Harry O: Mister Five and Dime (ABC 8 Jan 1976, with J. Pat O’Malley)

In Mister Five and Dime Harry teams up with Lester Hodges when Gayle, a friend of the young criminologist, is arrested for trying to pass counterfeit money. She had been given the money by her Grandfather. Bill Hoxley When Lester and Gayle go to see him they discover he has been kidnapped and that he has been running a counterfeiting operation in his attic.

The kidnappers want Hoxley to up his game and manufacture a massive amount of money. He refuses. Meanwhile Treasury Agent John Lipton is posing as a big player in the game in a bid to get the ringleaders – unbeknownst to Harry who ends up trying to line up a deal with him.

J. Pat O’Malley is great fun as elderly Bill Hoxton, he has been counterfeiting seemingly perfect notes for years but only ever enough to augment his meagre pension.

Like most of the Lester episodes it’s quite fun, with the Treasury Department and the DEA all working undercover and tripping over themselves. Of course Harry being Harry he manages to get the better of all of them.

production details
USA / ABC / 1×45 minute episode / Broadcast 8 January 1976

Writer: Robert C. Dennis / Director: Richard Lang

Series: Harry O Season 2 Episode 14

cast
David Janssen as Harry Orwell
Anthony Zerbe as Lt. K.C. Trench
Glynnis O’Connor as Gayle
Michael McGuire as Lipton
J. Pat O’Malley as Bill Hoxley
Michael Pataki as Bargo
Les Lannom as Lester Hodges
Margaret Avery as Ruby Dome
Charles Siebert as Shaeffer
Douglas Dirkson as Tim Condit
Booth Colman as Sturgis
Julio Medina as Legation Official
Paul Tulley as Sgt. Roberts
Ed McCready as Booking Officer
Russell Arms as Attendant