The Emperor of Rice (12 Feb. 1968)

An old Barkley friend becomes desperate to corner the rice market. Victoria is kidnapped as part of the plan to force the family to help.

Director:

Virgil W. Vogel

Writers:

A.I. Bezzerides (creator), Louis F. Edelman (creator),

Stars:

Richard Long, Peter Breck, Lee Majors

Cast

Episode cast overview:
Richard Long	...	Jarrod Barkley
Peter Breck	...	Nick Barkley
Lee Majors	...	Heath Barkley
Linda Evans	...	Audra Barkley (credit only)
Barbara Stanwyck	...	Victoria Barkley
Julie Adams	...	Janet Masters
Harry Townes	...	Warren Masters
Kam Tong	...	Key
Keye Luke	...	Mike Chang
Philip Ahn	...	Chen Yu
Jerry Catron	...	Bob Adams (as Jack Catron)

Storyline

An old Barkley friend becomes desperate to corner the rice market. Victoria is kidnapped as part of the plan to force the family to help.

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Plot Keywords:

rice | scheme | hatchet | chloroform | hypnosis | 

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Genres:

Western

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Details

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 February 1968 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Four Star Productions, Margate

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

User Reviews

Intriguing Turn for Julie Adams

She could have been typecast as leading ladies, but Adams seemed determined to play heavies, as she does here in The Big Valley. I would see her later in mean parts such as the soap Capital and on Nightstalker, to name a few, that when I did realize she was the leading lady in Creature from the Black Lagoon and the nurse on Andy Griffith, she looked out of place then.

Raised by missionaries in Japan or somewhere in the Asian region, she is prone to dressing like the empress when alone in her home. It was in this region that she met her Anglo-American businessman husband and he clearly brought her back to America, after the death of his first wife.

the plan for our friends was to corner the rice market by getting the Barkley's rice as well.

Bit about an evil mafia group in Chinatown, called the Tong, really doesn't amount to much.

So now our dear couple, and friends of the Barkleys, set a distracting fire and kidnap Victoria, then tell Jarrod she had already agreed to sign the rice over to them.

What then becomes intriguing is Adams' attire. When greeting Jarrod, she goes more conservatively western. But all other times we see her, and all in their home, she is dressed like Madame Zinn.

The brainwashing technique was interesting, and Victoria is truly made of strong stuff. No way Adams was going to emerge from this one and face her punishment. Poetic justice was served piping hot!