to open the vault door if they just ended up in the basement of the bank next door.

I'm surprised Didn't We Meet At A Murder? doesn't get more praise here on the forum. It's 1 of the best episodes in the Series. I love the scene when he gives McGarrett a tour of the Lanai Carpet Place. Wished Simon Oakland would have lasted longer in the episode. Love listening to his loud voice and bluster. McGarrett & HFO Team have nothing on the 3 shooters of Mauritany. They alibi each other and don't crack under questioning. McGarrett sends Chin out on field surveillance hoping for some kind of break or connection. Wellman fulfilled his part of the shooting. I don't understand why the evidence would be handed back to Wellman. They could have destroyed it or mailed it to him. Blackmailing 3 different people I think was very creative. None had a criminal background which didn't give HFO much place to go. The bank tunnel to grab the bank money using Lanai Carpet as a cover ... I also enjoyed the scenes. Definitely a 4 Star episode. JC