Black Thorn (5 Dec. 1976)

Director:

Charles S. Dubin

Writers:

Abby Mann (creator), Leon Tokatyan,

Stars:

Telly Savalas, Dan Frazer, Kevin Dobson

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Telly Savalas	...	Lt. Theo Kojak
Dan Frazer	...	Capt. Frank McNeil
Kevin Dobson	...	Det. Bobby Crocker
George Savalas	...	Det. Stavros
Roosevelt Grier	...	Salathiel Harms (as Rosey Grier)
Barry Snider	...	Anthony Muira
John Reilly	...	Special Prosecutor Whelan
Danny Aiello	...	Matty
Leonardo Cimino	...	Mr. Cordick
Swoosie Kurtz	...	Julie Di Nata
Mark Russell	...	Det. Saperstein
Vince Conti	...	Det. Rizzo
Frank P. Quinn	...	Willie (as Frank Quinn)
Dick Boccelli	...	Tommy
Richard Kuss	...	Heavy Set Hood

Storyline

---

Plot Keywords:

hitman | character appears in newspaper | bounty hunter

---

Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery

---

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 December 1976 (USA)

Filming Locations:

127 Chambers St, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal TV

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min 50 min (DVD)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

Top middle, Kojak drug bust in Mr. Cordick's office.

User Reviews

The Return Of Salathiel Harms

Roosevelt Grier makes a second appearance as West Coast skip tracer Salathiel Harms in a Kojak episode. He pretty well dominates things as you would expect anyone of his size to do just that.

But as luck would have it, Grier's pursuit of a mob hit-man who jumped bail in San Francisco also compromises an undercover operation that the Manhattan South Squad has at a certain mob bar. The inside man is Stavros and he and Kojak have a nice system of code where Stavros pretends he's calling his bookie and places bets on the other end in a code they've worked out. Right in plain sight, you've got to love it.

Barry Snider who plays the hit-man also picks up a contract in New York to hit a newly appointed special prosecutor. And he happens to believe in the occult, fortune tellers and such and kills poor Swoosie Kurtz whom he thinks ratted him out.

Snider's apprehension by Grier is one of the funniest things ever filmed on the Kojak series. You have to see it and I guarantee the belly laughs will come.

I still don't understand why his Salathiel Harms character was never picked up for a series of its own. I guarantee you will not forget Grier and what he does with the part.