This not the kind of usual topic that we are used to see in this series, mostly urban. It takes mainly place on sea or harbors. The story of a big scale kidnapping involving business exécutives and planned by a masterminded criminal. Exciting, taut, a very tense story that glues you to your seat. This is this time more thriller than drama, the exact contrary of the previous episode which I commented yesterday. I won't even tell this is a noir scheme nor expose. No, thriller is the accurate word. There are not so many "thrillers" in this TV series, mostly noir dand drama oriented.
3 Reviews
FIRST-RATE
lrrap20 March 2020
Exciting, VERY well constructed, excellently directed--what more can you expect--especially from the grind of a weekly, hour-long TV show?
Director "Cannon/Fatman" William Conrad CLEARLY was a man of many talents; the action moves swiftly, and the ensemble work between actors, especially the 7 captives, is superb. Gil Ralston's script is beautifully crafted; everything plays out in it proper sequence and proportion. Well done.
Albert Dekker is great-- generous, wise, considerate--a big-time CEO who is respected and admired by his staff. And they are a wonderful group of varied, contrasting comrades, each with his own distinct personality, and each very convincingly portrayed. And every one of them is called upon to make the big decision--fight back against their captors, or chicken out. I especially appreciate the performance of George Mitchell as Spangler; he's an actor who always convinces.
Again, the script shines brilliantly during this crucial scene, and also near the end when Dekker makes his own big decision as to which of the men will take over his position as company CEO. Truly first-rate..
A few very minor quibbles aside, this is one of those episodes which you think back on and can't BELIEVE that it managed to pack in as much drama, action character development and interaction as it does.
AS A BONUS-- there is one truly shocking death scene during the final battle. I let out a WHOOP of disbelief (and delight!) when it occurred. Very cool (PLUS it involves George Mitchell). But....no spoilers....not from me.
A REAL KEEPER.
Director "Cannon/Fatman" William Conrad CLEARLY was a man of many talents; the action moves swiftly, and the ensemble work between actors, especially the 7 captives, is superb. Gil Ralston's script is beautifully crafted; everything plays out in it proper sequence and proportion. Well done.
Albert Dekker is great-- generous, wise, considerate--a big-time CEO who is respected and admired by his staff. And they are a wonderful group of varied, contrasting comrades, each with his own distinct personality, and each very convincingly portrayed. And every one of them is called upon to make the big decision--fight back against their captors, or chicken out. I especially appreciate the performance of George Mitchell as Spangler; he's an actor who always convinces.
Again, the script shines brilliantly during this crucial scene, and also near the end when Dekker makes his own big decision as to which of the men will take over his position as company CEO. Truly first-rate..
A few very minor quibbles aside, this is one of those episodes which you think back on and can't BELIEVE that it managed to pack in as much drama, action character development and interaction as it does.
AS A BONUS-- there is one truly shocking death scene during the final battle. I let out a WHOOP of disbelief (and delight!) when it occurred. Very cool (PLUS it involves George Mitchell). But....no spoilers....not from me.
A REAL KEEPER.
Mediocre, by-the-numbers segment
lor_7 June 2024
The script by Gilbert Ralston (famous for his movies 'Willard" and its sequel "Ben", is okay, but merely functional, with a substandard cast.
Pompous narration (by Herbert Leonard perhaps, though IMDb claims Larry Dobkin) tries to build up the story, but it's merely a bunch of thugs experienced in extortion who try kidnapping and fail miserably. Burke and the cops try to outwit the bad guys but botch things up.
Albert Dekker doesn' do much acting as a business biggie who has his executives with him on a fishing boat, captured by the heavies who've drugged the captain. Caper plods along, with a Grand Central Station foot chase and shootout midway through, and a final reel of the execs fighting back and rather easily foiling the kidnappers.
Ralston's script tries to make hay on a subplot of the execs competing to prove themselves to impress Dekker and get chosen as his new company president, but the gimmick of this coinciding with them having to fight for their lives is way too contrived. I found it about as exciting as those Team Building exercises (yes, I've been on 'em) that we've had to suffer through.
Pompous narration (by Herbert Leonard perhaps, though IMDb claims Larry Dobkin) tries to build up the story, but it's merely a bunch of thugs experienced in extortion who try kidnapping and fail miserably. Burke and the cops try to outwit the bad guys but botch things up.
Albert Dekker doesn' do much acting as a business biggie who has his executives with him on a fishing boat, captured by the heavies who've drugged the captain. Caper plods along, with a Grand Central Station foot chase and shootout midway through, and a final reel of the execs fighting back and rather easily foiling the kidnappers.
Ralston's script tries to make hay on a subplot of the execs competing to prove themselves to impress Dekker and get chosen as his new company president, but the gimmick of this coinciding with them having to fight for their lives is way too contrived. I found it about as exciting as those Team Building exercises (yes, I've been on 'em) that we've had to suffer through.
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