On Television

The FBI (1966)

″Collision Course″

Frank Schroeder (Jack Lord) is a hitchhiker who kills anyone who gets in his way, from those who give him rides to little old ladies with diamonds stashed in their homes. The FBI wants him badly and adds him to the Ten Most Wanted list. He dies crying for his father. That probably came easily for Jack, whose own father died the year this episode was produced.

This episode is ranked No. 21 on The 100 Greatest Television Episodes of All Time (http://classictvhistory.com/MiscArticles/100_greatest_episodes.html) for Jack's outstanding performance of a deeply troubled man. Mahalo nui to Mike Quigley for bringing this to our attention.

Director – Christian Nyby

Writer – Leonard Kantor

Production Companies – Quinn Martin Productions / Warner Brothers

The Invaders (1967)

"Vikor"

Jack portrays war hero George Vikor, president of a plant that manufactures industrial machinery -- or so he says. In actual fact, he is being used by alien (extraterrestrial) forces seeking to invade. His contact is Nexus (Alfred Ryder). So great is his desire for wealth and power that he believes their tale that helping him overtake the establishment will put him on top of the world. He is pursued by Agent David Vincent (Roy Thinnes), who, with the help of Vikor's wife (Diana Hyland), casts the suspicion of doubt in the minds of the aliens about Vikor's loyalty to the mission.

Watch it on You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKfdwSGBM5k

Director: Paul Wendkos

Writer - Meyer Dolinsky

Production Company - Quinn Martin Productions / ABC Television

The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (1967)

"The Master’s Touch Affair"

Jack portrays suave, yet treacherous, Pharos Mandor, a former high-ranking T.R.U.S.H. official, who lost power in an organizational political struggle. He pretends to be interested in joining U.N.C.L.E. when, in fact, he wants U.N.C.L.E.’s help in bringing down T.H.R.U.S.H. He feeds information to U.N.C.L.E. that will enable them to fight T.H.R.U.S.H. and enable him to kill his nemesis, Stephan Valandros (Nehemiah Persoff). If his timing is right, he will catapult himself to the top of T.H.R.U.S.H. If not, Valandros will win the prize.

Available on Amazon (Season 4, Episode 6)

Executive Producer: Norman Felton

Director: John Brahm

Writer: Boris Sobelman

Original Music: Richard Shores

Production Companies: Arena Productions / MGM Television / NBC

Starring: Robert Vaughn, David McCallum, Leo G. Carroll, Jack Lord, Nehemiah Persoff, Leslie Parrish

The Fugitive (1967)

"Goodbye My Love"

It all begins with an evil ménage à trois. Norma Bartlett (Patricia Smith, who appeared as HPD officer Joyce Weber in the Five-0 series opener, “Full Fathom Five”), is the independently wealthy wife of Alan Bartlett (Jack Lord). She was a professional golfer before she was paralyzed in an automobile accident. In the ensuing three years, her husband has taken to running around on her – or so, they say. It seems doubtful whether he ever was faithful to her. Now, he is seeing a singer at the country club, Gayle Martin (Marlyn Mason).

Gayle is also seeing parking attendant, Bill Garrison (David Janssen). She knows that he is actually the fugitive, Richard Kimble, and decides to use her knowledge to her advantage. She develops a scheme whereby Bartlett will kill Norma, blame Garrison for it, and receive both the reward for Kimble’s arrest and Norma’s vast estate.

Bartlett hires Garrison to work in the couple’s home in order to place him at the scene of the crime. He gives the major domo and cook the night off, cuts the telephone line into the house, pulls the distributor from his wife’s car, and lets himself inside through the French doors that lead directly into his wife’s study. It should be simple enough for him to pull the trigger.

But, no. Garrison knocks on the door at the crucial moment, and that throws Bartlett off balance. A serious scuffle ensues between Bartlett and Garrison. As Bartlett attempts to climb the stairs after his wife, she pulls herself to her feet, using the banister for support, then pushes her wheelchair down the stairs, onto him. He falls onto a landing and breaks his leg, passing out from the pain.

With Norma’s full knowledge, Kimble leaves, agreeing to call the police when he reaches the highway. Bartlett confesses that Gayle devised the scheme, and arrests are made.

Note: The bartender at the country club, Paul, was portrayed by James Lanphier, who was Saloud, Princess Dahlas’s manservant, in the original The Pink Panther.

Executive Producer: Quinn Martin

Producer: Wilton Schiller

Director: Lewis Allen

Production Company: Quinn Martin Productions / United Artists Television

Ironside (1967)

"Dead Man’s Tale"

Warren Stuart (Scott) is shot and killed as he reclines on the diving board by the swimming pool at his home. His girlfriend, Tina Masson (Cramer) follows his instructions to call Ironside (Burr). Sensing impending trouble from the mob, he has communicated with San Francisco’s police chief several times during the previous month. It seems that the mob there is led by John Trask (Lord), an attorney, who runs a syndicate of seemingly legitimate businesses with extraordinary acumen. He makes no mistakes.

To catch him, Ironside decides to create a scenario whereby Trask thinks he has made a mistake and goes on the defensive. He puts out the word that Stuart did not die but is under protective custody at the hospital. Trask tries to “visit” Stuart, purportedly on legal business, but Ironside insists that he is too ill to have visitors. A supposed orderly plants a bomb, which blows away the jail-cell-like bars from the protective custody unit. He escapes from the police but not from the mob, who plants a single bullet in him, killing him (This sounds like Five-0’s theme that mobsters don’t like to leave unfinished business).

Next, Ironside leaks word that Stuart has regained consciousness and will testify at a grand jury hearing . Trask knows he has to find Stuart before (1) the hearing and (2) the mob leadership back East steps in and takes over. To make matters more difficult for him, Ironside has the SFPD round up mobsters in the Bay area, some of whom are known as respectable businessmen. This leaves Trask without his henchmen; he must act alone. To put the frosting on the cake, the mob boss tells Trask to regain control of the situation or else.

Trask takes a revolver from his desk. He’s taking action. He has the girlfriend (Cramer) kidnapped from her apartment and taken by ambulance to an airfield, where he is waiting with his two-engine Beachcraft aircraft. The police think they are tailing the ambulance, but they learn that the ambulance is empty. Somewhere along the route, the ambulance containing the girlfriend was exchanged for the empty one.

Cold, cool logic tells Ironside that Trask will want to get as far away as possible, meaning he will probably try to fly out. He calls air traffic control (ATC) and orders them to stall Trask until he can arrive. The ATC tells Trask to go to a different runway. By the time he reaches it, Ironside and the SFPD have arrived and cut off the aircraft. Arrests are made.

Jack is seen smoking in two scenes.

Available on Hulu

Director: Don Weis

Writers: Don Brinkley, Don Mankiewicz

Production Companies: NBC / Universal Studios / Harbour Productions

Starring: Raymond Burr, Don Galloway, Barbara Anderson, Don Mitchell, Gene Lyons, Jack Lord, Simon Scott, Susanne Cramer

The High Chaparral (1968)

"The Kinsman"

One night, when John Cannon (Leif Erickson) and his brother Buck (Cameron Mitchell) are absent from the family ranch, Dan Brookes (Jack Lord) arrives, bleeding from a leg wound and barely able to stay in the saddle. He asks for Annalee, his stepsister, whom he thinks to be John's wife, but learns that John is now married to Victoria (Linda Cristal). When Dan lapses into unconsciousness and falls from his horse, Victoria; her brother, Manolito (Henry Darrow); and her stepson, Blue (Mark Slade) carry him into the house.

John is uneasy about Dan when he returns home to learn what has happened. He has not seen Dan in 15 years and knows little about the man he has become. Dan tells John that he happened to be in Tombstone and decided to pay the Cannons a visit. Blue, overjoyed to have another uncle, is easily influenced by Dan, who tells him about his childhood days and about his mother, Annalee.

But Dan's friendliness is a fraud. In fact, he is wanted for murder and on the run from the two bounty hunters, Mace and Gurney (William C. Watson and Rayford Barnes), who shot and wounded him. When he acts as if he wants to show Victoria how well his leg is, he stumbles into her arms, pretending to be keeping himself from falling, and kisses her. When she does not fall for his ploy, he accuses her of marrying John too soon after Annalee's death, because of his wealth, and tells her that, surely, John isn't someone to have fun with; why not having some fun with him? Now, Victoria knows what Dan is. Later, she orders him to leave as soon as he is able. Buck, who has become suspicious and is jealous of Dan, does the same. John, on the other hand, wants to give Dan the benefit of the doubt out of respect to Annalee.

Buck is in town for supplies when he stops in at the saloon. Mace and Gurney overhear him talking about Dan Brookes and sign on as ranchhands. When they reach the ranch, they accost Dan in order to turn him in. Dan manages to talk his way out of the situation by informing them that John will go to Tucson to get payroll money from the bank and that he, Dan, will go with them. The bounty hunters can capture them on their way home and take the money. All he wants is $100 for a run to the Mexican border. Sure enough, Mace and Gurney waylay John, Blue, and Dan on the way back from Tucson. Dan shoots them, because he hears Buck and Manolito approaching. Blue presents Dan as the hero who saved their lives.

Back at the ranch, Dan knocks John down, grabs the money, and flees. Blue pursues and overcomes him when Dan's horse stumbles and throws him. Held at the point of Blue's gun, Dan tries to talk Blue out of taking him in by telling him that Annalee wouldn't have wanted Blue to deliver a kinsman to be hanged. Continuing with his sweet-talk, Dan tries to draw his gun but is shot and killed. One source says Blue shot him, while another source says John shot him from a distance. In either case, Blue is heartbroken that his uncle was a murderer and a thief. John tells him, “That’s the difference between his kind and your kind. Ride it out, boy.”

Creator: David Dortort

Producer: William F. Claxon

Director: Seymour Robbie

Writer: Richard Carr

Production Company: NBC

Steve’s Girl wrote this synopsis.

Mike Douglas Show (1969)

Jack was among excellent guest stars, including Gwen Verdon, who was the co-host; Lionel Hampton; Paddy Chayevsky; and Cy Coleman. Gwen Verdon, you may recall, went on to portray Thomas Magnum's mother, Katherine Peterson, on Magnum, PI.

Jack was the first guest, and he introduced Merv Griffin and Miss Verdon to the lu‘au. An Asian chef served smoked ahi to the others, who assumed it was raw and had trouble eating it. Remember, this was filmed in 1969, long before smoked fish became a popular dish - or even had been heard of (by most people) on the mainland. Jack explained that smoked fish is considered a delicacy in Hawai`i; in fact, at holiday times, it is so much in demand that the price for it skyrockets to $5 or $6 a pound (That would be about $30-$35 a pound today).

After the lu‘au, the show turned to socio-political issues. Jazz musician Lionel Hampton, who juggled drum sticks as he played, started the ball rolling by expressing his concern with the lack of national unity (dissension in the ranks, so to speak) and the random violence that was starting to be seen among young people. He said the solution was to keep kids too busy to get in trouble and introduced a 10-year-old boy prodigy, who played a drum duet with him, as an example of the difference that giving youth more attention can make. Hampton said he felt the schools should be keeping students busy after school. Jack said self-improvement must start on the individual level and quoted Martin Luther King, who said that there can be no peace on earth without peace in the heart. This, it was stated, starts by reading the Bible.

Playwright and novelist Paddy Chayefsky was introduced. Known as an intellectual liberal, who is capable of changing sides according to which point of view needs to be represented, Chayefsky predicted that the world was headed toward a society where the human being has no intrinsic worth. He cited the writings of George Orwell and Erskine Caldwell and predicted a technocratic society in which the human being is nothing more than a producer / consumer, cogs in the wheel of a society in which there is no room for the imperfect or the non-conformist. Jack disagreed and said the goodness of the human being starts on the individual level - spiritual belief; that is what will allow us to live together in peace and harmony and love. He believed in the innate goodness of man, which Chayefsky did not. He also felt that violence begets violence and pointed out that "Every riot, every war has begun with a single act of violence."

Chayefsky insisted that the only way to avoid strife is the technocratic society. Religion would be gone. We would not have faith in an all-knowing God to protect us from the life we do not understand. As an example, he said we do not have faith in an ordinary airplane to take us to the moon; we have faith in NASA to develop a craft that can take us there (Remember, man had just finished walking on the moon when this program was filmed and aired).

At a certain point, Jack dropped back and seemed uncomfortable. I received the impression (my own observation, mind you) that, if the program had been open to active debate, he would have jumped in with both feet and told Paddy Chayefsky exactly what he thought. But he was too much the gentleman to do that – at least, while the cameras were filming.

Chayefsky then did one of those about-faces for which he was known and said he was Jewish and that the Jews were more fortunate than other faiths, because for 5,000 years, they've been told by the world that they are inferior, while they have been told by their faith, through the Torah, that they are the chosen people. Interestingly, in saying this, he essentially negated the points he had made about an atheistic, technocratic society.

As a breath of fresh air, composer Cy Coleman arrived to entertain with a spoof of the nightclub / hotel pianist and a rendition of "My Personal Property," which he wrote for the Broadway musical, Sweet Charity. Gwen Verdon, who starred in that production, sang a song from it. Then, a group of dancing students sang and danced to another song from Sweet Charity entitled "Big Spender." They did a good job, too!

In order not to omit Mr. Coleman from the political discussion, Mike Douglas asked how he felt about what Mr. Chayefsky had said. Coleman said he disagreed with the cogs-of-society theory. He felt the system would not work and cited the problems of computers as the reason why: A computer is only as good as the man who programs it, and he did not feel that human beings were capable of programming a technocratic society.

Producers: Woody Fraser, Jack Reilly

Hosts: Mike Douglas, Gwen Verdon

Announcers: Jay Stewart, Charlie Tuna

Production Companies: Group W Productions / Mike Douglas Entertainment

Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour (Aired on CBS October 19, 1971)

Everyone genuinely appeared to be having fun - Jack included - in this October 1971 episode of The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour. He rode a white horse, shared a bit of the history of the islands, going back to King Kamehameha I and Captain Cook. He made jokes. And he sang!

Yes, Jack Lord sang, and he had a nice voice. No, it wasn't a voice that would win a scholarship to The Julliard. More aptly, it was a voice that had been trained to sing on stage, carrying a tremolo in the vein of an Irish tenor, yet fully capable of reaching the lower registers when singing in harmony with Glen Campbell, which he did in "Blow the Man Down" and "Sea Chant Melody." He sang a solo ("Strawberry Roan") while riding a horse in the surf along Kahala Beach.

Jack seemed to become teary-eyed while addressing the servicemen at Fort DeRussy. Some were on R&R, but some were recuperating from injuries and had been brought in on stretchers and in wheelchairs from Tripler Army Medical Center. Vietnam was still raging in those days. Having served aboard Liberty ships in World War II, Jack had the wartime experiences to enable him to relate to what those men were going through. Of course, it was emotional for him.

Also appearing on the show were the Smothers Brothers, Anne Murray, Jerry Reed, and in a cameo appearance, Jim Nabors, who came dressed as and acting like Gomer Pyle. Minnie Pearl also made a cameo appearance, wearing her 20% off flowered hat. Children played in the ocean with Glen Campbell. Hula dancers plied their art wearing ti leaf skirts. Even the dolphins tossed a ball to Glen in the pool at The Kahala Hilton.

In the closing scene, Glen Campbell sang Kui Lee's I'll Remember You, while 125 torchbearers circled the rim of Hanauma Bay at sunset. It was, to say the least, awe-inspiring. This was a top-notch performance by all involved. If you can wangle a copy of the tape (or CD), you will not be disappointed.

P.S. For those who think Jack Lord was as rigid and strait-laced as Steve McGarrett, all I can do is quote the top cop: "No chance!" He laughed heartily, tapped his foot in time to the music, and seemed genuinely delighted to be welcoming the Glen Campbell team to Hawai`i.

Director: Jack Shea

Writers: Rob Reiner, Sandy Krinski

Production Company: Glenco Enterprises

“Save the Whales”

Public Service Announcement

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IO5m41Jpkng

1979 Aloha Parade Outtakes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMyM_hPBSx8

Will the Real Jack Lord Please Stand Up

I recently re-watched Jack's appearances on "The Mike Douglas Show" and "The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour." I am inclined to agree with the person (name forgotten) who said McGarrett was an amped-up version of Jack. In other words, Jack was a scaled-down version of McGarrett.

In neither show did Jack appear to be acting. Rather, he seemed quite himself. He spoke quietly, especially on "The Mike Douglas Show" and, when Gwen Verdon was kicking up her heels, he seemed a bit shy and self-conscious, although he did make some very credible steps in the style of dancing that was popular at the time, the same style of dancing that he did as Steve Crowley in "The Ways of Love" (Season 1).

He seemed especially relaxed when riding a horse on "The Glen Campbell Show" and when giving a bit of the history of Hawai'i, in both shows. We know that he was an avid scholar of Hawaiian history and the language. I received the impression that, had Glen Campbell allowed him to go on, Jack would have been perfectly content teaching Hawaiian history for the full hour. Sadly, that wasn't the scope of the show, for I could have listened to him and, no doubt, learned a great deal from him.

Jack's intellect showed again, in "The Mike Douglas Show," in his debate with Paddy Chayefsky, an intellectual liberal. He held his own against Chayefsky, who predicted that the world was headed toward a society where the human being has no intrinsic worth. Jack disagreed and said the goodness of the human being starts on the individual level and that spiritual belief is what will allow us to live together in peace and harmony and love. Thus, Jack believed in the innate goodness of man, which Chayefsky did not. Although Jack studied the fine arts in college, he thought and spoke like a man who had studied the liberal arts. His knowledge of history, languages, political theory, and philosophy were quite above average. The discussion also showed Jack as a deeply religious man.

Jack was also relaxed while singing on "The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour." The songs were related to the sea and left the impression that they were songs with which Jack had grown up. Perhaps, his father taught them to him. Perhaps, also, he was instrumental in their being included in the program.

At no time, on either program, did Jack display the overwrought ego that he has been accused of possessing. He did not try to upstage either Mike Douglas or Glen Campbell, nor Paddy Chayefsky, who could have stood to be upstaged.

In short, Jack gave every appearance of being exactly the person we feel he was. A gentleman, scholar, and religious adherent, who could stand up for himself and the mission at hand when the need arose. But, then, that is the definition of a man, isn't it.

Did You Know?

Jack was the man who was seen being killed at the opening of each segment of

"Follow That Man," the re-run of Ralph Bellamy's "Man Against Crime."

Maddox, Tex. "Jack Lord's Rebel Life." Movie Life. August 1963.

Stage One in Hollywood (1956)

"A Day Before Battle"

Union soldiers capture a Confederate spy during the night before the Battle of Gettysburg. They must decide whether it is morally acceptable to shoot a prisoner.

Sherman Yellen and Peter Stone wrote the teleplay, which “starred an outrageous scene-stealing Jack Lord, who went on to star in Hawaii Five-0.”* Also appearing in the episode was Warren Oates, who would go on to appear with Jack in Stoney Burke.

* Interview with Sherman Yellen. http://thelynneshow.com/2012/05/interview-with-sherman-yellen/

Director: Francis Moriarty

Writers: Peter Stone, Sherman Yellen

Production Company: CBS

Have Gun - Will Travel (1957)

"Three Bells to Perdido"

In the first episode of Have Gun - Will Travel, Jack portrayed a coward, Dave Enderby, who has been hiding in the Mexican town of Perdido. Paladin goes there at the behest of the father of Enderby's wife for the purpose of returning him to face the father's revenge.

Have Gun - Will Travel lasted for six seasons. One has to wonder how after viewing this thin, unrealistic episode. Anyone who had seen Jack in The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell or Man of the West knows he wouldn't lie down and roll over for anyone, not even Paladin.

Watch it on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_wwYUDwVQc

Created by: Herb Meadow, Sam Rolfe

Producer: Julian Claman

Director: Andrew V. McLaglan

Writers: Herb Meadow, Sam Rolfe

Music: Bernard Herrmann

Production Company: CBS / Filmaster Productions

The Millionaire (1958)

"The Lee Randolph Story"

Watch it on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAjkvFeA0vY

Alcoa Presents : One Step Beyond (1959)

"Father Image"

When Dan Gardner (Jack Lord) inherits his father's estate, he learns that his father owned an old theater, which he boarded up and abandoned. Dan wants to know why and goes to see it. Along the way, he is grazed by a truck and hits his head. He wanders into a speakeasy, where one of the dancers threatens to blackmail him if he doesn't marry her. He refuses to be baited. In the next scene, Dan is in the old theater when he discovers a skeleton in an old steamer trunk. A police officer comes in and sees it, and the two go to see Dan's father's partner, Timothy Welling (Ian Wolfe). It seems that Dan's father was blackmailed and killed the dancer, rather than be blackmailed by her. As the host of the show (John Newland) said, "We are the sum total of all our ancestors..."

Watch it on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16CpF_4vT-M

Producer: unknown

Director: John Newland

Writer: Merwin Gerard (series creator)

Production Company: Joseph M. Schenck Enterprises / ABC-TV

The Untouchables (1959)

"The Jake Lingle Killing"

It's impossible to tell which side Bill Hagen (Jack Lord) is serving, the police or the mob, as he seeks to learn who killed Jake Lingle, a respected reporter. It comes out that Lingle was actually the middle man between the mob and a corrupt police officer. Now, it looks like the mob is drawing in Hagen, too. The self-styled detective is an angry man, who lost his wife and son when he was sent to prison for an earlier offense. He has the necessary chemistry to go either way. Based on a true story.

Did You Know?

Jack was considered for the role of Eliot Ness. He turned it down.

Watch it on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQHvPE78mbo

Producer: Quinn Martin

Director: Tay Garnett

Writers: Robert C. Dennis, Saul Levitt

Production Company: Desilu / Langford Productions

Bonanza (1960)

"The Outcast”

Leta Malvet (Susan Oliver) is shunned by the citizens of Virginia City after her father and brother are hanged by a lynch mob for killing two men during the attempted robbery of a stagecoach reputed to have been carrying the Ponderosa’s payroll. Mrs. Bufford (Irene Tedrow), who is the wife of the owner of the general store, Harvey Bufford (Edward Platt), declares that Leta should leave Virginia City, because she's no better than her kin. It all is too much for poor Leta, who is taken by the Cartwrights to recuperate at the Ponderosa.

It seems likely that another attempt will be made to steal the payroll, so the Cartwrights devise ways of safely moving the payroll from Virginia City to the ranch. Their defenses are up and rise higher when Clay Renton (Jack Lord) arrives at the Ponderosa to see Leta. Renton has a criminal past and is thought to be after the payroll; however, he claims to be reformed. He apologizes to Leta for coming so late, explaining that his job kept him from visiting earlier, and encourages her not to leave Virginia City, because she has done no wrong.

When Leta has recovered, Ben (Lorne Greene) drives her to her house and assures her that the Cartwrights will provide any help she might need. Renton is waiting inside and reproaches her for having allowed the Cartwrights to convert her to their ways. Leta never has thought of herself as a bad person and is puzzled by Renton's words. Nevertheless, she loves him and wants to marry him.

Leta decides to stay in Virginia City and to make a living by continuing to sell the eggs of her chickens. When she goes to town to sell them to Harvey Bufford, she is shunned by everyone she meets. While negotiating the sale of her eggs, she fancies a pair of ladies boots. She cannot afford them and says so. Bufford makes a big fuss of measuring the boots, fondling her leg in the process. He tells Leta that she can have the boots in return for feminine favors and place the boots in her basket. Leta smacks him.

It seems that Renton had entered the store and witnessed what happened. He warns Bufford to stay away from Leta. As he and Leta leave the store, Mrs. Bufford steps from behind a curtain separating the store from a back room. Bufford accuses Leta of trying to steal the boots, but his wife lets him know that she has seen everything!

Little Joe (Michael Landon) and Adam (Pernell Roberts) arrive at the Ponderosa in a buckboard wagon with the payroll hidden beneath a load of logs. Renton watches them through binoculars and returns to the band of robbers that is after the payroll. Now, we know that Renton is a member of the band. A dispute erupts between him and the leader, and Renton kills him. He tells the others that he knows where to find the money and instructs them to buy fresh horses in order to get away quickly after they rob the payroll. The money will be in Bufford's safe, in his store, which will be closed on the day of the annual charity bazaar.

On the day of the bazaar, Leta wants to enter the wedding dress, which she has made for her marriage to Renton, in the dress making contest, but she is turned away by Mrs.Bufford. Meanwhile, Renton and his men break into Bufford's store and crack open the safe, but they find only $50 in it. Bufford enters his store to get a parasol for his wife. As he discovers that his safe has been opened, he is knocked over the head by Renton. He barely makes it to the front door and whispers Renton's name before he dies.

Ben sends Hoss (Dan Blocker) to get Adam and Little Joe and pursue the robbers. They catch three men, but Renton is not among them. Ben then rides to Leta's house and informs her that Renton is suspected of having murdered Bufford. Leta is furious at the suggestion and tells Ben that Renton was not in town that day and that the Malvet women always stand by their men in times of trouble. She thanks him for making it clear to her where she belongs. As Ben leaves, he discovers Renton's horse behind Leta's house. It is flecked with foam from having been ridden hard. Now, Ben knows that Renton is hiding in the house. Inside, Leta confronts Renton with Ben's accusations, but Renton becomes angry with her for suspecting him.

The mob from the town shows up, but the Cartwrights stop them at gunpoint from going after Renton and Leta. When Renton wants to leave through the backdoor, Leta realizes that Renton has lied to her and that she will be on the run for the rest of her life, if she goes with him. Knowing which side of the law she is on and wants to be on, she points a rifle at Renton and tells Ben that Renton will come out if Ben will guarantee Renton's safety. Meanwhile, Renton plots what he thinks is a clever getaway plan and hides his gun in his boot. Leta propels him at gunpoint from the house and into the hands of the law. Leta warns Ben to watch for the gun in Renton's boot. Renton tries to snatch the rifle from Leta's hands, but Ben shoots and kills him. As the scene draws to a close, Mrs. Bufford follows Leta into the house to apologize for all the wrong she had done her and to offer her help to Leta.

Editor’s Note: Clay Renton wasn't the only one out to rob the payroll. In 1920, at the Kekaha Sugar Company, on the island of Kaua`i, a fisherman by the name of Kaimiola Hali held up a train and stole the $11,000 company payroll. Yes, you really have to be wary of the train robberies in the western states. This is a true story, which is documented at the Kaua`i Museum in Lihue. The museum is open from 10:00 until 5:00, seven days a week.

Watch it on You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBbjDf_Py-M

Creators: David Dortort, Fred Hamilton

Executive Producer: David Dortort

Director: Lewis Allen

Writer: Thomas Thompson

Production Company: NBC

The synopsis was written by Steve’s Girl.

Stagecoach West (1961)

"House of Violence"

Jack portrays heartless thief and murderer Russ Doty, who, with his gang, hijacks a stagecoach, kidnaps its passengers, and hides out in a relay station after stealing a payroll and killing an express agent. Aboard the stagecoach are its drivers, Luke Perry (Wayne Rogers) and Simon Kane (Robert Bray); Kane’s son, Davey (Richard Eyer); a United States senator (Grandon Rhodes), his daughter (Marion Ross), and a disreputable jewelry salesman (Peter Leeds).

Jack portrays a embittered man, who isn’t satisfied to obtain wealth by hook or crook; he wants to punish everyone who has led a more privileged life than he. He’s teetering on the brink of insanity, and when the posse catches up with him, he wants to know why they always have to come after him. His brother, an alcoholic, already has lost his mind, and his partner is ready to step in and assume the lead, except that Doty is stronger. From all appearances, no one is going to survive this massacre.

One of the most vicious characters Jack played, a man with absolutely no redeeming qualities.

Writer: Stephen Lord

Director: Donald McDougall

Producer: Vincent M. Finnelly

Production Companies: Four Star Productions, Hilgarde Productions

Stagecoach West (1961)

"The Butcher"

Colonel Sam Carlin (John Dehner) is on his way aboard Simon Kane’s (Robert Bray) stagecoach to Washington to face criminal charges for using excessive force against Mexicans living in California. Mexican bandits don’t want to wait for Washington to mete out justice; they want the colonel dead. One of the passengers on the stagecoach is Johnny Dane (Jack Lord), who is also being transported for trial, only by a civilian court, but also for murder. With Carlin and Dane are a cowardly actor, Abraham Fontaine (Christopher Dark) and a woman (Dody Heath).

When the Mexican bandits cut the stagecoach off, the drivers and passengers are forced to survive by their wits. Ultimately, when the colonel is killed, it comes to light that he is shell shocked and that his excessive force arose from his believing he was still fighting the Civil War. It also comes to light that Johnny Dane just might not have been guilty as accused. He gives his own life in order to save the lives of the others, but not without killing the last three Mexican bandits.

A truly excellent episode. It is good to see one of Jack’s bad guys have redeeming qualities.

Writers: Joseph Stone, Paul King

Director: Thomas Carr

Producer: Vincent M. Finnelly

Production Companies: Four Star Productions, Hilgarde Productions

Route 66 (1961)

"Play It Glissando”

Jack portrayed several mentally disturbed characters in his early acting career. This was one of them. Here’s what happened:

Tod Stiles (Martin Milner) and Buz Murdock (George Maharis) stop at the Holiday House motel in Malibu, California, where they hear singer Kitty Parker (Barbara Bostock) in the hotel’s lounge. After her performance, they take her to hear an up and coming progressive trumpet player, Gabe Johnson (Jack Lord).

Later, while driving Kitty back to the hotel, they are run off the road by a seemingly deranged driver. She turns out to be Jena Johnson (Anne Francis), the wife of Gabe Johnson. She reported that her husband locked her in their mountaintop home. She smelled smoke and found a fire in the bathroom. She somehow managed to climb out a window. Gabe’s car was parked in the garage with the keys in the ignition. She was driving away from the house when her brakes failed and she had the accident. She is sure Gabe tampered with the brakes. She recognizes Kitty and thinks she, Tod, and Buz want to hurt her.

The police investigate and learn that the fire originated in the wiring in the bathroom wall. Somehow, it managed to extinguish itself without destroying the house. Even so, Jena refuses to go home. She is shaking with fear. Tod and Buz take her to their hotel room and offer her a bedroom and something to sleep in, but she insists that she will stay up all night and remain on the lookout for Gabe, who surely will come after her. She sits on the sofa all night with a revolver in hand. She tells Buz that she won’t be safe until she leaves Gabe and is out of California.

The next morning, while Tod takes a catamaran out for a sail, Buz stays with Jena. Gabe appears on the beach. Buz goes to breakfast with Kitty with the understanding that Jena will join them. As Jena takes the tram upstairs to have breakfast with Kitty and Buz, Gabe stops the tram. Even so, he is not threatening. Instead, they go into each other’s arms; it is clear that they love each other. He explains that he locks her in their home, because he is afraid she will leave him. She comes from a wealthy New York family, while he is a poor and struggling musician, waiting for his big break.

The night before, Jena tried to call friends and family in New York, but no one would take her call or help her. Now, her mother’s lawyer returns her call. It seems that her mother disinherited her when she took up with Gabe. It also seems that her mother died two months earlier and the lawyer called to let Jena know. Gabe took the call but never told Jena, again because he feared she would leave him and go home to “all the money.” At that point, Jena holds her gun on Gabe and tells him to leave.

When Tod and Buz see Jena, she’s happy and carefree, no doubt imagining that she is free of Gabe. They set out in the men’s Corvette. As they drive along, one of Gabe’s songs comes on the radio. Buz offers to turn the radio off, but Jena insists it isn’t bothering her. Just then, Gabe sees them from a hillside. He has a rifle and fires a shot, which strikes Tod and causes him to veer off the road.

Tod is rushed to the hospital, and the police begin a search for Gabe, despite hints that it probably was a hunter’s errant shot. Even though the police detective (Harold J. Stone) tells Buz and Jena not to interfere with their investigation, the twosome set out in search of Gabe at the bars where he has performed. They do not find him.

They are driving along when Gabe catches up with them and forces them off the road. He still has the rifle and threatens to shoot Buz, but Buz manages to wrest the rifle away from him. At that point, Gabe goes to the Corvette and tries to take his wife out, but before he can do so, the police arrive. Gabe runs away, and a patrolman takes off after him, while the detective tells Buz and Jena to wait in a bar for Gabe to be apprehended.

After staying in a bar for as long as they can, they go to the theater where Gabe was supposed to play that night. The event has been cancelled, but Gabe is standing on the stage in the empty theater and playing the blues on his trumpet. Jena goes to him; she cannot leave him. Gabe collapses in sobs at her feet, and the police arrive to arrest him.

Tod recovered, although according to the detective, he was sore. Jena paid his hospital bill ($30 a day, equivalent to $220.36 in today’s currency, still a bargain compared to today’s hospital costs).

The story begins with the ambulance ride to the hospital after Tod is shot. The story leading up to that is told through a flashback. This adds to the mystery and intrigue, although it might be clearer if a greater distinction were made when the story returns to the present.

The DVD includes several 1960s commercials, including one for Chevrolet, which provided the cars used in the series.

Watch it for a fee on You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKxLTWNv2iY

Creators: Herbert B. Leonard, Stirling Silliphant

Writer: Stirling Silliphant

Production Company: Screen Gems / Columbia Television

Rawhide (1961)
"Incident of the Brother’s Keeper"

Pete (Sheb Wooley) and Wishbone (Paul Brinegar) are in Mineral Springs when Pete meets Paul Evans (Jack Lord). Evans is confined to a wheelchair due to injuries sustained in his job as a rancher and is unable to escort his wife, Laurie (Susan Oliver), to a barn dance. He asks Pete to escort her. Pete is surprised by the request but agrees to do so. He soon wishes he had not, for Laurie has plans to leave the dance (and her husband) with Paul’s brother, Jubal (Jeff Richards). What follows is a tale of jealousy, misunderstandings, and lessons painfully learned.

Producer: Charles Marquis Warren

Director: Ted Post

Writer: Buckley Angell

Production Company: CBS

Starring: Sheb Wooley, Paul Brinegar, Jack Lord, Susan Oliver, Jeff Richards

Dr. Kildare (1964)

"A Willing Suspension of Disbelief”

Dr. Frank Michaels (Jack Lord) has rheumatoid arthritis and knows it. Knowing it and accepting it are two different matters. Arthritis already cost him a career as a professional football player. Now, he is faced with the loss of yet another career as a surgeon. He goes through the painful, yet necessary, steps toward acceptance: He denies it and tries to hide it only to be found out when he doubles over in the physical pain of his condition.

Desperate, Dr. Michaels consults a man offering a miracle cure. His medical training tells him to be wary, but his desperation for a cure prompts him to try the corticosteroid. Then, he begins having mood swings and outbursts of violent temper. The situation comes to a climax when Michaels hits Dr. Kildare (Richard Chamberlain). Although the blow knocks down the senior intern, it is not as strong a blow as a man of Michaels’ size should have been able to deliver. This alerts Kildare and Chief of Staff, Dr. Gillespie (Raymond Massey) that something is physically wrong with the surgeon.

Dr. Michaels goes home in shame and tells his wife Julia (Mala Powers) what he has done. She takes control, saying she is going to do what she should have done long before, and calls Dr. Gillespie. Gillespie shows Michaels an x-ray and asks him to make a diagnosis. The surgeon recognizes it as rheumatoid arthritis and as his own x-ray. Gillespie explains that, although the corticosteroid reduced the inflammation, it had a nasty side effect: psychotic manic-depression. He prescribes safer medication and helps Dr. Michaels accept the reality that, while his days as a surgeon are over, his days as a doctor are not. He still can practice clinical medicine and teach.

In “A Willing Suspension of Disbelief,” we see Jack’s acting ability in all its splendor. We see him frightened, desperate, manic, angry, and, finally, accepting. We see him as a loving husband and a frightened animal. Not since Man of the West have we seen Jack portray a character with such extreme personality traits. If you can find a copy of this program, you need to see it.

It is available on DVD from Amazon.

Director: Leonard Horn

Writer: Harold Gast

Production Company: National Broadcasting Company

Wagon Train (1965)

"The Echo Pass Story"

Jack portrays Lee Barton, a down-on-his-luck dirt farmer. He and a group of family and friends have robbed a bank in order to acquire the funds needed to escape to Mexico and buy a ranch. There, they will be able to enjoy life -- or so they imagine. But life is never as simple as that. In the course of the robbery, they killed a sheriff and two deputies. Now, they have had a run-in with scouts from a wagon train. As tensions mount, so does dissension within the ranks. After all, they could divide the money and go their separate ways -- but even that idea has its problems.

Director: Joseph Pevner

Writers: Budd Arthur (novel), Bert Arthur (novel), Calvin Clements, Sr. (teleplay)

Production Company: Universal Television

Combat! (1965)

"The Linesman"

Barney McKlosky (Jack Lord) was shell-shocked before he arrived in France with the American forces. A telephone lineman, he took a spill from a telephone pole in Wyoming and was left by his partner, who did not bring the promised assistance. Now, at the height of the war, he trusts no one. As a result, he makes life difficult for the unit he serves.

As the unit is laying wire through the countryside, German soldiers approach. McKlosky is ready to desert until the unit leader, Sgt. Saunders (Vic Morrow) is able to reason with him. He and the other men know what happened in Wyoming, but here, comrades do not desert each other. Is he going to be the deserter?

McKlosky pulls it together and just in time, for while they are gathering wire in a bombed-out village, a German unit approaches. Only by pulling together does the American unit manage to escape – in the Germans’ truck, no less.

Watch it on YouTube: Part 1 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLzOUC-6Cs0

Progress to Parts 2 and 3 from there.

Executive Producer: Selig J. Seligman

Producer: Gene Levitt

Director: Tom Gries

Writers: Gene Levitt, Edward J. Lakso

Production Company: Selmur Productions

12 O'Clock High (1965)

"Big Brother"

"Big Brother" takes place in North Africa, where a B-17 squadron (the 918th), commanded by Col Joe Gallagher (Paul Burke) is forced to land due to a fuel shortage. The Army base where they land is commanded by LCol Preston "Pres" Gallagher (Jack Lord), who is Joe's brother.

Pres is at the end of his rope, overwhelmed by the hundreds of deaths suffered on and around the base and severe fatigue. He is not functioning well and not making sound decisions. Accordingly, he has confiscated fuel from aircraft in order to fuel trucks to effect a retreat from the base.

When Joe challenges his decision, Pres collapses and is hospitalized. Joe takes command. Meanwhile, a German tank division is drawing steadily closer. In Pres's absence, Joe and an English major (Bernard Fox) devise a plan to use the stored fuel in the aircraft to attack the tanks.

Pres recovers at the sound of German aircraft blowing up a B-17 that has just landed. He fine-tunes the plan, which calls for allowing the tanks to pull into a wedge, the perimeter of which is armed by Allied forces. Those forces will fire on them from the ground while the re-fueled B-17s bomb them from the air.

Watch it on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpxIDW_7FLw

Producer: Quinn Martin

Director: Jerry Hopper

Writers: Jack Turley, Beirne Lay, Jr.

Production Company: QM Productions / 20th Century Fox

12 O'Clock High (1966)

"Face of a Shadow"

"Face of a Shadow" takes place at an American-occupied air base in Italy. The base commander, Col Yates (Jack Lord), once commanded the 918th bomber squadron but was transferred out after making poor decisions with disastrous results. He is coping no better in Italy. Now, he is arrogant and alcoholic and keeping steady company with Carla (Luciana Paluzzi), an Italian woman, who gives every evidence that she may be a spy for the Germans. Col Joe Gallagher (Paul Burke) arrives to find a very dangerous situation at hand. He dresses down Yates and takes command.

Col Yates witnesses the near overthrow of the base by German soldiers and Italian insurgents. His friend and associate, Maj Shull (Philip E. Pine), is killed. The troops in the trenches have no use for him. Slowly, Yates begins to come to his senses. As aircraft parked on the base explode, he climbs aboard a B-17 and drives it down the runway, while Col Gallagher and other American survivors fire at the enemy with fuselage-mounted machine guns. In the end, Yates pours out the glass of whiskey he had been about to drink, giving evidence that he might turn his life around.

These two episodes show Jack in some of his finest acting as soldiers who must make their way back to sanity and sobriety. Then, as in Five-0, he teaches a lesson: We all get a second chance if we will just seize the opportunity.

Watch it on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4j0Zp0lt70

Producer: Quinn Martin

Director: Richard Benedict

Writers: David P. Lewis, Andy Lewis

Production Company: QM Productions / 20th Century Fox

Kraft Suspense Theatre (1965)

"The Long Ravine”

Paul Campbell (Jack Lord) is a dreamer. Rather than hold an ordinary job, he would rather search for the mother lode. To his wife Dorothy’s (Lisabeth Hush) chagrin, Paul doesn’t mind living on credit with the owner of the cabin in which they live and the local general store, Pop Tullett (Broderick Crawford). Pop is not as kind as his generosity first appears; he has designs on Dorothy. Dorothy’s brother, Chris (Andrew Prine), returns from Vietnam to be drawn in by Paul as a partner. Chris has his military severance pay, and Paul needs money.

Sure enough, they find the gold vein, but the survey was inaccurate, and the gold is not on Paul’s land, but Pop’s. At this point, Paul realizes he has lost everything and is ready to return to “real” life in order not to lose Dorothy’s love.

Chris doesn’t take the loss as well. He goes after Pop, who suffers a tragic accident that leaves him vulnerable to Chris’ anger. Paul has his hands full, trying to talk sense into Chris before he kills Pop. He only barely succeeds in preventing his own greed and selfishness from corrupting Chris and ruining their family. In the end, the family leaves the area intact, older, and wiser than when they arrived.

Watch it on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFIBJRIge-A

Executive Producer: Frank P. Rosenberg

Producer: Jon Epstein

Director: Leon Benson

Writers: Anthony Ellis, Halsted Welles

Production Company: Roncom Films

Laredo (1966)

"Above the Law”

This series, a spinoff of The Virginian, centered around three Texas Rangers based in Laredo, Texas. It ran for two seasons, from September 1965 until April 1967. The main characters were Reese Bennett (Neville Brand), Chad Cooper (Peter Brown), Joe Riley (William Smith, who, in Season 12 of Five-0, would be known as James “Kimo” Carew ), and Capt. Parmalee (Philip Carey), chief of the Laredo Texas Rangers office.

“Above the Law” is said to have been a vehicle for Jack Lord. Some sources say it was written as a pilot for a series, while other sources say it was written as a test to determine whether his acting was strong enough to support a starring role in a series. His character, Jabon “Jab” Harlan, is “an independent and a drifter” who is not averse to operating above the law if he thinks it is necessary. Although “Above the Law” is not a typical Laredo episode, it is an excellent one.

The story begins in Wichita, Kansas, where an innocent man, Tom Phelps (Anthony Hayes), has been found guilty of a murder that was committed during a bank robbery. His wife, Ruth Phelps (Laraine Stephens, who would go on to portray the icy Miss Simpson in “Death is a Company Policy” (Season 5)), knows he is innocent and has hired Jab Harlan to prove his innocence. Jab must first free Tom from the law. He does so by having a wagon filled with chicken coops run into those waiting for a stagecoach. In the disturbance, another man going to prison, Brad Scanlon (John Kellogg), escapes. Jab rides off, after him.

Texas Ranger Reese Bennett is in a shootout with Scanlon when Jab comes upon them. He intervenes to allow Scanlon to escape. Reese is furious, but Jab is sharp and manages to divert attention from the situation by telling Reese that he doesn’t believe he’s a ranger; after all, he isn’t wearing a badge and has no identification. Even so, Reese takes Jab to Laredo.

In Laredo, two other rangers tease Reese for having arrested the wrong man. Their captain doesn’t seem disappointed. He’s perfectly willing to arrest Jab for aiding and abetting Scanlon and for obstruction of justice. Jab insists that Tom Phelps is innocent and that it benefits justice for Scanlon to be loose in order to lead him to the man who really committed the murder of which he was accused. Parmalee declares that judge and jury made their decision, but Jab insists they were wrong. Parmalee sends Reese back out after Scanlon and tells Jab not to leave town. Jab agrees and goes for a shave only to slip out the back way and leave town.

Scanlon goes to Hangtree, where his wife is living. He wants to pick up $30,000 from the bank robbery that was committed when the murder occurred and leave Texas. She doesn’t want to spend her life on the run. Reese catches up with Scanlon, but Scanlon pretends to be dead and, with the help of the local undertaker, hides in a casket. Reese buys the tale and leaves alone. The plan is that Scanlon will go for the money, while his wife holds his funeral. Jab, who has been hiding in another casket, hears the plan. Reese sees a waitress taking food to the undertaker and learns that this is the only time she has done so. He knows then that someone is there who is not dead. Reese returns to the undertaker’s, but Scanlon is gone.

Jab is following Scanlon when Scanlon is ambushed and shot. Jab tries to help, but Scanlon is dead. Jab takes the body to the undertaker and places him in the coffin in which he was hiding earlier. Meanwhile, Reese questions Mrs. Scanlon, but she says she does not know where Scanlon is. In order to get him to stop asking questions, she feigns a crying jag; he leaves. Jab arrives, claiming to be a friend, and tells her of Scanlon’s death. While talking to her, he quotes Ralph Waldo Emerson, the Holy Bible, and William Shakespeare. Jab and Mrs. Scanlon decide to go after the money that Scanlon was trying to recover when he was killed. He will tell Frank Garrett (not McGarrett), owner of the ranch, that he is the doctor treating Scanlon.

Ah! But there is a delay when Reese comes upon Jab’s sleeping form, arrests him, and puts him in jail. It is a very brief incarceration, however, for Reese made the mistake of telling Mrs. Scanlon where Jab was. She goes to help him, but he has already picked the lock. Meanwhile, Reese goes to the undertaker’s to see for himself that Scanlon is dead. He finds a note written to him by Jab (in Jack Lord’s penmanship, it should be noted) telling him that he has gone to the Garrett ranch.

Jab and Mrs. Scanlon arrive at the ranch, but he recognizes Jab sufficiently to know he is no doctor. A gunfight breaks out between Jab and Garrett and his men. It seems like Jab will meet his end when Reese rides up and goes to Jab’s aid. Together, they defeat and kill Garrett’s men and wound Garrett, who surrenders to Reese. Garrett actually killed the man that Tom Phelps was convicted of killing.

In the epilogue, Capt. Parmalee thanks Jab for clearing Tom’s name but chastises him for operating above the law. Reese wants Jab to join the Texas Rangers, but Jab declines, insisting that he prefers to work independently.

In 1968, after Laredo was cancelled, scenes from several episodes were pieced together to create Three Guns for Texas. It was released to theaters with The Counterfeit Killer, which starred Jack Lord and was originally aired on Bob Hope’s Chrysler Theatre.

Writer: John McGreevey

Director: Richard Benedict

Production Company: Universal

Bob Hope Presents The Chrysler Theatre (1966)

"The Faceless Man”

“The Faceless Man” was the pilot film for a projected series. Although it was not picked up by the networks, it does sound very much like a premonition of things to come, very McGarrett-ish. It is a drama about an undercover organization, which helps defectors escape from behind the Iron Curtain. When four seamen and two agents are lost, the organization must find out what is going on. Also appearing in the episode were Shirley Knight, Jack Weston, Joseph Wiseman, Charles Drake, L. Q. Jones, and Hans Heyde.

Director: Stuart Rosenberg

Writer: Harry Kleiner

Production Company: Universal