Written by JOHN McGREEVEY Directed by WILLIAM WITNEY Guest Cast WHITNEY BLAKE as Sabrina Lane JIM GOODWIN as Emerson Whitby, III BILL FLETCHER as Moran HAL BAYLOR as Tatoo BART BURNS as Jencks LYLE TALBOT aas Frank Nicholson ROBERT FOULK as Virgil Porter FOSTER BROOKS as Harry Tyson STEVE RAINES as Stage Driver HOWARD WRIGHT as Hotel Clerk JUNE SMANEY as Magdalena

Reese & Emerson Whitby, III voice doubles

In a more believable variation on the ubiquitous physical double theme, Reese finds his voice double in the person of San Francisco millionaire Emerson Whitby, III who has come to Laredo to take part in a marathon poker game with several other millionaires and the lovely Sabrina Lane.  After the Rangers thwart an attempt to kidnap Whitby from the stagecoach, Erik comes up with a plan to catch the mastermind of the plot.  He figures it must be someone close to the players who knew Whitby was coming to Laredo.  No one but Frank Nicholson, the host, knows Whitby by sight but the kidnappers know his voice.  Reese will pose as Whitby at the poker marathon with Chad as his valet.  Reese will give the kidnappers the chance to kidnap him and Joe will keep watch so he can track them to their hideout.  Erik plans to guard the real Whitby at the hotel where they will wile away the time playing blackjack.  Everyone but Chad is happy about the plan.  Reese can't believe Chad doesn't want to go along as his servant.  When Erik meets Sabrina, his interest in blackjack with Whitby wanes and he tricks Chad into trading assignments, a deal Chad is happy about until he meets Sabrina.  Reese is not as happy with his assignment when the Captain tells him he can  keep the winnings only if he's willing to also pick up  the losses.

"You sound like me."

Emerson gives thanks for his rescue.

Erik has a plan

that Chad doesn't like.

Joe stays in the background

Emerson waxes eloquent about Sabrina Lane

Chad tries to make Reese look like a millionaire

Erik sees a kindred spirit in Sabrina Lane

Chad not so happy with the trade of assignments

Reese is smitten with Sabrina

Frank the host goes along with the trap

Sabrina, disappointed that Erik is a servant and believing Reese is a millionaire, sets her sights on charming Reese while the poker game goes into the night.  In the meantime, Chad is beating Whitby at blackjack and Joe is keeping watch in the bushes in sight of the millionaire's mansion.  They play until morning when Frank suggests a morning quail hunt.  As expected, Reese is jumped by the kidnappers.  However, he puts up such a good fight that Joe is forced to reach out from his watch post in the bushes and conk him on the head with his gun butt.   The kidnappers take Reese to a shack where they put up with his millionaire demands.  However, when Sabrina sees Reese in a picture of the Company B Rangers and then hears Whitby's voice from behind the door at the hotel, she gets  word to the gang that they have a fake Whitby.  They leave him tied up for Joe to rescue and head to town to grab the real millionaire.  Sabrina distracts Erik, sets a fire in the hotel hallway, then distracts Chad long enough for the gang to stick Whitby in a trunk.  The Rangers rescue Whitby, then stash him in the Ranger barracks with Joe on guard.   They prove Sabrina is the mastermind by catching her when she comes for the ransom money..

Millionaires at play

Sabrina charms Reese

Chad winning at blackjack, at first

Joe naps while waiting for the kidnappers

The quail hunt

Reese puts up a fight

Joe watches

Sabrina fakes a twisted ankle to distract Erik

Reese acts snooty

Sabrina sees a picture of Reese

Company B portrait

Chad starts losing and writing IOU's

A knock at the door to hear Whitby's voice

Joe finds Reese trussed up

but relaxes with a cup of coffee before untying him

Erik is easily distracted

Sabrina starts a fire in the hallway

and in Chad

No trouble distracting him

Whitby is rescued again

Joe is happy to guard him

Sabrina points a gun at Erik

But is overcome & can't charm her way out of it

Chad is happy Whitby didn't collect on Chad's blackjack losses

Until Joe pulls out Chad's IOU's he won from Whitby

And asks Chad how he'll pay

NiteOwl Review:  A good episode for the second season.  They did a nice job of dubbing Neville Brand's voice into the other character.  All four Rangers had a part of the storyline.  Not a top ten but one worth having.   Of course, we're prejudiced.  To us the best episodes have Chad and Joe as a team, usually successfully tricking Reese and unsuccessfully trying to fool the Captain.  This wasn't one of those.

 

TO EPISODE FORTY

Laredo 2nd Year Episode List

Laredo 1st Year Episode List

To Laredo Home Page

To William Smith Fan Site

To Peter Brown Fan Site

Contact us at:  laredofans@williamsmith.org