Ironside (TV Series) The Happy Dreams of Hollow Men (1970) User Reviews

Apropos for 2017

[savanna-2 · 9/10 · 27 April 2017]

Heroin addiction doesn't change its ugly face, no matter the decade. Joseph Campanella should have gotten an Emmy or Golden Globe nomination at least, if not the trophy.

Plays Ironsides' friend who has found solace from his demons in the haze of heroin. Except the high times ended long ago and now he's caught in the ugly jaws of having to have a fix to function normally.

Unfortunate for him, his dealer isn't that sympathetic, leaving Harry hanging when the Chief shows up for a weekend visit with his old friend.

Campanella, really could chewed the scenery here, since his whole part is a man spiraling into withdrawals, but he keeps it on the right side of the line. Well worth watching. There's a reason it has such a high average score, here on IMDb.

It's just a cold!

[samgslp · 6/10 · 5 January 2014]

A very unusual episode of Ironside pairs the chief with an old friend in a cozy cabin for what is supposed to be a brief, enjoyable visit during which the two men can catch up and have a few drinks. What Ironside doesn't know is that his friend Harry is fighting a personal battle -- addiction. He's hooked, holed up, and is just starting to get the shakes as Ironside arrives.

Harry's connection is supposed to make an emergency delivery but can't make it there and gets stranded at a hotel due to a snowstorm that closes the only road to the cabin. Thus the friendly visit turns into a battle between the desperate addict and the compassionate but tough Chief Ironside. There is no detective work or dastardly plan to thwart. It's completely against the Ironside formula and it would have been a complete disaster were it not for Joseph Campanella's portrayal of an addict in the height of withdrawal.

It is certainly a bit cartoonish at times (more or less "I'm willing to kill to get my fix") but overall it's a fairly accurate portrayal of heroin withdrawal. The exterior of the men melt away as they become vulnerable to each other, and there is nobody to save them. A side plot with Harry's dealer and Mark waiting for the roads to clear is thrown in which reminds us what show we're watching. Otherwise, this is like a slightly above average after school special about addiction that happens to have a terrific performance from Campanella to carry it.