Tales of the Gold Monkey was on for only one season, but it was a good one. Maybe. The thing is, you give me a show set in the South Seas in the late '30s, a seedy bar, some slow-turning ceiling fans, spies, plenty of action, a one-eyed Jack Russell terrier wearing an eye patch, a hero who flies a Graumman Goose, a Dragon Lady clone, and several other choice ingredients -- well, I'm pretty much guaranteed to like it.The episode I remember best is the pilot, which is sort of the origin story sinced it explains where the title of the show came from. Jake Cutter (Stephen Collins) and others are looking for the mythical gold monkey. Jake's helped out by his pal Corky, an alcoholic mechanic, and Jack, the aforementioned one-eyed dog. Jack once had a false eye, a valuable opal that Jake lost in a poker game. (Jack is still resentful.) Roddy McDowell seems to be having a great time playing "Bon Chance" Louie, the owner of the Gold Monkey bar, and there really is a monkey sitting in the place. It's found at the end of the pilot episode, but as with the Maltese Falcon, it's not what it was thought to be.
The series wasn't shot on location, and some of the sets are a little cheesy, but it was a lot of fun. Most people must not have gotten the same kick from it that I did, since it lasted only one season.
10 comments:
This was a fun program.
I still have a bunch of the episodes on tape. What ever became of the actor. His TV role in WEEKEND WARRIORS was outstanding.
The lead was on a family dramedy. SEVENTH HEAVEN? That show ran for several years.
I liked the show, a fun INDIANA JONES ripoff. I suppose INDIANA JONES is it's own fun ripoff.
I liked this show a lot. There was a similar one on at the same time, BRING 'EM BACK ALIVE, based on the life of Frank Buck, which was okay but not as good.
I liked it.
A good show. Always fond memories of it.
It became a Tankon staple for a couple of years.
Seems a bit classier than the usual Tankon fare.
One thing I recall from This show's run:
There was a running character who was a Nazi spy who posed as a missionary, very faux-pious.
The Religious Right (also faux) was gearing up about that time; they attacked the series for making the "minister" a Nazi (apparently missing the "posing" part). This may have played a part, however small, in the short run.
As to Stephen Collins:
Lately, he's moving into the Bradford Dillman mode: the seemingly good but actually bad guy. They always seem to be repeating the L&O/SVU episode in which he played the coffee importer who had a horndog competition going with his adult son (a long way from Seventh Heaven ...).
As I recall, the missionary had a way with the women, too. Presumably he demonstrated his position on the issues.
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