The Hundred Days of the Dragon
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"The Hundred Days of the Dragon" is an episode of the original The Outer Limits television show. It first aired on 23 September 1963, during the first season.
[edit] Introduction
An Asian government develops a reliable means of changing a person's physical appearance, and uses it to replace a U.S. presidential candidate with a spy.
[edit] Opening narration
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Somewhere south of the Mongolian border and north of the Tropic of Cancer, in that part of the world we call the Orient, a slumbering giant has shaken itself to wakefulness. Passed over in most histories as a nation forgotten by time, its close-packed millions in the short span of twenty years have been stirred to a fury by one man: Lee Ching Sung. A benevolent despot in his homeland, Sung stands as an irresponsible threat to peace in the eyes of the rest of the world. William Lyons Selby, candidate for the presidency of the United States, predicted by every poll, survey, and primary to be a certain winner in the forthcoming election. |
” |
An Asian government plans to take over America by infiltrating and substituting all the officials at the White House. During the campaign trail, William Lyons Selby (the candidate predicted to win the next Presidential Election) is murdered and replaced by a look-a-like spy. Selby is elected, and the impostor assumes the office. Though he fools the nation at large, the president's daughter soon begins to suspect that the man is not her father. She voices her concerns to the Vice-President. The Asians then attempt to murder and replace him as well.
[edit] Closing narration
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To Theodore Pearson not even so monstrous a crime as the assassination of William Lyons Selby justifies an act of war, because there is no war as we knew it, only annihilation. A great American has been killed in the service of his country. Now it is the job of those who continue to serve to carry on guarding our freedom with dignity and unrelenting vigilance. |
” |
- Sidney Blackmer – as William Lyons Selby and doppelganger
- Phillip Pine – as Theodore Pearson
- Joan Camden as Ann Pearson
- Nancy Rennick as Carol Selby Conner
- Richard Loo as Li Chin-Sung
- Mark Roberts as Dr. Bob Conner
- Aki Aleong – as Dr.Su Lin
- Clarence Lung as Major Ho Chi Wong
- James Hong as Wen Lee
- James Yagi as Li Kwan
- Bert Remsen [1] as Frank Summers
- Dennis McCarthy as Carter
- Richard Gillings as Briggs
- Robert Brubaker as Bryan
- Eugene Chan as Oriental in Hotel
- Henry Scott – as FBI Agent Marshall
- Vic Perrin as Voice of Mr. Schumacher
- Leslie Stevens – as the Election Returns Commentator (uncredited)
[edit] Trivia
- This episode dealt with the assassination of a presidential candidate and coincidentally two months later President John F. Kennedy was assassinated.
- The plot bears some similarity to that of The Manchurian Candidate.
- The episode was featured in the 1993 film Mrs. Doubtfire.
- In a possibly intentional "coincidence", Selby is missing half of the third finger of his left hand. Sidney Blackmer starred in a 1940 film, Third Finger, Left Hand.
[edit] External links
