The White Shadow: Spare the Rod

Air Date

Saturday February 17, 1979

Production Code

8118

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• Guest Cast

  • Nicholas Mele Teacher
  • Royce Wallace Mrs. Robinson
  • Jeff Bannister Referee
  • Philip Sterling Lee Burns
  • Ronny Temple Mr. Harris
  • Dave Footman Student
  • Lisle Wilson Mr. Finniman
  • Larry Jenkins Student
  • Robert Moloney Mr. Ellis
  • Leonard Lightfoot Teacher
  • Fred Pinkard Mr. Robinson
  • Brian Stokes Mitchell Lucius Robinson

• Stars

  • Ed Bernard Jim Willis (1978-1980)
  • Timothy Van Patten Mario Pettrino (Salami)
  • Ken Michelman Abner Goldstein (1978-1980)
More Episode Cast and Crew »

• This was Brian Mitchell's first ever credited acting appearance. He would go on to play Dr. "Jackpot" Jackson in the series "Trapper John, M.D." [edit]
• What's with the name "Robinson?" First, in "Pregnant Pause," Reese's girlfriend is Darlene Robinson. Then, in this episode, the troublemaker is Lucius Robinson. [edit]
• Philip Sterling would later work on another Paltrow series-St. Elsewhere as Dr. Weiss. [edit]

• Student: We don't go for no white teachers beatin' up on no brothers, OK, brother?
  
  The credited "student" who made this quote in this episode was Larry Flash Jenkins, who would join the cast in Season 3 as Wardell Stone. [edit]

• (Coach Reeves is drilling the team in a loose ball drill in the aftermath of the Robinson incident.)
  Hayward: Hey, listen, coach, I gotta tell you something!
  Reeves: Forget it, Hayward!
  Hayward: Coach, we didn't know Lucius Robinson was that crazy!
  Reeves: Yeah, nobody did! Switch! [edit]
• Willis: It's been a long day.
  Reeves: It's getting longer all the time. (Pauses) The one thing I hoped wouldn't be affected by this...
  Willis: Is that the team?
  Reeves: (sighs) Yeah. And I don't understand it. I thought I knew those kids. I thought they knew me.
  Willis: And?
  Reeves: Well, it's like everything I've been through with these kids in the last few months went right out the window. Like it didn't mean a thing. You know what Jackson just asked me? 'Am I gonna turn Lucius Robinson in?' Turn him in, like I'm a stool pigeon or something!
  Willis: You can't let that influence your pressing charges against Robinson.
  Reeves: (indignant) Ah....
  Willis: He should be prosecuted.
  Reeves: That's not what I'm talkin' about!
  Willis: Then what is it? What, your feelings are hurt because they seem to be taking Robinson's side? Come on, you look me in the eyes and you tell me. What I said, is it true?
  Reeves: Yeah...yeah.
  Willis: What did you expect? They're kids. In their eyes, they only see that you're one of us...and you hit one of them. It's only natural that they take Robinson's side. They'll get over it.
  Reeves: Well, I had hoped that my relationship with the team had progressed past the "us-versus-them" stage.
  Willis: It probably has, judging from what I've seen.
  Reeves: You should've been in the locker room a while ago, you would've seen a lot different.
  Willis: It would not have surprised me. It just goes to show what an incident like this can do. Now, come on. I'll see you tomorrow. [edit]
• Reeves: You a part of this class?
  Lucius: Sometimes.
  Reeves: Well, why don't you move your butt over here with the rest of the class?
  Lucius: I don't have to take gym.
  Reeves: What are you, some kind of privileged character or something?
  Lucius: I got a doctor's note.
  Reeves: Alright, I'll be with you in a minute. In the meantime, take your feet off the bleachers.
  (Reeves calls roll for gym)
  Reeves: Robinson!
  Lucius: Present!
  Reeves: I thought I told you to take your feet off the bleachers. You don't put your feet on the furniture at home, don't do it here!
  Lucius: I always put my feet on the furniture at home!
  Reeves: Oh, yeah, what does your mother say?
  Lucius: She says, 'where do you think you are, school?'
  (class laughs)
  Reeves: Let's see your doctor's note.
  Lucius: I forgot it.
  Reeves: What's the matter with you?
  Lucius: Well, I got this rare tropical disease called I-Can't-Stand-Gym!
  (class laughs even harder) [edit]

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