Tales of the Gold Monkey (complete series) - Donald A. Baer - (1982) DVD

The adventures of seaplane pilot and soldier of fortune Jake Cutter in the South Pacific of 1938. Jake, a former Flying Tigers pilot, made his home on the island of Boragora along with his one-eyed dog Jack and his mechanic Corky. Other companions were Bon Chance Louie, the local magistrate and owner of the Monkey Bar hangout, Sarah Stickney White, the bar's singer who was actually an American spy, and Dutch minister Willie Tenboom who was actually a German spy. Rounding out the cast of schemers was Princess Kogi, ruler of the nearby island of Matuka, and the samurai warrior Todo who commanded her private army.

Contrary to popular consensus, Tales of the Gold Monkey was not an Indiana Jones knockoff, although the popularity of those movies was probably responsible for Gold Monkey getting its shot on television. No, Gold Monkey was much more in line with many older adventure movies, and creator Donald Bellisario insisted it was inspired mostly by the 1939 movie Only Angels Have Wings.

Regardless of where it came from, though, this was a very enjoyable series. I find that I still love it. I may love it even more now that I'm older and more able to appreciate the historical references in the show, which is set in the Pacific in 1938. Spies and political intrigues abound in every single episode, and provide the perfect backdrop for an adventure story.

This series is clearly a product of early 80s American television, showing quite a bit of similarity in structure and production values with nearly every other series produced at the time. Gold Monkey, though, was far from formulaic, and very original. How many shows can you name that had an intelligent one-eyed dog that was regarded in every respect as an equal member of the cast?

I will never understand why it didn't last more than a single season, but at least I can enjoy what little there is. "Tales of the Gold Monkey" will always have a special place in my heart and on my DVD shelf.

Episodes:

1. Tales of the Gold Monkey: Part 1
2. Tales of the Gold Monkey: Part 2
3. Shanghaied
4. Black Pearl
5. Legends Are Forever
6. Escape from Death Island
7. Trunk from the Past
8. Once a Tiger...
9. Honor Thy Brother
10. The Lady and the Tiger.
11. The Late Sarah White
12. The Sultan of Swat
13. Ape Boy
14. God Save the Queen
15. High Stakes Lady
16. Force of Habit
17. Cooked Goose
18. Last Chance Louie
19. Naka Jima Kill
20. Boragora or Bust
21. A Distant Shout of Thunder
22. Mourning Becomes Matuka

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