"Condor's Lair." (Season 2, Episode 20) The show opens with aspiring method actor Star Bright (bland, but good-looking Troy Donahue, you might remember him from such films as "The Godfather" and “Cry-Baby”), filling in for Kookie, telling Stu and Jeff that Kookie (Kookie? Kookie who?) is visiting his mother. Stu is meeting wacky, snooty teenage author and international madcap, Kitten Lang (sex kitten Tuesday Weld, back for another go), at Dino's. Kitten, who's staying at the haunted Hollywood mansion, Condor's Lair, wants Stu to investigate the person who's blackmailing her (she's already paid out two payments of $10,000 each).
Besides being pretentious, Kitten is also troubled over the death of her racing driver lover, Rico Martinique, in an accident where they were both in the car, and by a mysterious figure in white haunting the estate. Is it the ghost of Rico? Back at 77SS, Stu is told he's had a threatening call, telling him to stay away from Kitten, and a threatening visitor, Paname (David Cross, appeared in a few b-movies), Rico's French car mechanic and Kitten's driver and self-appointed bodyguard. Stu teaches the Frenchman not to mess with the USA.
Stu is called back to Condor's Lair, somebody spiked Kitten's hot cocoa with a Mickey Finn. Kitten's guardian, aunt Maggie Lang (Andrea King, WB contract player), tells Stu Kitten thinks someone tried to poison her. Maggie hints that the whole thing might be the product of Kitten's overactive imagination. She says she was unaware of the blackmail. Washed up singer/actor, and pencil-mustached Frank Sinatra, Stacy Noble (Robert Lowery, “Circus Boy”) shows up for his date with the 17-year-old Kitten, who's too upset to see him. Leaving Condor's Lair, a mysterious figure in white takes a pot shot at Stu's car.
Stu questions Stacy, who egotistically thinks Kitten tried to kill herself over him, and that Kitten has an overactive imagination. Leaving, Stu runs into Stacy's wife, Lydia Noble (Jeanne Bates, long career in bit parts), who explains that, though her husband is a cheap Romeo and cradle-robber (and a lousy singer to make matters worse) wooing a minor, she still loves him. Stu assigns Roscoe to investigate Stacy, and he discovers that Stacy has suddenly paid off big losses he ran up at Las Vegas, where he was performing. Stu returns to Stacy's apartment to confront him and discovers Lydia shot dead. Stacy's bank book shows two deposits of $10,000 each.
Stu sends Star Bright to Condor's Lair to protect Kitten. Star and Kitten have a long, pretentious discussion about Transcendentalism before making out. Their make out session is interrupted by a figure in white flitting through the garden. Stu and Roscoe rush over and chase the figure, who has taken a shot at Kitten's bedroom window. Stacy and Paname (dressed in white) join the search for good measure. With all the suspects together, Stu catches the perpetrator and everyone lives happily ever after. Stu asks Kitten what she's going to do now, and is told she's "going to Disneyland", with Star.
Nothing much special, other than Tuesday Weld. Written by Gloria Elmore, who wrote many of the better episodes.
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"The Starlet" (Season 2, Episode 21) Mrs. Donnelly, mother of aspiring actress Kay Donnelly (Kaye Elhardt), heirs Jeff to investigate two failed attempts on her daughter's life. Jeff gets an invitation to the Hollywood Film Club where Kay lives, a rooming house for aspiring actresses and a hornet's nest of estrogen and mean girls, for the Starlet of the Year Award ceremony. When Hollywood romance items Rhonda Saxon (Nancy Valentine, married the maharaja of Cooch Behar), former resident of the club, and actor Derek Rand (Joel Lawrence) announce the winner, it turns out that shy and retiring Ellie Hayes (very cute Jean Blake, who had a low-level career in Hollywood) won rather than favorite Kay. Despondent, Kay runs to her room and apparently commits suicide.
Mrs. Donnelly wants Jeff to continue his investigation, believing Kay wouldn't kill herself over losing the award. Jeff returns to the Club to investigate, getting the lowdown from the Club's receptionist, Marge (well-played by the always reliable Christine Nelson). She tells Jeff that Paula Harding (Diane McBain, played either "bad girls" and "spoiled rich girls", appeared in eight 77SS episodes), Kay's roommate, and Mrs. Wetherby (Linda Watkins, made her name on the stage), the Club's housemother, both disliked Kay. Jeff searches Kay and Paula's room, finding a note in Kay's purse with a description and license plate number of a card on it, only to be caught by Paula. Jeff blackmails Paula into keeping quiet. Later he runs into Paula and talent agent Johnny Kamsler (Howard McLeod) at Dino's. Kamsler tells Jeff Kay lost the Starlet contest because the clip seen by the judges was "a dog." Jeff drives Paula home with a stop so Paula can drop off a letter at her aunts.
A little sleuthing leads Jeff to discover Paula's aunt's place was actually Derek Rand's apartment. Finding out that Rand is at Palm Springs he drops in to pick up Rand's mail to read Paula note, only to get trounced by Rand's roommate and bodyguard, meathead Steve Lucy (Paul Lukather, long career but never made it big). Nursing his injuries back at 77SS, Jeff gets a visit from Ellie, who wants to use her award money to hire Jeff to investigate Kay's death. Jeff sets up a date with Ellie so he can get into the Club and do some sleuthing. Jeff and Kay investigate the projection booth at the Club and discover that Kay's clip was switched. They then search Mrs. Wetherby's room and find that Rhonda Saxon is actually Mr. Wetherby's daughter. Jeff also uncovers that Kay was secretly married to Derek Rand. Wetherby confesses she switched the reels to wreck Kay career and give Rhonda a chance to marry Derek.
Since all roads lead to Rand, Jeff drops in again at Derek's penthouse apartment, and gets clobbered again by Steve Lucy. Steve tells Derek that he got rid of Kay so Derek could marry Rhonda. Jeff, who was just playacting being unconscious gets into a knock down drag out fight with a boy named Lucy, who falls over the balcony of the penthouse's terrace (oddly the same balcony and terrace that Jay North almost fell from in Season 1, Episode 19 “Eyewitness”).
This episode gives TV viewers probably what they wanted from a 77SS episode, a Hollywood setting, glamorous dames, a little mystery and a little humor.
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