Theme: At the end of a tunnel - is a light and both parts of the starred entries are lights also.
17A. *Actor Sydney of "Casablanca" : GREENSTREET. Green light. Street light.
11D. *Talent show hosted by Ed McMahon : STAR SEARCH. Starlight. Search light.
25D. *Break for fuel : GAS STOP. Gaslight. Stop light.
30D. *Danger after a heavy rainfall : FLASH FLOOD. Flashlight. Flood light.
59A. Understand (and a hint to both parts of this puzzle's answers to starred clues) : SEE THE LIGHT
Argyle here. More vert. than horz. today. I do wonder if the theme has been done before. (C.C. said not both parts as lights) No matter; it was fun.
Across:
1. __ excuse for: hardly the best example of : A POOR
6. Largest city in Belarus : MINSK
11. Reg. : STD. (regulation/standard)
14. "__ Rae" : NORMA. 1979 film about a factory worker starring Sally Field.
15. Political convention setting : ARENA
16. Golfer's peg : TEE
19. Crazy way to go : APE
20. "Dallas" matriarch Miss __ : ELLIE. Barbara Bel Geddes.
21. Brought up : REARED
23. Boiling mad : ENRAGED
27. Takes advantage of : USES
28. Shower offering : GIFT
31. Waiter's carrying aid : TRAY
32. Get on in years : AGE
33. Pioneering ISP : AOL
34. Break down, as a sentence : PARSE
35. "It's the __ I can do" : LEAST
38. Hidden loot : STASH
40. Superman's symbol : ESS. Pop quiz: How is he standing?
41. Bug in a program, say : ERROR
42. Tomato concentrate : PASTE
43. Kitchen appliance : STOVE
45. Activist Guevara : CHE. He's been away for awhile.
46. Hem and __ : HAW
47. Ripped : TORE
48. Word with horse or track : SHOE
49. Tender-hearted : SOFT
51. Slander : ASPERSE. Ten dollar word.
53. Throbbed : PULSED
55. Things that shouldn't be done : NO-NOs
58. DDE's WWII command : ETO. (Dwight David Eisenhower/World War II/European Theater of Operations)
64. Bustle : ADO
65. Like a fifth tire : SPARE
66. Youngest Jetson : ELROY. The Jetsons (TV Series 1962–1988)
67. Curtain holder : ROD
68. Furry swimmer : OTTER
69. Trickles (through) : SEEPS
Down:
1. Zambia neighbor: Abbr. : ANG. (Angola)
2. Tiny skin opening : PORE
3. Sports analyst Hershiser : OREL. Former starting pitcher who played 18 seasons in MLB.
4. Folded eggs dish : OMELET
5. Took to jail : RAN IN and 24D. Takes to jail : ARRESTS
6. Gym cushion : MAT
7. Like some outlet store mdse. : IRR. (irregular)
8. Maiden name indicator : NÉE
9. Dummy Mortimer : SNERD
10. "Kiss Me, __" : KATE. Broadway musical version of William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew.
12. Conical dwelling : TEPEE
13. Homeowners' documents : DEEDS
18. Sealy rival : SERTA
22. Hole-boring tool : AUGER
26. Dilapidated building, e.g. : EYESORE
28. Quick intake of breath : GASP
29. Greek "i" : IOTA
32. Protected, at sea : ALEE
34. "That was close!" : "PHEW!"
36. Arty NYC locale : SOHO
37. Shade provider : TREE
39. Sports page numbers : STATS
44. Jules who created Captain Nemo : VERNE. "Vingt Mille Lieues Sous Les Mers" 1870
48. Forgetful, maybe : SENILE
49. Asparagus serving : SPEAR
50. Perform better than : OUTDO
51. Handy : ADEPT
52. Boot bottoms : SOLEs
54. Exxon, previously : ESSO. And still is, elsewhere.
56. Folklore monster : OGRE
57. Go for groceries : SHOP
60. Consume : EAT
61. Three, in Bologna : TRE
62. Ship's pronoun : HER
63. TV host Pennington and Hall of Famer Cobb : TYs. Tygert P. host of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.
Argyle
