The Case of the Candid Camera

A camera has been stolen from Whit's End - or so Rodney Rathbone claims - and bumbling private eye Harlow Doyle is on the case. The theft couldn't come at a worse time, with Lucy Cunningham-Schultz running the Bible Bowl and its grand prize of two season passes to Waterworld. Then the truth tumbles out: Rodney photographed the answer sheets so his friend Denver could cheat his way to victory, but the missing camera took the answers with it. Denver tearfully confesses, promises to compete honestly, studies hard... and wins. But when a photo shop owner recognizes Denver in the newspaper, Harlow and Lucy uncover the real scheme - Rodney stole his own camera, and the confession was just part of the act. The cheaters are caught at the Waterworld gate, the passes go to the rightful winners, and Harlow closes the case with one profound discovery: crime doesn't pay.

Found on A Place of Wonder Album 15 · 13 episodes

The run See every episode

0201 Fair-Weather Fans When a heat wave hits Odyssey, Isaac partners with a smooth-talking new kid to sell miracle fans door-to-door - and learns that easy money always comes with a catch.

0202 Timmy's Cabin When the state moves to bulldoze his orchard for a new highway, a grieving farmer's last hope may rest with a mysterious wandering stranger and the old cabin his late son left behind.

0203 Double Trouble A famous actor's arrival in Odyssey sends the town into a panic when he turns out to be the spitting image of its most notorious villain.

0204 Wonderworld A reluctant Jimmy Barclay, convinced he's outgrown make-believe, gets strong-armed into babysitting Lawrence Hodges - a kid whose imagination refuses to take an afternoon off.

0205 Flash Flood Eugene's over-prepared debut on a camping trip tests the patience of his fellow campers just as a mountain storm threatens more than anyone bargained for.

0206 Pen Pal A girl's excitement about finally meeting her beloved pen pal face-to-face turns to confusion when the visit reveals a secret the letters never mentioned.

0207 The Case of the Candid Camera When a boy's camera vanishes at Whit's End, bumbling private eye Harlow Doyle takes the case - but the theft may be tangled up with the town's upcoming Bible Bowl.

0208 Pipe Dreams When a nervous kid passed over for his dream Government Day assignment gets stuck in the county's least glamorous office, a storm gives him more excitement than he bargained for.

0209 Columbus: The Grand Voyage A time-traveling boy lands in fifteenth-century Spain, where his dream of sailing with Christopher Columbus tangles him in royal intrigue on the eve of history's most famous voyage.

0210 On Solid Ground When Kids Radio's call-in show about foundations is interrupted by a "breaking news" broadcast from the 21st century B.C., OT Action News reporters cover the unfolding saga of Abram and his nephew Lot live from the ancient Middle East.

1 of 2 0211 The Mortal Coil When Whit programs an Imagination Station adventure meant to show that death holds no fear for a Christian, his creation proves far more powerful than anyone at Whit's End is prepared for.

2 of 2 0212 The Mortal Coil When a heart attack leaves Whit hanging between life and death, the people who love him must reckon with what he built, what he believed, and who else may have paid the price for it.

0213 Best Intentions When doctor-ordered rest turns into house arrest, Whit's overzealous caretakers face a determined old friend, a bumbling private eye, and a patient with escape on his mind.

Featured characters

Minor characters & crew 5 more roles

5 supporting roles

S.L. Clemmens Kenneth Mars Denver Thor Michael Portillo Waterworld Attendant Donald Long Andy Dumas Actor Unknown Nicky Wilson Actor Unknown

Made by

Chris Anthony Host Phil Lollar Writer · Director Bob Luttrell Sound Designer · Producer Paul McCusker Producer Chuck Bolte Executive Producer

The story

Read the full synopsis 2 min

Harlow Doyle, private eye, has a brand-new microcassette recorder and exactly one case to his name, so when Rodney Rathbone pounds on his door hollering for help, he leaps at the chance. Rodney claims to be the victim of a major crime: his camera has been stolen from Whit's End. He set it down for a couple of minutes while signing his friend Denver Thor up for the Bible Bowl, the yearly contest that gets Odyssey's kids studying the Bible - and this year the winner takes home two season passes to Waterworld at Trickle Lake.

Dictating his progress to his absent secretary, Miss Turner, Harlow interviews Lucy Cunningham-Schultz, who is running the Bible Bowl while Mr. Whittaker is out of town. She recalls Rodney bursting into the office where she was going over the contest questions, snapping pictures of Denver and proclaiming him the next champion. The police have searched Whit's End thoroughly and found nothing, and S.L. Clemmens of Clemmens' Cameras has seen no stolen camera come through his shop. The case stalls until Harlow and Lucy overhear Rodney trying to bully Denver into dropping out of the contest. Denver spills the truth: Rodney photographed the answer sheets Lucy left lying out, and Denver was supposed to memorize them and win. But the stolen camera took the answers with it, and Denver, who has actually been reading the assigned books, says he feels guilty, apologizes, and asks to compete honestly. Lucy agrees, and at the Bible Bowl Denver narrowly beats Andy Dumas and Nicky Wilson on the final question to win the passes.

Then Clemmens shows Harlow Denver's photo in the newspaper. This is the boy who dropped off two rolls of film a few days ago, he says, and picked one up in the company of a tall, sneery, reptilian-looking friend. Harlow and Lucy meet the boys at the Waterworld gate, where the attendant turns away their freshly invalidated passes. Lucy lays it out: "I know why we couldn't find your camera, Rodney. Because you stole it from yourself." Rodney slipped the camera to Denver during the confusion, and the touching confession was part of the act, because nobody would suspect them twice. Denver folds and admits everything. The boys are turned over to their parents, the passes go to the rightful winners, Andy and Nicky, and Harlow closes the case of the candid camera with the profound insight that crime doesn't pay.