Class In Crime

DVD, Starsky & Hutch S3 (Class In Crime)

A high-concept marred by the Director's vision, and unfortunately it was directed by one of the stars of the series, which is awkward, Paul Michael Glaser, whose artistic licence takes things away from the style that suited the series to pander to experimentation. And that's how it feels, that it's at the expense of the series, a concession that the stars are allowed to direct to keep them happy, whether it works or not. To be fair, David Soul tended to operate a slightly more modest approach that, while clearly making use of the camera beyond telling the story, still managed to keep the story ahead of the method of storytelling, most successfully with this season's 'Manchild On The Streets.' This was Glaser's first role as Director this season, following Season 2's 'Bloodbath,' which was arguably better than his subsequent attempts, and ending with 'Deckwatch' at the end of this season, which, from what I can remember of it, was even more indulgent in terms of weird shots or keeping the camera locked on a scene for much longer than is comfortable. 'Class In Crime' is somewhere between 'Bloodbath' and 'Deckwatch,' as it both shows some flair for the creative, and ponderousness that would take over to the detriment of the latter episode. We see lots of shots where the camera remains stationary and we linger on a character or two, and there are some wholly indulgent ones such as starting close in on a smoking cigarette held in the grip of fingers resting on the arm of a chair, the camera slowing rotating around this central study.

It might be very fulfilling from a Director's standpoint, but it certainly isn't thrilling, and is perhaps playing to the wrong audience that expect relevant and action-packed shots that move the story along. We know Starsky's fond of old film noir cinema, but perhaps it was also a delight of the actor who played him, as we have the elements squeezed into a story that isn't necessarily the best fit - so you have intimate conversations filmed from strange angles, or the camera examining a subject, giving time for us to take in the evil or good in them. I'm not against creative direction, and there were some fitting moments that added to scenes, such as when S&H are sitting with Captain Dobey in his office, sharing a meal, and the camera pans slowly around them. But too often the obliqueness draws attention and allows time to wonder what the camera's doing more than what's happening onscreen. Or not happening, as many of the conversations occur slowly, methodically, rather like the Professor himself. I don't know whether Glaser began to up the pace as the episode wore on, perhaps marking the rising temperature of the investigation as they close in on Gage, or to signify his own temperament as they ruffle his feathers. It's only because I sensed the story becoming more interesting, accessible and even a little engaging as it went along, probably from around the halfway point when Starsky visits the Professor's beach house and cheekily strolls in, only to be met by Mickie, a cold, unsympathetic girl, unresponsive to Starsky's charms. He bumbles and bluffs, and she has none of it, making for some tension - if only the whole episode could have been like that!

For an episode Glaser directed, he's in it quite a lot, though it wasn't surprising when Hutch goes off alone to enrol as a 'non-matriculating' student in their suspect Professor's class on the philosophy of crime. Even so, Starsky has plenty to do, although a chunk of it is being rather unprofessional with Catlin, the woman who worked at car showroom The House That Jack Built - ostensibly doing his part in the investigation by checking she doesn't use the same perfume as the woman that visited the murdered Jack, or whether she's got tattoos, or something, but in reality it's just Starsky having fun on company time… I hadn't heard of matriculating or non-matriculating students, but from what I understand it's one that isn't enrolled at the college. What exactly this means, I'm less clear on - does Hutch not have to finish the course, is he just there to pick up some information rather than a qualification? I could do with some qualification myself! Gage's classes were actually quite interesting, with his engaging style and use of whatever comes his way, whether that be a new student (Hutchinson, Ken), or a blackmail message chalked up on his blackboard, which takes the wind out of his sails for a few seconds, but from which he quickly and impressively recovers face, barely registering the shock or surprise - as Hutch says, he's not the type they could pull in for questioning and get anything out of, he'd be bouncing off the walls with his logic and control of the English language.

Gage makes for a cunning and worthy adversary, someone far more competent than many of the goons S&H come up against. His motives aren't wholly clear, but we know he and Mickie took out Jack and Allen (both uncredited roles since they never speak), because of the blackmail they were using on him, but what was the blackmail for? Had they seen him murder someone else, or commit some other crime? Maybe I missed a key piece of dialogue as it wasn't clear to me, though I can easily imagine he and Mickie taking part in all kinds of nefarious, but ingenious crimes merely for the pleasure of doing something well. Gage is almost a connoisseur of crime, he relishes discussing it with his class, and he seems to enjoy using his intelligence against opponents, though as usual, Hutch is underestimated. I wasn't sure how Gage and Mickie had ended up together, either, though she looked young enough to have been one of his students of a few years previous, perhaps infatuated by her teacher, who then took her under his wing? It's a theory. But theory wasn't enough for the Professor, practice was what he enjoyed. The way he takes out Allen with a rifle while Mickie uses the young man's love of mime to draw him into the line of fire (though the crowd don't notice or don't think anything odd about the mime continuing to do her act even after a man's been shot in front of them all!), and meticulously plans Jack's demise to coincide with his favourite TV programme, shows a mind that ruminates on such things: he's not a novice at this stuff.

That could be what attracted Mickie into his orbit in the first place, perhaps sensing that dangerous streak in him, and no doubt he was flattered by a young woman's attentions, despite his coolness and suave attitude. You realise he really cares a great deal for her, it's not just a passing fad - when she falls down the cliff face after Starsky smokes her out (with a smoking gun!), from her sniper's perch he's horrified. That was one moment I really did like, with the fall in slow-motion, as well as Gage's anguished reaction. I can't quite believe she didn't die! Starsky blasted off a load of shots and I thought for sure she was a goner, but apart from looking shocked and dazed in Gage's arms, we hear it said that she'll be alright, or something to that effect. What did Starsky do, fire near her to scare her enough to involuntarily fall over the edge? If so, it wasn't the best course for a professional cop to take, as he really should have taken the most assured way of stopping his partner from being shot, by shooting the sniper. It could be that he guessed it was Mickie and suspected she could be surprised by gunfire rather than gunned down, but it still sounds like a risky proposition when your partner's life is at stake. Or it could be that he did aim for her and just plain missed, though that doesn't sound much like Starsky!

It had its moments as a story, I certainly buy into this cool, calm character that assassinates Allen Richards then strides out of the building and sits watching the police swarm to the site, and he's presented as a cut above the average criminal, right from the off. The music, which is probably the best of the season so far, and has a memorable theme, generally stands out rather than being wallpaper. It's also emphasised thanks to the longer nature of many of the shots, so you have time to just sit and take it in. I might be in favour of that as opposed to the over the top camera shaking of so many modern action films and TV, except that Glaser holds things for too long. There are quirky shots, too, such as Hutch examining Jack's apartment, finding a mask and holding it over his face as he searches around - it's something that wouldn't normally be done, a little drama school-ey, interacting with the environment, and probably something that Glaser encouraged for a different feel to the episode. I also think of when S&H and Dobey are talking in his office and the Captain moves out of frame but continues talking while the camera remains on S&H. It makes you feel out of synch, maybe it's more natural rather than having the camera follow or cut to whoever's speaking every time, but it feels unnatural because it's so different to the series' house style. Granted, that can be unimaginative and lacking in creativity, but I don't often find myself thinking about individual shots in the average episode, and because the pace is slowed to allow for it here, it damages the story.

One thing I do notice when Glaser directs himself, is that Starsky is usually more serious and cool in his mannerisms, as if Glaser is more self-conscious and can't relax into the part as fully. To give him his due, although he was like that here, it wasn't as strong an impression as in other episodes he directed. He did allow for more comedy or silliness in his reactions, and he does appear more relaxed and there's less of a feeling that everything's revolving around him, something that David Soul achieved more naturally, so that you could almost not recognise the episodes he directed if you didn't know. Glaser has a much more recognisable visual style to his work so you can very quickly guess it was him pulling the strings on a given episode. It's good to have a strong personal preference and look, but again I have to say, it needs to function in favour of the series, not be radically different, and not bring in film noir elements for the fun of it. It's not like it was even a darker-hued story in tone or visuals: there are shadows of S&H when they're at HQ, scenes shot there, and particularly in Dobey's office, feel like some late hour, but much of the episode is bright daytime which doesn't suit the mood Glaser brings to proceedings. There's even talk of femmes fatales when we meet Catlin, and Mickie actually shows up at Jack's apartment in such a guise!

As I said, it did get a little better than I thought it was going to, and when it does get going and the camera gets moving, and the story needs to be wrapped up, it does improve a lot. It doesn't really suffer for having no Huggy, and the partnership between S&H is nicely emphasised when Starsky asks Hutch how he expects to avoid meeting the same fate as the other two former students, and gets the reply that he's counting on Starsky. The beach location is really nice, for some reason it felt great to see the sea, and featured good use of a cunning villain that intrigues and about which you want to know more. It looked like a bit of a long shot for Hutch to go on this course to get close to Gage, and largely proved to be for the dramatic impact of voicing opposing views in class rather than a way of wrapping up the case quickly - just how long would he have had to attend the course if things didn't come to light? Doesn't he have other cases that need work, too? An academic that carries out the kinds of crimes he lectures on was too good an opportunity to turn down, but I can only imagine what might have been made of the episode if composition and artistic arrangement hadn't been the main focus of its Director.

There are few of the references we've come to expect, one being Jack's ritual of watching reruns of a TV series called 'The Rookies.' I'd never heard of it, but I assume it was a real thing as we see footage from episodes (Gage even has it on a black and white TV in his car, showing how sophisticated he is, and I must say it is pretty surprising to see an in-car TV in the seventies!). Pinky or Perky, the pig on S&H's desk, actually gets picked up for once and I realised what it was: a money box! Hutch puts something in it and you hear coins rattling around inside. Also, and fitting in with the noir elements, Starsky reprises his Bogart impression in the largely trivial fishing escapade where S&H are double-dating a couple of girls on some quay. It bookends the episode, but could have been in, or filmed for, any story, with no bearing or connection to the main story. It doesn't entirely fit this one, since between seeing the girl at the beginning and end, he's been off with Catlin, so unless he's some sort of James Bond type, it doesn't make sense. I did like what must be considered one of the classic final shots where Hutch pulls the net over Starsky's head for losing his rod! Interesting that Starsky gets beeped by a pager (sounds painful - yes, they made that joke), something we'd not seen before, as usually they're near the Torino and get hailed on the radio. Is this the future for the cops, the beginning of never being free from immediate contact, useful in their line of work, but also rather irritating - I can only imagine what Hutch would have made of mobile phones and their invasion into the privacy of daily life.

One common thread on the series that's been pretty much ignored as they went away from the comedy a little bit and perhaps in order to give Dobey more dignity as a leader, is the Captain's food obsession. I don't know whether the actor was opposed to it or whether it was simply something that was avoided for stylistic reasons, but at last we get a bit of a callback, with the meal in Dobey's office - this time it's all three of them eating together, so not a jab at the portly Captain, though he's his usual bad-tempered self, scowling whenever someone asks him to pass mustard or whatever! He did seem especially cross this episode (maybe the actor wanted to direct, or was uncomfortable with Glaser in the Director's chair?), even so far as saying a rude word when he tells Hutch to get up the coast to Jameson's College, which was a surprise coming out of his mouth! Starsky's apartment makes another semi-appearance as, like Hutch, we're kept out of it. And I noticed a dog on the beach in the background of the shot where Hutch approaches Gage. Was it his? I suspect it was from real people in the area, but it's pretty bad form to get something like that in your shot! There's quite a roundup of familiar faces: Mike Todesco, a returning character, had previously been in 'The Collector,' Gage was played by Peter MacLean who'd previously been Matt Coyle with a dodgy Irish accent in Season 2's 'Iron Mike' (this role much better), Connie Sawyer, a nurse in 'The Set-Up' last season, returns as manager of Jack's rented apartment, and Michele Carey gets a second 'Special Guest Star' billing as Catlin, having previously played Nikki in 'Starsky And Hutch Are Guilty.'

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