The evil Lois Graham
Lois Graham (Bethel Leslie; 1929-1999) is the hidden main villainess from "Search in the Dark," episode 7.10 of Mannix (airdate November 25, 1973).
Introduction[]
Lois Graham is the second wife of Howard Graham, as well as the stepmother of Howard's daughter, Terry Graham, who was attacked in the episode's opening scene. She was shown being visited by Joe Mannix regarding both Howard and Terry, as the attack occurred during their meeting, with Lois voicing her concern for Terry as well as Howard's strange behavior. At that moment, Mannix asked Lois about the Auroras, a valuable jewel collection, stating that Howard had taken the collection (which belonged to Terry's grandmother) and given a brooch from the collection to Terry for her birthday.
Lois was later phoned by the hospital and informed that Terry was awake and responding, after which Lois and Mannix visited Terry and asked about Howard and the collection. As the episode progressed, it was uncovered that Jonah had an arrangement with Howard regarding the Aurora; however, Jonah was found shot to death inside the safe from his store.
Heel Turn/Reveal[]
Lois' heel turn and reveal as the mastermind
Meanwhile, Mannix received a call from a distressed Lois, who claimed that a man was holding her hostage and was demanding the Auroras in exchange for her release. Mannix, after finding the Auroras, dropped off the collection at a nearby beach, and watched as a man in a scuba diving outfit took the jewels. Mannix tracked the man, revealed as Tony Lassiter (a henchman for Hamilton Starr), to his house and demanded Lois' whereabouts, with Tony revealing that Lois was in the bedroom. Lois appeared to have been drugged, after which Mannix turned his attention to Tony while checking on Lois' well being.
At that moment, Lois turned heel by unleashing her own gun and allowing Tony to take Mannix's weapon, after which the pair revealed themselves as illicit lovers. As it turned out, Lois and Tony tracked Jonah as he went after Terry, and later confronted him at his store and demanded the jewels from his safe. After discovering that the safe was empty, the couple shot and killed Jonah, and afterwards, Lois went to Tony's hideout and gave her feigned distress call to Mannix--figuring that he had the Auroras.
However, Mannix informed Tony that the jewels he found were actually from Starr's collection, and he later asked Lois her reasons for her collusion. In response, the evil Lois accused Howard of not being attentive to her in 10 years of marriage, claiming that Howard only married her to provide Terry with a nurse (in Lois' words). The villainess added that her life "began again" when she met Tony, who informed her that Howard stole the Auroras, with Lois figuring that Howard stole them for Terry. Lois callously stated that she deserved the Auroras as "payment" for her life, only for Mannix to inform the villainess that her scheme won't work due to the fact that the police had been behind him the whole time. At that moment, Lt. Art Malcolm arrived with officers and shot Tony (non-fatally) before taking Lois into custody.
Trivia[]
- Bethel Leslie also played villainess Mabel Wagner on Alfred Hitchcock Presents, as well as the evil Ann Merriweather on Thriller.
Videos[]
Mannix Full Episodes Season 7 Episode 10 - Search in the Dark