SKY KING: BAD ACTOR (TV)
Summary
One in this dramatic adventure series about Arizona rancher and pilot Schuyler "Sky" King who helps to bring down criminals in his plane, Songbird, with the help of his niece Penny and nephew Clipper. In this episode, Penny hurries to intervene in a crime before realizing that it is part of a scene in a new picture being filmed in town. She is excited to meet the famous director, Frank Geller, and Geller is interested in using Sky's ranch for some shots. They meet star Bob McLain and stuntman Al Meadows, and they demonstrate their skills at stage combat. Later, Sky and Penny notice the cameraman set up outside the town bank, but quickly realize that it is in fact a real robbery. Sky pursues the two getaway drivers in Songbird, communicating with Sheriff Mitch over the radio, and he waylays the crooks by flying low over them and causing them to drive into a ditch. The two escape on foot, and Mitch sends a "posse" after them, although they acknowledge that the rough terrain will make them difficult to catch. They also realize that there is a third criminal, the fake cameraman, and Mitch reveals that Geller recently reported one of his cameras stolen.
Geller soon calls the sheriff about the missing camera, recovered at the bank scene by Mitch, and he, Sky and Penny head to the film set to return it. First, however, Sky requests that Geller call roll and make sure that all actors and crew members are present. When they are proven to be so, he gives them a quick speech about their pursuit of the two robbers and how escape will be impossible in the desert without horses, and then returns Geller's camera. Shooting resumes, and as Geller sets up a climactic chase scene, Penny tells Sky that she recognizes McLain's clothing and that he is the third criminal. Sky waits to arrest him, however, and when he begins to film the scene, he falls from his horse and is injured. Meadows takes over, and when Mitch observes that McLain's saddle was tampered with, Sky realizes that Meadows is the criminal and fixed it so that he would be the one in the scene on the horse. Sure enough, he attempts to escape, but Sky captures him, and Geller is impressed with the "authentic" fight footage. Sky, Penny and Mitch then search for the other two robbers in Songbird, and Sky explains that he "invited" the real crook to reveal himself by mentioning the need for escape horses, knowing that the other two still had the money, and Penny and Mitch are duly impressed. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: Syndication
- DATE: January 5, 1958
- RUNNING TIME: 0:30:00
- COLOR/B&W: B&W
- CATALOG ID: B:22729
- GENRE: Drama, action/adventure
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama, action/adventure; Pilots
- SERIES RUN: Syndication - TV series, 1955-1959
- COMMERCIALS:
- TV - Commercials - Nabisco products
- TV - Promos - "Sky King" upcoming episodes
CREDITS
- Dorrell McGowan … Executive Producer
- William Welch … Writer
- Stuart E. McGowan … Director
- Kirby Grant … Cast, Schuyler "Sky" King
- Gloria Winters … Cast, Penny King
- Ewing Mitchell … Cast, Sheriff
- Ted Wedderspoon … Cast, Frank Geller
- Michael Carr … Cast, Bob McLain
- Fred Krone … Cast, Al Meadows
- Alan Ray … Cast, First Man
- Rusty Wescoatt … Cast, Second Man