This episode has Heath being sent to a town to assist in its evacuation due to a potential dam bursting and flooding. Heath finds three men there also keeping watch. Heath comes across two women in a hotel (Cloris Leachman as a saloon singer and a mute Indian girl played by Patti Chandler who was Lee Major's girlfriend at the time). Patti Chandler was a familiar star in the Beach Blanket Bingo and the Doctor Goldfoot movies of the 60s. The other three men come across a man trying to steal goods from the empty town who is played by Rhodes Reason. He played in two Time Tunnel shows as Col. Travis (Alamo episode) and Joshua (Jericho episode) and in the Star Trek episode playing a arena fighter in an alien world Roman style Coliseum. The thief convinces the other three men to join him in stealing the town goods. Heath has to hide along with the two women from the gang of four thieves. Heath gets wounded by one of the gang members, but is able to kill two of them before he is confronted by Rhodes Reason's character. Cloris Leachman kills Rhodes Reason as he was about to shoot Heath. The remaining surviving gang member decides to stop the theft after seeing the other three men dead which included his brother. At the end, the dam does not burst, so Heath and the others do not need to get out ASAP. The saloon singer and her native American companion leave the Barkley ranch to start a new life. The Indian girl character does not say one word in the entire episode and gives a goodbye kiss to Heath at the end. Lee Majors would later marry for the second wife (Farrah Fawcett).
4 Reviews
Potential dam bursting and Heath sent to monitor the impacted town
CCsito30 March 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Phyllis Lindstrom visits the valley
summerfields14 April 2010
Not one of my favorites, it nevertheless is interesting for the casting of that wonderful thespian - Miss Cloris Leachman
Cloris is a wee bit annoying here: her character is an airhead floozie who keeps referring to Heath as 'angel' More stories in the series centered around Heath and the rest of the cast was quite frankly a bit peeved and annoyed at this fact.
Lee Majors found instant personal success and fame due his playing of the half-brother of the Barkley boys and it went to his head.
It has been noted that Miss Stanwyck set him straight quick-like! "Ego is usually just a case of mistaken non-enity" was Missy's motto.
Cloris is a wee bit annoying here: her character is an airhead floozie who keeps referring to Heath as 'angel' More stories in the series centered around Heath and the rest of the cast was quite frankly a bit peeved and annoyed at this fact.
Lee Majors found instant personal success and fame due his playing of the half-brother of the Barkley boys and it went to his head.
It has been noted that Miss Stanwyck set him straight quick-like! "Ego is usually just a case of mistaken non-enity" was Missy's motto.
One in a string of "Heath is hurt" stories
mlbroberts17 November 2018
This formula was starting to get old by this episode (and really got old as the string continued) but with Cloris Leachman and Frank McGrath in the cast, how can you not watch? Anytime acting of their caliber is there, I'm in. Plot pretty dull otherwise.
Good cast -- But story was lacking.
kfo94949 May 2012
Even with a good cast of guest-stars this episode turns out to be predictable and unremarkable. Even though this was my first viewing of this episode it seemed like so many other western shows. Within the first 15 minutes of the show the plot is presented and the viewer knows the outcome of the show.
The episode begins when Sheriff Madden comes into the Barkley House and asked for help due to a possible dam break a few mile away. Nick gets all ranch hands out to help with sandbags and Heath is asked to help secure an evacuated town from looters. The sheriff has three men in the town but he is unsure of their intentions and needs someone like Heath that he can trust.
When Heath arrives he finds Cody Grell (Lonny Chapman), his brother Leon Grell (Dennis Hopper) and a man named Buster (Frank McGrath) protecting the vacant town.
The three men actually find a person inside one of the stores and makes a citizens arrest of the person Dave Cannon (Rhodes Reason). While Heath is away on other duties, Mr Cannon begins telling them about how easy it would be to steal from the town and no one needs to take orders from a rich Barkley.
At this time, and with more than half the show remaining, we can now predict the remaining plot and the outcome of the show. It becomes Heath Barkley against the crude actions of others.
There are many aspects of this episode that will be familiar with western viewers. To increase the story there is also a saloon women that has been left behind in the town. Cloris Leachman, who plays Fay, seemed to have been on a heavy hang-over and did not get the message to leave town. Seems the town could not open her door so they thought she had already left town. All this does is an insult to an already rehashed western story.
With all that said, if you want a regular story with some good acting then this episode will not disappoint. Perhaps I was expecting too much from the star-laced cast.
The episode begins when Sheriff Madden comes into the Barkley House and asked for help due to a possible dam break a few mile away. Nick gets all ranch hands out to help with sandbags and Heath is asked to help secure an evacuated town from looters. The sheriff has three men in the town but he is unsure of their intentions and needs someone like Heath that he can trust.
When Heath arrives he finds Cody Grell (Lonny Chapman), his brother Leon Grell (Dennis Hopper) and a man named Buster (Frank McGrath) protecting the vacant town.
The three men actually find a person inside one of the stores and makes a citizens arrest of the person Dave Cannon (Rhodes Reason). While Heath is away on other duties, Mr Cannon begins telling them about how easy it would be to steal from the town and no one needs to take orders from a rich Barkley.
At this time, and with more than half the show remaining, we can now predict the remaining plot and the outcome of the show. It becomes Heath Barkley against the crude actions of others.
There are many aspects of this episode that will be familiar with western viewers. To increase the story there is also a saloon women that has been left behind in the town. Cloris Leachman, who plays Fay, seemed to have been on a heavy hang-over and did not get the message to leave town. Seems the town could not open her door so they thought she had already left town. All this does is an insult to an already rehashed western story.
With all that said, if you want a regular story with some good acting then this episode will not disappoint. Perhaps I was expecting too much from the star-laced cast.
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