Adam-12 Meet Alex Clarke and Other Unsung Actors

Log 23: Pig is a Three-Letter Word, aired Saturday October 11, 1969 at 8:30.  Season 2, Episode 4. I liked the young actor in this episode, so I did some research on him and the other lesser-known actors in this episode.

Your viewing choices that Saturday night:

This entry will focus on the actors, and a separate post on this episode will focus on the locations. On to the actors:

Actor Byron Mabe had quite a few bit parts on TV shows of the Adam-12 era, including many of my faves (Cannon, Mannix, Police Story, Harry O), but I don't think he reached "Hey, it's that guy!" status. Here he played a most brutal child molester, and Reed was outraged. Rather shocking they had an episode where a five-year-old boy is raped to death, even if it was only talked about and nothing shown.

Byron Mabe was also the star of "The Doberman Gang" in 1972.

Mac finds out this child molester suspect is training dogs to rob banks:

This episode had three other officers with speaking parts but neglected to show their name tags or have their names spoken in conversation. Stuart Thomas and Breland Rice I found on other shows to confirm their identities. The man with the lengthy part and great close-ups didn't get a credit! He had just passed his probationary period and sits down with Reed, who doesn't bother to say his fellow officer's name. Mystery solved: It was Byron Bradley! He appears as the store detective in Season 5, Episode 16, Citizens Arrest- 484. He gets his credit in that one.

In the locker room, these two unnamed officers say much less than the man above, but somehow had character names in the credits! Breland Rice and Stuart Thomas:

The new actor who stands out in this episode is W. Alex Clarke (billed here without the W) as "Jessie Smith," a bit of a peacemaker in a time of tense Black-White relations.

He was the nephew of writer and agent Lillian Cumber, who helped him get started.

Tragically, there was a fire at Ms. Cumber's Hollywood Hills home in 1967. It sounds like the people were alright, but the property damage was probably why the house was soon up for sale. The house still stands and looks great from the outside at least. Alex Clarke is mentioned in the news article on the fire.

His first big role was in a film called "The Learning Tree."

Alex Clarke earned himself an NAACP Image Award. Also, an award went to Gail Fisher of "Mannix" fame. (I love Mannix!)

Sometimes credited as W. Alex Clarke, his credits on imdb are very brief. This one in a 1970 Disney film release (with the omnipresent William Schallert) is not listed. 

I would have enjoyed seeing more of this actor. He passed in 2010. 

The bad guys from this bust:

A familiar face is guest star Herbert Anderson, of "Dennis the Menace" father fame (a show I've never seen.)

A father-son burglar team composed of veteran character actor Ralph Manza and late 60s child actor Tony Fraser keep taking things from Herbert Anderson's home.

Ralph Manza had three Adam-12 appearances and a "Highway Patrol," but not a Mac episode. The man worked right up until his passing at the age of 78.

Child actor Tony Fraser had quite a few credits in the second half of the 60s. 

Was Ellen Corby the female William Schallert for her omnipresence? 

And our lady in the backseat. Groovy dress! A twist on the axe murderer in the backseat urban legend.

Now why didn't this featured player get a credit? And more importantly, what is his name? UPDATE! It's Bryon Bradley! He appears (with a credit) as Parlow in "Citizen's Arrest-484" Season 5, Episode 16. All of the other speaking roles got credits. 

I know Breland Rice's face was hard to get a large shot of, but I matched him to his small appearance as an officer on "The Green Hornet" for confirmation.

Byron Bradley, no credit this time. They already had one "Byron" in the credits. Was that what did it?

I (will) have a separate post for this episode on the locations and cars.

Enter the Dragon and Meet Pete's Stalker: Ahna Capri

Before Ahna Capri was in Enter the Dragon with Bruce Lee, she was Pete Malloy's stalker in "Log 172: The Things You Do for the Job."

Ms. Capri's home movies from "Enter the Dragon" plus her narration on Youtube.

Back to 1969

This is the one where Pete kills a woman and gets away with it. Then he goes back to being a model officer, like nothing ever happened. That's my read-between-the-lines take. If you prefer, he showed up for their date in his Dad Clothes and that turned her right off.

Or maybe he was loud, rude, and puked on her shoes. Maybe she realized it was only the uniform that got her interested in the first place. Either way, he gets rid of her, and this was an insult-your-intelligence kind of episode. 

But we've got actors and locations! 

Opening credits naming who's largely to blame here (but someone higher up had to greenlight it):

The church website at the moment.

Pete is about to find out what happens when you leave North Hollywood. Never veer off Lankershim. Silver Lake isn't your Happy Place. Maybe this experience will learn ya something, Freckles.

Adam-12 patrol the Silver Lake Reservoir loop.  And appear to be driving on the wrong side of the street (!?) in their pursuit of Ms. Capri, "Penny Lang."

Haha, I just got it. Penny Lane. Penny Lang. Was that the joke?

5150

I am not sure when the 5150 Hold began. Was it in use by 1969? A police officer can take you to the hospital for a mental evaluation, and you have to stay up to 72 hours. Not sure if you have to be a danger to yourself for that to happen. Otherwise, a RESTRAINING ORDER might have been the way to go here. Celebrity stalking laws didn't even get started in California until 1990. 

Tip for Malloy: "I already have a girlfriend. I'm engaged. I'm married." Did none of those occur to you?

In a case like this, you need some support from your Brother Officers. Of course, you get NONE.

Instead, a spoiled little rich girl's incessant pursuit of Pete results in him being laughed at by Brother Officers, scolded by his superior, and the assumption made that she's his girlfriend. Telling her off only makes her more determined. And so it unfurls:

It's a real book:

And you're thinking, "I'm so disappointed in this man. Why did he go all spineless? Tell her OFF. The law is on his side. She's harassing an officer. Have her arrested for nuisance calls. Put an END to this, Pete!" But no. Pete gives in. Or does he?

Next day Reed has to pry it out of him.

Apparently Anna's name, being European, was always pronounced "AH" like "open wide and say ahhh," but it kept getting Americanized to rhyme with "can," so she put the H in to correct people. Even though she was not a child actor at this point, she was a child actor once. 

Sadly, Ms. Capri died in 2010 after being in a coma following a horrific crash in, yes, North Hollywood.

Her Hollywood Reporter obituary is archived here.

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