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Screencaps for Ep 4.21 added

I have just added the screencaps for Superstar to the episodes' page. A cop from Manhattan, Bert D’Angelo - famous for his immaculate arrest and conviction record in New York City - is coming to San Francisco in order to catch an alleged key witness regarding the slaying of his partner, Mickey. Arriving in a club in downtown San Francisco, D'Angelo immediately commences his search for the supposed witness, Joey Latham. Thanks to some information he had received in New York already, D'Angelo's first destination, the Mecca Club bar, is a full hit. But before he can detain Latham (who can escape the scene), however, SFPD cops arrive, taking D'Angelo into custody when they find him threatening Latham with his gun. Mike and Steve are requested to co-operate with D'Angelo, but the New York City cop's abrasive and obnoxious way of dealing with people drives Mike up the wall - whereas Steve is pretty amused. D'Angelo asks them for help - which is granted - but Mike makes clear he is "a guest, just like any other tourist", and he would not take anybody out of San Francisco unless the person wants to go or unless he's extradited, or over Mike's dead body. That being said, the trio tracks down Latham's footprints. D'Angelo's unconventional way and knowledge about Latham's habits ("He's like a brother to me") takes them to the glittering red-light district and Latham's girlfriend, Valery. While Stone and Keller are waiting by the car, D'Angelo can convince Valery to tell him Latham's whereabouts but when they find him, Latham is anything but co-operative in Bert D'Angelo's understanding. Latham confesses he does not have any knowledge about the trap set for D'Angelo's partner, but Bert would not let him go. This demands Mike and Steve to hold him back leaving Latham unchecked. Little does anybody know that the New York syndicate has sent a killer down to San Francisco, Charlie Miller, in order to silence any possible witnesses for the murder of D'Angelo's partner. Miller finds Valery and, subsequently, Joey Latham, and in a scuffle Latham hits Miller's shoulder with Miller's gun but falls out of his apartment's window and dies. Now it's a race against the clock. D'Angelo has pulled ahead after Stone wanted him to get to the airport and on an airplane back to New York. Miller's injury is the key now: he needs medical treatment but cannot go and see a regular hospital or doctor's office. Both, D'Angelo as well as Stone and Keller know that, so they try to find a physician from the New York area whose license was revoked and who is now living in San Francisco. The doctor, Anton Pravek, is found, and although he did not help Miller with his injury, he knows where Miller is located. D'Angelo gets there first, only to find that Miller has left. A circled schedule for ship passages leads him to a freighter bound for Buenos Aires via Los Angeles (the schedule entry says "London Queen" for the ship's name but the actual freighter at the pier is named "Pioneer Contractor"). Being taken by surprise and almost thrown overboard by Miller, D'Angelo is finally saved by Mike and Steve. In the epilogue, Bert comes to see Mike and Steve in their office. Mike is just leaving, reminding D'Angelo he should not miss his flight back to New York City. Bert makes fun with Steve, eventually thinks about moving over to San Francisco, and finally leaves the office with a blinking "Frisco's finest ... but you wouldn't last ten minutes in New York!".

This episode is a real fountain of downtown filming locations. Bert D'Angelo (and later Miller) both arrive at San Francisco International Airport, and the production company offers nice landing shots of typical 1970's traffic at SFO, actually. There's quite many locations between Union Square, Tenderloin and Market Street, some more in North Beach and on Telegraph Hill. When trying to catch-up with the sea freighter on which D'Angelo intends to detain Charlie Miller, Mike and Steve embark a US Coast Guard cutter on Yerba Buena Island.
It should be noted this particular episode was meant to be the 'starter' for another Quinn Martin crime series, not by chance dubbed "Superstar" and starring Paul Sorvino as Det. Bert D'Angelo who relocated from New York City to San Francisco and "shaking up the town like an earthquake" as a contemporary ABC promotional ad announced. I must admit I have never been that much of a fan of Streets episode "Superstar" since I somehow could not buy D'Angelo's very different character and way of working for the force in contrast to our two cops. In this respect, I was not surprised that the series "Superstar" did not even reach the completion of its first season; ABC discontinued the program early after episode 11. Still, I need to make up my own mind but have not found any source for the series yet.

 

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