Public Defender The Big Race (1954– ) Online

Frankie Darro was a familiar face in films in the 1930s and early 40s. Like his character in the show, Johnny, he's trying to make a bit of a comeback here in "The Big Race".

When the show begins, Johnny is a jockey who's being held for assaulting another jockey during a race. Johnny tells his long story to Bart Matthews, the public defender. It seems that Johnny was a big- time jockey years ago but he took time out to open a restaurant with his wife...a restaurant that ultimately failed. So now with no money, he's gone back into horse racing....but that transition isn't easy. He's been gone a while and all his successes of the past seem unimportant...especially after he is deliberately knocked off his horse by Eddie. As for Eddie, he's an old protégé of Johnny's but instead of being grateful, he's a sleazy jerk-face. He's mad because Johnny got the girl...though after seeing some of her behaviors during this show, I am not sure that Johnny got the best of it. So where did the assault come into all this? See the show and you'll find out.

In many ways, this episode seemed a lot more like one of Darro's old B-movies than a TV show. This isn't a complaint...more an observation. It's mildly entertaining and worth seeing...but far from one of the better episodes of the series mostly because Matthews' resolution of the whole affair seemed trite and just too simple.