MovieChat Forums > The Wild Wild West (1965) Discussion > Best Disguises

Best Disguises

posted 11 years ago by a_l_i_e_n
21 replies | jump to latest

This has been done before, but that thread disappeared long ago and I think it's worth revisiting.

Count Draga from "The Night Of The Iron Fist". Artie disguises himself as a Bosnian nobleman, complete with a metal hand. A somewhat tougher assignment for Ross Martin, too, as he's actually imitating another existing character in the story, and does a nice job of it, too. They also do well making him up to look like the Mark Lenard-portrayed Count, and he gets to be regal and pompous, and then in the second half, extremely funny when the Countess Zorana shows up to complicate matters. It's also neat how he creates dissension among his captors and then helps them off the train by opening the door whenever one gets knocked in his direction. Also, Ross Martin always seemed to look best with a little facial hair, and he wears both that and his red jacket very well indeed. The scenes aboard the train are actually more engaging than West transporting the real Count through the badlands.

[–] 11 years ago

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[–] a_l_i_e_n 11 years ago

I've been looking through some third seasoners lately. I'll have to check out "Night Of The Arrow" again.

[–] a_l_i_e_n 11 years ago

Lt. Greeley from TNOT Arrow

I just watched that one. What a bad episode. Weak premise; poor editing; lousy sets (what was that pool with the single strand of bubbles supposed to be?); they never explain how Arte survived being shot while playing the Chief; they let the General's daughter escape (we're assured that she'll be picked up later), and we don't even get to see the General's reaction to learning that his daughter was behind the plot. No, Pres. Grant just mentions back at the train that the guy resigned. Talk about an under-written, unsatisfying episode. However, yes, I will say that Arte's Lt. Greeley with the eye twitch who later transforms into a shaggy drifter is indeed good work by Ross Martin.

[–] 11 years ago

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[–] alpha128 11 years ago

In TNOT Cossacks, if you look closely at bottom of the screen when Jim first lands on the ledge you will see a hand quickly pulling out of the frame. It's approximately 32 minutes and 22 seconds into the episode.

Here's a screenshot:

http://i.imgur.com/szGNyeE.png

Must be the same hand that was holding down Sutekh's chair in the Doctor Who serial "Pyramids of Mars" :

http://wifeinspace.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/mars.mp4

[–] 11 years ago

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[–] a_l_i_e_n 11 years ago

the scene with West falling onto the ledge in the cave pit was recycled for the fourth season episode TNOT Cossacks.

Yes, wasn't that cheap? But I think that was the last episode, so I guess they didn't see the point in going to the trouble and expense of coming up with a new jeopardy for him to escape. West, trapped in a wooden box, goes down the same log run in more than one episode, too.

[–] 11 years ago

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[–] alpha128 11 years ago

Of course there was the recycled bit in TNOT Plague where he descended from a cliff, taken from TNOT Jack of Diamonds. - newdickmorris

That was more than a bit. That was a lot of reused footage. They also reused spooky mansion in a thunderstorm at night stock footage in both Season 2's "TNOT Tottering Tontine" and Season 4's "TNOT Bleak Island".

[–] 11 years ago

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[–] a_l_i_e_n 11 years ago

They also reused spooky mansion in a thunderstorm at night stock footage in both Season 2's "TNOT Tottering Tontine" and Season 4's "TNOT Bleak Island".

And "...Bleak Island" featured some storm-tossed sea footage that sure looked like it came from the "Gilligan's Island" opening.

[–] alpha128 11 years ago

And "...Bleak Island" featured some storm-tossed sea footage that sure looked like it came from the "Gilligan's Island" opening. - a_l_i_e_n

Yes, that footage in "TNOT Bleak Island" looked like it came from the "Gilligan's Island" opening. Furthermore, when the boat docks on the island, it looks nothing like the "tiny ship" in the stock footage.

[–] NBVautrain 11 years ago

You couldn't even tell it was Artie in "The Night of the Avaricious Actuary." as the gas meter dude.

A shining rewards a small journey backwards in time brings.

[–] alpha128 11 years ago

You couldn't even tell it was Artie in "The Night of the Avaricious Actuary." as the gas meter dude. - NBVautrain

I think you forgot to add a after your comment. I'm sure you know that wasn't Ross Martin the whole time.

...Ross Martin broke his leg in the shooting gallery scene. After a quick change, a stand-in actor was made up as the gas meter man to complete the scene. - Kesler, Susan. The Wild Wild West, the Series. Downey, CA: Arnett Press, 1988, p. 190.

[–] 11 years ago

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[–] alpha128 11 years ago

lol

I've heard that the gas meter guy was played by Martin's stunt double. Was that ever confirmed? - newdickmorris

I don't know who it was. But it wouldn't surprise me if they did use Martin's stunt double.

[–] NBVautrain 11 years ago

Dude wasn't Bob Herron, Martin's stunt double.

A shining rewards a small journey backwards in time brings.

[–] 11 years ago

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[–] NBVautrain 11 years ago

Watched the part again on YouTube. Doesn't look like Herron to me, but who knows.

A shining rewards a small journey backwards in time brings.

[–] a_l_i_e_n 11 years ago

Feliz Munez in "The Night Of The Falcon". Arte disguises himself as a representative of a Spanish crime syndicate sent to bid on The Falcon's super cannon, and he really stands out in an episode filled with colourful characters. Gregarious and charming, and, when the role calls for it, snide and arrogant. I especially like his line "isn't that extra-ordinary!". Looks good in the van dyke beard, too. I think Martin should've gotten an emmy nomination for his performance in this superior third season episode.

[–] a_l_i_e_n 11 years ago

As Shakespearian actor Jonathan Ashley Kingston in "The Night Of The Running Death", Ross Martin gets to play what seems like a pretty openly gay character, which must've been fairly daring to attempt back when such characters were not too often represented. When it comes to flamboyance, even Nick Adams' evil prince in "The Night Of The Two-Legged Buffalo" seems restrained compared to Martin's portrayal. The best disguise in this episode, however- and maybe in the entire series- has to be T.C. Jones as Mrs. Tyler. With the slight criticism of an accent that doesn't sound particularly British, Jones is extremely convincing and probably should've been emmy nominated.

Weird ending to this episode, too, with what seems like the closing scene as the Princess bids Jim and Artie farewell being followed by yet another moment in which the boys are playing poker. It's as if the editor ran out of the footage and tacked on something else to fill the required running time. No gadgetry at all either, but there sure is plenty of fighting going on.