71. Blueprint for Betrayal

Sally Eston, Jack Allis, Lawrence Strum: Bank Robbery.

Original air date: 10 December 1967
This episode rerun 15 September 1968

Pete Duel’s role here is a repeat of his 1965 appearance on the series. Once again, he plays a bad guy. And he drives another crummy-looking blue car: A 1961 blue Ford sedan, whose paint job is oxidized by the sun. In 1965, he drove a 1960 model!

And like the fourth episode, Inspector Lewis Erskine frets over the situation of a young lady. Carol Lynley (Lynn Hallert) is not Barbara Erskine, but rather a young lady whose life has turned upside down because of mistaken identity. She has a 1962 Ford Galaxie; the getaway car is a 1963.

This is a turbulent episode, in which Ms. Lynley’s character is assaulted by her employer. Her boyfriend, who rescues her, is one of the actual bank robbers. The two drive from Florida to Los Angeles, where he hooks up with Lloyd Smith (Victor French). There, another job is planned, this time in Long Beach.

• By this time, Pete Duel had performed in the series Love On A Rooftop (1966-67). His outspoken nature may have cost him future guest roles on The FBI. He would star in Alias Smith and Jones. He tragically took his life on 31 December 1971, and is buried in his hometown of Penfield, NY.
• Victor French (1934-89) already had a recurring guest spot on Get Smart! as Agent 44. He went on to star with Michael Landon in Little House on the Prairie and on Highway to Heaven.