FBI, THE: HOW TO MURDER AN IRON HORSE (TV)
Summary
One in this series of dramas based on the cases of the FBI.
In this episode, set near Fargo, North Dakota, young Howard "Howdy" Collier Jr. detonates an explosive on a supply train and sends a letter to the railroad president, Willard Oberly, threatening to do the same to a passenger train if not paid $100,000. Back at home, he broods over his late father's model trains, observed by his worried mother. Erskine and Ward heard to Fargo and meet local officer Ben Gambriella and Vic Roberts, who admit they have no leads on the case, and the agents inspect a copy of the extortion letter for clues. Oberly, though at first afraid of defying the criminal's orders, eventually agrees that they can't "trust a maniac" and agrees to accept the FBI's help. The team begins investigating Oberly's disgruntled ex-employees and tracking down the model of typewriter on which the letter was written; Erskine decides to do a "test run" of the money drop as described in the note.
The railroad board demands that Oberly obey the criminal's demands rather than risk innocent lives, but Oberly remains determined to cooperate with the Bureau. Erskine suffers a mild concussion while aboard the train, but he continues pursing the case; by analyzing the train's route and car tire tracks on the ground nearby, he finds the likely spot from which Collier, still unknown to the officers, will throw the dynamite. Mrs. Collier, having seen the newspaper headlines, finds her angry son "experimenting" with the model trains, and the team constructs a plan to trap Collier and catch him moments after he retrieves the money. Erskine, still suffering headaches, reluctantly agrees to give up his place in the train's cab to another member of the team.
On the day of the drop, Erskine and Ward explain to Oberly that the passengers will be secretly removed from the train and replaced by cardboard cutouts in order to fool Collier, on the fairly likely chance that he intends to blow the train up with or without the ransom. At the same time, the other officers determine that only one person in town purchased the particular brand of typewriter and also owns the "hot rod" whose tire tracks were found. Mrs. Collier seems unsurprised when the police arrive at her door. Collier retrieves the briefcase of money when it is deposited at his selected spot and, as expected, prepares to detonate the explosive anyway; he is apprehended just in time by the officers. Back at home, Mrs. Collier surrenders the typewriter, explaining that her unhappy husband "couldn't find a place for himself" in the world and obsessed over his trains instead. She seems relieved to hear that her son has asked to see her. Includes commercials for Alcoa and Ford.
Details
- NETWORK: ABC
- DATE: November 30, 1999 8:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:59:05
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:17085
- GENRE: Drama, action/adventure
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama, action/adventure; Drama, police/detective; Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); Crime and criminals; Extortion
- SERIES RUN: ABC - TV series, 1965-1974
- COMMERCIALS:
- TV - Commercials - Alcoa aluminum
- TV - Commercials - Ford automobiles
CREDITS
- Quinn Martin … Executive Producer
- Charles Larson … Producer
- Norman Jolley … Associate Producer
- Christian Nyby … Director
- Don Brinkley … Writer
- Bronislaw Kaper … Music by
- Dominic Frontiere … Conductor
- Efrem Zimbalist Jr. … Cast, Lewis Erkskine
- Philip Abbott … Cast, Arthur Ward
- Stephen Brooks … Cast, Jim Rhodes
- Claude Akins … Cast, Ben Gambriella
- David Macklin … Cast, Howard Spencer "Howdy" Collier Jr.
- Louise Latham … Cast, Mrs. Collier
- Paul Fix … Cast, Willard Oberly
- Len Wayland … Cast, Vic Roberts
- Robert Knapp … Cast, Special Agent #1
- Alex Gerry … Cast, Chairman
- Karl Held … Cast, Special Agent #2
- Noah Keen … Cast, Examiner
- Nick Nicholson … Cast, Railroad Fireman