The Treasure of Kalaniopu'u

Episode Number: 115
Season Number: 6.9
Air Date: 11/14/1985
Writer: Reuben Leder
Director: Ivan Dixon
Producer: Chris Abbott
Exec Producer: Donald P. Bellisario

Recurring Characters

Kathleen Lloyd (Carol Baldwin), Kwan Hi Lim (Lt. Tanaka), Gillian Dobb (Agatha Chumley), Glenn Cannon (Doc Ibold), James Grant Benton (Kika)

Guest Stars

Nancy Stafford (Amy Griswald), Beverly Todd (Donna Clemens), Michael Swan (Pirate James Dawkins), Chip Heller (Doug Fenwick), Steve Goldsberry (Terry Dobbs), Barbara Fitzsimmons (Maggie), Richard Sanford (Rev. Brown), Ron Wood (Mr. Kono), Jim Demarest (Conventioneer), Mark Pinkosh (Teenager)

Episode Brief

Magnum and a group of his treasure hunting friends are held at gunpoint on a cliff top with the one million dollar prize that was the hidden object of a treasure hunt competition, organized to help promote Robin Masters' new novel by using clues from it.

Rating

8.1

(44 votes)

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Notes

¹ This episode shares several similarities with the 1963 comedy film It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World - the pursuit of money by a diverse group of "treasure hunters", constantly trying to figure out how the money will get divided up, people standing around a hole in the ground as only a few actually dig, the bills of money floating through the air at the end.

² The opening scene features reverse chronology, with a partial scene of the ending climax shown.

³ A high volume of recurring characters are used in this episode - Doc Ibold, Carol, Agatha, Lt. Tanaka, and Kika are featured. The recurring characters are also seen together in many scenes, which is unusual for the show. This is Kika's last appearance on the show.

⁴ The Treasure of Kalaniopu'u is the 10th Robin Masters novel named in the show. The pirate story from the book takes place in the year 1759. Kalani'opu'u was the name of the Ali'i who was the king/chief of the Big Island of Hawaii at the time of Captain James Cook's visits.

⁵ Nancy Stafford (Amy Griswald) will go on to portray Michelle Thomas (1987-1992), Ben Matlock's law partner and friend, in Matlock.

⁶ Beverly Todd (Donna Clemens, T.C.'s girlfriend) was a leading african-american actress of the 1970s, most famous for her numerous films with Sir Sidney Poitier (They Call Me MISTER Tibbs!, A Piece of the Action) and her 1989 co-starring role (with Morgan Freeman) in Lean on Me.

⁷ It's interesting to note that Magnum mentions that he personally took Robin Masters around the island to scout locations for the book.

⁸ T.C.'s Island Hoppers business has temporarily moved into a house trailer near Ala Moana Beach Park.

⁹ List of notable filming locations:

• Ala Moana Beach Park, McCoy Pavilion* (1201 Ala Moana Blvd) - "treasure hunt registration"
• Kapena Falls**, Nuuanu Valley - "Pirate James Dawkins, 1759" & "waterfall jump"

(All locations ID'd by rubber chicken)

¹⁰ Universal Studios plugs its own cartoon Woody Woodpecker during this episode. Magnum is seen watching "Woodpecker in the Rough" (from 1952) in his hotel room. Growing up in Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, Tom Selleck's little league baseball team was nicknamed The Woody Woodpeckers.

¹¹ T.C. mentions to his girlfriend that he has read all of the books by Robin Masters, Tolstoy and Mad Buck Gibson. Mad Buck hasn't been seen or mentioned since we first were introduced to him in his one and only episode from Season Two!

¹² Doc Ibold owns a Cadillac Sedan de Ville. We see him driving it in this episode for the first and only time.

¹³ Magnum is taking a Business Administration class at the "University".

¹⁴ For many years, the IMDB (and other sources) incorrectly credited Rolling Stones guitarist Ron Wood as appearing in this episode (as Mr. Kono), as well as three other Magnum P.I. episodes. The correct Ron Wood was added to the IMDB in 2007.

¹⁵ Jim Demarest (Conventioneer in Hotel) is famous in Hawaii for his role as "Mr. Checkers" (#3) in the long-running KGMB children's show The Checkers & Pogo Show (1967-1979). Jim previously appeared Season One's "Thank Heaven for Little Girls and Big Ones Too" (1.4) and Season Five's "Let Me Hear the Music" (5.18).

* The pavilion was previously used in Season Five's "Let Me Hear the Music" (5.18).
** The pool is very close to the famous Sanju Pagoda of Kyoto Gardens Memorial Park. It was also notably used in several episodes of the hit TV show Lost.

Quotes

¹
Magnum: Maybe the computer did make a mistake.
Mr. Kono (the Hotel Desk Clerk): The computer does not make mistakes.

²
Higgins: All this death and mutilation, for naught... for naught!

³
Magnum: I'm sorry you lost your Granda Flora Queen Elizabeth's over this Higgins.
Higgins: Thank you Magnum, the gesture is appreciated, but I suppose that when one works, as we do, for someone as eccentric, and as anarchicly impulsive, as Mr. Masters we must expect the unexpected and learn to live with the somewhat obsured vagaries of his work.
Magnum: You're right Higgins. I guess you and I will be doing this for a long time, too. Huh, you know, together.
Higgins: Yes, as a matter of fact....always.
(both smile and jump off cliff into the water)


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