by Linda Kay

Original Air Date: December 14, 1977

Directed by: E. Arthur Kean

Cat Out of the Bag Alert! This review contains spoilers for this episode!

Synopsis: Sgt. ‘Pepper’ Anderson (Angie Dickinson) and her team pursue the elusive Q. Waldo Mimsa (Lloyd Nolan), a robber man who dresses as Santa Claus to rob banks and other institutions. But will his underlying motive excuse his actions?

Cat Burglar (Scene Stealer): In his apartment, Waldo stands holding a necklace as he discusses it as a potential gift for an elderly woman with his ginger tabby cat Harry. The cat companion seems less than interested in carrying on his half of the conversation, although he does twitch his tail and purr as a way of letting the old man know he is at least listening.

Not satisfied with Harry’s lack of opinion on the pearl necklace, Waldo sighs, “Oh Harry, with a vagueness like that you’d have a great future in politics. Did you ever think of running?” then adds, “Did you ever think?” Harry just gives him a look.

Waldo sighs after checking his list, realizing how much work he has left to do. Harry reacts by laying back down with a sigh of his own.

Harry is only seen once more sitting on the bed as Waldo is wrapping presents. Amazingly, in a later scene Pepper and Lt. Bill Crowley (Earl Holliman), the latter of whom is understandably getting frustrated with Pepper and her team’s lack of seriousness in approaching the case, search Waldo’s apartment with no Harry in sight. Pepper even comments when they come up empty that they “couldn’t even find a cat.”

Final Mewsings: Without a warrant, cats are aware that they do not need to make their presence known.

Many thanks to Beth for letting us know about the cat in this episode.

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