Don Medford directed this high adventure. This was the only episode he directed, and they were lucky to get him, a veteran of the TWILIGHT ZONE, the FBI, and DYNASTY. I am sure William Conrad worked with him at Warner Brothers, if not Columbia Pictures. Old directors stick together.
Don works his magic, and with shades of the Spencer Tracy classic BAD DAY AT BLACK ROCK. A beautifully filmed contemporary western, and note the lonely harmonica being played in the background. Hits the right notes.
Buckle Up. Cannon is up to his neck in trouble and skullduggery in one of those quaint little towns with a lots of trigger happy folks and new money. This may have been inspired by the infamous DC Cooper hijacking that same year, however the money in question is from an armored car robbery. A cool $900,000.
One terrific cast, lead by series regular Andrew Duggan, who should have received an Emmy nod, playing the role of the earnest town doc. Just a wonderful actor. Vic Tayback makes his very first appearance in the series, playing Sam. He would play both good and bad guys in the years ahead.
A very early role for Broadway actress Pamela Payton, who would next appear in MANNIX, eventually becoming a regular on ONE LIFE TO LIVE. Also a tribute to tall and lanky LQ Jones (as Phil), best as slippery characters. Jones passed last year and truly was a versatile character actor in both movies and tv for decades. The star here is none other than Mitchell Ryan. The one to watch.
Written with a lot of imagination by Bill Stratton, who at the time was writing material for HAWAII FIVE 0, 16 top episodes in all. Any writer associated with that show has got to be good.
Filmed in the small town of Julian, California, about an hour from San Diego, best known for its famous apple pies and home cooking. Of course, Cannon has to stop and have lunch! The whole crew probably had breakfast, lunch and dinner at the local restaurant.
The best of SEASON 1, EPISODE 6. CBS and Paramount dvd box set No. 1 of 2. Check out some terrific shots from the series on the back cover. It was not until SEASON 3 that CBS would release one box set per season.