HONG KONG – When Strangers Meet – 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 13th episode.
Taylor is at the Hong Kong airport with a gaggle of various newsmen. They are awaiting the arrival of the latest blonde Hollywood bimbo. The plane unloads and all the news types rush the woman. Taylor however notices a well-known American diplomat exit the aircraft and sneak around the mob. Taylor approaches the man, Ken MacKenna and asks for an interview. MacKenna brushes him off and hotfoots it to a waiting car. Taylor jots down the license of the car.
Taylor is not put off that easy and makes a quick call to the U.S. Embassy. They know nothing about the visit. Taylor of course is really interested in why MacKenna is here. Could there be secret meetings with Red China going on?
Taylor crashes the Embassy and puts the moves on counsel worker, Pippa Scott. An offer of dinner and drinks soon has Scott agreeing to a date that evening. Taylor now pays a visit his buddy, Hong Kong Police Inspector, Lloyd Bochner. Could Bochner do a rundown on the license plate number.
This leads Taylor to the office of a Hong Kong private detective agency ran by, Clarence Lung. Lung tells Taylor he has never heard of MacKenna and to get out of his office. Taylor is shown the door by Lung's aide, Gale Garnett. Our man Rod knows something strange is happening, but has no idea what. Maybe he will find out at his dinner date with Miss Scott.
Scott and Taylor meet at the club, and are just being seated when Inspector Bochner shows. He needs to have some words with Taylor. He needs him for 20 minutes he tells Miss Scott.
A quick trip is made to the morgue where Taylor is shown a body. It is the body of the private detective, Lung. He has been shot. Bochner wants to know why Lung is killed just hours after Bochner gave his name to Taylor. Taylor of course has no idea and tells the policeman that. He is then returned to Scott at the club.
There is no joy with Scott on the info front as she has no idea why MacKenna is here. She does however comment that MacKenna's son had been killed 6 months before. A hit and run on the Hong Kong waterfront. Taylor looks into this death and up pops more than a few items. MacKenna's son was involved with a woman, Jean Allison, who has a rather lengthy criminal record with smuggling at the top of the list. Taylor tracks down all the leads and of course ends up at the wrong end of several large guns.
The circle of events includes, Miss Allison getting MacKenna's son killed while doing a doing a spot of gold thievery. MacKenna then hires private detective Lung to find out why his son had died. When Lung discovered the truth he had contacted MacKenna. MacKenna had flown to Hong Kong with vengeance in mind. He was going to kill Allison. Then Allison's partner, Henry Beckman had killed detective Lung. Now Lung's aide, Gale Garnett pops up with some info and so on and so on.
To get to the end of the matter, Beckman dies and the rather nasty, Miss Allison is handed over to the Hong Kong Police. MacKenna is stopped from committing murder while Taylor gets a story, and the loving arms of Pippa Scott.
The episode features some great twists and turns from veteran screenwriter, Fred Freiberger. His work includes just over 100 television episodes and the feature films, WAR PAINT, Massacre, GARDEN OF EVIL, THE BEAST FROM 20,000 FATHOMS, THE BIG CHASE, THE BIG BLUFF and THE WEAPON.
Actress singer Gale Garnett would go on to hit the big time with the Grammy winning, "We'll Sing in The Sunshine" 1964.
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 13th episode.
Taylor is at the Hong Kong airport with a gaggle of various newsmen. They are awaiting the arrival of the latest blonde Hollywood bimbo. The plane unloads and all the news types rush the woman. Taylor however notices a well-known American diplomat exit the aircraft and sneak around the mob. Taylor approaches the man, Ken MacKenna and asks for an interview. MacKenna brushes him off and hotfoots it to a waiting car. Taylor jots down the license of the car.
Taylor is not put off that easy and makes a quick call to the U.S. Embassy. They know nothing about the visit. Taylor of course is really interested in why MacKenna is here. Could there be secret meetings with Red China going on?
Taylor crashes the Embassy and puts the moves on counsel worker, Pippa Scott. An offer of dinner and drinks soon has Scott agreeing to a date that evening. Taylor now pays a visit his buddy, Hong Kong Police Inspector, Lloyd Bochner. Could Bochner do a rundown on the license plate number.
This leads Taylor to the office of a Hong Kong private detective agency ran by, Clarence Lung. Lung tells Taylor he has never heard of MacKenna and to get out of his office. Taylor is shown the door by Lung's aide, Gale Garnett. Our man Rod knows something strange is happening, but has no idea what. Maybe he will find out at his dinner date with Miss Scott.
Scott and Taylor meet at the club, and are just being seated when Inspector Bochner shows. He needs to have some words with Taylor. He needs him for 20 minutes he tells Miss Scott.
A quick trip is made to the morgue where Taylor is shown a body. It is the body of the private detective, Lung. He has been shot. Bochner wants to know why Lung is killed just hours after Bochner gave his name to Taylor. Taylor of course has no idea and tells the policeman that. He is then returned to Scott at the club.
There is no joy with Scott on the info front as she has no idea why MacKenna is here. She does however comment that MacKenna's son had been killed 6 months before. A hit and run on the Hong Kong waterfront. Taylor looks into this death and up pops more than a few items. MacKenna's son was involved with a woman, Jean Allison, who has a rather lengthy criminal record with smuggling at the top of the list. Taylor tracks down all the leads and of course ends up at the wrong end of several large guns.
The circle of events includes, Miss Allison getting MacKenna's son killed while doing a doing a spot of gold thievery. MacKenna then hires private detective Lung to find out why his son had died. When Lung discovered the truth he had contacted MacKenna. MacKenna had flown to Hong Kong with vengeance in mind. He was going to kill Allison. Then Allison's partner, Henry Beckman had killed detective Lung. Now Lung's aide, Gale Garnett pops up with some info and so on and so on.
To get to the end of the matter, Beckman dies and the rather nasty, Miss Allison is handed over to the Hong Kong Police. MacKenna is stopped from committing murder while Taylor gets a story, and the loving arms of Pippa Scott.
The episode features some great twists and turns from veteran screenwriter, Fred Freiberger. His work includes just over 100 television episodes and the feature films, WAR PAINT, Massacre, GARDEN OF EVIL, THE BEAST FROM 20,000 FATHOMS, THE BIG CHASE, THE BIG BLUFF and THE WEAPON.
Actress singer Gale Garnett would go on to hit the big time with the Grammy winning, "We'll Sing in The Sunshine" 1964.