The Wild Wild West (TV Series) The Night of the Poisonous Posey (1966) User Reviews

There's No Justice In an Unjust Hanging

[DKosty123 · 8/10 · 22 December 2009]

West & Artie ride into a hangman's noose in Justice, Nevada right at the start of this episode. When West uses one of his gadgets to stop the inevitable, the Sheriff (played by Shug Fisher- Shorty Kellums on the Beverly Hillibillies) tries to make out that the whole incident was just a joke to start a Justice celebration.

It turns out to be some celebration as a convention of all the top mob dogs in the country turns out to be going on in Justice too. Artie manages to get into the meeting & then West & Artie try to find out what the meeting is really about.

This episode works petty well. West & Artie actually break a sweat on the hang mans platform right at the start of this one.

In Justice

[a_l_i_e_n · 30 August 2007]

While passing through the little town of Justice, Nevada, Jim and Arte stumble upon a summit meeting of international criminals. One of the most enjoyable aspects of "The Night Of The Poisonous Posey" is the cast of colourful criminals that includes:

-Cyril, the world's sweatiest pyromaniac

-the metal glove wielding Brutus (played by one of the great movie trailer narrators, Percy Rodriguez)

-the chairperson of the criminal board, the ruthless Lucrese Posey (British actress Delphi Lawrence)

-and as the dapper gangster, Ascot Sam, Ross Martin gets to play one his funniest characters. Under a bowler hat and carrying a bamboo cane he dances into a board room meeting just in time to save West from being shot by Miss Posey. Particularly amusing is the part in which Martin's carefree pose evaporates into nervous anxiety as West appears ready to expose him as a "fink".

Director Alan Crosland Jr. orchestrates the action sequences with lots of neat setups and effective editing. Also impressive is Robert Conrad's dedication to doing his own stunts as in one scene in which a charging horse comes mighty close to trampling the actor's leg. The most interesting scene is an extended sequence in which West and Gordon are stalked in an ice house by a villainous gunslinger (H.M. Wynant). Not a word is spoken as the three characters stealthily move about a visually interesting backdrop of stacked ice cakes. Finally, there's the second season's most impressive prop: a revolving pipe organ that also functions like a gigantic revolver firing round after round as it plays a single mournful note.

With lots of action and a particularly strong guest cast, "The Night Of The Poisonous Posey" is a solid season 2 entry.

Entertaining

[aramis-112-804880 · 3 March 2024]

After thinking they're invited to a necktie party, West and Gordon find a celebrating community is hosting a board meeting of crooks trying to organize, who then target our favorite secret service agents.

Once again a great idea is spoiled by WWW biting off more than it can chew. With Percy Rodriguez and H. M. Wynant among the crooks (for connoisseurs of great TV supporting actors) they have enough material for a full movie squeezed into the space of a single episode, which means some of the bad guys get short shrift (though some of them are too weird to deserve much attention). Oh, and don't forget Shug Fisher as the Sheriff.

Still, with so much going on, we don't hit dull, talky passages. And Gordon gets to try on one of his most entertaining disguises.