- The tension between a stock worker and his boss in a cardboard packaging plant, over a co-worker they both are in love with, escalates into a major fight. The police are called, but then the boss refuses to press charges against the employee. But the situation only gets worse.—rbecker28
- The episode opens with a confrontation between a laborer called "The Gorilla" (Anthony Franciosa) backed by his 3 co- workers, and the Boss, Buberoso (Nehemiah Persoff). There is great tension between them, exasperation by the boss, disrespect by the Gorilla, and a kind of passive-aggressive support for the Gorilla the remaning workers, who continue their physical labor throughout the scene. The movements of Franciosco scrambling over the high stacks of the merchandise are choreographed almost as a jazz ballet of a jungle animal prancing and swinging in the high trees; and the Gorilla, and his crew, use language that is various levels of beat poetry. The boss, Buberosa is a clumsy man, an awkward square, in sharp distinction to the others.
Defiant and disrespectful, The Gorilla is fired on the spot for outright insubordination, and the Boss storms back to his office, past a trio of worried female office staff, including the very beautiful Rita. Right behind him, and even stormier, stalks in the Gorilla who demands that the Boss leave the place, because he- "the Gorilla" demands it. There is an altercation that ends up outside and brings the police, who call in their superiors.
Frank, much against his will, handles the investigation- which is focused on who called the police and why they claimed somebody was on a rampage. It becomes apparent that the problem is this workplace clash between Buberosa, who inherited the factory 2 weeks ago at the death of his brother. Everyone at the factory agrees that Buberosa doesn;t know the business, 'only the Gorilla knows the inventory".
Rita has a date with the middle aged Burberosa, a picnic lunch on the East River near the factory, and he tells her how he loves her and proposes marriage, tells her he knows he's too old for her, but he'll make it up to her "wall-to-wall vanilla broadloom, even oriental if she wants". He tells her about his place in Florida, they'll go there months every winter then back to New York for the season, whatever she wants, whatever her heart desires".
Afterwards, Rita seeks out the Gorilla, and finds him feeding his pet rat back in the warehouse in a kind of a platform treehouse he's made out of the stacks. He is a kind of a "East of Eden" James Dean character with a streak of the wild boys of West Side Story. They play, he and Rita , say it like jump-rope Rita demands, "One-Two-Three Rita Rockahousie" and he plays with her, chanting it. She cools suddenly, "Guess who I just decided to marry!" she said with and leaves, summoning him.
Buberosa explains to Frank that he has rehired this Gorilla character, that he has done it for Rita - to make her happy. He explains how he has spent years with a woman who made his life miserable, and now that he is free and he can rise to the challenge, nothing matters but this happiness with Rita.
Buberosa comes to understand that Rita is "playing house" in his own factory with "the Gorilla". Cuckolded again, he pursues them and carrying a loaded gun, he shoots to kill his rival. It is Rita that dies, and the Gorilla climbs down with her body in his arms, and places her, lifeless, in the Boss' arms. "I, the Gorilla", he announces, "fire myself". He takes his pet rat in its large cage and walks out, on the street a close-up shows the blood soaking through his shirt. He reaches under the shirt and his fingers are now stained with blood, he must have been shot, too. The episode ends with him walking to the river under the Brooklyn Bridge, dropping down to the ground.
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content