by Linda Kay
Original Air Date: September 13, 1978
Directed by: Bob Kelljan
Cat Out of the Bag Alert! This review contains spoilers for this episode!
Synopsis: This movie-length third season premiere episode (with a loose tie-in to the new series Vegas) finds the Angels investigating some strange deaths centered around the Tropicana casino run by Frank Howell (Dean Martin).
Cat Burglar (Scene Stealer): Frank’s man-in-waiting and longtime friend Jip Baker (Scatman Crothers) is playing craps in the casino at the start of the episode. Tucked beneath his arm is a patient tuxedo cat. Jip’s cat is a constant companion although no name is ever given to the kitty and no explanation for the cat’s presence is ever made clear.
Frank joins Jip at the craps table and flips a coin which somehow decides what bet Jip is going to make. The cat watches with interest as the dice are thrown.
The bet is a winner! After a quick card trick Frank leaves Jip and the cat to their wagering.
Later in the episode Jip is in Frank’s suite when Sabrina (Kate Jackson) arrives for their late dinner date.
Sabrina actually stops to greet the kitty!
Frank suggests that Jip take the cat for a midnight walk and leave himself and Sabrina alone.
As Jip is walking the cat on a lead outside the casino, a menacing truck (which we already know means no good) drives up behind them with its lights off.
The driver suddenly turns on the truck’s bright lights, blinding Jip as the vehicle runs him down. The cat races to one side of the alley and jumps onto a crate for safety (note this cat actor has a black mark on his lip which the other cat did not).
After the truck drives away, the cat climbs onto the chest of Jip. Even though Jip survives (at least for the time being) and is in the hospital he never asks about his feline friend and the cat is not seen or mentioned again. We do not have any identifications for the cat actors in this episode but we wonder if perhaps they could be some of the members of the Felix Team that appeared as Sil-L in The Fantastic Journey a year before.
Final Mewsings: It pays to teach your cat CPR.
Many thanks to Brian H for letting us know about the cats in this episode.
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