Cannonball (1958)
Cannonball
1958Followed the adventures of Mike Malone and Jerry Austin as they drove trucks across the US and Canada for the fictitious C&A Transport Company Ltd. "Cannonball" was a half-hour family drama featuring truckers Mike Malone and Jerry Austin hauling freight across Canada and the U.S.A. Paul Birch and William Campbell portrayed the main characters, with Canadian actors Beth Lockerbie, Beth Morris, Steve Barringer, Howard Milsom, and others in supporting roles.
Seasons & Episode
This pilot episode sets the premise: ""Cannonball"" is the adventures of 2 truck drivers who haul freight across the highways of the United States and Canada. The main character is Mike Malone; providing the family atmosphere are his wife Mary, and his son Butch, and his daughter Ginny. Mike's truck-drivin' buddy is Jerry Austin. This episode, Mike has to stop a runaway truck.
Truck drivers doing long hauls often use caffeine pills to stay alert. The highway patrol puts out a warning that some truckstops are selling stay-awake pills that can be real killers. When Mike and Jerry turn a bottle of this stuff over to the authorities, it leads to the breakup of this dangerous pill racket.
Mike and Jerry pick up a hitchhiker named Willy who has gotten into trouble.
When Mike and Jerry are under pressure to deliver a load in a big hurry, a near-accident makes them learn that they must keep their Sights on Safety.
Mike and Jerry deliver a cargo consisting of an iron lung to help a polio patient.
Mike Malone loves truckstop food, and has meals and snacks on a long haul. When Mike gets some stomach pains, Jerry thinks it's just indigestion. But it turns out to be more serious, and Mike winds up taking a trip in an ambulance.
Mike and Jerry intercede when a hostage is taken at a truckstop, and diffuse what could turn out to be a dangerous situation.
Mike and Jerry are taking some freight on a long haul, but when they look in the back of their truck they find out they've also got some small cargo-- 2 frightened youngsters as stowaways. It seems they're running away from their uncle, who is on the wrong side of the law. Mike makes sure their evil uncle never hurts the kids again.
Jerry is just like one of the family at Mike Malone's house. But since Jerry is more like a buddy to Mike's kids Butch and Ginny, while sometimes Mike has to be a strict father, Mike begins to feel his kids like Jerry better than him. However, everything's fine by the end of the show, and they're all one big, happy family again.
There are some funny complications when Mike and Jerry are trucking during moose hunting season.
Mike and Jerry have a dangerous load this time, nitro glycerin to be used by a fuel company drilling for oil.
While out on the road doing a long haul, Mike and Jerry stop at Joe's place for coffee. Mike is a happily married man, but Jerry is single and looking. Jerry falls for the pretty waitress, May, and they become romantically involved. But Jerry doesn't know that May has a past that she is not telling him about.
When Mike and Jerry haul some valuable cargo, they find themselves under attack by some would-be hijackers.
Mike and Jerry find a stray dog on the road and try to find its rightful owner.
Mike's son Butch has been getting some poor grades in school. Mike has to be strict with him. Later, they patch things up and Butch says he wants to be a trucker when he grows up.
When a valuable necklace turns up missing, Mike and Jerry retrace their route to find out who could have taken it.
Mike can't believe it when Jerry is accused of stealing on the job, and gets fired. Even stranger is the fact that Mike can't get any explanations from the managers at C & A, or Jerry himself. Mike does some investigating, and finds out Jerry is really working undercover to catch the ones who have been stealing freight from C & A.
An old girlfriend of Jerry's, named Nanette, shows up and wants to get together with Jerry again.
Big Buck Harris is an independent trucker, and they are sometimes at odds with the truckers from C & A. Big Buck is also an incorrigible practical joker. After Big Buck puts one over on Mike and Jerry, they decide to get even-- and it's Mike and Jerry who get the last laugh.
When Mike and Jerry come across a little old man on the road, it turns out he has a past that surprises both of them.
When Mike and Jerry's truck breaks down in a desolate region of Canada, they find themselves marooned.
There are many welcome truckstops along the highways, but when Mike and Jerry pull into Lil's place, a surprise awaits them.
Mike Malone served in the military during WWII. Mike had to discipline one of his men who kept shooting at enemy soldiers after they had already surrendered. Now a sailor who fits the description of that guy is looking for Mike, and it seems he might be out to settle an old score.
When a new girl reporter for the newspaper wants to do a story on truckers, Mike and Jerry wind up getting unwanted publicity.
Mike and Jerry pick up a hitchhiker on the road; the guy is big, like a wrestler. When they have a meal at a truckstop, they run into a boxer, and find out the hitchhiker is a former boxer himself. The boxer calls the hitchhiker a has-been, and challenges him to a fight.
Mike and Jerry have a valuable load to haul this time: fur pelts. To make matters worse, there's a gang of thieves on the road. No sooner do they start their long haul, than there's a bullet in one of the 18 wheels on their rig. Mike and Jerry fight a treacherous gang and road hazards, but as always deliver the haul in good condition and on time.
Mike and Jerry make a scenic haul through Niagara Falls and wind up in Buffalo, New York.
In a change-of-pace episode, Mike and Jerry haul some equipment for a band, and after the gig a wild party ensues.
Mike Malone puts the pedal to the metal to get home in time for Ginny's 10th birthday.
After Jerry gets a couple of traffic tickets, and has a near-miss on the road, he is faced with having to take driving school.
Mike and Jerry become eyewitnesses to a killing. They are determined to testify in court as to what they saw-- but in the meantime, Mike and Jerry wind up on the hit list of the gangsters. Mike and Jerry finally testify, and put the entire gang behind bars.
Some unscrupulous businessmen want Mike and Jerry to haul gambling equipment for them, but their scheme turns up snake eyes: a loser.
Followed the adventures of Mike Malone and Jerry Austin as they drove trucks across the US and Canada for the fictitious C&A Transport Company Ltd. "Cannonball" was a half-hour family drama featuring truckers Mike Malone and Jerry Austin hauling freight across Canada and the U.S.A. Paul Birch and William Campbell portrayed the main characters, with Canadian actors Beth Lockerbie, Beth Morris, Steve Barringer, Howard Milsom, and others in supporting roles.