Secret of the Dunes

During the 1960s and 70s, many actors made a living on TV playing criminals, creeps and sociopaths. So, when you saw John Colicos or Nehemiah Persoff, you KNEW they were the bad guy...it was as simple as that! So, when "Secret of the Dunes" came on and I saw that Patrick O'Neal was in the show, I just knew he was playing some wicked scumbag...yet again. The same goes for Don Porter....he's also in the show and nearly always played evil in various TV shows...ditto for Frank Murth...and all three are in this episode.

The story begins in the desert. Some guy on a motorcycle oversees something some evil folks don't want anyone to see or hear...so they chase him down and murder him. And, as you'd expect, they make his death look like an accident. Barnaby Jones is hired by his wife to look into the case. However, the man he really wants to speak with is Charles Wheeling (O'Neal)...a very secretive and evil man who simply refuses to cooperate in any way. How can Barnaby proceed with the case if he can't even talk to one of his most important leads?

The plot to this is a bit like combining the later life of Howard Hughes with "The Most Dangerous Game"....and it makes for a very exciting story about a man so rich and powerful, there seems to be nothing the law can or will do to stop him. My only complaint is that the fiery finale was a bit poor due to the special effects...which weren't all that special. Still, a good episode and one that makes you wonder.

A super mystery, and with some excellent on location work in the middle of the California desert. Written by BW Sandefur, series co-producer who also worked on HAWAII FIVE O.

The story is simple and chilling, shades of THE GODFATHER. A man goes for a motorcycle ride in the desert and observes a body being buried by the mob. Something you DO NOT want to witness. He never returns home to his wife and young son. The goons make it look like he rode his bike off a cliff, though his wife insists he was an experienced biker. The elaborate way the mob arranges for his death is very interesting, these guys are pros.

Behind the tragedy is Don Porter (as Markham), looking more like a banker, but with lots of skeletons in his closet. Porter makes a memorable villain.

In the 70s Don turned up in more bad guy roles, and was quite good at it, though quite a surprise, since all us kids fondly remembered him as Gidget's (Sally Field) compassionate dad on her tv show in the 60s.

Top support from Patrick O'Neal, who also made a wonderful villain. Nancy Priddy plays the young woman who hires Barnaby to solve the case. Priddy was a singer and the mother of actress Christina Applegate.

John Carter makes his debut at Lt. Biddle, who may have been added to the cast because of Art Malcolm (Ward Wood) playing the law on MANNIX. It seems to fit.

Beautifully filmed at Lancaster, CA, about 72 miles north of LA, not far from Palmdale. Lancaster has some remote desert locations, very scenic and put to good use here.

SEASON 2 EPISODE 13 remastered color CBS/Paramount dvd box set.