The Partridge Family Bulletin Board

[Scott]

Go Directly To Jail
Written by Dale McRaven • Directed by Claudio Guzman • Produced by Paul Junger Witt
Original Air Date: November 27, 1970

The Partridges agree to perform for a captive audience -- the convicts at a Federal Penitentiary! But, when the prison is placed under quarantine, they must spend the night!
Guest Cast: Stuart Margolin, Ron Feinberg, Ken Swofford, Lindsay Workman, Ben Frank, Ron Pinkard, Frank Baron

Songs:
"Singing My Song," music and lyrics by Wes Farrell and Diane Hilderbrand (on The Partridge Family Album)
"Only A Moment Ago," music and lyrics by Terry Cashman and T.P. West (on The Partridge Family Album)

Tube Trivia:
• The exterior prison scenes for this episode were actually soundstages at Sunset/Gower -- Screen Gems' main backlot in Hollywood.
• Stuart Margolin also appeared in Episode 54. He was a regular on "Love American Style," "The Rockford Files," and is currently a well-known director in Hollywood.
• Ken Swofford is best known for playing principal Quentin Morloch on the TV series, "Fame." He also appeared in Episode 90.
• Ron Pinkard was a regular on "Emergency!"
• Claudio Guzman was a staff director for "I Dream of Jeannie" from 1966 - 1970.
• Dale McRaven was the Story Editor for "The Partridge Family." He went on to produce and co-create such shows as "Mork & Mindy," "Laverne & Shirley," and "Perfect Strangers."
• Songwriters Wes Farrell and Diane Hilderbrand also wrote "When We're Singing," the theme song for the first season.

[Scott]

This episode really makes good use of the Sunset/Gower studios. Director Claudio Guzman really knew the lot like the back of his hand, having directed almost all of the "I Dream of Jeannie" episodes here, during the previous 5 years (1965-1970). In various interviews, Shirley Jones remembers filming exteriors for this episode in an actual penitentiary. But, it was actually the backlot -- between soundstages -- at the Sunset Gower studios in Hollywood. Believe it or not, the area didn't need too much dressing to make it look like a prison, where the family performs outdoors. (Pics to come).

When the bus drives through the entrance to the "jail," it's actually driving onto the backlot off of a side street called North Beechwood Drive, which was off of Fountain Avenue. North Beechwood Drive used to run directly through the Studio lot. Today, all entrances on Fountain are closed off. (Pics to come.)

I really enjoy hearing David/Keith sing a portion of "Love Song" in this episode. It makes me wonder if there's a recording of him somewhere, singing the whole song, complete with music and backing vocals. Hmmm -- what are the chances . . .

[Dean-o]

Hi Scott, just wanted to say thanks for any and all the information you pass along in this section, after having seen every episodes dozen(s) of times, it's nice to watch with a new perspective with the info and pics that you have been posting. This is a good episode to watch cause I can remember taping this episode on audio tape and listening to it back over and over and over ........ well you get the point. Thank you.

Dean-o

[KathySTL]

Still keeping up with the Friday night tradition... well to the extent that I haven't went to bed yet.

Fun episode. Once again, a road story. Liked the realism in the concert in that they actually sang 2 songs in a row. (Singing my Song and Only a moment ago from PF Album)
Usually we only get one song in the performance scenes which while is important for time, especially in the latter seasons where the shows are more home oriented, its nice to see the group do a set more like a real group would do in concert. Of course, there is a neat touch of continuity when you realize that in a few more episodes, we will hear the Love Song being performed in "Old Scrapmouth". Proof that they did indeed buy it from Max, even though its not mentioned later. Makes a bit more sense than All of the Things being sung last week and that same melody supposedly being written by Bobby Conway in the season finale even though it has the "Stephanie" lyrics by Lionel.

Keith seems to be the one least bothered by the night in the jail cell, however Reuben is hilarious in this episode. All in all fun.
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Kathy in St. Louis

[KathySTL]

one more thing.

Cute touch that the Family is performing in their Blue Velvet costumes since the prisoners are also wearing blue outfits.
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Kathy in St. Louis

[Lu groovychick1970]

[kiethlives]

Hi all,
So glad people are participating in this club. I haven't responded for the past few weeks, but have been reading other comments. Thanks to Scott for being such a great PF Pal especially with his crazy schedule right now. Anyway, I think this episode is cool for all the reason already stated and that it has a great early 70s context. I'm specifically thinking of the Johnny Cash smash album 'Live at Folsom Prison' and the PF seem to be playing off that. I just saw an episode of the Mod Squad in which a Johnny Cash imitation is killed. Mr. Cash was so big on TV then, his image was crossing over everywhere! And yes, Keith was very calm, maybe it's because they let him have it guitar in the cell. Without it his inner 'Rueben' may have come out! LOL.

[goodyj]

This is a great episode. I have always liked Stuart Margolin and am looking forward to his reappearance as Snake (subbing for Rob Riener) late in the series. And to tell you the truth, I could have listened to even more songs (imagine a real PF concert, that would be so cool). Both songs are full of the harmonies I love so well.

Rueben gets to be neurotic, Keith gets to display his expertise as a musician and Shirley gets to stand up to a really big scary thug (who has a soft heart). The prison jokes were cute and the songwriting contest was clever (I would have enjoyed it more to hear the submissions performed by Keith or the prisoners themselves, but then again, nobody asked me for my ideas...). Putting the family in another of a variety of performance situations was a part of what made the show so special for me and I have always liked these episodes the best.

Not my all time favorite episode, but above average.... What do the rest of you think?

Jeff

[Daydreamer72]

Hey, Jeff:

This is definitely one of my personal favorites from the first season in that it was just hilarious from beginning to end IMHO! Especially the bit where Reuben winds up spending the night in a jail cell with the calm, reflective Keith, and that perpetual thorn-in-Reuben's-side, young, rambunctious Danny Partridge! And it's always amusing to see the pretty and petite Mother Partridge clearly unintimidated by her initial encounter with the giant hulk of a songwriter. His line, "You sayin' I ain't tender?" always breaks me up!

And I just LOVE the songs included, especially "Only A Moment Ago" -- which seems to have more and more meaning for me as the years go by. :wink:

Sabrina
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I wouldn't have missed it for the world.

[TVGord]

I think I want Only A Moment Ago played at my funeral. I can't wait!!! ;-)

I don't have a whole lot to add to all of your great comments, but there is one cringeworthy moment in the episode that always makes me want to bury my head in a pillow. It's where Shirley says to the prisoners in the audience that, "in some real way, we're all prisoners". I'm surprised that patronizing line didn't start a prison riot!

Still, it was a fun episode, and I also like Stuart Margolin. I'm seeing him a lot these days, with Love American Style running on TV Land Canada.

[kiethlives]

Ohhhh, I soooo cringe at that line too. I try and block it out, and here you are reminding me of it. Yes, little Shirley Partridge a prisoner in her own mind. Surprising , rocks weren't thrown at her little blonde head.

[Greely Winger]

Reuben uses the same thermometer as the prisoner before him, who is supposed to have the dreaded disease- how unsanitary!

Darryl