Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) Logo 'Vendetta For A Dead Man'
by Donald James
Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) Cast

Just before the first anniversary of his arrest hardened criminal Jansen escapes from incarceration in a prison psychiatric ward, intent on getting revenge on Marty Hopkirk, the man who put him there. Unable to find Marty's name in the phone book he goes to Jeff's apartment, helps himself to Jeff's suit and food, and demands to know where Jeff's partner is. Hearing the news of Marty’s death, Jansen decides that the debt now falls to his widow, whom he will kill instead. He leaves, but not before roughing up Jeff and locking him in; Marty arrives to find out what has been going, but when he checks on Jean, she is not home, even though it is 1 am. In fact she has been out with Emil Cavallo-Smith, a businessman who owns a cold storage plant outside town. Returning home to find a policeman on guard, Jean meets Jeff, and tells him that about Emil, whom she knew casually before she ever met Marty; she is now seriously considering whether or not to accept the marriage proposal she feels is imminent. Marty is sent into a fit of jealousy, especially when Jean, Emil and Jean's police escort go to an amusement park, where Jean and Emil give the policeman the slip. The two of them go to the hall of mirrors, but Jean is soon alone and confronted by Jansen. Because of the mirrors Jean is unable to tell where exactly the criminal is; Marty concentrates on the mirrors and starts breaking them one by one, and Jansen vanishes, leaving Emil to find a frightened Jean. However, she soon dismisses Jeff's concern, believing that Jansen's only goal was to scare her. Jansen goes to see fellow crook Sam Grimes to see if he can find information on Emil Cavallo-Smith. Jeff is one step behind Jansen: after getting directions from Marty, he arrives at Grimes' office just after Jansen leaves. He also discovers another interesting fact: Emil Cavallo-Smith is married. Jansen takes Emil hostage and forces the cowardly man to call Jean and ask her over to the cold storage plant. Jean, certain Emil is about to pop the question, gives her bodyguard the slip once more and drives to the plant, but when she arrives finds herself face-to-face with Jansen. After Jean’s disappearance, Jeff goes to Mrs. Cavallo-Smith to get information; she tells him that she knows all about her husband’s affairs, giving Jeff the address of the cold storage plant. Jeff arrives but is knocked out by Jansen; when he comes to he finds Emil freezing to death inside a meat locker. Jeff releases him, but when Emil refuses to talk, an angry Marty tells Jeff to throw him back into the refrigerator. The extreme cold causes Emil’s ghost to appears before Marty, who reminds him that he has no ‘important standing’ among the dead, and had better talk if he wants to live. Emil repeats Jansen parting words, and Marty assures him that Jeff will let him out of the refrigerator; but before he goes, Marty vents his frustration by punching Emil on the nose. Jeff races to the site at nearby seashore cliffs where, exactly one year earlier, Marty had trapped Jansen. The criminal gives Jean the same option her late husband had given him: jail or jump. In the nick of time, Jeff arrives and in the ensuing scuffle manages to get the knife from Jansen. "Same old choice," Jansen sighs before jumping over the cliff-edge to his death in the cold waters below.

Jeff Randall (Mike Pratt), Marty Hopkirk (Kenneth Cope), Jean Hopkirk (Annette Andre), George Sewell (Eric Jansen), Barrie Ingham (Emil Cavallo-Smith), Ann Castle (Mrs. Cavallo-Smith), Timothy West (Sam Grimes), Richard Owens (Jean's Bodyguard)

Directed by Cyril Frankel

TX:
UK: 27th February, 1970 @ 7.25pm

Notes:
*Featuring Jeff Randall, the late Marty Hopkirk, and Jean Hopkirk