Tonight 50 years ago, CBS aired "For A Million ... Why Not?"

The episode follows a band of thieves in their preparation to steal six million dollars from Bank of Hawaii. Hawkins (Sam Melville) is a ticked off Vietnam vet that plans to "set things right." His accomplices include burned out office worker Blumberg (Jack Kruschen), ex-con Noonan (Al Harrington, prior to his role as Ben Kokua), dance instructor Galvin (Robert Fields) and his girlfriend Carol (Leigh Christian). The group plans to split the six million into three for Hawkins, and one to the guys. Carol tries to get a bigger cut that nearly gets her boyfriend blown up by Hawkins.

When the bank plans to distribute the six million they're sitting on, the group sets up a bogus breakdown that slows the armored truck enough to kill the guards. The robbers then drive the truck away with the six million in the back and the guard (eww!) that had been gassed. They then put it on a transport to go to 'Oakland'.

Danno is on his own with Chin and Kono as McGarrett is one the Big Island with the trial of Johny Oporta (presumably the same Johnny from S04E02 "No Bottles ... No Cans ... No People"). McGarrett even begs the judge to let him go back to Honolulu for one day to which the judge (Donald Over) is unimpressed and makes the Five-O chief stay put. However, Danno is able to track the gang to 'Oakland' and with the help of local cops there (it all looks like the Honolulu Port) where the poor armored truck meets a fiery end along with Hawkins and Noonan. The others surrender when a large door lifts and they're holding up their hands.

Mr. Mike has done a great write-up along with an excellent gallery: http://www.fiveohomepage.com/5-0log4.htm#80

I know Mr. Mike graded this with 2 stars and that's a fair assessment. The execution could have been tighter, but I still like this episode a lot. As Karen Rhodes points out in her book, "Booking Hawaii Five-O," we get that rare glimpse of Danno's leadership capabilities. He's on his own and is successful in bringing the gang in. It's a different type of episode that we're used to.

I know Mr. Mike brings up the question about the money possibly being burned up in the truck at the end. I would think there's a firewall behind the cab. But what I want to know, from the time they steal the truck until Oakland, the truck is never opened. What happened to the guard in the back!? Was he killed in the acid attack and just left to die and decompose!? (again, eww!) Because we never see them open the back. As a matter of fact, Hawkins puts nitro on the back door to blow it open when Danno yells at them through a bullhorn in 'Oakland'.

Despite its shortcomings, it's a good episode to watch.

Happy 50th, "For A Million ... Why Not?"!!