Season 1 - originally broadcast
April 28, 1966
French: "L'or est comme le soleil" (Gold is Like the Sun)
German: "Kühles Gold und heisse Liebev" (Cool Gold and Hot Love)
Writer: Eric Bercovici
Director: Paul Wendkos
Flight engineer Jack Gannon, sole survivor of a plane crash in the Mexican jungle resulting in the loss of U.S. gold bullion, attempts to conquer a memory block concerning the tragedy as he aids Kelly and Scottu in the recovery of the gold.
Cast:
Susan Oliver (Jedan), Dane Clark (Gannon), Stacy Harris (Hamilton), Alex Montoya (Gusman), Jerado De Codovier (Padre), Ruben Moreno (Gaspar), Pedro Regas (unnamed man), Tony Davis (younger boy), Jesus Sandoval (older boy)
FROM THE NOTEBOOKS - Rating 
Synopsis: They must track down a missing cache of gold
Highlights/Comments: Kelly's comment “It can be done … with the right woman.” His admonition to Scotty “They'll give you some half-wit for a partner, and you'll get yourself killed.”
The “I Spy” Forum comments on "ONE THOUSAND FINE"
Author: Colonel Boris Benkovski
Date: 11/28/01 10:38:56 AM
1000 Fine has never been among my favorites. The plot is too trite, sort of a poor combination of Treasure of the Sierra Madre (the notorious Fred C. Dobbs being Gannon in this case) and a not so clever amnesia plot, mixed in with a run of the mill "two guys fight over the girl". Kelly brooded too much (with Culp over-mugging for the cameras ala Brando), Gannon's character was irrationally hostile and his constant whining eventually wears you out, and the girl never exuded the kind of characteristics that would make me want to fight over her (not to mention the fact that there was no earthly reason for the Department to send her along on the mission in the first place). Nobody's motivation is really explained or explored. And the rattlesnake-to-the-rescue ending was downright silly.
Susan Oliver & Dane Clark
I have previously railed against the over-use of the plot devices of Kelly's old friends popping up, and of his old girlfriends stumbling across his path at inopportune moments, and this episode combined them both.
On the other hand, three great scenes elevate the episode, three scenes which have already been alluded to by Tatia and SAM. The first was the "Have you ever been in love?" scene, a classic in the entire series. It shows the philosophical side of both characters, and the trust they have in each other, using one another as confidante, father confessor and therapist.
The second scene was the fight between Gannon and Kelly, probably the most brutal in the entire series, with Kelly showing an uncontrolable anger for perhaps the only time in the series. Scotty's voice of reason and calmness under pressure offsets the hot blooded Kelly quite nicely in this one, and illustrates the wisdom of teaming the two agents together. Scotty, as the series progressed, became something of a protective yet tolerant big brother to Kelly, and this scene illustrates that aspect of the characterizations.
The final scene was the tag-line at the airport, Kelly being "torn 'twixt love and duty" as the old theme to High Noon says. You know he is going to give in and stay at th elast moment, Scotty doesn't even look up when Kelly comes back, but the innner conflict in Kelly is evident, and speaking from my own experience, quite familiar. (In my case it was the opposite scenario, I had to get on a plane and come home from Germany a few years ago, leaving behind a young German girl who I knew I'd never see again. And getting on that plane and coming back to my job and home took every ounce of discipline in my psyche.) But the point is, we can all relate through some relationship in the past when the decision to end it must come, and Culp plays this all too human scene with all the conflicting emotions evident on his face. Probably the most powerful tagline in the series.
Other than these three scenes however, the rest of the episode was quite below average. Dane Clark played his part reasonably well. I read somehwere that originally the idea of the show was the Culp and Dane Clark were to be the partners, with Kelly the young reckless agent, and Clark the older, experienced and wiser partner. I remember Dane Clark from a few flag wavers made during the Second Wolrd War, most notably Destination Tokyo, but he never made it to actual stardom. In old movies I sometimes confuse him with Richard Conte, the resemble one another.
Tatia filled as in on the actress who played the woman, and I never knew anything about her at all. She did a good job with a sub-par part.
Overall, I'd give the episode as a whole a C-, but those three scenes I mentioned get an A.
Author: SAM
Date: 11/25/01 1:12:38 PM
I enjoyed the teaser for its intelligence - no English is spoken, yet one can understand everything that happens. Excellent direction by Paul Wendkos. And a very fitting end of the season episode.
On a gray November day it was wonderful to see Acapulco in all its glory - right down to the scarlet blossoms in the drinks.
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