Hawaii Five-O (TV Series) I'm a Family Crook - Don't Shoot! (1972) User Reviews

Oh, those Lovejoys!

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 10 December 2010]

Andy Griffith and Joyce Van Patten play one of the nicest couples you will see on "Hawaii Five-O". Other than the fact that they are grifters who love swindling suckers, they are awfully good parents and are hard to hate. Unfortunately, during the course of one of their swindles, they accidentally steal mob money and their days on the Earth appear very, very limited! They now need to decide whether to work with Five-O or try their luck avoiding almost certain death.

I think one of the reasons this episode works so well is the casting. you just can't hate Griffith and Van Patten since they both usually played such nice people and looked so wholesome. In addition, the show seemed a bit lighter and more of a sense of humor tan usual--resulting in a nice change of pace that's worth seeing.

The family that cons together, stays together!

[garrard · 9/10 · 13 March 2007]

Fresh from his eight-year stint as good-guy sheriff "Andy Taylor" on his legendary self-titled comedy series, Andy Griffith plays a character on the other side of the legal coin, the patriarch in a family of con artists. The trio runs afoul of some Hawaiian mobsters and find themselves in deadly peril and eventually depend on McGarrett and company to get them out of their precarious predicament.

The entire episode is played for laughs with even the deaths of three hoods having a bit of macabre humor.

Morton Stevens, as always rises, to the occasion musically by creating a whimsical score to compliment the on-screen action.

Prior to the production of this episode, it was announced that both Griffith and Carol Burnett would be appearing in it. For some reason, Burnett didn't appear and the wife's role fell to Joyce Van Patten, sister of Dick. She does admirably in the part, holding her own with the more experienced Griffith.

The episode also features Harold Sakata, famous to Bond fans as "Oddjob" from "Goldfinger." His appearance is another bonus to one of the best in the show's run.

Incredible car explosion, dueling mobs determined to locate some grifters.

[FloridaFred · 9/10 · 19 October 2021]

The booby-trapped car that explodes in this show makes the entire episode worth watching! Spectacular camera work; kudos to the special effects/demolition team that produced this scene.

Yes, Andy Griffith is stereotyped,he will always be "Sheriff Andrew Jackson Taylor" of Mayberry, North Carolina. So what? Leonard Nimoy will always be "Mr. Spock" on the Starship Enterprise, even though he later acted in numeorus other shows. Forget Sheriff Taylor... Andy Griffith does a great job portraying grifter "Arnold Lovejoy" in this episode of Hawaii Five-0.

Yes, there is a lighter side to this story, in spite of the cold blooded mob killings and other threats. McGarrett actually seems to take a liking to this family of swindlers. Even so, it is an engaging and suspenseful story.

I have to ding this one star, because in reality, you can't teach children to steal, lift wallets, and swindle store clerks (the "Do you have change for a quarter?" scene with young actress Kimberly Louis as "Melissa Lovejoy" is absolutely classic).

"I'm a Family Crook!" gets 9 stars out of 10!

Andy Griffith Circa 1970s.

[Resurgum · 10/10 · 26 February 2013]

Andy Griffth is the patriarch of a grifter family that accidentally rips off the mob. A very interesting episode that is funny, but also has a well played bad guy. A Cadillac is blown up in impressive fashion in this one. A door is given the St. Valentine's Day massacre treatment. The child actor also did a solid job playing the Lovejoy's pride and joy. I like how you could tell that McGarret liked the Lovejoys even though they are crooks.I saw this episode for the first time today on MeTV and it's an episode I could watch over and over again.

Andy Griffith in the 1970s, Joyce Van Patten playing his wife, an episode with some real humor, gotta love it.

Lovejoy Oh Boy!!! A Good One!!!

[donnamariejones · 8/10 · 16 April 2023]

I liked this episode a lot. I thought the acting was great snd loved the main guest stars in their I agree with one of the other reviewers about the issue of character roles. It was a great episode even being it was in. Lighter mood than usual even considering the crimes committed. Almost comical especially at the end which made it interesting too teaching the child to swindle and lie therefore took two points away for that. I felt that the less serious tone helped to carry the episode better. I like H-5-O a C a lot but some episodes were hard to follow because and keep my attention because it made some episodes boring, too serious and sometimes too involved and confusing with follow.

Against Type

[VetteRanger · 8/10 · 10 January 2023]

After Andy Griffin's LONG run as Sherriff Andy Taylor, the wise father and laid-back, savvy town lawman, Griffin wanted to branch out a bit in the 70s, and he played a few bad guys ... a couple REALLY bad.

Here, he's not REALLY bad, but his character and wife and tween daughter are competent cons who can whip up a few hundred bucks anytime the need to.

Unfortunately, in this story they rip off the wrong guy, taking one hundred grand from the bagman of a nasty underworld figure ... so nasty he shoot dead the bagman instead of waiting to find out if he's telling the truth about getting rooked out of the cash.

Can the Lovejoy's survive a maze of deadly threats? Will they let 5-0 help?

Weak, in All Areas

[samwa-27311 · 7/10 · 27 July 2019]

Firstly, it's impossible for a 5-O episode, to have a light, or somewhat humorous element.

It's a very serious show. I've seen all 259 episodes.

Absolutely, miscasting Andy Griffith, especially within just a few years of the end of the Andy Griffith show.

It does not look appropriate, to have such a legendary, moral character, play a criminal, and cheapens his image, greatly.

Script wonders around, changes.

Van Patten is all right, but becomes so angry at the daughter, almost maniacal.

Absolutely far fetched, that McGarrett is so lenient with the Lovejoys, and twice.

Totally unbelievable.

He never has done this.

More.