BANACEK
1972-1974 NBC
BATTYCEK
Grin #3, April 1973
w: Fred Wolfe (Paul Laikin)
a: Jack Abel
Banacek was one of several alternating series that comprised
The NBC Mystery Movie which also included
Columbo and
McMillan and Wife. There were all kinds of detectives on TV in the early 70s with various gimmicks. Cannon was obese, Ironside was disabled, McCloud was a cowboy, etc. Banacek (George Peppard)'s was just that he said an ancient Polish proverb every week that related to his case as a private insurance investigator.
This parody doesn't stick to the premise much except as it's an excuse to make Polish jokes. It's not so widespread now, but in the seventies, people were open about making one-note ethnic jokes. There were paperbacks of them in drugstores right next to crossword magazines. Poles' one note jokes were about how stupid they were supposed to be.
“Watta Goniff” isn't based on anybody. He looks more like Hercule Poirot. Come to think of it, Battycek doesn't really look like George Peppard, he's more modeled after the “simpleton” archetype based on Lennie of
Of Mice and Men.
Eldridge Cleaver was the original ACAB activist.
One of the suspects is Cannon.
Another suspect is Marlon Brando as The Godfather.
