Wild Wild West

Night of the Bubbling Death, #6701

"Searching for the stolen U.S. Constitution, West comes up against a lethal woman, a whip-wielding bodyguard and a pool of boiling acid."

When Victor Freemantle, a dangerous revolutionary, steals the U.S. Constitution, agents James West and Artemus Gordon are sent by the government to the Panhandle Strip in Texas to recover it. West and Mr. Silas Grigsby, a curator of the United States Archives, go to a secret underground hideout where the Constitution is being held to verify the authenticity of the document. After determining that it is the genuine article, West and Grigsby are presented with Freemantle's demands: They are to cease negotiations with Mexico, and the U.S. is to recognize the Panhandle Strip as a sovereign enclave between the borders. A $1,000,000 ransom in gold must also be paid. As part of their agreement, Freemantle holds Grisby hostage until West returns. But West and agent Artemus Gordon decide to ignore the demands and rescue the Constitution themselves by infiltrating Freemantle's castle; Gordon disguises himself as a whiskey salesman and West hides underneath his wagon.

The Night of the Bubbling Death was the opening episode of the third season of the series and it is a great showcase for the many gadgets that were used in the show. A ring that cuts through glass, powder that burns through floors, and the famous sleeve gun that shoots divots into the wall for a climbing rope are among the amusing effects one encounters in this episode.
Carlotta: Madlyn Rhue
Freemantle: Harold Gould
Silas: William Schallert
Cartwheel: Timmy Brown
Brad: Val Avery
Pima: A. G. Vitanza
Driver: John Matthews
Directed by Irving J. Moore
Written by David Moessinger
* 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.
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Animated graphics (c) 2001 by The Animation Factory.