Die Before They Wake

The story begins with a heroin addict being murdered. Soon after, a crusading reporter is also murdered. Oddly, the two killings end up being related. But even odder is that the reporter's widow, Cheryl (Jess Walton) decides to go undercover as a prostitute and addict to try to find out who the killer is....and she's not even a cop. But Kojak is determined to follow her at a distance to make sure she's safe. In fact, throughout the show, Kojak seems to have a soft spot for ladies...even strung out prostitutes (Tina Louise) and wants to find the murderers because whoever did the killings is also using heroin to control the prostitutes.

This is an okay episode...not bad but it's rather hard to believe that a private citizen would infiltrate the mob and turn tricks like this. Odd...but still enjoyable and worth seeing...but also a relatively weak show.

A crusading television reporter is murdered trying to expose a narcotics ring. His widow, an ex-drug addict and prostitute, returns to the haunts of her past life pretending to be still an addict in an attempt to find her husband's killer.

Kojak shows an emphatic side in this episode. He might raise his voice, quip wisecracks or call Stavropol "fatso", but overall he cares, and is determined to put away the sleaze bags behind the drug/prostitution ring. Jess Walton, a cutie, acts really well as an ex-junkie, but Tina Louise as a junkie steals the scene. It's not a standout entry, but diverting enough to keep you watching. It's also quite hardhitting at times.

Kojak dabbles in social issues. Drugs and prostitution.

The story opens with the death of Trudy Stein, a drug addict and a hooker. Kojak is surprised that the press got here so quickly.

Crusading journalist Daniel Pope has an interest in the story. Trudy was going to help him with an expose. Only Pope is later shot dead by drug dealer Bert Podis (Harris Yulin.)

He is league with rich mama's boy Spencer Galen who finances Podis's operation. In return Podis supplies Galen with hookers.

Pope's widow Cheryl n drug addict who went clean decides to investigate her husband's murder. She makes out that she has lapsed back into drugs. Cheryl finds a weak link in Audrey, a drug addicted hooker and a friend of Podis.

Harris well known as the judge who did not believe in ghosts in Ghostbusters 2, shines as the baddie. Ripping off the girls and Galen by hiking the price of drugs.

Kojak just needs to follow what Cheryl is up to. Only realising later that she is at risk. Telly Savalas's body double shows up for th action scenes at the end.

Tina Louise who most remember as the vapid castaway movie star on Gilligan's Island Ginger Grant will be a revelation to you as a strung out junkie/hooker in this episode of Kojak. She's who you will remember after seeing this one.

When television commentator Robert Burr is murdered after getting too close to a prostitution/pornography/narcotics trifecta racket he gets shot down by Harris Yulin who in the Seventies was coming into his own playing a nice variety of bottom feeding lowlifes. He's the linchpin in the racket.

Yulin finds the talent on the street with a variety of hookers whom if they're not junkies already, they are after dealing with him. They're recruited to perform in various porno projects financed by uptown trust fund baby Colby Chester who gets all the women as he runs a casting couch for performers. And when they're done, he disposes of them like condoms.

Jess Walton is the widow of Burr and she was in the life before and Burr got her out. She takes up where he left off and with her knowledge she's ahead of Telly Savalas and the squad from Manhatan South.

Isabel Sanford who was already playing Louise Jefferson on All In The Family plays a former madam who is Kojak's informant. She's a revelation herself in her one scene.

Still it's Tina who should have merited Emmy consideration for her performance.

Classic episode with drugs, prostitution, etc., in all its grimy glory, but seriously, In what world can a complete stranger burst into someone's apartment and say, "Hey, I'm a friend of your druggie friend, can I come in?" And the person lets them in and the visitor says, "Hey, can I use your tools to shoot up? I have my own stuff, I just need your kit." And the accommodating apartment dweller says, "Sure, go right ahead in the bedroom, help yourself."

Who does that? In the 70s was that done? I am not sure but this is the second post-Gilligan's Island show I have scene that puts Tina Louise in a ridiculously crafted scene, the other one coming shortly after this particular show: a Dallas episode where she agrees to jump off a roof because a crook said to.