In “Only Angels Have Wings,” The Red Baron
(Howard Morris) and his grease-monkey, Sparky (Robert Easton), materialize in
the local graveyard and need a new plane.
They wish to take revenge on the British pilot who shot the Baron down
in World War II: Lord Smedley Hargrove.
Unfortunately, Spenser is a descendant of
the British flyer, and so the ghosts' revenge focuses on him.
The (extreme) budgetary limitations of The
Ghost Busters (1975) come into play a bit in this week’s episode.
In
particular, there are scenes here in which the ghosts of The Red Baron and Sparky
ostensibly take flight in a plane, and attack Tracy, Spenser and Kong.
We never see the plane, even once, only
actors pointing towards the roof of the sound-stage. Similarly, the finale involves Spenser
downing the plane by throwing split pea soup (as thick as fog!) at it.
Again, we don’t actually see the plane crash,
or come down.
This week’s ghost is not a silver screen
monster, either, but a famous historical figure. We have seen this aspect of the series formula before, with “They Went Thataway,” an episode about Billy the Kid. At least when the monster ghosts are inept
fools, no real person's memory is being slandered.
Fans of Mystery Science Theater 3000
will recognize Sparky as Robert Easton, an actor in two films skewered by the
Satellite of Love: The Giant Spider Invasion (1975), and The Touch of Satan (1971).
Outside that singular honor, Mr. Easton had a diverse
and impressive acting career, appearing in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
(1991) and playing a character called Sparks in Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea
(1961).
Next week: “The Vikings Are Coming.”
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