Must see, Top 10 episode.
Millionaire businessman Simon Scott hires on Cannon to protect his grandkids and their mom on a cross country train trip. Scott, frequently appearing on the show, worked at Warner Brothers/ABC with Bill Conrad for many years. He seemed born to play either influential businessmen or generals.
One of the best, Richard Donner, directed this adventure which is outstanding. There are two memorable scenes here, the opening murder and the restroom knock down, drag out fight. Classic Cannon, even though he gets bopped! To note, the kids are played by real-life brother and sister Dawn Lynn and future teen idol Leif Garrett. The story was actually based on a 1950s murder mystery, revamped for tv by George Eckstein. Prior to this episode, Eckstein wrote the cult tv mystery, THE HOUSE ON GREENAPPLE ROAD, a who's who of tv stars. Watch for it.
This is also one of the episodes that shows how much fun it was to work on the show. The kids bonded with William Conrad; their scenes together are genuine. Beverly Garland, who played Lyn's mom on MY THREE SONS, would appear in a Season 2 episode.
This story really moves when the kid's mom is murdered and Cannon sets out to untangle a complex scheme to steal a fortune in bonds. Donner offers some breathtaking shots, such as the view atop and below the giant hotel building. That's one LONG drop. Note the gruesome chalk drawing of the body!
Ed Nelson is featured in an excellent supporting role. Nelson could play either a good guy or a rat fink with the greatest of ease, a regular in Quinn Martin productions. Look for Roger E. Mosley as a porter at the train station.
The only episode written by George Eckstein, who co-produced THE FUGITIVE.
Filmed around Hollywood, and some of the spots (Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Ave) still look about the same after 50 years. The train scenes were filmed downtown at Union Station. Recommended. SEASON 1. Episode 12 remastered CBS/Paramount dvd box set No. 2 of 2. This episode is the first in the second box set.