Hawaii Five-0 was created by Leonard Freeman who was a writer for the series Route 66 in 1960 and produced The Untouchables in 1962. In 1967, Freeman produced the Clint Eastwood western Hang ‘Em High. Despite those impressive credits, few would argue that Hawaii Five-0 stands as Leonard Freeman’s biggest contribution to the entertainment medium. The opening title sequence has got to be one of the most memorable in television history. To put it to you straight–the pictures of the then fairly new state of Hawaii accompanied by what has to be one of the greatest television themes ever (composed by Morton Stevens) draws the audience right into the show.
As the fourth season of Hawaii Five-0 began in 1971, the series remained a solid top ten hit in the Neilsen ratings, with over 15 million viewers tuning in each week. The show was a phenomenon. People started booking vacations to Hawaii like never before, and those that couldn’t visit Hawaii, tuned in each week to get their dose of the tropical paradise. Catchphrases like “Book ‘um Danno” and “Whatcha got?” became a regular part of the American vernacular.
Hawaii Five-0 centers on the fictional police force of the same name–in honor of Hawaii’s status as the 50th state–led by Steve McGarrett (Jack Lord), who was appointed by the Governor Paul Jameson (Richard Denning). McGarrett was assisted by State police officers–the young Danny “Danno” Williams (James MacArthur), Chin Ho Kelly (Kam Fong) and Kono Kalakaua (Zulu). I don’t think anyone would ever say that Steve McGarrett was Mr. Excitement. Jack Lord played the role with all the personality of a board, but somehow that worked. The rest of the cast was pretty wooden as well and kept things straight as an arrow.
Despite the wooden characters, Hawaii Five-0 was, and remains a highly watchable show. In the early 1970’s, it was very unusual to see two non-Caucasian actors play leading roles on a television series. Both Chin Ho and and Kono were as valuable to the “Five-0” as the square jawed McGarrett and the blue eyed Danny, and that gave the show a unique appeal to television audiences.
Season four of Hawaii Five-0 follows the basic template of what made the series such a phenomenal success. The unit took on the toughest jobs Hawaii had to offer–gangs, the underworld, assassination plots, killers–and reported it all directly to the governor. Though some of the detectives had families, they were rarely mentioned. The men of the “Five-0” were supremely dedicated to their jobs. As in past seasons of the series, Hawaii Five-0 also had a host of guest stars who were already famous or on their way to becoming famous, which helped boost the shows cache.
Below is a list and description of the 24 episodes on the Hawaii Five-0 – The Fourth Season six DVD set.
- “Highest Castle, Deepest Grave.” An archeological dig turns up the bodies of a man and a woman who were murdered a decade earlier. Herbert Lom (The original Pink Panther films), France Nuyen and Jeff Corey have guest appearances in this story involving a painter, a powerful industrialist, and the daughter of one of the victims.
- “No Bottles, No Cans, No People.” A gangster named Johnny Oporta (Henry Darrow) has been dumping his victims in various dumpsters and Hawaii Five-0 is called in to keep the situation from escalating into an all out crime war.
- “Wednesday, Ladies Free.” A misogynistic killer is strangling women and leaving them wearing blonde wigs and garish makeup.
- “3,000 Crooked Miles to Honolulu.” Buddy Ebsen (The Beverly Hillbillies, Barnaby Jones) guest stars as a college professor who moonlights as a tour guide who steals and unloads traveler’s checks.
- “Two Doves and Mr. Heron.” John Ritter (Three’s Company) guest stars as a pan handling hippie and Vic Morrow (Combat) a tourist who’s hospitalized after a mugging in this show which has homophobic undertones. Hawaii Five-0 gets the case when the man mysteriously leaves the hospital.
- “And I Want Some Candy and a Gun That Shoots.” A Vietnam vet (Michael Burns) with post-traumatic stress disorder grabs a rifle and starts firing at cars on a busy highway, and when two cops get shot in the process McGarrett and his group get involved. Annette O’Toole and Jeanne Cooper (The Young and the Restless) guest star.
- “Air Cargo–Dial for Murder.” During McGarrett’s investigation unto the death of an airport security officer, he discovers a air cargo hijacking ring. When another employee is murdered with and found with $250,000 is found in his possession, the situation becomes very dangerous. Marion Ross (Happy Days) guest stars.
- “For a Million, Why Not?” While McGarrett is in Maui for the Johnny Oporta trial, Danno is in charge. During this time, five upstanding citizens plot the perfect crime–it will give them a $6 million payoff and a chance at revenge.
- “The Burning Ice.” In what I think is the weakest episode of the season, McGarrett and his crew are investigating the murder of the wife of a doctor (Jackie Cooper) who winds up being the prime suspect. Though the doctor’s guilt is obvious five minutes into the episode, the show takes viewers on an illogical journey to try to convince them of someone else’s guilt.
- “Rest in Peace, Somebody.” Finds McGarrett trying to figure out who a mysterious caller is plotting to kill. Once he discovers the Governor is the intended target of a disgruntled former cop, the team has 48 hours to prevent the assassination.
- “A Matter of Mutual Concern.” This episode is flat out the worst of the season. The episode is about gang violence, but I found it very hard to watch. White actors playing Asians and racial slurs (“You lousy Chink!”) don’t work for me.
- “Nine, Ten, You’re Dead.” The series comes back with a strong episode featuring Moses Gunn as an ex-boxer who breaks the hand of a promising young fighter to save him from a life of involvement in a mob syndicate. Obviously, the syndicate doesn’t appreciate the ex-fighter’s gesture.
- “Is This Any Way to Run a Paradise.” McGarrett tries to catch an ecology fanatic whose publicity stunts start to border on terrorism.
- “Odd Man In.” Hume Cronyn guests as Lewis Avery Flier (a role he played in Season 3), a criminal mastermind who now plans to steal 4 million from drug smugglers.
- “Bait Once, Bait Twice.” Loretta Swit (M*A*S*H) guest stars as a suicidal woman whom McGarrett discovers was forced into the attempt by a gambling kingpin wanting revenge against her fiancé.
- “The 90-Second War, Part I.” Wo Fat (Khigh Dhiegh) makes his annual appearance. This time, McGarrett is framed by Wo Fat in a grand scheme that begins with a massive car crash and involves a Swiss bank account.
- “The 90-Second War, Part II.” In the finale, McGarrett tries to stop Wo Fat from unleashing his plot against a U.S. missile tracking base. Donald Pleasence (The Great Escape) guest stars.
- “Skinhead.” In what I think is one of the series’ best episodes, a daunting skinhead soldier (Lee Paul) is arrested for beating and raping a Hawaiian woman.
- “While You’re at it, Bring in the Moon.” An eccentric billionaire (Barry Sullivan) is accused of murder but is more afraid to leave the confines of his germ free yacht to defend himself than of the criminal charges.
- “Cloth of Gold.” After members of a real estate firm die from shellfish poisoning, McGarrett starts to believe that this rare case wasn’t just a case of random bad luck.
- “Good Night, Baby, Time to Die.” The Five-0 squad mobilizes to protect a young woman after her former boyfriend, a convicted murderer, escapes capture and makes threats against her.
- “Didn’t We Meet at a Murder?” Simon Oakland guest stars as a gangster in this story that involves a Chicago mobster, a blackmail scheme, and a plot to rob a Hawaiian bank.
- “Follow the White Brick Road.” Real-life Admiral Joseph McGoldrick played an Admiral in this story about sailors and heroin smuggling. Danny goes undercover as a sailor.
- “R&R&R.” Someone is killing the wives of army men expecting to meet their husbands on furlough in Hawaii. But who?
Hawaii Five-0 is not C.S.I. Law & Order. Compared to those two shows, the Five-0 squad looks pretty ridiculous with their utter disregard for the handling of evidence and proper procedure. However, Hawaii Five-0 was conceived in a different time and place. A time when having a square jawed no nonsense lead character like Steve McGarrett and a doe-eyed, slightly dumbfounded partner like Danny Williams was what the public craved; a time when the tropical beaches of Hawaii were still fairly new to those of us on the mainland. Hawaii Five-0 will never be considered factual television, but it sure is fun.
The six disc DVD set is presented in 1.33:1 aspect ratio. The audio is in Dolby Digital Mono in English or Spanish, with subtitles in Spanish and Portuguese. You may hear faint scratchiness from time to time.
Aside from some episode promos, there are no bonus features.
