TIGHTROPE – Thousand Dollar Bill – 1959
This one is the 6th episode of 1959-60 undercover cop series, TIGHTROPE. The series ran for a total of 37 episodes and starred Mike Connors in the lead role. Connors is a deep undercover cop who is assigned to various cities across the country on tough cases.
A car with four men pulls up outside a small trust company. Three of the men, exit and enter the company. The one man is the manager. He sends the bank teller off for her lunch break. The three men now enter the vault. The two other men, Art Hansen and Keith Richards now pull out pistols from inside their trench coats. They force the manager to pull out $100,000 in $1000 dollar bills. They slip this into their coats and leave, but not before applying a bit of pistol butt to the manager's head.
The pair calmly exit and climb back in their car. The driver, Mike Connors, hits the gas and heads off. They stop at an office building and take an elevator to the 9th floor. Once inside an office, Connors asks how the job went. Like clockwork the other two reply.
Connors asks for his cut of the take, 5000 dollars. Richards tells Connors that they need to wait for the hot cash man. They will exchange the stolen cash with their man, Bert Freed at 75 cents on the dollar for clean money. Connors agrees to wait for the deal.
The rub here is that Connors is really a Police detective on a deep cover assignment. He is to get the goods on Richards, Hansen and their money man, Freed.
However there has been a mix up with the Police contact. The Police were meant to be at the bank and grab up Richards and his partner when they exited. The Police now show up late and burst into the office building. Connors makes a break out a side door and escapes. Richards and Hansen are taken downtown for some "friendly" third degree.
Now a rather annoying problem pops up. Where is the $100,000? The crooks point their finger at the Detective in charge of the raid, George Mitchell. Mitchell claims it is a set up. He never saw any cash at the office building. The Police boss, Raymond Bailey, has Mitchell turn in his gun and badge till the matter is settled.
Connors in the meantime has met with money man, Bert Freed. He offers to make a deal of his own for the hot cash. He does not mention that Richards and Hansen are under lock and key. Nor does he mention that he does not have the cash.
Connors does however have an idea who might be able to help. He had noticed that the elevator operator girl at the office building, Bek Nelson, has been friendly with Richards.
Connors puts the squeeze on Nelson and she admits she is in on the deal. Richards had slipped her the cash on the elevator ride up to the 9th floor. Richards and Nelson were stepping out together. They had planned on beating Hansen, Connors and the money man out of the take.
Through some fancy footwork, and some help from his Police contact, Dabbs Greer, the money man, Freed and the elevator girl, Nelson are all soon polishing a bench at the Police Station. Detective Mitchell gets his gun and Badge returned.
The director of this particular episode was actor, turned director, Abner Biderman. Biderman was an in demand character player during the late 30's and up to the mid 1950's. He made the switch to directing when the studio system ended.
This one is the 6th episode of 1959-60 undercover cop series, TIGHTROPE. The series ran for a total of 37 episodes and starred Mike Connors in the lead role. Connors is a deep undercover cop who is assigned to various cities across the country on tough cases.
A car with four men pulls up outside a small trust company. Three of the men, exit and enter the company. The one man is the manager. He sends the bank teller off for her lunch break. The three men now enter the vault. The two other men, Art Hansen and Keith Richards now pull out pistols from inside their trench coats. They force the manager to pull out $100,000 in $1000 dollar bills. They slip this into their coats and leave, but not before applying a bit of pistol butt to the manager's head.
The pair calmly exit and climb back in their car. The driver, Mike Connors, hits the gas and heads off. They stop at an office building and take an elevator to the 9th floor. Once inside an office, Connors asks how the job went. Like clockwork the other two reply.
Connors asks for his cut of the take, 5000 dollars. Richards tells Connors that they need to wait for the hot cash man. They will exchange the stolen cash with their man, Bert Freed at 75 cents on the dollar for clean money. Connors agrees to wait for the deal.
The rub here is that Connors is really a Police detective on a deep cover assignment. He is to get the goods on Richards, Hansen and their money man, Freed.
However there has been a mix up with the Police contact. The Police were meant to be at the bank and grab up Richards and his partner when they exited. The Police now show up late and burst into the office building. Connors makes a break out a side door and escapes. Richards and Hansen are taken downtown for some "friendly" third degree.
Now a rather annoying problem pops up. Where is the $100,000? The crooks point their finger at the Detective in charge of the raid, George Mitchell. Mitchell claims it is a set up. He never saw any cash at the office building. The Police boss, Raymond Bailey, has Mitchell turn in his gun and badge till the matter is settled.
Connors in the meantime has met with money man, Bert Freed. He offers to make a deal of his own for the hot cash. He does not mention that Richards and Hansen are under lock and key. Nor does he mention that he does not have the cash.
Connors does however have an idea who might be able to help. He had noticed that the elevator operator girl at the office building, Bek Nelson, has been friendly with Richards.
Connors puts the squeeze on Nelson and she admits she is in on the deal. Richards had slipped her the cash on the elevator ride up to the 9th floor. Richards and Nelson were stepping out together. They had planned on beating Hansen, Connors and the money man out of the take.
Through some fancy footwork, and some help from his Police contact, Dabbs Greer, the money man, Freed and the elevator girl, Nelson are all soon polishing a bench at the Police Station. Detective Mitchell gets his gun and Badge returned.
The director of this particular episode was actor, turned director, Abner Biderman. Biderman was an in demand character player during the late 30's and up to the mid 1950's. He made the switch to directing when the studio system ended.
