Inger was nominated for an Emmy (and completely deserved to take it home) and her costar Peter Falk won one for their performances in the "Price of Tomatoes¨ episode of The Dick Powell Theatre. This moving story in the long-running anthology show aired on January 16, 1962.
Someone has been kind enough to share the full episode on Youtube for us to enjoy! There are plot spoilers in my summary below so you may want to take 50 minutes and watch it if you haven't seen this one. You won't regret it. I decided to watch it again earlier this week and ended up watching it 2 days in a row. Peter and Inger inhabit the roles completely in this poignant story about two strangers whose lives unexpectedly intersect and impact one another.
You'll notice that in Dick Powell's introduction he refers to Peter Falk as being a "one-man hurricane" and praises him for being nominated for both an Academy Award and an Emmy the previous year, yet only refers to Inger as ¨the very lovely Miss Inger Stevens.¨ Now, I absolutely agree with Dick's assessment of the skilled Peter Falk and certainly concur on Inger being very lovely, but I find it interesting that Inger's talents go unmentioned and underpraised—both then and now. After all, in the few years leading up to this performance alone, Inger had a string of powerful starring roles in remarkable television productions. Her two performances in The Twilight Zone were enough to warrant a mention of her talent in his introduction, not to mention her work in Route 66 and Playhouse 90, among others.
If the embedded video below does not play, you can view the episode by clicking here.
Summary
Aristede Fresco (Peter Falk) is an independent trucker who, along with his dad, owns a haul truck. He and his father have pooled their money together and are concerned about their investments. They are working class and Fresco has a wife and 4 children to feed. When he bets another trucker that he can get a load of tomatoes to Cincinnati first, Fresco sets off on the drive of his life. If the tomatoes do not get to Cincinnati safely and quickly, Fresco's livelihood and independence are threatened.
Fresco enounters many setbacks during his journey. When he stops at a gas station, a pregnant woman Anna Beza (Inger Stevens) hops into the passenger seat. She pleads with him to take her as far as her sister's home. Fresco is anxious and annoyed, but takes pity on this lonely, desperate woman and agrees. He warns her that he's on an important mission and doesn't have time to deal with her but that he will drop her off at the first bus station,where he will buy her a ticket to San Francisco.
As they drive, we learn that Fresco is a hardworking family man. He has a photo of his wife and children hanging from the rearview mirror and speaks of them with care. Anna, in Inger's deft use of accents, reveals that she is a Romanian widow.
Along the route, another trucker warns Fresco that there's a road block up ahead and immigration officers are searching for a woman who crossed the Mexican border into America illegally. It's obvious that Anna is this woman, but Fresco continues to drive her to the bus station after she pleads with him to let her baby be born in America. Fresco continues to be grouchy and speak gruffly to Anna (saying that because of her he will "spend my life eating those lousy tomatoes!") but his compassion is evident when he refuses to leave her alone overnight at the bus station.
More setbacks appear. They run off the road and the truck's tire gets stuck, forcing Fresco to spend precious time wrapping it in chains to get it out. Anna's experiencing painful contractions and Fresco hands her a watch to time them. Still anxious, he barks at her when she compliments his family.
Anna (looking at a family photo): You have a fine family.
Fresco: Yeah? Well, don't worry about 'em cause they're gonna starve.
A patrol officer investigates when he sees Fresco working on the tire, but Anna is clever enough to hide. By this point, Fresco is close to giving up on this haul completely.
Anna: Why do you speak like that?
Fresco: Like what?
Anna: Like a man so angry with God.
Fresco: Look, lady...we’re stuck in it, we’re never gonna get out of it!
Anna: You’re like a child...there is no hope, always the end of the road.
Fresco: Oh, what are you, some kind of big expert or something?
Anna: For hope, yes. Every day of my life I make a miracle. And to be here now, even this place, a miracle.
Fresco: Well, why don't you pass another miracle and get us outta this place?
Once they’re back on the road, they laugh and make light of the situation, enjoying one another's company. Fresco takes her to a doctor who turns out to be a fraud. I laughed aloud at Fresco's quick retort when the doctor asks if they are believers. Fresco responds:
Look, doc, I believe in tomatoes. She believes in American babies. That's it!
As they drive on, Anna reveals why she's an expert on hope and miracles. She has survived war, her parents' deaths, multiple escapes to multiple countries, her husband's illness and death. This woman has had the weight of the world on top of her shoulders her entire life. She speaks of how she's spent her life waiting to get to America. She will do anything to make sure her child is born in America and not have to face the trials she's endured.
They have to cross a dangerous bridge in disrepair before finally reaching a hospital, where he learns her name for the first time as she's admitted. After hearing her story, Fresco had sworn:
You're gonna have your baby in America. In a hospital. That's my promise!
Despite his eagerness to reach his final destination and deliver the tomatoes on time, Fresco cannot bear to leave Anna alone at the hospital. At the hospital, the nurse asks if he is the father and he replies that he's not even a friend, but it's obvious to us that he's become much more. These two may be strangers together for only a brief journey, but their meaningful connection will transcend their future separation.
She asks him to see her son before he leaves. As he gets to the door, Anna asks Fresco what his name is. He tells her as he walks out, hurrying to deliver his load. Anna looks down at her baby and we know that she's planning to name her baby Fresco.
Fresco's hope of being the first to deliver the tomatoes is all but dashed but he gives it one last push. As he nears his destination he drives past his competitor, stuck on the side of the road, and realizes he's done it! He's the first to deliver tomatoes and his money and business are secure.
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