The adventures of two young drifters across America
After discovering that his late father has gone through most of the family fortune, Tod Stiles hits the title trans-America highway in his Corvette in search of adventure with friend Buz Murdock, a survivor of New York's mean streets. The two work odd jobs as they meet and interact with colorful characters and find themselves plunged into one situation after another, some of them romantic, some of them very dangerous. Later, Linc Case, a Vietnam war hero trying to find himself, takes over as Tod's travel companion.
CreatorsStirling Silliphant, Herbert B. Leonard
Black November
Oct 7, 1960
Tod's father dies leaving Tod the Corvette. Buz worked for Tod's father and the two decide to start driving. The Corvette breaks down in a small Mississippi town with some very nasty residents. The boys discover that the town hosted a POW camp during WW II and that the town boss had an escaped prisoner lynched when his son was killed in action. The boss plans to lynch Tod and Buz to keep the town's secret. Filming Location: Concord, Kentucky
A Lance of Straw
Oct 14, 1960
Shrimp boat captain Charlotte Duval hires Tod and Buz as a crew for her boat. Suitor Jean Boussard gets very jealous of the male crew members. Buz falls in love with the captain. Filming Location: Grand Isle, Louisiana
The Swan Bed
Oct 21, 1960
Tod and Buz arrive in New Orleans during a parrot-fever epidemic. They meet a girl named Carrie Purcell and ask her out for a date. Carrie doesn't have money to afford nice clothes. Filming Location: New Orleans, Louisiana
The Man on the Monkey Board
Oct 28, 1960
Tod and Buz are working at a Louisana Gulf of Mexico off-shore oil-drilling tower. Lew Ayres plays a Nazi-hunter hunting an escaped Nazi on the drilling rig. Filming Location: Denage and Venice, Louisana
The Strengthening Angels
Nov 4, 1960
Tod and Buz give a lift to Lotti Montana, a migrant worker who is going to help pick the peach crop. As they approach the town of Sparrow Falls she begs them to drive through as quickly as possible. They take her to the Coronet Club and the Silver Dollar cafe. Sheriff Hingle keeps her from leaving town. The boys work with a revivalist. Filming Location: Needles, California
Ten Drops of Water
Nov 11, 1960
Vergil and Helen Page with their young brother Homer are owners of the family ranch. Fighting a desperate battle against drought they're too proud to accept Tod and Buz's offer to help. Filming Location: Kanab, Utah
Three Sides
Nov 18, 1960
The boys work on a ranch and encounter a rancher's son. Joey dances on a table. Filming Location: Grants Pass, Oregon
Legacy for Lucia
Nov 25, 1960
Tod and Buz are working as loggers in Oregon. They meet an Italian girl, Lucia Trapani, who has come from Sicily to buy a new Madonna for her church. She plans to do it by selling her only possessions. Filming Location: Merlin, Oregon
Layout at Glen Canyon
Dec 2, 1960
A group of models are sent to a construction camp at Glen Canyon to do some fashion shots for a magazine. Jeff Grady head of the crew working at the dam appoints Tod and Buz as bodyguards. Filming Location: Glen Canyon Dam and Page, Arizona
The Beryllium Eater
Dec 9, 1960
Jack McConkie makes a find of Beryllium, a rare ore. Mine operator Fred Durant insists that he sell his claim. The old man refuses and is found badly beaten. Filming Location: Eureka, Arizona
A Fury Slinging Flame
Dec 30, 1960
The boys meet scientist Mark Christopher and his friends who intend to remain in Carlsbad Caverns until a predicted nuclear war is over. Filming Location: Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico
Sheba
Jan 6, 1961
Laura Church is paroled from a Texas prison and prepares to take up a new life. Then she discovers that the man assigned as her advisor is none other than Woody Biggs, the rancher who sent her to jail in the first place. The boys work as cowboys. Filming Location: El Paso, Texas
The Quick and the Dead
Jan 13, 1961
Tod and Buz work at the Riverside race track for the Grand Prix stock-car races. They get involved with a family's problems, including whether the father should continue stock-car racing. Tod drives a racecar. Filming Location: Riverside Racetrack and Mission Inn, Riverside, California
Play It Glissando
Jan 20, 1961
Tod and Buz watch a show at a local night club where trumpeter Gabe Johnson and his group are appearing. While driving away, they witness Jana Johnson, Gabe's wife, crash her car. She tells the boys that Gabe is insanely jealous and tried to kill her. The boys watch over her. Gabe shoots Tod but Tod tells the hospital it was an accident. When Jana goes back with Gabe, the boys realize that Jana will keep returning to Gabe no matter what. Filming Location: Malibu, California
The Clover Throne
Jan 27, 1961
The boys work on Adam Darcey's date farm. Adam loves his ward, ""Sweet Thing"", who wants to leave the farm. Adam is also trying to stop a road from being built on his property. Filming Location: Indio, California
Fly Away Home (1)
Feb 10, 1961
Tod goes to work for the Windus Dusting Company as a crop duster. He meets Summers, a pilot. The company is losing money. Filming Location: Phoenix, Arizona
Fly Away Home (2)
Feb 17, 1961
A farmer wants his crops dusted with sulfur, which is very dangerous to the pilots. However, the risk means more money to for the crop-dusting company. Filming Location: Phoenix, Arizona
Sleep on Four Pillows
Feb 24, 1961
Tod and Buz meet a teenage girl who claims to be running from gangsters. The girl's wealthy mother thinks her daughter has been kidnapped and calls the police and a detective. Filming Location: Hollywood and Los Angeles, California
An Absence of Tears
Mar 3, 1961
A blind widow listens for the voices of her dead husband's murderers. She asks Tod and Buz to buy her a pistol for self-protection. Filming Location: Hollywood, California
Like a Motherless Child
Mar 17, 1961
Tod and Buz pick up a small boy who has run away from an orphanage. Tod wants to return the boy but Buz, who has bad memories of an orphanage, refuses. The boys also get involved with showgirls. Filming Location: Reno, Fallon, and Carson City, Nevada
Effigy in Snow
Mar 24, 1961
A psychotic killer is killing women at the Squaw Valley ski resort. He leaves a body in the snow. Filming Location: Squaw Valley, California
Eleven, the Hard Way
Apr 7, 1961
The gown of Broken Knee hand their money over to famous gambler Sam Keep to gamble it in Reno. Filming Location: Reno and Broken Knee, Nevada
Most Vanquished, Most Victorious
Apr 14, 1961
Tod's aunt Kitty asks Tod to find her daughter Carole. The boys find that she was living in a Los Angeles slum and has been killed. Filming Location: Los Angeles, California
Dont Count Stars
Apr 28, 1961
Tod and Buz meet a hotel owner Mike, who drinks and gambles. Mike is the guardian for his niece Linda, a little girl. Linda's executor wants to remove the child from her uncle, and she asks Tod and Buz for help. Filming Location: San Diego, Sands Hotel, California
The Newborn
May 5, 1961
Tod and Buz work on a ranch belonging to Frank Ivy. Frank's son dies leaving an Indian girl Kawna pregnant. Frank and Kawna's relatives fight over the baby. The boys arrange an ""adoption"" of the baby after the mother dies. Filming Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico
A Skill for Hunting
May 12, 1961
Tod stops a poacher Hump Humphrey from killing a deer. Hump then shoots out the tires of Tod's car and later frames the boys for poaching. Filming Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico
Trap at Cordova
May 26, 1961
Tod and Buz are kidnapped by New Mexican mountain townspeople who need a teacher. Tod addresses the New Mexico legislature about the culture of the people of Cordova and the need for teachers. Filming Location: Cordova, New Mexico
The Opponent
Jun 2, 1961
A has-been boxer Johnny Copa is now throwing fights. Johnny trains Buz in boxing. Filming Location: Youngstown, Ohio
Welcome to Amity
Jun 9, 1961
Joan Maslow wants to bury her mother in the cemetery outside of Amity. The entire community is determined to stop her. Filming Location: Amity, Ohio
Incident on a Bridge
Jun 16, 1961
Buz and Tod go to work for Volovich and live at his house. Two other boarders are courting Volovich's mute daughter. Filming Location: Cleveland, Ohio
