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WILD WILD WEST, THE: THE NIGHT OF THE FALCON (TV)

Summary

One in this drama series about the adventures of Jim West and Artemus Gordon, two undercover government agents working in the old American West on secret assignments for President Ulysses S. Grant.

The story opens as Jim, Artemus are helping to evacuate the town of Tonka Flats, Colorado. Several mysterious individuals are watching the town from afar. Jim goes back to retrieve a missing girl busy playing with her miniature mechanical duck. The residents watch as a falcon flies over the town just before the entire place explodes.

Jim and Artemus confer with General Lassiter of U.S. Ordnance. They determine that the explosion was caused by a single artillery shell of tremendous power. The State Department had one week prior received a letter from a man identifying himself as “The Falcon” demanding one million dollars or he would destroy Denver. He also sent a notice proclaiming he would demonstrate his threat on the town of Tonka Flats.

While investigating the explosion site, Jim is attacked by men on horseback. A falcon circles overhead before returning to a lady falconer who rides off. Meanwhile, Artemus is inspecting shell fragments from Tonka Flats when he is attacked by a Spaniard wielding a whip. The Spaniard threatens Artemus to reveal the secret of the Falcon’s weapon.

Artemus delays the Spaniard with meaningless jargon but soon the Spaniard starts to attack. Jim arrives to save Artemus. The Spaniard introduces himself as Felice Munez, journeying to Colorado on behalf of a Barcelona-based crime syndicate by the Falcon’s invitation. Before he can reveal the Falcon’s location, a handheld bomb is thrown into the window, killing Munez. Jim escapes unscathed and shoots the assassin.

Artemus reveals he doesn’t actually know the secret of the Falcon’s weapon. He finds a note in Munez’s hat: a prescription for a cold remedy. The note is from the office of Dr. Horace Humphries from a town called Sinful, Colorado. Artemus determines that Sinful is the origin point of all the Falcon’s attacks and surmises that Dr. Humphries has some connection with the Falcon.

Artemus disguises himself as Munez and boards a coach to Sinful. The other passengers are a woman named Lana Benson (the lady falconer), a German man named Alex Heindorf, an Irishman named Clive Marchmount, and a man from Turkey named Silvio Balya. All of them are also headed to Sinful.

Meanwhile, Jim arrives in Sinful and visits Dr. Humphries’s office under the pretense of having a cold. Dr. Humphries’s interest is piqued when Jim mentions the cold remedy found in Munez’s hat, and instructs Jim to stay at a specific room in the local hotel. Artemus arrives and makes contact with Jim.

Artemus goes to visit Humphries and is greeted by Lana and several gunmen; he is captured. Jim narrowly avoids a deathtrap in his hotel and fights off the Falcon’s minions. One escapes on horseback and Jim gives chase. Dr. Humphries tells Artemus that he will soon meet the Falcon and administers a sedative to prevent him from discovering the Falcon’s location.

Jim follows the Falcon’s minion to a cave and bypasses a deadly trap at the entrance. He starts to infiltrate the Falcon’s lair but is quickly found and placed in a cell. He witnesses Artemus and the other travelers, unconscious, being unloaded from a wagon.

Artemus and the others are arranged at a table in the Falcon’s dining room. Dr. Humphries arrives and awakens them. All of the invited members are leaders of European crime syndicates gathered to offer bids for the purchase of the Falcon’s weapon. Heindorf is outraged, he believed he was to be the only one to deal with the Falcon, but he cooperates nonetheless. Dr. Humphries reveals the weapon: a massive, falcon-shaped cannon.

Jim uses the mechanical duck toy to distract a guard, allowing him to escape his cell. He disguises himself in the guard’s uniform and searches for Artemus. Meanwhile, Dr. Humphries reveals that he is the Falcon. He proclaims he will give one of his cannons away for free, but will ask a hefty price for the special gunpowder he uses to fire it. Heindorf tries to back out and holds the others at gunpoint, but is killed by one of the Falcon’s guards.

The remaining members reconvene as Jim sneaks into the meeting. The Falcon proposes an auction on the sale of his gunpowder; Artemus, Balya, and Clive start bidding. Artemus manages to give Jim the location of the cannon without revealing his position. When Artemus, still disguised as Munez, proposes an alliance with Clive, Balya takes exception and pulls a gun on them. The Falcon kills him with a trap placed in his chair. Jim sneaks out of the room while the others are distracted by Balya’s death.

Jim makes his way to the cannon room as the guards inform the Falcon of his escape. The Falcon corners Jim in the cannon room and prepares to use the cannon against Denver. A timely distraction by Artemus allows Jim to fight off the guards, but the Falcon says it’s too late: the cannon’s firing sequence cannot be stopped. Jim redirects the cannon while Artemus sets an ammunition stockpile to explode. They and Lana race out as the cannon fires into the desert and is blown up moments later.

Back at the train, Jim and Artemus discuss what to do with Lana. She pleads her innocence, saying she had only a small part in the Falcon’s plan. She tries to hold Jim and Artemus at gunpoint with one of Jim’s guns, but he says it isn’t loaded. Lana is captured and taken away. The episode ends as Jim reveals that the gun was, in fact, loaded. Commercials deleted.

Details

  • NETWORK: CBS
  • DATE: November 10, 1967 7:30 PM
  • RUNNING TIME: 0:50:28
  • COLOR/B&W: Color
  • CATALOG ID: B:56642
  • GENRE: Drama, police/private detective; Drama, western
  • SUBJECT HEADING: Drama, police/private detective; Drama, western
  • SERIES RUN: CBS - TV series, 1965-1969
  • COMMERCIALS: N/A

CREDITS

  • Bruce Lansbury … Producer
  • Leonard Katzman … Associate Producer
  • Marvin Chomsky … Director
  • Michael Garrison … Created by
  • Robert E. Kent … Writer
  • Leon Klatzkin … Music by
  • Robert Conrad … Cast, Jim West
  • Ross Martin … Cast, Artemus Gordon
  • Robert Duvall … Cast, Dr. Hubert Humphries
  • Lisa Gaye … Cast, Lana Benson
  • Kurt Kreuger … Cast, Heindorf
  • John Alderson … Cast, Clive Marchmount
  • Joseph Ruskin … Cast, Munez
  • George Keymas … Cast, Balya
  • Edward Knight … Cast, General Lassiter
  • Gene Tyburn … Cast, Felton
  • Lynn Wood … Cast, Woman
  • Michele Tobin … Cast, Bonnie
  • Michael Shea … Cast, Boy
  • William Phipps … Cast, Marshall
  • Warren Hammack … Cast, Soldier
  • Douglas Henderson … Cast, Colonel Richmond