KUNG FU: KING OF THE MOUNTAIN (TV)

Summary

One in this stylized western series about Kwai Chang Caine, a peace-loving Shaolin monk of American and Chinese parentage who flees China for the American West after killing a member of the Chinese royal family.

Caine comes across the burned remains of a house with only one survivor: a young boy armed with a rifle. The boy says that men on horseback burned down his house and kidnapped his mother; he wants to track them down. The boy reminds Caine of his own childhood, left to live in the monastery after his family died. Caine decides to take the boy to live with his aunt, as he feels it would be too dangerous for him to pursue his mother’s kidnappers alone. The boy says his name is Peter.

On the journey, Peter shoots a rabbit, which reminds Caine of his days in the monastery when he was given a lesson about the value of all living creatures. That night, as Peter cooks and eats the rabbit, they are approached by a couple of mangy prospectors. When they attempt to rob Caine, he remembers his masters’ teachings about avoiding confrontation and offers no resistance. The prospectors, dismayed, leave.

Caine leaves Peter in town with his aunt. The town’s post office bears a wanted poster for Caine offering a huge reward for his capture, dead or alive. Caine recalls a scene from his past where he confesses to the murder of the Chinese emperor’s nephew in retaliation for killing his master, Po. Master Kan assures him that the shame of Po’s death lies with the nephew rather than Caine, but that Caine must leave the monastery for what he has done.

Peter finds his aunt and relatives. They discover Peter came to town with Caine and assume that Caine has Peter’s father’s cache of money. They go after Caine with Peter in tow. Meanwhile, Caine is approached by a woman named Amy Allender who offers him a job on her ranch. Peter’s relatives find Caine and threaten him for money. They attack, but Caine easily dispatches them. He agrees to work on Amy’s ranch if Peter can stay with her as well.

Amy, Peter, and Caine arrive at the ranch and Caine immediately uses his kung fu mastery to calm an untamed horse. As Amy shows him around, they are secretly watched by a bounty hunter looking to capture Caine.

Caine spends time helping out around the ranch. Amy pays him for his help, but he does not seem to desire money. He and Amy start to fall for one another, and Caine recalls his master’s words about the nature of pleasure and the fulfillment of love. Caine, Peter, and Amy go on a picnic where Caine teaches Peter about being one with nature. He remembers Master Po teaching him that in nature, one is never truly alone. They spot the bounty hunter watching them, and Caine realizes whey he has come.

Later, Caine announces to Amy that he’s leaving the ranch. Amy asks him to stay, but he fears that his presence will attract the bounty hunter and could end up hurting her. Peter comes back with a message from the bounty hunter: that if Caine leaves, he will burn down the ranch. Faced with this ultimatum, Caine decides to find the bounty hunter himself. He says the bounty hunter is trying to take him alive, but will kill if necessary. Despite Peter’s protests, Caine vows not to kill the bounty hunter.

He finds the bounty hunter atop a mountain and they face off. Caine is forced to put shackles on his legs at gunpoint. The two of them discuss the nature of death and what it means to them. Before he can force Caine to put on handcuffs, Caine trips him and a fight ensues. During the struggle, the bounty hunter trips over the side of the mountain, falling to his death.

Caine returns to the ranch to bid farewell to Amy and Peter. He cannot stay, knowing that others will come for him and could threaten Amy and Peter. The episode ends as Amy and Peter, holding hands, watch Caine walk off into the horizon. Includes commercials.

Details

• NETWORK: ABC
• DATE: October 14, 1972 8:00 PM
• RUNNING TIME: 0:55:15
• COLOR/B&W: Color
• CATALOG ID: B:10007
• GENRE: Drama, western
• SUBJECT HEADING: Drama, western
• SERIES RUN: ABC - TV series, 1972-1975
• COMMERCIALS:
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  • TV – Commercials – State Farm insurance
  • TV – Commercials – Tuna Helper dinner mixes
  • TV – Promos – “ABC Evening News”
  • TV – Promos – “Kung Fu”
  • TV – Promos – “The Odd Couple”

CREDITS

• Jerry Thorpe … Producer, Director
• Alex Beaton … Associate Producer
• Ed Spielman … Created by
• Herman Miller … Writer
• Jim Helms … Music by
• David Carradine … Cast, Kwai Chang Caine
• Brandon Cruz … Cast, Peter Gideon
• Lara Parker … Cast, Amy Allender
• John Saxon … Cast, Raven
• Philip Ahn … Cast, Master Kan
• Keye Luke … Cast, Master Po
• Ken Lynch … Cast, Percy McCoy
• Mills Watson … Cast, Turpin
• Radames Pera … Cast, Young Caine
• Robert Hoy … Cast, Curry McCoy
• Mark Allen … Cast, Postmaster
• Ivy Bethune … Cast, Jennie McCoy
• Gary McLarty … Cast, Frankie McCoy
• Paul Harper … Cast, Amos
• Larry Finley … Cast, Blacksmith