Frank Raphael Colling, Elizabeth Dulcie Colling: Kidnapping—Extortion.
Original air date: 1 November 1970
Inspector Erskine and the FBI captures a husband-and-wife kidnapping team who have abducted a 7-year-old boy in the Washington, DC area. In a season that produced several good episodes, this one really stands out for its writing by Pat Riddle and Gene Nelson’s direction. There is plenty of unpredictable moments, and some really tense scenes.
The acting is also good, especially from Lois Nettleton, who plays a wife unhinged by the death of her own son. Larry Blyden is also superb as her alcoholic, ne’er-do-well husband. His bar hopping results in the FBI breaking the case wide open.
On the whole, one of the very best episodes ever produced in the series. Perhaps THE best.
- FBI Carousel Bulletin: In his third appearance, SAC Howard Schaal is portrayed by Buck Young; the previous actors are Mark Robert and Paul Comi way back in seasons 1 and 2, respectively.
- The bus in the opening scene is a Dodge! The longtime sponsor of The FBI, Ford Motor Company, was slipping! ? Seriously, though, Chrysler products were used as secondary vehicles.
- Larry Blyden makes his only appearance on the series. A well-regarded actor, the Texas native was, by 1970, a single parent with two children. A rabid antiquities collector, he died in a car accident in Morocco in 1975. He has a Facebook page for his fans.
- Lois Nettleton makes the second of her two appearances on the series. She had a lengthy career, and had actress Yvonne Craig (Batman) among her many fans. Born in 1927 in Chicago, she died of lung cancer in January 2008 in California. She attended the 2007 Twilight Zone Convention in New Jersey.
Credits:
Directed by: Gene Nelson
Written by: Pat Riddle
Performer | Role
- Larry Blyden | Frank Raphael Colling
- Lois Nettleton | Elizabeth Dulcie Colling
- Lee Bergere | James Bowden
- Russell Thorson | Derelict
- Brian Dewey | Timmy Bowden
- James Nolan | Bartender
- Maidie Norman | Audrie
- Dani Nolan | Jeanie
- Buck Young | SAC Howard Schaal (Baltimore)
- John Graham | Dr. Zachary
- Ed Hall | Pharmacist
- Robert Ritchie | Resident Doctor
- Ted Foulkes | Chuck
- Bob LeMond | TV Announcer
- Robert Knapp | 1st Special Agent
- Ed Deemer | 2nd Special Agent
- Geoffrey Gage | 1st Hoodlum
- Joey Sinda | 2nd Hoodlum
- Joan Hotchkiss | Dr. Anne Bowden
- Patti Cohoon | Child Janet