Lions, Tigers, Monkeys and Dogs

One of my favorite all time TV shows is The Rockford Files. That show had many a good episode, but the best that I recollect was a two-parter called Lions, Tigers Monkeys and Dogs.

Lauren Bacall played a lady named Kendall Warren. Kendall Warren was the best friend of Princess Irene Rachevsky, played by Dana Wynter.

Someone had tried to kill the Lauren Bacall character, hence the hiring of Jim Rockford to figure out who wanted to do Lauren in.

Turns out Lauren and the Princess were originally from the LA area, but had escaped the horrors of Simi Valley decades before. They went to Europe and created fake personas for themselves. Irene married a Prince, making her a Princess.

At one point, when talking to Rockford about her relationship with the princess she says something like "Ours is the sort of friendship where no matter what happens or what problems come up, the bond of our friendship is never broken. Is that as rare as I think it is?" she asked Rockford, to which he said something like "Pretty much extinct."

Trouble is, it was the princess who wanted to have Lauren killed. The princess felt she could never be totally free of her Simi Valley past as long as Lauren was there to remind her of it.

As for the Lions, Tigers, Monkeys and Dogs. Well, Lauren made some remark about someone being a Monkey. Rockford said "huh?" To which Lauren explained how she and the princess classified people's social standing. Royalty are Lions, leaders like Harry Truman are Tigers. Someone like Mick Jagger is a Monkey.

And then Rockford goes "You don't need to tell me who the Dogs are."

I've never known a Lion, Tiger or Monkey before. But I sure have known a lot of Dogs.