"McCloud" The Million Dollar Round Up (1973)

User Rating:

7.7/10   

Director:

Douglas Heyes

Writers:

Douglas Heyes (writer)
Herman Miller (creator)

TV Series:

"McCloud" (1970)

Original Air Date:

4 February 1973 (Season 3, Episode 5)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Plot:

A deadly game of Button Button Who's Got the Button, centered around a priceless statuette coveted by a murderous thief, a crooked cop, various operators and an 8-year-old pickpocket. |

Plot Keywords:

Police | Criminal | Detective | City | Investigation

Cast

Dennis Weaver	...	Sam McCloud
J.D. Cannon	...	Peter B. Clifford
Terry Carter	...	Sergeant Joe Broadhurst
Diana Muldaur	...	Chris Coughlin
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jan Arvan	...	Dr. Massimo Vignola
Eric Braeden	...	Ravik
Teri Garr	...	Norma Mullins (as Terry Garr)
Harry Guardino	...	Sgt. Edward Toomey
Peter Mamakos	...	Mario Tagiagambe
Robert Middleton	...	Elliott Jason
Jay Novello	...	Cesare Cimarosa
Nehemiah Persoff	...	Perry Cicero
Tracy Reed	...	Carol Broadhurst
Joseph Ruskin	...	Balwant Dari
Tierre Turner	...	Tobe
Patrick Whyte	...	Ronald Feathering

Runtime:

75 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

Universal TV

The Saracen Horse

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

A dying Roman mobster wills his "Saracen Horse," a jewel-encrusted green jade treasure, to any of his criminal colleagues who can take possession of it.

The history of this fabulous objet d'art, worth "twice a million," is related by Mr. Jason: given to Richard the Lionhearted after the Third Crusade as a peace offering by Saladin, lost to Leopold of Germany, later in the collection of Adolf Hitler, from whom it passed to a Russian general named Khemidov who was murdered in his bed, finally coming into the hands of Signore Cimarosa, who bequeaths it to whoever can steal it.

He does so in the presence of his rivals, whom he describes as "unscrupulous." They are presented briefly as an Arab, an Englishman, a Chinaman, a German, and an American (Mr. Jason). The skylight crashes, a gas canister fills the room, a cat burglar slides down a rope, the horse disappears.

The script applies astringent foreshortening in a rather satirical abstraction. An antique dealer in New York, whose name is Cicero, has hired a professional to filch the dingus. Cicero is double-crossed and murdered. One of New York's finest, a Sergeant thrice wounded in the service, takes possession of it on a sudden impulse. It's snatched by a petty thief, "seven or eight years old," masquerading as a shoeshine boy, who lives in a warehouse.

The little towser, whose name is Tobe, has also lifted McCloud's .45, to defend himself against his rivals. "It's like having an H-bomb," he says, "if you've got one you don't have to use it."

Cicero's pro is still on the trail, and so is Mr. Jason, as well as the others.