Irwin Lynch, Zach Parker: EXTORTION
Paul Talbot: VICTIM
Original air date: 12 September 1971
Rerun 20 August 1972
A professional football player, The Swamp Fox (Paul Talbot, played by Frank Converse), disregards two threatening notes he receives, but the third one is another story. This episode begins with an extortionist terrorizing his wife, and player’s little boy is in the house as well.
Talbot brings $125,000 for the extortionist, who doesn’t show. It turns out to be a “dry run.” Mrs. Talbot is nervous and is smoking, telling SAC Tom Colby she picked the wrong week for quitting her habit. Colby reassures her that things will turn out all right.
We learn that the extortionist has a resentment against football players, and wants to make Paul Talbot sweat. What complicates things is that Paul Talbot, the victim in question, finally decides to punch one of the extortionists—but that one didn’t enter the house. What’s more, that extortionist gets shot. That causes complications.
Then we learn the one who was nabbed hardly knew the real brains of things. We also see, in a later scene, how Tom Colby charms the ladies when he interviews one for the case. We also discover his birthday is 8 September, making him a Virgo.
As the story progresses, we discover that the bad guy is a grifter who uses various aliases and takes money from others, then doesn’t repay. The aliases cost him his job at a garage. And at the end of Act III, he tells Paul Talbot that he’s a dead man.
In Act IV, we finally discover the extortionist’s true identity, and that Paul Talbot had arrested him when both men were in the Army; Talbot was a MP.
This is a timely episode: ABC had just begun airing Monday Night Football, and sports played a major part of ABC’s programming. Well, maybe promoting the football programs, but professional sports had come into its own by the end of the 1960s.
Overall, an excellent start to the season. The episode plays like Season 6, with an identical introduction, and it works just great.
- Solomon Sturges is the son of directing legend Preston Sturges.
- Frank Converse makes the first of two appearances on the series.
- We see the older Talbot and his son playing desktop hockey—the mechanical kind. A real sports household!
Credits:
Directed by: Virgil W. Vogel
Written by: Mark Weingart
Performer | Role
- Andrew Prine | Irwin Lynch
- Solomon Sturges | Zach Parker
- Frank Converse | Paul Talbot
- Lew Brown | SAC Allen Bennett
- Linda Marsh | Elaine Talbot
- Paul Bryar | Garage Owner
- James Devine | Mr. Garson
- Pamela Stratton | Joyce David
- Jon White | Defensive Back
- Jim Bocke | Jerry Parks
- Mitchell Silberman | Kenneth Talbot
- Ron McIver | 1st Agent
- David Sharpe | 2nd Agent
- Stu Nahan | Announcer