Benjamin Sillman—ESCAPED FEDERAL PRISONER—ASSAULTING FEDERAL OFFICERS
Original air date: 17 February 1974
Rerun 8 September 1974
A psychopathic mob enforcer escapes from a courthouse, and desperate to flee the country, will stop at nothing. Benjamin Sillman shoots federal officers and beats up on a printer. He also blackmails a rich executive whom he had helped to rise from the top. When the FBI visits the executive, the executive (played by Peter Mark Richman) realizes what he’s really dealing with.
Meantime, Sillman kidnaps Paula Taylor, who helps manage the yachts, and abuses her. He intends to leave the country via boat, but ends up with an amphibian boat. And there’s also more duplicity to come. In the end, Colby rescues the girl, and the FBI foils Sillman’s plans.
In the end, we have a terrific ending that befits an episode that closed out the series on ABC, and a high point in the final season. This is indeed a special episode. When it reran on 8 September 1974, it was the final network-run episode of The FBI. Peter Mark Richman makes his final appearance on the series.
And, fittingly, William Reynolds makes his final appearance on the series as SAC Tom Colby. By this time, you can really start seeing how Messrs. Zimbalist, Reynolds and Richman aged over the years. And with the familiar faces, it seems a good way for the series to finish its run on ABC in September 1974.
- Star Trek Alert: Mrs. Gene Roddenberry herself, Majel Barrett, makes an appearance here! Twelve days prior to the airing of this episode, she gave birth to her son Eugene W. “Rod” Rodenberry Jr. During this same season, an animated version of Star Trek aired on Saturday mornings; it went on to win an Emmy in 1975.
- Gary Lockwood was once married to actress Stephanie Powers (The Girl From U.N.C.L.E., Hart to Hart).
- The end takes place on Catalina Island, and the plane takeoff is to be at an isolated location there. Seven years or so later, this island would be where actress Natalie Wood died.
Credits:
Directed by: Walter Graumann
Written by: Calvin Clements
Production Code: 196511
Performer| Role
- Gary Lockwood | Ben Sillman
- Peter Mark Richman | William Braden
- William Reynolds | SAC Tom Colby
- Meg Foster | Paula Taylor
- Roger Perry | Steve Lathan
- John S. Ragin (as John Ragin) | George Wicks
- Del Monroe | John Franklin
- Frank Maxwell | Commander Munson, USMC
- Ken Lynch | Avery Derek
- Majel Barrett | Mrs. Derek
- Lee Millar | Newsman #1
- Noel Shier | Newsman #2
- Michael Cameron | Jackson
- With: Wes Parker, Leigh Adams-Bennett, Tom Hayden, George Jordan, Brion James, James Essex and Frank Arno.