Die Before They Wake (6 Feb. 1974)

The deaths of a junkie and a television commentator put Kojak onto the trail of a drug/prostitution ring.

Director:

Leo Penn

Writers:

Abby Mann (creator), Robert W. Lenski,

Stars:

Telly Savalas, Harris Yulin, Jess Walton

Cast

Episode complete credited cast:
Telly Savalas	...	Lt. Theo Kojak
Harris Yulin	...	Bert Podis
Jess Walton	...	Cheryl Pope
Colby Chester	...	Spencer Galen
Tina Louise	...	Audrey Norris
Dan Frazer	...	Capt. Frank McNeil
Kevin Dobson	...	Det. Bobby Crocker
Robert Burr	...	Daniel Pope
Isabel Sanford	...	Grace
Albert Popwell	...	Danny Boy
Ann Jillian	...	Joanna
Steve Gravers	...	Pullian
Jerome Guardino	...	Bartender
Jayne Kennedy	...	Tour Guide
George Savalas	...	Sgt. Stavros (as Demosthenes)

Storyline

The deaths of a junkie and a television commentator put Kojak onto the trail of a drug/prostitution ring.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 February 1974 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal TV

Technical Specs

Runtime:

51 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Lt. Theo Kojak: Well, that arm looks pretty clean to me.
Cheryl Pope: [sighs] Yeah, but you've always got those little freckles to show that you had to fight with the monkey.

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Connections

References Westworld (1973)

User Reviews

Ginger shooting it up

Tina Louise who most remember as the vapid castaway movie star on Gilligan's Island Ginger Grant will be a revelation to you as a strung out junkie/hooker in this episode of Kojak. She's who you will remember after seeing this one.

When television commentator Robert Burr is murdered after getting too close to a prostitution/pornography/narcotics trifecta racket he gets shot down by Harris Yulin who in the Seventies was coming into his own playing a nice variety of bottom feeding lowlifes. He's the linchpin in the racket.

Yulin finds the talent on the street with a variety of hookers whom if they're not junkies already, they are after dealing with him. They're recruited to perform in various porno projects financed by uptown trust fund baby Colby Chester who gets all the women as he runs a casting couch for performers. And when they're done, he disposes of them like condoms.

Jess Walton is the widow of Burr and she was in the life before and Burr got her out. She takes up where he left off and with her knowledge she's ahead of Telly Savalas and the squad from Manhatan South.

Isabel Sanford who was already playing Louise Jefferson on All In The Family plays a former madam who is Kojak's informant. She's a revelation herself in her one scene.

Still it's Tina who should have merited Emmy consideration for her performance.