The Outer Limits (1963) 1.02

The Hundred Days of the Dragon

starring Sidney Blackmer, Philip Pine

directed by Byron Haskin

An unnamed East Asian nation uses the latest in medical science to alter one of their agents so that he looks exactly like William Selby, a candidate for President of the United States of America. The Selby substitute kills the real Selby and takes his place. The real Selby's features (face, fingerprints) are changed so that his body cannot be properly identified.

Selby wins the election but Carol Conner, his daughter, and the Ted Pearson (Philip Pine), the Vice President, start to have their doubts. Li-Chin Sung, leader of the country that sent the Selby substitute, visits Washington, DC and makes plans to replace more men in key roles, including the Vice President of the United States.

Carol and her husband visit Vice President Pearson and inadvertently foil an attempt to replace him. The substitute Pearson gets away but the real Pearson gets a look at him before he escapes. Bob, Carol, and Ted talk to the secret service the next day, share what they know, and come up with a plan to deal with the suspected substitute for President Selby.

Thoughts

This was a lot of fun. The science behind it all is kind of ridiculous but I don't expect scientific realism from a show like this. I'm not sure that this is a great episode of this show but of the three that I have watched recently it is my favorite.

Notes

This is the first of six episodes that Byron Haskin directed. He also directed a couple movies I have seen including Too Late for Tears (1949) and Treasure Island (1950). 

This is the only episode of this show in which Sidney Blackmer appeared but he was also in a couple episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955) one of which (1.04 Don't Come Back Alive) I watched just last week.

This is the only episode of this show in which Philip Pine appeared but he was also in a couple other things I have seen including D.O.A (1949) and an episode of The Invaders, 1.05 Genesis. He also appeared in one episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955), two episodes of The Twilight Zone (1959), an episode of Star Trek (1966), and an episode of The Six Million Dollar Man.

James Hong played the part of the agent who became the substitute Pearson. He turned 96 years old earlier this year, is still a working actor, and has over 460 screen credits according to IMDb. He's made guest appearances on a ton of TV shows including Wonder Woman, The Bionic Woman, The Rockford Files, and Kung Fu. He's also appeared in a few movies I have seen including Chinatown (1974) and Big Trouble in Little China (1986).