CRUSADER – The Freezeout – 1956
This series stars Brian Keith as a man on a mission, after the death of Keith's mother at the hands of the Communist government in Poland. Keith makes it his life's cause to help people get away from Eastern Bloc countries, and set them up in the US. Keith uses his cover as a newspaperman to gain entry into various Red countries. The series ran for 64 episodes over a 2 season run during 1955 and 1956. This particular episode is number 20.
Brian Keith takes his date, Diane Brewster, out for a night at a local boxing arena. He wants to see a friend of his fight. The man, Charles Bronson, is a refuge from Romania, who Keith had helped get to America. Bronson wins the bout and everyone meets afterwards.
Bronson is happy to be able to work at what he loves. His manager, Joseph Mel, tells Keith that Bronson is having trouble getting any decent fights. The mob controls all the big venues, and will not give Bronson a break unless he signs with a mob manager.
Several weeks later, Bronson does indeed sign up with a mob type manager, Billy Frost. Frost works for mobbed up promoter and gambler, Paul Dubov. Bronson is soon the winner in a string of bouts leading up to a shot with an ex-champ. The odds favour Bronson but the underdog ex-champ wins in convincing style. Bronson is at a loss to explain his poor performance. Keith soon digs up that Bronson's mob ran corner men had drugged Bronson just enough to slow down his reactions. The mob it seems had bet on favourite Bronson to lose.
After Bronson hears about this, he goes back to his old manager, Mel. The mob is scarred off going after Bronson when Keith publishes a series of scathing articles about the mob controlled boxing racket. The State boxing commission soon hits town and weeds out all the shady types. Bronson will now get a legitimate shot at a title.
This series stars Brian Keith as a man on a mission, after the death of Keith's mother at the hands of the Communist government in Poland. Keith makes it his life's cause to help people get away from Eastern Bloc countries, and set them up in the US. Keith uses his cover as a newspaperman to gain entry into various Red countries. The series ran for 64 episodes over a 2 season run during 1955 and 1956. This particular episode is number 20.
Brian Keith takes his date, Diane Brewster, out for a night at a local boxing arena. He wants to see a friend of his fight. The man, Charles Bronson, is a refuge from Romania, who Keith had helped get to America. Bronson wins the bout and everyone meets afterwards.
Bronson is happy to be able to work at what he loves. His manager, Joseph Mel, tells Keith that Bronson is having trouble getting any decent fights. The mob controls all the big venues, and will not give Bronson a break unless he signs with a mob manager.
Several weeks later, Bronson does indeed sign up with a mob type manager, Billy Frost. Frost works for mobbed up promoter and gambler, Paul Dubov. Bronson is soon the winner in a string of bouts leading up to a shot with an ex-champ. The odds favour Bronson but the underdog ex-champ wins in convincing style. Bronson is at a loss to explain his poor performance. Keith soon digs up that Bronson's mob ran corner men had drugged Bronson just enough to slow down his reactions. The mob it seems had bet on favourite Bronson to lose.
After Bronson hears about this, he goes back to his old manager, Mel. The mob is scarred off going after Bronson when Keith publishes a series of scathing articles about the mob controlled boxing racket. The State boxing commission soon hits town and weeds out all the shady types. Bronson will now get a legitimate shot at a title.