TV Review: Racket Squad First, a bit of news: I have completed my coursework for an Associate’s Degree in Business Management, and should soon have the official recognition. It’s been a rough couple of years, so I am relieved. Racket Squad ran on television from 1950 to 1953, telling fictionalized versions of actual cases… Continue reading TV Review: Racket Squad
Tag: TV
TV Review: Miami Undercover | Richard Diamond, Private Eye
TV Review: Miami Undercover | Richard Diamond, Private Eye Miami Undercover was a 1961 series shot in Miami Beach, with Lee Bowman as private investigator Jeff Thompson and Rocky Graziano as “Rocky.” Mr. Thompson was employed by the hotel owners to perform undercover investigations to avoid alarming guests with the presence of an overt hotel… Continue reading TV Review: Miami Undercover | Richard Diamond, Private Eye
TV Review: Mannix
TV Review: Mannix Hey, a show I actually remember watching first-run! Private eye show Mannix ran from 1967-75. It had a memorable opening sequence with a jazzy tune in waltz time and split-screen credits reminiscent of a monitor bank. Joe Mannix (Mike Connors) was an Armenian-American Korean War veteran, a little rough around the edges.… Continue reading TV Review: Mannix
TV Review: Public Defender
TV Review: Public Defender “If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you.” The office of the Public Defender is a special government department that specializes in handling the cases of indigent defendants. The first such office was opened in Los Angeles in about 1914. This series, which aired in 1954-55, was… Continue reading TV Review: Public Defender
TV Review: Decoy | The Shadow
TV Review: Decoy | The Shadow Decoy is a 1957-58 series about Casey Jones (Beverly Garland), a female police officer in New York City. She often goes undercover, thus the series title. This show is noteworthy as the first TV cop series to star a woman in the lead role. Like Dragnet, the series fictionalized real… Continue reading TV Review: Decoy | The Shadow
TV Review: Dick Tracy
TV Review: Dick Tracy Dick Tracy has had many incarnations over the years, but the actor most associated with the character is Ralph Byrd, who played him in serials, movies and eventually a television show in 1950. Unfortunately, Mr. Byrd was not in good health by this point, and the fast pace of TV production… Continue reading TV Review: Dick Tracy
TV Review: Man with a Camera
TV Review: Man with a Camera Mike Kovac (Charles Bronson) is a World War Two veteran who works as a freelance photographer. He’s a tough fellow who’s known for getting the shots other shutterbugs can’t make. As a result, he’s often called in to help investigate incidents for newspapers and private citizens. Mike is aided… Continue reading TV Review: Man with a Camera
Book Review: Milestones of Space: Eleven Iconic Objects from the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
Book Review: Milestones of Space: Eleven Iconic Objects from the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum edited by Michael J. Neufeld Disclaimer: I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway on the premise that I would review it. When I was young, I wanted to be an astronaut. It sounded like the best job… Continue reading Book Review: Milestones of Space: Eleven Iconic Objects from the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
TV Review: Front Page Detective
TV Review: Front Page Detective This series was broadcast on the DuMont Network from 1951-1952, starring Edmund Lowe as David Chase. Mr. Chase was a newspaper columnist in the style of Walter Winchell, seeking interesting tidbits of news and gossip, with many people sending him items. Often, his column or his investigative activities involved him… Continue reading TV Review: Front Page Detective
TV Review: The Court of Last Resort
TV Review: The Court of Last Resort In 1948, seven lawyers, including Erle Stanley Gardner, the author of the Perry Mason series, formed a group called “The Court of Last Resort.” They investigated convictions that seemed to have irregularities, to see if the accused had actually committed the crime, much like the modern “Project Innocence.” Mr.… Continue reading TV Review: The Court of Last Resort