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  • It's a Man's World Night Beat of the Tom-Tom (Season 1, Episode 15)
  • TV Episode | 60 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance

It's a Man's World

Night Beat of the Tom-Tom (Season 1, Episode 15)
TV Episode | 60 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance

What starts off as a seemingly lighthearted Saturday night, ends up a rather grim character study when Nora breaks her date with Tom-Tom to go out with an old boyfriend. Tom-Tom's subsequent journey through the underbelly of Cordella's ...See moreWhat starts off as a seemingly lighthearted Saturday night, ends up a rather grim character study when Nora breaks her date with Tom-Tom to go out with an old boyfriend. Tom-Tom's subsequent journey through the underbelly of Cordella's nightlife is a none too pleasant experience as he battles his own inner demons. In the process, he meets the town minister, played by Russell Johnson who would find fame a couple of years later as the professor on Gilligan's Island. As Tom-Tom is underage, he tries to get a homeless alcoholic to buy him a bottle of booze, a scene that was replayed in American Graffiti a decade later. Makes you wonder if George Lucas recalled it from this show. Tom-Tom basically stalks Nora, trying to find out, none too subtly, if she's slept with the old boyfriend, which is made explicit in the telling. He ends up beat up in an alley behind the bar with the same, sad homeless individual. Ultimately, it's an exploration of Tom-Tom's feelings for Nora which dovetail into his devil-may-care attitude toward life, which may be more complex than he lets on. The characters of Tom-Tom and Wes are exceptionally well drawn in the course of the series. This one could easily have expanded into a neat little low budget character study film. Absolutely brilliant. Written by The Mystic Hedgehog See less
Read more: Plot summary
Director
Writers
David Duncan | James Leighton (as Jim Leighton)
Producer
Composer
Jack Marshall (music score)
Cinematographer
Status
Edit Released
Updated Dec 31, 1962

Release date
Dec 31, 1962 (United States)
Awards
Series awards
2 nominations

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Cast

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14 cast members
Name Known for
Glenn Corbett
Wes Macauley Wes Macauley   See fewer
Ted Bessell
Thomas A. 'Tom-Tom' DeWitt Thomas A. 'Tom-Tom' DeWitt   See fewer
Michael Burns
Howie Macauley Howie Macauley   See fewer
Randy Boone
Vern Hodges Vern Hodges   See fewer
Harry Harvey
Houghton Stott (as Harry Harvey Sr.) Houghton Stott (as Harry Harvey Sr.)   See fewer
Russell Johnson
Rev. Blake Rev. Blake   See fewer
Ford Rainey
The Bum The Bum   See fewer
Pearl Shear
Mrs. Crocker Mrs. Crocker   See fewer
Med Flory
Mahoney (as Med Florey) Mahoney (as Med Florey)   See fewer
Joe Di Reda
Al (as Joe di Reda) Al (as Joe di Reda)   See fewer
Buck Young
Charlie Hanlon Charlie Hanlon   See fewer
Karen Norris
The Hotel Clerk The Hotel Clerk   See fewer
Anthony Spinelli
The Bartender (as Sam Weston) The Bartender (as Sam Weston)   See fewer
Ann Schuyler
Nora Fitzgerald Nora Fitzgerald   See fewer
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