Sword of Justice (1978–1979)

The weekly adventures of wealthy playboy soldier-of-fortune Jack Cole.

Creators:

Michael Gleason, Glen A. Larson

Stars:

Dack Rambo, Bert Rosario, Alex Courtney

Cast

Complete series cast summary:
Dack Rambo	...	Jack Cole (10 episodes, 1978-1979)
Bert Rosario	...	Hector Ramirez (10 episodes, 1978-1979)
Alex Courtney	...	Arthur Woods (10 episodes, 1978-1979)
Colby Chester	...	Federal Agent Buckner (10 episodes, 1978-1979)

Storyline

Dack Rambo plays millionaire playboy Jack Cole, who, after the death of his parents, is framed on charges of embezzlement. In prison, Cole learns various tricks of the criminal trade - lockpicking, safe-cracking, electronic surveillance, etc. Upon his release, Cole uses his wealth and his newly learned talents to help others, leaving his calling card, a "sword of justice", at the scene.

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Plot Keywords:

false accusation | playing card | ex convict | revenge

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Genres:

Adventure

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 September 1978 (USA)

Also Known As:

La espada de la justicia

Company Credits

Production Co:

Glen A. Larson Productions, Universal TV

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min 60 min (13 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Trademark: During each show, the villain would get four playing cards distributed anonymously. The cards were the threes of the various suits, with the spade three always coming last. In the pilot and the opening credits of each show, Jack Cole plays solitaire and deals himself four threes in succession, to match his three years of imprisonment. The cards are marked on the back with a Jack Cole quotation, ending with "The spade is the sword of justice. Its rapier marks the end."

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Quotes

Jack Cole: The spade is the sword of justice. Its rapier marks the end.
[Jack Cole's catch phrase, spoken in voiceover as the villain reads the back of the three of spades just before being arrested]

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Connections

Referenced in Saturday Night Live: Walter Matthau (1978)

User Reviews

Classics are Ageless

Dated, but isn't everything? Ignore the 70s hair and clothes, and take a step back. This is 'The Count of Monte Christo' for the new millennium. The basic plot is the same: honest man is framed for a crime he did not do, is imprisoned and while in prison learns a whole new set of skills. After his eventual escape/release he joins forces with a man he served time with, creates a new identity, and sets out to avenge the wrongs done against him. It has been said that there are no new stories; all plots you can conceive of are contained in the Greek myths, but so what? It is not the underlying story that is important - it is the way it is told, and 'Sword of Justice' does it well. As another reviewer put it, it's a shame it ran only 9 episodes, and worse that it has never been released to video. I'd buy it.