A Time to Kill

This episode of The Big Valley involves one of Richard Long's old law school buddies played by William Shatner who comes for a visit. He's never practiced law, but looks prosperous enough as he tells the Barkleys about his business ventures. What he is is a charming con man and crook. He's got Linda Evans giving him the once over. But he's also got Secret Service man Frank Marth trailing him as well who thinks he's carrying counterfeit.

Counterfeiting is only one of his sidelines as Shatner and confederates James Griffith and Jason Wingreen have a rather elaborate plot involving the phony money in robbing the Stockton bank.

Shatner is one of those people who are born with it all, brains, looks, and charm. People like that become leaders in their field and that includes crime. But there it is all a waste. It's a role that suits William Shatner well.

When Marth confronts him with the truth, Richard Long has a crisis of conscience. How he handles it is for you to see in this good Big Valley episode.