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Burke's Law (1963)/Who Killed Vaudeville?
| Who Killed Vaudeville? | |
| Season 2, Episode 2 | |
| Airdate | September 23, 1964 |
| Production Number | 6111 |
| Written by | Gwen Bagni Paul Dubov |
| Directed by | Gene Nelson |
| ← 2x01 Who Killed the Surf Broad? |
2x03 → Who Killed Cassandra Cass? |
| Burke's Law (1963) — Season Two | |
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Who Killed Vaudeville? is the second episode of the second season of Burke's Law, and the thirty-fourth episode overall.
Special Guest Stars: Jim Backus (Herkimer Witt), William Demarest (Charlie Who), Eddie Foy, Jr. (Claude Jester), Phil Harris (Gus Watt), Gypsy Rose Lee (Miss Bumpsy Cathcart), Gene Nelson (Danny Swift), Gloria Swanson (Miss Lily Boles)
Guest Stars: Shary Marshall (Alpha Zeta), Paul Dubov (Rags McGuire), Kitty Kover (Waitress #1), Joni Webster (Stripper), Bob Bice (Draymen), Phil Arnold (Little Guy (Billy))
With: Eileen O'Neill (Sgt. Gloria Ames)
Contents |
Plot Overview
'You die laughing, I die drinking'...those are among the unfortunate last words of Rags McGuire, a Vaudeville clown who takes a swig from a flask during his act and falls over dead, due to his bourbon being spiked with cyanide. Burke and his men first look at Rags's only possession, a trunk full of pictures and other junk, then pay visits to a number of his contemporaries, all of whom with some sort of grudge against him (not to mention that two of them have experience with cyanide). In the end, that seemingly useless trunk winds up being a major part of solving the case...but just what's in it that's worth killing for?
Notes
Burke pays a visit to the hotel where Rags was staying, run by another former Vaudevillian, Charlie Who (of the team of Witt, Watt and Who), and winds up getting into a twisted take on 'Who's on First' with Mr. Who, played by William Demarest. Likewise, when Les and Tim visit another Vaudeville comic, Claude Jester, Les winds up becoming Jester's straight man for a couple of jokes!
The hotel scene is a lot of fun with various acts performing all at once. There's even an acrobat act that cleans the chandelier!
Burke's visit to Miss Cathcart's School for Girls is also classic...Miss Cathcart, who was Rags's former assistant and named in his will, is teaching the girls how to strip! Naturally, Miss Cathcart is played by Burlesque legend Gypsy Rose Lee.
