Wild Wild West

Night of the Fugitives, #6807

"West faces a mob when he captures their leader: a man whose crime syndicate runs the town of Epitaph---lock, stock and citizenry."
In the town of Epitaph, owned by "Epitaph Mines," agents James West and Artemus Gordon arrest Norbert Plank, chief bookkeeper for the powerful syndicate that owns the mining company. Through Plank, the agents hope to get their hands on records that could build a case against the organization. The whole town turns out to free Plank, whom West has hidden in a church bell tower, while Gordon masquerades as lay-preacher Hallelujah Harry. Gordon hopes to get to the head of the syndicate, Diamond Dave Desmond, and walk off with the ledgers. But Diamond Dave's girlfriend, Rhoda, has the same idea and blackmail on her mind.

This famous episode includes Bob Conrad's near-fatal fall from a chandelier during a stunt. The first part of The Fugitives was directed by Gunner Hellstrom, but because of a 12-week shutdown after the accident, the rest of the episode was directed by Mike Moder, who got full credit. After the calamity, due to insurance restrictions, Conrad wasn't allowed to perform any more risky stunts. Wardrobe man Jimmy George was brought in to do any of the major falls or crashing stunts from then on.
Rhoda: Susan Hart
Baggs: Charles McGraw
Plank: J.S. Johnson
Col. Richmond: Douglas Henderson
Desmond: Simon Oakland (Kolchak's boss in The Night Stalker
Monk: Mickey Hargitay
Shopkeeper: Gabriel Walsh
Hallelujah Harry: Bill Baldwin
Directed by Gunner Hellstrom & Mike Moder
Written by Ken Pettus
* The above information was compiled from The Wild Wild West: The Series by Susan E. Kesler (Arnett Press), "Michael Garrison's Wild Wild West," an article by Robert Alan Crick in Epi-Log Journal #11 and other sources.
Back to Wild Wild West page

Animated graphics (c) 2001 by The Animation Factory.