10 Plus stars. No less.
Stephen Kandel wrote this way exciting episode, no surprise he was associated with MANNIX and MISSION IMPOSSIBLE. It starts out with Cannon all dressed up and looking like a lawyer again, pipe in hand, pondering the reported suicide of an Air Force veteran pilot and friend. In a rather neat twist, it turns out the man was a no show in a plot by a retired colonel to overthrow a small African country. Definitely could have been a MISSION IMPOSSIBLE story.
Watching the speeding Jaguar is a must.
Joyce Van Patten plays the man's sister who hires Cannon to clear his good name, and Martin Sheen, reprising his role from a previous episode ( as a limping cop in THE DEVILS PLAYGROUND). He now plays Cannon's chauffeur pilot and colleague of sorts. You can tell William Conrad liked working with Sheen and the fact that he would return in yet another episode. Gerald S. O'Laughlin, who played both cops and bad guys, is cast as the diabolical colonel, instrumental in this adventure. Percy Rodriguez, interestingly, is cast as a mysterious gentleman with diplomatic immunity, armed and ready to shoot.
All set in another remote desert community. The crew filmed portions at Palmdale, CA, guaranteed triple digit weather country. Toss in some excellent aerial footage and some incredible vintage planes, a location used again in another episode.
Watch for the Classic Cannon showdown, special thanks to director Charles S. Dubin, who directed four series episodes, long associated with HAWAII FIVE O and IRONSIDE. It shows, hands down.
To note, Arch Johnson plays the sheriff, popular actor and a regular in Warner Brothers tv shows in the 60s. Twelve year old Willie Aames is cast as Petey, just beginning his career, later the middle brother on EIGHT IS ENOUGH.
An episode that deserved at least one Emmy nod.
SEASON 1 EPISODE 21 remastered CBS/Paramount dvd box set No.2 of 2. 4 dvds per box, released 2008. 21 hours total.