A Quinn Martin Production
Columbia Broadcasting System

Recommended by Lance (thanks for the link!), comes this TV episode of “Cannon”, broadcast on Pearl Harbor Day in 1971. The first half of this 60 minute “Quinn Martin Production” takes place on, or around, a Santa Fe Railway Super Chief-type consist, Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal (LAUPT), and studio sets for the onboard train scenes.

At the time of filming, Amtrak was just starting to take over passenger operations (on May 1, 1971) from the private railroads.

Who is Cannon? He was a robust, rotund, private detective played by William Conrad. He drives around in a big old, metallic blue 1971 Lincoln Mark III two-door with a car phone and red interior.

Is there any cheesecake in this feature? Of course! Not only that, there’s a couple Star Trek connections as well. BUT you’ll have to wait until the end of my review. All aboard!

A Santa Fe Conductor checks his watch in the time-honored tradition beside ATSF “Pleasure Dome” #503. Note the Amtrak “Pointless Arrow” to his left – a harbinger of things to come for American train travelers (shudder…).

Our first train scene is an A-B-B-A set of Santa Fe F units pulling a streamlined consist sans dome car.

The plot is a little hard to figure out. Cynthia Swanson (Mom – woof!) played by Marianne McAndrew and her cinematic kinder Roger and Amy (played by Leif Garrett and Dawn Lyn respectively) is/are traveling from Chicago to Los Angeles by train.

In real life, Leif Garrett and Dawn Lyn are brother and sister.

First Star Trek TOS bit of trivia: Actress Marianne McAndrew was married to Actor Stewart Moss who played Joey Tormolen in “The Naked Time” episode.

Leif Garrett? Yep, that Leif Garrett. You can almost hear the pre-pubescent girls squealing with delight.

Anyways, Cannon chats up the kids (aren’t they adorable?) while Mom ponders the rear-screen projection.

Once the kids conk out, Cannon talks to Cindy trying to figure out what her story is (Cannon has been assigned to tail the trio).

ATSF #300C (an EMD F7A) leads an A-B-A-B-B-A consist of F units pulling a short consist into “Albuquerque”. Hey, who is this creep? Let me check the credits here… Well, near as I can figure out, it is actor Ken Scott playing Cindy’s husband, Carl.

Neat look at a vestibule trap step being opened by the conductor.

Sure enough, Cannon observes the husband/wife’s somewhat-contentious reunion from the opposite end of the lounge car. Nice blue screen Union Pacific freight cars out the windows.

To complete the deception, Carl hustles Cindy over to briefly thank Cannon. Check out that classic UP caboose in the background.

Having drank way too much coffee, Cannon asks the conductor if he has time to get off in Albuquerque to use the gents. Look out, he’s got a knife! Canon dispatches the Henchman with a flying-leg kick!

Not just a creep, but a goon as well, Daddy-o Carl KO’s Cannon with a judo chop to the neck!

As the train boss waves a highball, Carl the Creep manages to pull himself aboard next to a blatant example of product placement for the National Railroad Passenger Corporation.

Act II, Gesundheit! Any Quinn Martin Production on TV always had these bumpers to start each portion of the show. Sans bumper, that looks like the throat tracks of LAUPT to me. Where’s Mission Tower? ;p

Resourceful bastard that he is, Cannon pulls himself off the bathroom floor, flies from Albuquerque to Flagstaff, and once more catches the westbound Super Chief. Non-plussed, he observes Cindy sending off her husband from the train’s step box. Finally, hubby agrees and walks off into the dark, suitcase in hand.

ATSF #310 (EMD F7A with gyralite) leads the Super through the night. Check that drumhead on the last car. Could this be the train? Cannon confronts a distraught and startled Cindy back in the lounge.

The next morning, the train arrives in Los Angeles. How about that 1971 Ford Galaxie with its HUGE trunk? Thanks for the car identification, Mark!

Clean shot of two ATSF coaches unloading at LAUPT; Cannon escorts the trio along the platform, down the ramp and into the station.

As a reward for all his trouble, the kids present him with a ribboned box of candy (major plot point, but beyond the realm of this review). Cannon thanks the tots and tells them to take good care of their mum.

It’s a tail job! No more railroad bits, but this segues nicely into my epilogue. Cannon’s ride is a metallic blue 1971 Lincoln Mark III two-door (Yea, big brother!)

Too late, Cannon discovers Cindy unconscious, but in a provocative pose (hubba-hubba!) and the kids are gone.

INTERLUDE:

Va-Va-Voom!! Who has Cannon stumbled across now? She looks familiar… Of course. That’s Charlene Polite who played Vanna from the Star Trek TOS episode The Cloud Minders. “There are no Disrupters!”. The bearded poohbah in the pajamas is Jeff Corey, a noted Communist and Acting Teacher. “Very Well, If you prefer the Rays! (theatrical clap!)”.

Hint: If you click on The Cloud Minders link above, you can see a video of this scene — at least when I wrote this in February 2024.

END INTERLUDE

Originally, this episode was on YouTube, but like many things, it was removed for “reasons”. I bought the DVD to review instead.

If you’d like to watch it yourself, the link is here:

https://youtu.be/OSbLvSB15fw

That is, if it’s still on YouTube…

Here’s what IMDb has to say about Death Is A Double Cross:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0535983/

If you have ANY information about this movie you’d like to share, please contact me at: Lindsay.Korst@gmail.com, or leave a comment.  Thanks and enjoy the blog!

THE END