HONG KONG – Jumping Dragon – 1960
Rod Taylor headlines this 1960-61 series as a newsman who is stationed in Hong Kong. Taylor is constantly in trouble with various shady types who are always involving him in their troubles. It usually takes several round of fisticuffs, a dead body or two and a gun battle before things get settled. This is the sixth episode.
Taylor is taking a flight to Saigon for a few days off. On the way, he hears that a pilot for the same airline he is flying has been found dead in Hong Kong. He decides to do a quick change-over in Saigon and return to Hong Kong. He strikes up a conversation with the pretty young stewardess, Taina Elg.
Back in Hong Kong, Taylor hooks up with his Police Inspector buddy, Lloyd Bochner. It seems that the dead pilot was undercover for the Hong Kong Police. The Police had been trailing a gold smuggling gang out of Macao. The gang is led by Jay Novello. The gang uses airline personal to move the gold to India.
Taylor takes Elg out for some drinks and a few questions about her work. He is soon convinced she knows nothing about the gang. He is not so sure about the rest of the plane's' crew. And right he is there, pilots Jerome Thor, Peter Fontaine and stewardess Anita Loo have been making regular deliveries for Novello. The airline crew always get waved through customs.
The gang of course sees Taylor as a threat. They wonder why, would a well-known journalist like Taylor be doing talking to stewardess, Elg. Novello sends a man to bug Taylor's phone. The man, Roy Jenson, is however discovered in the act. This results in a brisk exchange of fists with Taylor the victor. Inspector Bochner is called and Jenson given a harsh bit of 3rd degree. It seems that the gang is going to send out a shipment that night.
Needless to say our man Taylor boards the aircraft at the last minute. Also on the aircraft is gang boss Novello. He has decided that Hong Kong is a bit hot at the moment and is fleeing to a safer climate. Pilots Fontaine and Thor fake an engine problem and divert to a small airfield before Saigon. There everyone exits but Novello, the pilots, Elg and of course Taylor.
The plane then takes off again. Novello yanks out a piece and lays it across the back of Taylor's head. Elg tries to stop him but Novello will have none of it. He belts her around and then ejects her out the door at 8,000 feet. Taylor recovers just as the swine Novello is tossing Elg out. He rushes Novello and relieves him of his gun, then gives him a sound beating. Afterwards, a gun in the ear of pilot, Thor, convinces the crew to return to Hong Kong.
Good episode with more than a few twists. I must admit that the ejection of pretty Finnish actress Elg out of the plane came as a surprise. Stuntman, turned actor, Roy Jenson, is best recalled as the thug who sliced up Jack Nicholson's nose in CHINATOWN.
Television veteran Justus Addiss handled the direction duties while Oscar nominated writer, Robert Buckner, supplied the story. Two time Oscar nominated cinematographer Phillip Lathorp handled the camera-work. His films include, THE DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES, THE PINK PANTHER, 36 HOURS, GUNN and POINT BLANK.
Rod Taylor headlines this 1960-61 series as a newsman who is stationed in Hong Kong. Taylor is constantly in trouble with various shady types who are always involving him in their troubles. It usually takes several round of fisticuffs, a dead body or two and a gun battle before things get settled. This is the sixth episode.
Taylor is taking a flight to Saigon for a few days off. On the way, he hears that a pilot for the same airline he is flying has been found dead in Hong Kong. He decides to do a quick change-over in Saigon and return to Hong Kong. He strikes up a conversation with the pretty young stewardess, Taina Elg.
Back in Hong Kong, Taylor hooks up with his Police Inspector buddy, Lloyd Bochner. It seems that the dead pilot was undercover for the Hong Kong Police. The Police had been trailing a gold smuggling gang out of Macao. The gang is led by Jay Novello. The gang uses airline personal to move the gold to India.
Taylor takes Elg out for some drinks and a few questions about her work. He is soon convinced she knows nothing about the gang. He is not so sure about the rest of the plane's' crew. And right he is there, pilots Jerome Thor, Peter Fontaine and stewardess Anita Loo have been making regular deliveries for Novello. The airline crew always get waved through customs.
The gang of course sees Taylor as a threat. They wonder why, would a well-known journalist like Taylor be doing talking to stewardess, Elg. Novello sends a man to bug Taylor's phone. The man, Roy Jenson, is however discovered in the act. This results in a brisk exchange of fists with Taylor the victor. Inspector Bochner is called and Jenson given a harsh bit of 3rd degree. It seems that the gang is going to send out a shipment that night.
Needless to say our man Taylor boards the aircraft at the last minute. Also on the aircraft is gang boss Novello. He has decided that Hong Kong is a bit hot at the moment and is fleeing to a safer climate. Pilots Fontaine and Thor fake an engine problem and divert to a small airfield before Saigon. There everyone exits but Novello, the pilots, Elg and of course Taylor.
The plane then takes off again. Novello yanks out a piece and lays it across the back of Taylor's head. Elg tries to stop him but Novello will have none of it. He belts her around and then ejects her out the door at 8,000 feet. Taylor recovers just as the swine Novello is tossing Elg out. He rushes Novello and relieves him of his gun, then gives him a sound beating. Afterwards, a gun in the ear of pilot, Thor, convinces the crew to return to Hong Kong.
Good episode with more than a few twists. I must admit that the ejection of pretty Finnish actress Elg out of the plane came as a surprise. Stuntman, turned actor, Roy Jenson, is best recalled as the thug who sliced up Jack Nicholson's nose in CHINATOWN.
Television veteran Justus Addiss handled the direction duties while Oscar nominated writer, Robert Buckner, supplied the story. Two time Oscar nominated cinematographer Phillip Lathorp handled the camera-work. His films include, THE DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES, THE PINK PANTHER, 36 HOURS, GUNN and POINT BLANK.
