HONG KONG – Runaway – 1961
Rod Taylor headlines this 1960-61 series as a newsman who is stationed in Hong Kong. Taylor is constantly in trouble with various shady types who are always involving him in their troubles. It usually takes several round of fisticuffs, a dead body or two and a gun battle before things get settled. This is the 26th and last episode of the series.
Night time, a Hong Kong alleyway is suddenly filled with the sound of gunfire. A woman, Gia Scala, comes running from the alley and heads up the street. Several seconds later, a man, Lawrence Dobkin, also exits the alley, looks around and spots Scala entering a nightclub up the street. He follows. The camera now shows us a body lying in the alley.
Scala, once inside the club, grabs the first man she comes to and asks him for a dance. The man turns out to be newspaper man, Rod Taylor. Taylor agrees to a spin on the floor and the two join the crowd on the dance floor. Dobkin now enters and takes a seat at the bar. He sits quietly watching the couple with an evil glare.
Taylor soon notices the man and figures he must have something to do with Scala. He asks if the woman is in trouble or just has an overprotective husband? Scala asks for Taylor's help escaping an unwanted suitor. Taylor dances the pair over to a back exit and they bolt leaving Dobkin behind.
Scala soon spills the beans on her real problem. She is a radio operator on an Eastern Bloc freighter docked in Hong Kong harbour. She jumped ship because she wants political asylum. She also lifted the ship's code book. She wishes to present it to the British government as a gesture of good faith on her part.
Dobkin it turns out is the captain of the ship and wants the code book back. He and one of his crew had cornered Scala in the alley and pulled a gun on her. There was a struggle and the crewman got shot in error. Dobkin does not want the west to get their hands on the code book. The fact that his ship is carrying a cargo of arms for some Asian rebels, in no small way drives his desire to retrieve the codes.
Soon, Taylor's buddy, Hong Kong Police Inspector Lloyd Bochner is brought into the mix. Dobkin and his bunch make several more stabs at capturing Scala. Finally, Scala, Taylor and the Police come up with a plan to end the matter. Scala phones Dobkin at the ship and offers to return the code book. All she wants is to be left alone in Hong Kong. Dobkin agrees.
Needless to say Dobkin has no intention of leaving Scala behind. He needs to return her to the home country or face the music himself. This point has been made clear to him by his country's political counsel in Hong Kong.
Of course the plan of Taylor and company goes off the rails, and Scala is scooped up by Dobkin and his thugs. Taylor, who has been tailing Scala to the meet, quickly sets off in pursuit. Taylor bulls his way into the villains and the fight is on. There is a well done round of fisticuffs between Taylor and Dobkin. The Hong Kong Police now arrive and haul off Dobkin and his henchmen for a stay in the crowbar inn.
This was the last episode of the series and it goes out with a bang. It is a shame it only ran the one season.
There is a wealth of top talent here on the other side of the camera as well. One time Oscar nominated Arthur Hiller handles the direction. The story is supplied by another Oscar nominated type, Robert Buckner. Twice Oscar nominated Philip Lathorp is the cinematographer. Joining these three is Oscar winning composer, Lionel Newman, who supplied the score for the series.
Rod Taylor headlines this 1960-61 series as a newsman who is stationed in Hong Kong. Taylor is constantly in trouble with various shady types who are always involving him in their troubles. It usually takes several round of fisticuffs, a dead body or two and a gun battle before things get settled. This is the 26th and last episode of the series.
Night time, a Hong Kong alleyway is suddenly filled with the sound of gunfire. A woman, Gia Scala, comes running from the alley and heads up the street. Several seconds later, a man, Lawrence Dobkin, also exits the alley, looks around and spots Scala entering a nightclub up the street. He follows. The camera now shows us a body lying in the alley.
Scala, once inside the club, grabs the first man she comes to and asks him for a dance. The man turns out to be newspaper man, Rod Taylor. Taylor agrees to a spin on the floor and the two join the crowd on the dance floor. Dobkin now enters and takes a seat at the bar. He sits quietly watching the couple with an evil glare.
Taylor soon notices the man and figures he must have something to do with Scala. He asks if the woman is in trouble or just has an overprotective husband? Scala asks for Taylor's help escaping an unwanted suitor. Taylor dances the pair over to a back exit and they bolt leaving Dobkin behind.
Scala soon spills the beans on her real problem. She is a radio operator on an Eastern Bloc freighter docked in Hong Kong harbour. She jumped ship because she wants political asylum. She also lifted the ship's code book. She wishes to present it to the British government as a gesture of good faith on her part.
Dobkin it turns out is the captain of the ship and wants the code book back. He and one of his crew had cornered Scala in the alley and pulled a gun on her. There was a struggle and the crewman got shot in error. Dobkin does not want the west to get their hands on the code book. The fact that his ship is carrying a cargo of arms for some Asian rebels, in no small way drives his desire to retrieve the codes.
Soon, Taylor's buddy, Hong Kong Police Inspector Lloyd Bochner is brought into the mix. Dobkin and his bunch make several more stabs at capturing Scala. Finally, Scala, Taylor and the Police come up with a plan to end the matter. Scala phones Dobkin at the ship and offers to return the code book. All she wants is to be left alone in Hong Kong. Dobkin agrees.
Needless to say Dobkin has no intention of leaving Scala behind. He needs to return her to the home country or face the music himself. This point has been made clear to him by his country's political counsel in Hong Kong.
Of course the plan of Taylor and company goes off the rails, and Scala is scooped up by Dobkin and his thugs. Taylor, who has been tailing Scala to the meet, quickly sets off in pursuit. Taylor bulls his way into the villains and the fight is on. There is a well done round of fisticuffs between Taylor and Dobkin. The Hong Kong Police now arrive and haul off Dobkin and his henchmen for a stay in the crowbar inn.
This was the last episode of the series and it goes out with a bang. It is a shame it only ran the one season.
There is a wealth of top talent here on the other side of the camera as well. One time Oscar nominated Arthur Hiller handles the direction. The story is supplied by another Oscar nominated type, Robert Buckner. Twice Oscar nominated Philip Lathorp is the cinematographer. Joining these three is Oscar winning composer, Lionel Newman, who supplied the score for the series.