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87th Precinct

King's Ransom

Season 1, Episode 21, Aired Feb 19, 1962

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Two kidnappers plot to snatch the son of millionaire Douglas King but they grab the son of King's chauffeur by mistake.

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Cast & Crew

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GUEST STAR
Virginia Vincent

Kathy Folsom
GUEST STAR
John McLiam

Charles Reynolds
GUEST STAR
Dan Tobin (I)

Adrian Score

Norman Fell

Det. Meyer Meyer
Gregory Walcott

Det. Roger Havilland
Robert Lansing

Det. Steve Carella
Ron Harper

Det. Bert Kling

Fan Episode Reviews (1)

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Holly Kester, Gomez Addams, Rudy Portuguese, and Nancy Reagan too.

10

"Perfect"

By Mad_Buck, Aug 30, 2006

The book version of King's Ransom is considered one of the best of Ed McBain's long-running 87th Precinct series of detective novels. Famed Japanese director Akiro Kurosawa liked the book so much that he made it into an acclaimed film entitled High and Low in 1963. So it was only natural that King's Ranson would be filmed as an episode when the novels were made into a TV series. The storyline deals with a wealthy businessman on the verge of a huge business deal who's son is the target of kidnappers. Only when the kidnappers strike, it's not the man's son who is kidnapped but the son of his chauffeur. The three kidnappers aren't the sharpest tools in the shed, you see. The businessman is then faced with an ethical and moral dilemma. How he solves it, with the aid of the 87th Precinct detectives, makes up the crux of the episode.

King's Ransom is a great episode that's easily the best of the series out of the one's I've viewed so far. The series regulars are out in full force but it's the guest stars who carry the load. Lead guest star Charles McGraw shines as the businessman faced with the dilemma. Future Addams Family star John Astin has a nice bit and Charles Aidman, Virginia Vincent, and Anthony Carbone do well as the trio of not so professional kidnappers. Then there's future First Lady Nancy Reagan giving a restrained yet effective performance as the businessman's wife. Well worth seeing if you ever get the chance to view some episodes of the 87th Precinct.moreless
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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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TRIVIA (1)
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- One curious thing about this episode is that in other episodes the territory covered by the 87th Precinct appears to be mostly working class but apparently the 87th has some well-to-do sections as evidenced by the King home.
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QUOTES (11)
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- Carella: How would you like to join the force, Mr. King? King: It doesn't pay enough, Mr. Carella.
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- King: Well, whadda we do now? Carella: I guess we do what the man said.
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- King: I thought I've seen all kinds. Carella: Stick around. Score's only the beginning.
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- Carella (to King): I'm not here to make moral judgments. I'm here to get the kid back.
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- King: I'm a man fighting for his life. Diane: You're a man about to commit murder.
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- King: A bunch of crooks. Why should I play by their rules?
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- Cassidy (over the phone): Enough with those Hopalong wisecracks.
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- Cy: Tell them not to call the cops it's the first thing they do.
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- Carella: Do we understand each other, Mr. King? King: We understand each other, Mr. Caretta.
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- King: I don't have to proceed on any assumption, Caretta.
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- Kathy: You kidnapped him? Eddie: That's the way it looks, Kathy.
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NOTES (5)
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- The set for the King house would be used again two episodes later in Killer's Choice.
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- John Astin would later go onto star in The Addams Family.
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- Anthony Carbone is billed as Tony Carbone in the credits.
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- This episode is based on the novel of the same name by Ed McBain.
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- Future First Lady Nancy Reagan is billed as Nancy Davis, her maiden name, in the credits.
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ALLUSIONS (1)
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- Famed Japanese director Akiro Kurasawa based his acclaimed 1963 film High and Low on the same novel on which this episode is based.
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