Case file: #9-3275-C
Tyler Cray: Extortion.
Original air date: 16 April 1967
This episode was not rerun.
Inspector Lewis Erskine squares off with a psycotic bigot who masterminds an extortion plot. This final episode of the 1966-67 season has an excellent plot that veers away from ethnic stereotypes.
Sadly, most shows in the 1960s portrayed Latin Americans as evil villains. This is reversed here, and it makes this episode a refreshing one indeed! Here, the Mexican/Mexican-American characters are good people, and the American is the bad guy. Wayne Rogers plays an el feo Americano (an Ugly American) resentful of his father’s employer. Quinn Martin used a lot of Latin performers for this episode.
- This is the final episode starring Stephen Brooks. His presence here seems minimal.
- Sadly, this is also the last episode to also use case numbers, and feature full credits at the end of the episode.
- The second appearance this season of the ever-lovely Barbara Luna (and her third in the series).
- Margarita Cordova made a memorable appearance on The Twilight Zone in 1960.
Credits:
Directed by: Gene Nelson
Teleplay by: Norman Jolley
Story by: Mann Rubin
Performer | Role
- Wayne Rogers | Tyler Cray
- BarBara Luna (as Barbara Luna) | Dolores
- Rodolfo Hoyos Jr. | Ray Avila
- Carlos Romero | SA Robert Vega
- R.G. Armstrong | Ed Cray
- Donald May | SRA Grant Bates
- Ned Romero | Esteban Rodriguez
- Renata Vanni | Anita Avila
- Anna Navarro | Teresa Vega
- Stella Garcia | Juana Rodriguez
- Victor Millan | Carlos Perez
- Margarita Cordova | Maria Perez