Air Cargo - Dial for Murder (26 Oct. 1971)

A shipping company which runs lots of valuable cargo through the islands is cherry-picking the most valuable items, taking them out of the shipments, and selling them on the black market. ... See full summary »

Director:

Michael O'Herlihy

Writers:

Leonard Freeman (creator), Meyer Dolinsky

Stars:

Jack Lord, James MacArthur, Zulu

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Jack Lord	...	Det. Steve McGarrett
James MacArthur	...	Danny
Zulu	...	Kono
Kam Fong	...	Chin Ho
Don Chastain	...	Sullivan
Marion Ross	...	Anita
Michael Strong	...	Grayson
Barney Phillips	...	Cook
James Hong	...	Eric Ling
Harry Endo	...	Che Fong
Sue McCollum Gereben	...	Miss Thomas (as Sue McMollum)
Victor Alevy	...	Dr. Medford
Elsie De Mello	...	Mrs. Kahama (as Else DeMello)
Patricia Herman	...	Corinne Wilson
Myrtle Hilo	...	Kim Wong

Storyline

A shipping company which runs lots of valuable cargo through the islands is cherry-picking the most valuable items, taking them out of the shipments, and selling them on the black market. They also have a habit of killing anyone who gets too close to their operation. Their fatal mistake is stealing a quantity of medicine which is the only thing that can save a toy manufacturer's critically-ill wife. When the emergency re-order arrives too late, the husband -- who has been cooperating with Five-O -- goes off on his own to seek vengeance.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 October 1971 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Hawaii, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Leonard Freeman Production, CBS Television Network

Technical Specs

Runtime:

51 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

At the moment that the sheet is pulled over Mrs. Grayson's face to indicate that she has died, a poorly-timed closeup shows her eyelids still visibly fluttering.

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Connections

References Dial M for Murder (1954)

User Reviews

Deaths From Air Cargo Fiascoes!!

Thr prelude to "Air Cargo -- Dial For Murder" involved Jerry Turner receiving a telephone call to divert a package from Ramp 3. The plan was to divert the item off the ramp without a hitch. Without warning, an employee from Asiam Air Freight moved the lever from the pulley and crushing Jerry Turner to death ... all from the weight of the boxes on the lift. The death was believed as an industrial accident. Arnold Cook -- in theory -- believed the death was the result of murder.

Arnold Cook spoke to Steve McGarrett about the situation. From his recollection, Jerry Turner was employed as a cargo employee -- for which he had a fake prison record. Jerry Turner did not report about his undercover work for fear of someone trying to kill him. Meanwhile, Chin Ho Kelley had traced the number -- Apeili-79247 -- to find out the recollection of the telephone call. Eric Ling arrived at the airport and assumed the death was an intentional act. Steve McGarrett told him not to assume anything about Jerry Turner's death.

Next, the Asiam Air Cargo offices were busy with workers making transactions with items being insured for specified amounts over the telephone. Anita Putnam received a telephone call for a freight bill on a shipment of Glucagon -- which was insured for $130,000. Hal Sullivan's ulterior motive in this episode was to protect the company's image and profits. Eric Ling did not know murder was involved in the death of Jerry Turner; therefore, he wanted to walk away from the business free and clear. Eric Ling would eventually be found dead in a commercial garbage bin at the Tokyo International Airport.

Five-O and their detectives were still examining Jerry Turner's notebook at the time of his death -- particularly when they were reviewing some past freight transactions in his notebook. They found Anita Putnam's name in the notebook. Kono contacted the bank about Anita Putnam's transactions over the telephone; and her payments were made solely in cash ... in amounts of $200, $300, $400, and $500. Steve McGarrett had a discussion with Anita Putnam at her home. Her claim that she received the payments as the result of child support from her ex-husband ... when he had remarried in Maryland. She was told to start talking or she would end up being booked for obstructing justice. Her reason for the payments: her daughter was in deep trouble with drugs. He would tell her that a patient died in a hospital because of her negligence of sending a supply of Glucagon one day late. Steve McGarrett demanded ... "The New Number?" ... from Anita Putnam as Koiena-20699 over the telephone.

Che Fong formatted a tape recorder and telephone hookup system to record messages involving air cargo transactions from Asiam Air Freight in his laboratory. He corroborated with Steve McGarrett to make copies of the telephone recordings with an interceptor as a means of obtaining fingerprints as evidence -- with the approval of a court order. Steve McGarrett would tell him to obtain the duplicate copies of the voices of the workers for evidence in court. This plan would eventually lead Five-O to implicate the suspects involved in the theft ring of uninsured packages over the telephone. The plan would eventually work in Five-O's favor.

Anita Putnam cooperated with Five-O and provided the officers with a jade shipment insured for $243,000. Towards the end, John Malcolm was the person responsible for killing Jerry Turner in that "accident." Mr. Porter rigged the box with dynamite as a means of revenge for his wife's death. Hal Sullivan received the package at his home. Detectives Williams and McGarrett would barge onto Mr. Sullivan's home and arrest him on a charge of first-degree murder and voluntary manslaughter. A Suspenseful 10!! An Intriguing Episode From The 1971-1972 Television Season!!