HONG KONG "To Catch a Star" 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 10th episode in the production run.
This one begins with Taylor at the Hong Kong airport watching what could be a big story. An American movie company is on an airliner from the States with landing gear problems. The film company is coming to Hong Kong to make a movie. If the plane crashes it will of course be big news. Also at the airport are Edward Andrews and John Newton. The two men are the producer and the director of the upcoming film. Beside the film crew on the aircraft, there is the film's star, Luciana Paluzzi.
Anyways, the plane makes a safe landing and all seems OK. Producer Andrews is pleased as punch with the incident. "Nothing like free publicity" he tells director Newton. Reporter Taylor thinks the whole thing was a gag pulled by Andrews. Andrews has a less than stellar reputation in the trades. He pumps out low end garbage for the drive-in crowd.
Miss Paluzzi is whisked off to her hotel where of course, Taylor soon has her talked into dinner and drinks. While this is going on, we find out that there is indeed some skulduggery going on. It seems that Andrews is broke and needs some cash. He has hired several Hong Kong thugs led by, H.M. Wynant, to kidnap Miss Paluzzi for 100 grand in ransom from the film's investors.
The Police soon receive a report that the actress has been taken by force and tossed in a car. Taylor tells his Police Inspector pal, Lloyd Bochner, that he thinks this too is a set-up by Andrews for publicity. The Police however have to take the report at face value and investigate.
Needless to say there are more than a few complications to Andrews' plan. First is that H.M. Wynant and crew are planning on making their own play for the cash. They plan on killing Miss Paluzzi once the cash is delivered. When Andrews discovers the double play he makes to go for the Police. Kidnapping he has no problem with, but murder is another whole deal. This action results in a knife applied to his chest, and his corpse dumped in the harbour. They then force the actress to write up the ransom demand.
Alas, there is a fly in the ointment for the kidnappers as well. They had been seen with the actress by a local shoeshine boy. Taylor and the Hong Kong Police are soon kicking in the doors and applying various night sticks and gun barrels to the heads of Wynant and bunch.
This one starts a bit slow, but once the pace picks up, it makes for a decent time waster.
The look of the episode is really top rate with twice Oscar nominated cinematographer, Philip Lathrop at the controls. He also handled the lensing duties for 61 episodes of the popular series, PETER GUNN.
Miss Paluzzi is best remembered from her turn in the 1965 Bond film, THUNDERBALL.
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 10th episode in the production run.
This one begins with Taylor at the Hong Kong airport watching what could be a big story. An American movie company is on an airliner from the States with landing gear problems. The film company is coming to Hong Kong to make a movie. If the plane crashes it will of course be big news. Also at the airport are Edward Andrews and John Newton. The two men are the producer and the director of the upcoming film. Beside the film crew on the aircraft, there is the film's star, Luciana Paluzzi.
Anyways, the plane makes a safe landing and all seems OK. Producer Andrews is pleased as punch with the incident. "Nothing like free publicity" he tells director Newton. Reporter Taylor thinks the whole thing was a gag pulled by Andrews. Andrews has a less than stellar reputation in the trades. He pumps out low end garbage for the drive-in crowd.
Miss Paluzzi is whisked off to her hotel where of course, Taylor soon has her talked into dinner and drinks. While this is going on, we find out that there is indeed some skulduggery going on. It seems that Andrews is broke and needs some cash. He has hired several Hong Kong thugs led by, H.M. Wynant, to kidnap Miss Paluzzi for 100 grand in ransom from the film's investors.
The Police soon receive a report that the actress has been taken by force and tossed in a car. Taylor tells his Police Inspector pal, Lloyd Bochner, that he thinks this too is a set-up by Andrews for publicity. The Police however have to take the report at face value and investigate.
Needless to say there are more than a few complications to Andrews' plan. First is that H.M. Wynant and crew are planning on making their own play for the cash. They plan on killing Miss Paluzzi once the cash is delivered. When Andrews discovers the double play he makes to go for the Police. Kidnapping he has no problem with, but murder is another whole deal. This action results in a knife applied to his chest, and his corpse dumped in the harbour. They then force the actress to write up the ransom demand.
Alas, there is a fly in the ointment for the kidnappers as well. They had been seen with the actress by a local shoeshine boy. Taylor and the Hong Kong Police are soon kicking in the doors and applying various night sticks and gun barrels to the heads of Wynant and bunch.
This one starts a bit slow, but once the pace picks up, it makes for a decent time waster.
The look of the episode is really top rate with twice Oscar nominated cinematographer, Philip Lathrop at the controls. He also handled the lensing duties for 61 episodes of the popular series, PETER GUNN.
Miss Paluzzi is best remembered from her turn in the 1965 Bond film, THUNDERBALL.
