Charlie Ruggles of "Bringing Up Baby" plays an amiable old codger in the first season "Laredo" episode "A Taste of Money" who likes to invent things and has an affinity for all things mechanical. As Major John Cane, the elderly Ruggles is not only a mite absent-minded, but he also is an unwitting kleptomaniac. For example, when Reese and he conclude a conversation and get up to leave, the Major will appropriate Reese's Stetson without the least qualm and wear it out the door. This habitual characteristic comes in handy later in this lightweight farce directed by veteran helmer William Witney of "40 Guns to Apache Pass" and concisely penned by "Shaft" scenarist John D.F. Black.
The opening moments find us in Laredo as a crowd of ill-tempered bank depositors are complaining vociferously about being unable to draw out their money because the door to the vault is mysterious stuck, and the cashier cannot open it. The Major and Reese show up, and the Major-operating like a skilled surgeon-taps the vault door with a metal bar and then strikes a tuning fork. He repeats this procedure and the door opens to the amazement of the crowd of spectators. Among the on-lookers seekers are Ezekiel Fry (Noah Beery, Jr. of "Red River") and Sebastian 'Sab' Melendez (Robert Yuro of "The Hell with Heroes"), two outlaws who have a soft spot for banks. Fry gets the idea that the Major could aid and abet them in their robberies. Initially, Sebastian objects, but Fry wins him over. They send in one of their gang, Fred Partens (Jim Goodwin of "Ice Station Zebra"), to persuade the Major to ride with him to Porfiero, Texas, to open another jammed safe. Hoodwinked by Partens, the Major accompanies him and opens the bank. Fry and company make out like bandits, and the Major realizes that he has been taken for a ride. He refuses adamantly not to help Fry, until Fry engineers the kidnapping of Reese. The three Rangers, Reese (Neville Brand of "Stalag 17"), Chad Cooper (Peter Brown of "The Wedding Planner"), and Joe Riley (William Smith of "Platoon Leader"), ride into Porfirio, and nobody comes out to greet them except for a lonesome dog.
Fry warns the uncooperative Major that he plans to take Reese hostage and use the Texas Ranger as a bargaining chip to convince the Major to do their bidding. Reese leaves Joe and Chad, and Fry and his men assault Reese and take him back to their hideout in an abandoned livery stable. Reluctantly, after watching them use Reese as a punching bag, the Major relents and agrees to help Fry. Since their next hold-up is rather complicated, the Major has assigned each outlaw with a specific task. They stage a rehearsal of the bank robbery, so that everything will go smoothly. Meanwhile, Joe and Chad are following the dog that they have provided with Reese's scent. The robbery that the Fry gang is rehearsing appears elaborate, with most of them using block & tackle to move about over a two-story building. While the outlaws are going through the scenario that the Major has designed for them when the rob the Porfirio bank, he releases Reese, and the finale begins. No sooner does this happen than Joe and Chad enter the livery stable after a lengthy search and the dog's unerring nose finds Reese.
This "Laredo" episode is hilarious. The Major walks off with everybody's headgear. Don't miss this wonderful show.
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