MovieChat Forums > Cloak & Dagger (1984) Discussion > The original Spy Kid?

The original Spy Kid?

posted 19 years ago by whynotspoonerism
1 reply | jump to latest

Help me with a vague memory from the early 80s... it's driving me nuts like an obscure song stuck in my head.

"Cloak & Dagger" came out during the 1984 Summer Olympics, but before that, ABC aired an after-school daytime special in which Peter Billingsey (Ralphie from "A Christmas Story") was a young photography/camera nut caught in a Hitchcock caper. He was curious about some suspicious exterminators who drove a van with a huge bug mascot on its roof. This was their disguise, as the van was full of spying equipment.

Naturally nobody believed the kid's claims about the villains. His roll of film (evidence) got mixed up at the developer, and he wound up tailing after the dangerous spies. He clung onto their van's back door while wedging his feet on the rear bumper. The finale took place at an airport and luggage conveyor, and the young hero outwitted the villains until the FBI finally arrived to save the day and capture the evildoers.

The episode wasn't as long as a movie, but it was fast-paced (not as slow or drawn-out as "C&D") and whetted my appetite for more. (Sigh) It seemed to capitalize on Peter Billingsey as a child actor, in the same way "C&D" played off Henry Thomas' "E.T." popularity. I can't find any mention of this TV special anywhere, but it thrilled my childhood and I would love to track down a copy somehow.

[–] JackFlackAlwaysEscapes 19 years ago

I've never seen this or the movie/special you described, but do you think this (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084321/) could be it? The time-period is right, the title sounds like it could be along the lines of what you're talking about, and it's made-for-TV. I know how infuriating it can be to want to try to find something (lucky for me, I've tracked down most of the ones I've tried), so I really hope this helps!