ADVENTURES OF THE FALCON – Backlash – 1954
This is the 1st episode of the 39 episode run of the 1954 to 1956 series, ADVENTURES OF THE FALCON. Film noir icon Charles McGraw headlines as Mike Waring, an agent of the U.S. Government. The series follows McGraw as he travels the world putting the kibosh on various criminals and foreign agents.
In this one, McGraw is sent to Macao to stop a black market mob that is smuggling gold out of Red China. The commies are selling the gold for an inflated price for American dollars, then, using the cash to buy goods worldwide.
McGraw hooks up with a reporter from the local newspaper, Laura Mason. The pair of them checkout the waterfront dives etc looking for clues. Of course the black market mob hear about the nosey American agent. The mob boss, Douglas Kennedy sends a hit-man to dispose of McGraw. The man, Ben Welden, bumbles the job, and then beats a hasty retreat. There are several more close calls before McGraw and Miss Mason get end up being captured by the mob. They manage an escape to a nearby bar. It dawns on McGraw that there have been a few too many close calls. Someone must be tipping the bad guys to his moves.
After a thrilling knock down fist fight and a dockside gun battle, the main villain, Douglas Kennedy goes down for the count. Needless to say our man Charles also figures out who the rat in the cupboard is. It is the pretty Miss Mason. It seems that her father is a member of the smuggling crew.
An okay first episode even if it has a slight continuity problem with the story. The series picks up steam in the later episodes as the kinks were straightened out.
The director of this episode was Ralph Murphy. Murphy, a long time b-film helmsman, worked on lightweight fare like, CAPTAIN PIRATE, THE LADY IN THE IRON MASK, THE MAN IN HALF MOON STREET, NIGHT-PLANE FROM CHUNGKING and NEVER TRUST A GAMBLER. He moved into television as film work disappeared in the 1950's.
The director of photography was Kenneth Peach. Peach shot hundreds of television episodes from series such as, BOSTON BLACKIE, MR. and MRS NORTH, THE NEW ADVENTURES OF CHARLIE CHAN, MICHAEL SHAYNE, THE OUTER LIMITS and MAN FROM UNCLE. His film work includes the 50's sci-fi classic. IT! THE TERROR FROM BEYOND SPACE.
This is the 1st episode of the 39 episode run of the 1954 to 1956 series, ADVENTURES OF THE FALCON. Film noir icon Charles McGraw headlines as Mike Waring, an agent of the U.S. Government. The series follows McGraw as he travels the world putting the kibosh on various criminals and foreign agents.
In this one, McGraw is sent to Macao to stop a black market mob that is smuggling gold out of Red China. The commies are selling the gold for an inflated price for American dollars, then, using the cash to buy goods worldwide.
McGraw hooks up with a reporter from the local newspaper, Laura Mason. The pair of them checkout the waterfront dives etc looking for clues. Of course the black market mob hear about the nosey American agent. The mob boss, Douglas Kennedy sends a hit-man to dispose of McGraw. The man, Ben Welden, bumbles the job, and then beats a hasty retreat. There are several more close calls before McGraw and Miss Mason get end up being captured by the mob. They manage an escape to a nearby bar. It dawns on McGraw that there have been a few too many close calls. Someone must be tipping the bad guys to his moves.
After a thrilling knock down fist fight and a dockside gun battle, the main villain, Douglas Kennedy goes down for the count. Needless to say our man Charles also figures out who the rat in the cupboard is. It is the pretty Miss Mason. It seems that her father is a member of the smuggling crew.
An okay first episode even if it has a slight continuity problem with the story. The series picks up steam in the later episodes as the kinks were straightened out.
The director of this episode was Ralph Murphy. Murphy, a long time b-film helmsman, worked on lightweight fare like, CAPTAIN PIRATE, THE LADY IN THE IRON MASK, THE MAN IN HALF MOON STREET, NIGHT-PLANE FROM CHUNGKING and NEVER TRUST A GAMBLER. He moved into television as film work disappeared in the 1950's.
The director of photography was Kenneth Peach. Peach shot hundreds of television episodes from series such as, BOSTON BLACKIE, MR. and MRS NORTH, THE NEW ADVENTURES OF CHARLIE CHAN, MICHAEL SHAYNE, THE OUTER LIMITS and MAN FROM UNCLE. His film work includes the 50's sci-fi classic. IT! THE TERROR FROM BEYOND SPACE.
