The Partridge Family (TV Series) Go Directly to Jail (1970) User Reviews

Playing in front of a captive audience

[kevinolzak · 7/10 · 3 March 2014]

"Go Directly to Jail" finds the Partridges performing inside a prison, making for a 'captive audience.' The real reason they're there is convict Hank (Stuart Margolin), who wants them to check out some songs he's written; trouble is, the fearsome, hulking Max (Ron Feinberg) hears Keith playing one in his overnight cell, and threatens them for daring to steal HIS songs. Shirley devises a way to see who's telling the truth, by giving both two hours to come up with a song (Hank loses). With only one month before parole, Max winds up using a pseudonym for his songs, as they were private love ballads intended only for his sweetheart Rosie, whom he plans to marry as soon as possible... it'll be seven months before SHE's out of jail! C. Lindsay Workman plays the warden, Ken Swofford the inmate who helps fake the quarantine, keeping the Partridges around for Hank (Reuben gets most of the laughs here). A veteran player from LOVE American STYLE, Stuart Margolin was best remembered for THE ROCKFORD FILES, returning to play the cycling 'Snake' in "A Penny for His Thoughts." There are a total of three songs heard during this episode- the wonderful rocker "Singing My Song," composed by Wes Farrell and Diane Hilderbrand, heard in a different mix than the version that concludes THE PARTRIDGE FAMILY ALBUM (lyrically an excellent choice for a prison, also heard in "Star Quality"); "Only a Moment Ago" (also from TPFA), composed by Terry Cashman and T. P. West, regular producers of Jim Croce, who scored a hit of their own in 1972 with their lengthy "American City Suite"; and "The Love Song" (currently still unreleased), composed by Steve Dossick, which is the ballad Keith plays by himself on acoustic guitar (a more fully fleshed out version appears in "Old Scrapmouth," also unissued). Diane Hilderbrand was no stranger to The Monkees, co-writing "Your Auntie Grizelda," "Early Morning Blues and Greens," "Goin' Down," and "Merry Go Round." Incidentally, Stuart Margolin was, in addition to acting and directing, also a composer, musician and singer, co-writing songs recorded by The Parade, Shango, R. B. Greaves, and Gary Lewis and the Playboys.