Tales of the Gold Monkey (1982) (TV)

User Rating:

7.9/10   

Director:

Ray Austin

Writer:

Donald P. Bellisario (writer)

Release Date:

22 September 1982 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure

Plot:

Story of a ex-Flying Tiger pilot, and his mechanic and their Grumman Goose as they fight the Japanese, before World War II.

Cast

Stephen Collins	...	Jake Cutter
Jeff MacKay	...	Corky
Caitlin O'Heaney	...	Sarah White
Marta DuBois	...	Princess Kogi
John Calvin	...	Tenboom
John Fujioka	...	Todo
Ron Moody	...	Bon Chance Louie
John Hillerman	...	Monocle
Johnny Sekka	...	Black Man
Elizabeth Lindsey	...	Tiki
Ken Smolka	...	Sam
Loyita Chapel	...	Bobbi
William Forsythe	...	Kurt (as Bill Forsythe)
Conrad Bachmann	...	Commander
Greg Elliot	...	Sparks (as Gregory Elliot)

Also Known As:

The Curse of the Gold Monkey

Runtime:

USA:93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

Universal TV

Trivia:

Ron Moody played the part of saloonkeeper Bon Chance Louis in this TV movie, but the role was taken over by Roddy McDowall for episodes of the TV series, "Tales of the Gold Monkey" (1982).

Goofs:

Anachronisms: This program was set in the late 1930s, yet pilot Jake Cutter is supposed to be a former Flying Tiger who occasionally tangles with Japan's Mitsubishi Zero fighters in his new South Pacific home. Two problems: 1) the Flying Tigers weren't even in existence at this time, and 2) neither were Zero fighters.

Movie Connections:

Followed by "Tales of the Gold Monkey" (1982)

A lost treasure...

Unfortunately this show was cancelled way too early. I had a chance to ask Stephen Collins about it once and he said it had more to do with politics between the network and the executive producer than it did with ratings. Yes, it was obviously inspired by the success of Raiders of the Lost Ark but that doesn't make it bad. Where would Battlestar Galactica be without Star Wars or The Facts of Life without Cooley High? The point is this was a great family adventure show. A fun cast aided Jake Cutter, a cargo plane pilot, in his efforts to make a living in the South Seas in 1938 while avoiding the Japanese and Nazis in the pre-WWII era. A highlight has to be the one-eyed dog, Jack. Jake lost Jack's glass eye in a poker game - classic. This dog was part Lassie and part Clyde (Every Which Way But Loose) and he understood several languages. Sarah and Corky rounded out an ensemble of comic relief that made this show as entertaining as it was exciting. Even though this was in the mold of 1930's action serials this show was pure 80's - a harmless romp. My only hope is that the complete set (all 21 episodes) will become available on DVD so some day when I have kids I'll be able to show them what family television used to be all about. They may have buried this show in the television oblivion but they'll never take away that one year my whole family watched Gold Monkey every week. Awesome.