User Reviews

This episode was written by Christopher Helms, news director at KVOA-TV, the NBC TV affiliate in Tucson. It was originally titled "Grady Graham Don't Lie." As Tucson production of season one was wrapping up, show creator David Dortort was in town for the wrap party. Helms had written the story as he watched the first season air. He approached Dortort at the party and discussed the script. Dortort invited Helms to meet him at his hotel room the next day. The two talked more about the story, and Dortort said he was definitely interested. Not long after, Helms was contacted and offered $3,000 for rights to the story. It was turned over to screenwriter Walter Black who "tweaked" it slightly, including the title change and the main character's name. Buck Cannon's role in the story was allso modified slightly, (no spoiler here) and in conversing with Cameron Mitchell about it during the shooting of the episode, he told me it "made him a little uncomfortable." The screenplay was generally true to Helms' story, which was quite contemporary for that time. It was Helms only succesful script sale. -- Bob Lee, KVOA-TV Operations Manager, 1965-1973. (The High Chaparral set was always "open" to KVOA-TV people).