A nifty episode with a rather tense plot and a nice finale on a Boeing passenger plane. Nice look at the aircraft decor, etc. The story is quite involving. A young couple hires Cannon to find out why they are being terrorized by a mysterious stranger. Cannon discovers the answer goes back three years to an unsolved hijacking. Robert Goulet stars as a pilot and one of the hijackers.
4 Reviews
Obviously inspired by the infamous D.B. Cooper case...
planktonrules13 April 2017
Warning: Spoilers
While it's been almost forgotten today, in the early 1970s a hijacking case took the nation by storm because it was so unusual. A man identifying himself as 'D.B. Cooper' did the seemingly impossible...holding an airliner full of people hostage, collecting the ransom and then skydiving from the plane to safety! He's never been caught though there is some indication he might have died performing this insane stunt. And, it clearly inspired this episode of "Cannon".
The story begins with a lady being terrorized by someone unknown. She even has her cat killed by someone! Cannon isn't sure what he can do with this sort of case. However, unexpectedly, it becomes much more and there are indications that this is related to a D.B. Cooper-style skyjacking case from a few years ago. It turns out that the three kidnappers are planning on making their escape...and what makes it more interesting is that one of them was the pilot in the old skyjacking!
The problems with the episode are two. First, the story is ridiculously improbable. Second, there were MANY Cooper-inspired episodes of detective and cop shows! However, it is exciting and well worth seeing if you are a fan of the series.
The story begins with a lady being terrorized by someone unknown. She even has her cat killed by someone! Cannon isn't sure what he can do with this sort of case. However, unexpectedly, it becomes much more and there are indications that this is related to a D.B. Cooper-style skyjacking case from a few years ago. It turns out that the three kidnappers are planning on making their escape...and what makes it more interesting is that one of them was the pilot in the old skyjacking!
The problems with the episode are two. First, the story is ridiculously improbable. Second, there were MANY Cooper-inspired episodes of detective and cop shows! However, it is exciting and well worth seeing if you are a fan of the series.
Great episode
johnhillestad-182724 June 2020
THIS TIME THE HI-JACKER GETS JACKED!
tcchelsey6 October 2022
Robert Holt, veteran of ADAM 12 and THE ROOKIES, wrote this hunt the man down tale, no doubt based on the infamous airline hijacker DB Cooper who took the money and ran. There's some background notes concerning the plane Cooper jumped from as compared to the plane here, but accuracy and budgets don't mix. Ask the producers on any cop show.
A bigger question: How did singer Robert Goulet get to play one of the villains? It had to be due to his solid performance as a mob boss(!) on an episode of MISSION IMPOSSIBLE. To his credit, he was a good actor and certainly had the looks.
Davey Davison, who would next appear on MANNIX (later a regular and Emmy nominee on daytime soap operas) plays a former stewardess who recognizes one of the hijackers in league with Goulet. This all leads to she and her husband (played Robert Pine) being scared out of the neighborhood, and around Halloween in December? CBS probably held this episode back as it was aired later in the season, perhaps to showcase Robert Goulet as a ratings grab. That'll work. Veteran Seymour Robbie directed and pulled out some very good performances. Davison played Tess truehart in the pilot film for DICK TRACY in 1967 and was in the cult thriller THE STRANGLER (1964), starring Victor Buono, also many tv westerns. She had a very interesting career.
Michael Strong stands out as the well dressed, well mannered villain, a role he played for years. Two historical footnotes. Former child star Marcia Mae Jones (who acted with Shirley Temple) makes an appearance as a store sales clerk, and looking sharp. She would appear again in the series. The casting people liked her. Look for Meg Wyllie as a librarian who was the very first villain in STAR TREK. A terrific pop quiz tv question.
Meg appeared in the pilot episode (THE KEEPER) though her voice was dubbed by a male actor. The character was re-edited into another episode in the first season. She next played "Grandma" in BATMAN. Cult status assured.
The only debit; always seems to be "one" member of the gang who wants a quick payoff. And if it wasn't for him, they would have probably gotten away with everything.
The ending --with Strong carrying a million bucks in cash -- not to be missed. Again the proverbial question: can you really shove a million dollars into a briefcase? Watch what happens. This was filmed around North Hollywood because I have seen these houses and apartment buildings. The homes look about the same, but the prices are not what they used to be. The airport scene probably filmed at nearby Burbank Airport.
This one has a soft spot ... Cannon takes the case primarily because of the couple's young daughter. The kid always stays in the picture.
SEASON 3 EPISODE 15. CBS remastered color dvd box set. 2012.
A bigger question: How did singer Robert Goulet get to play one of the villains? It had to be due to his solid performance as a mob boss(!) on an episode of MISSION IMPOSSIBLE. To his credit, he was a good actor and certainly had the looks.
Davey Davison, who would next appear on MANNIX (later a regular and Emmy nominee on daytime soap operas) plays a former stewardess who recognizes one of the hijackers in league with Goulet. This all leads to she and her husband (played Robert Pine) being scared out of the neighborhood, and around Halloween in December? CBS probably held this episode back as it was aired later in the season, perhaps to showcase Robert Goulet as a ratings grab. That'll work. Veteran Seymour Robbie directed and pulled out some very good performances. Davison played Tess truehart in the pilot film for DICK TRACY in 1967 and was in the cult thriller THE STRANGLER (1964), starring Victor Buono, also many tv westerns. She had a very interesting career.
Michael Strong stands out as the well dressed, well mannered villain, a role he played for years. Two historical footnotes. Former child star Marcia Mae Jones (who acted with Shirley Temple) makes an appearance as a store sales clerk, and looking sharp. She would appear again in the series. The casting people liked her. Look for Meg Wyllie as a librarian who was the very first villain in STAR TREK. A terrific pop quiz tv question.
Meg appeared in the pilot episode (THE KEEPER) though her voice was dubbed by a male actor. The character was re-edited into another episode in the first season. She next played "Grandma" in BATMAN. Cult status assured.
The only debit; always seems to be "one" member of the gang who wants a quick payoff. And if it wasn't for him, they would have probably gotten away with everything.
The ending --with Strong carrying a million bucks in cash -- not to be missed. Again the proverbial question: can you really shove a million dollars into a briefcase? Watch what happens. This was filmed around North Hollywood because I have seen these houses and apartment buildings. The homes look about the same, but the prices are not what they used to be. The airport scene probably filmed at nearby Burbank Airport.
This one has a soft spot ... Cannon takes the case primarily because of the couple's young daughter. The kid always stays in the picture.
SEASON 3 EPISODE 15. CBS remastered color dvd box set. 2012.
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