Coming from Mill Creek mid-June "Best of TV Detectives" 150 episode box (1 Viewer)

[docdoowop]

Just had a pleasant conversation with marketing at Mill Creek. If I can read my hastily-scribbled notes, this set will feature various episodes of:

The Adventures of Fu Manchu (aka Dr. Fu Manchu) starring John Carradine and Sir Cedric Hardwicke

Ellery Queen (not sure which version)

Alfred Hitchcock Presents

Burke's Law (evidently the single, public domain episode)

Cases of Eddie Drake (Don Haggerty)

Checkmate (Doug McClure and Sebastian Cabot)

Code 3

Court of Last Resort

Dick Tracy

Front Page Detective

Gangbusters

I Am the Law

The Lawless Years

Lock Up

Man Against Crime

Man Behind the Badge

Man With a Camera (Bronson)

Expect typical pricing and packaging from Mill Creek, with a mid-June release.

 

[Bob Hug]

This looks great . . . . . although there are a number of series on this collection where I already own some episodes. I have two episodes of the Bronson series "Man With a Camera" and it's pretty enjoyable. The "Fu Manchu" series is a bit strange, at least in terms of the actors listed; I'm familiar with the Glen Gordon version . . . . Alpha Video released a few episodes of that series. Surprised to see "The Lawless Years" on the list since I believe it still is under copyright; Timeless Media released a licensed collection last year . . . . maybe a few eps. are PD. I have a single episode of "Checkmate" on a PD collection from Diamond Entertainment . . . . very good series and, hopefully, Mill Creek will have a few eps. from that series on this collection.

Doc, if you get any more details on this set; let us know. I'm definitely intrigued.

 

[Gary OS]

Me too! Like Bob, I own a number of these series through Alpha and the like. But there are many I don't own a single episode of, so this looks to be another very nice set from Mill Creek.

Gary "still loving the 100 episode Ozzie & Harriet set I received recently" O.

 

[docdoowop]

OK, guys. Please forgive any typos:

Adventures of Dr. Fu Manchu
1) "Prisoner of Fu Manchu"
2) "The Death Ships of Fu Manchu"

Adventures of Ellery Queen
1) "The Hanging Acrobat"

Alfred Hitchcock Presents
1) "The Cheney Vase"
2) "The Sorcerer's Apprentice"

Bulldog Drummond
1) "The Ludlow Affair"

Burke's Law
1) "Who Killed Jason Shaw"

The Cases of Eddie Drake
1) "Shoot the Works"

Checkmate
1) "The Human Touch"
2) "Nice Guys Finish Last"

Code 3
1) "The Rookie Sheriff"
2) "The Sniper"
3) "The Man With Many Faces"
4) "The Benson Case"

Colonel March of Scotland Yard
1) "Terror At Daybreak"

Court of Last Resort
1) "The Clarence Redding Case"
2) "The Jim Thompson Case"
3) "The John Smith Case"
4) "The Mary Morales Case"

Crime Syndicated
1) "Diamond Smuggling Ring"

Decoy
1) "To Trap a Thief"
2) "High Swing"
3) "The Sound of Tears"
4) "Night Light"
5) "Fiesta at Midnight"
6) "The Comeback"

Dick Tracy
1) "The Mole"
2) "Dick Tracy Meets Flattop"
3) "Hi-Jack"
4) "Heels Beals"
5) "Shakey's Secret Treasure"
6) "Episode #6"

Dragnet
1) "The Big Cast"
2) "The Big September Man"
3) "The Big Phone Call"
4) "The Big Casing"
5) "The Big Seventeen"
6) "The Big .22 Rifle for Christmas"
7) "The Big Grandma"
8) "The Big Show"
9) "The Big Break"
10) "The Big Betty"
11) "The Big Little Jesus"
12) "The Big Boys"
13) "The Big Shoplift"
14) "The Big Hit & Run Killer"
15) "The Big Girl"
16) "The Big Frame"
17) "The Big False Make"
18) "The Big Producer"
19) "The Big Crime"
20) "The Big Lift"
21) "The Big Confession"
22) "The Big Look"
23) "The Big Ante"
24) "The Big Score"
25) "The Big Send-Off"

Front Page Detective
1) "Little Black Book"
2) "Murder Rides the Night Train"
3) "Seven Seas to Danger"

Gangbusters
1) "The Bayless Case"
2) "The Phantom Case"
3) "The Unholy Three"
4) "The Scissors Gang"

I'm The Law
1) "The Powder Box Smuggling Story"
2) "Death of a Stenographer"
3) "Untitled" (??)

The Lawless Years
1) "The Cutie Jaffe Story"
2) "The Dutch Schultz Story"
3) "Framed"
4) "Lucky Silva"
5) "The Morrison Story"
6) "The Poison Ivy Story"

Lock-Up
1) "The Case of Frank Corey"
2) "Murder is a Gamble"
3) "The Case of Joe Slade"
4) "The Beau and Arrow Case"
5) "Top Secret"
6) "Society Doctor"
7) "The Case of Alexis George"
8) "The Case of Nan Havens"

The Lone Wolf
1) "The Las Vegas Story"
2) "The Wife Story"
3) "Streets of Danger"
4) "The Karachi Story"
5) "The Storm Story"

Man Against Crime
1) "Paradise Lost"
2) "Ferry Boat"
3) "The Silken Touch"
4) "The Iceman"
5) "Fraternity of Five"
6) "The Cube Root of Evil"

Man Behind the Badge
1) "The Case of the Dying Past"
2) "The Case of the Priceless Passport"
3) "The Case of the Capital Crime"
4) "The Case of the Hot Stock"
5) "The Case of the Hunted Hobo"
6) "The Case of Operation Sabotage"

Man With a Camera
1) "Two Strings of Pearls"
2) "Missing"

Mannix
1) "Nothing Ever Works Twice"
2) "The Cost of a Vacation"

Martin Kane, Private Eye
1) "The District Attorney Killer"
2) "Altered Will"
3) "A Jockey is Murdered"
4) "A Crooner is Murdered"
5) "The Black Pearls"
6) "The Comic Strip Killer"

Miami Undercover
1) "The Thrush"

Michael Shayne
1) "Shoot the Works"
2) "Murder and the Wanton Bride"
3) "Murder in Wonderland"

Mr. & Mrs. North
1) "Weekend Murder"
2) "Till Death Do Us Part"
3) "The Silent Butler"
4) "The Man Who Came to Murder"
5) "Hot Mink"
6) "Quick and Deadly"
7) "Salt in His Blood"
8) "Two Faced"
9) "Model For Murder"
10) "Target"
11) "The Ungrateful Killer"
12) "Homicide Limited"
13) "Shrinking Violet"
14) "Murder for Sale"
15) "The Placid Affair"
16) "Mark of Hate"

Public Defender
1) "Badge of Honor"
2) "Let Justice Be Done"
3) "Eight Out of One Hundred"
4) "Behind Bars"

Racket Squad
1) "Kite High"
2) "The Bill of Sale Racket"
3) "Desperate Money"
4) "The System"
5) "His Brother's Keeper"
6) "Take a Little, Leave a Little"

Richard Diamond, Private Eye
1) "Picture of Fear"
2) "The Merry-Go-Round Case"

The Shadow
1) "The Case of the Cotton Kimono"

Sheriff of Cochise (U.S. Marshal)
1) "The Red-Headed Visitor"
2) "Bank Robbery"
3) "Rest In Peace"
4) "The Diner"

Treasury Men in Action
1) "The Case of the Man Outside"
2) "The Case of the Chartered Chisler"
3) "The Case of the Iron Curtain"
4) "The Case of the Fatal Error"
5) "The Case of the Black Sheep"
6) "The Case of the Ready Guns"


Whew!

 

[Gary OS]

Very nice line-up. I haven't checked some of my other sets to see how this one will stack up (different episode wise), but I guess the only thing I'd change if I could would be the "DRAGNET" episodes. Those are plentiful through other venues so I'd personally rather have seen some other series included, although I have no idea what would and wouldn't be available to Mill Creek. But for is sure to be a very low price this looks like another great set.

Gary "and usually Mill Creek has decent quality with their PD stuff" O.

 

[Bob Hug]

Wow, as Gary duly noted, they went a bit top heavy with "Dragnet;" most of those episodes have been released many times over, but there looks to be quite a bit of material that hasn't been released before on commercially available DVDs. Unlike the "Ultimate TV Westerns" collection, there's enough on this set that I don't already own to make it worthwhile for me to purchase. Like many of the “Dragnet” episodes, “The Alfred Hitchcock Presents,” “Burke’s Law,” and some of the “Decoy” episodes have been making the PD rounds. Surprised to see that two eps. of “Mannix” are included and they do not duplicate the two episodes found on Diamond’s “T.V.’s Lost Shows.” All in all, this looks like a great collection.

Thanks, Doc, for taking the time and effort to list all of the shows and episodes . . . . . very helpful.

 

[Brian:C]

Out the the 36 episodes from the five series below, 7 have not been released since the last update to my lists. Looks like another great Millcreek release with a number of shows I do not own even one episode of.

Decoy (17 out of 39 released)
"The Sound of Tears"
"Fiesta at Midnight"

Man Against Crime (30 out of 55 released)
"Fraternity of Five"

Mr. & Mrs. North (46 out of 57 released)
"Quick and Deadly"
"Homicide Limited"
"Shrinking Violet"

Racket Squad (23 out of 98 released)
"The Bill of Sale Racket"

Richard Diamond, Private Eye - No New episodes

Brian

 

[Brian:C]

A few more using the internet. I might have missed a smaller label release:

7 out of 10 episodes have not been released before!

Adventures of Dr. Fu Manchu - nothing new

Court of Last Resort (3 new)
"The Jim Thompson Case"
"The John Smith Case"
"The Mary Morales Case"

Public Defender (4 new)
"Badge of Honor"
"Let Justice Be Done"
"Eight Out of One Hundred"
"Behind Bars"

 

[Bert Greene]

Some interesting stuff. I'll be glad to finally take a look at a few "I'm the Law" episodes. Never got around to seeing any of those. And, looking forward to the "Code 3" episodes as well. I think that was some kind of Hal Roach attempt at "Highway Patrol" territory. Have a few on tape, but they're horridly muddy dupes. Altogether, looks like a fun collection, despite a fair number of common retreads.

 

[Bob Hug]

That's the major reason why I'll be picking up this set. Yes, there is a fair amount of duplication with releases from other companies like Alpha and Critics Choice, but there are enough series on this set that we're seeing for the first time to pique my interest. I could be wrong, but I believe the following series are making their debut on commercial DVDs:

Bulldog Drummond
The Cases of Eddie Drake
Code 3
Colonel March of Scotland Yard
Crime Syndicated
Front Page Detective
I'm the Law
Miami Undercover
The Shadow

Plus, as Brian has stated, a number of the series included here that have had releases on other labels have some "new" episodes that can't be found elsewhere. Just off the top of my head . . .

Adventures of Ellery Queen
Checkmate
Decoy
Dick Tracy
Dragnet (possibly)
Lock-Up
The Lone Wolf
Man Behind the Badge
Mannix
Michael Shayne
Sheriff of Cochise
and, possibly, others

So, despite some episode duplication, there's plenty on this set that I'll be seeing for the first time. But, sadly, "Boston Blackie" remains missing in action except for one episode that appeared on a classic TV compilation box set from Mill Creek's predecesor, Tree Line Films. I'm surprised that it wasn't included here.

 

[docdoowop]

It would be nice if you fellas sent a "thank you" on occasion to Mill Creek so they know there's a market for this material. There are plenty of older (big 6-0 for me, next year) DVD buyers who are more interested in older titles than the latest season of "24".

[email protected]

 

[Elena S]

Interesting to see "Checkmate" listed. Haven't seen that show in YEARS.

 

[Gary OS]

I wish this set would show up at the Mill Creek website, and/or at a retailer like Amazon or Deep Discount. If it's coming in mid-June then they better get their act together and get this up for pre-order. I'm very, very excited about this set, and will order it immediately.

Gary "I still can't get over how many rarities will be in this set" O.

EDIT: Of course, the moment I post this the set shows up at Amazon! He-he, I'm as giddy as a school girl being asked out to the prom by the star of the football team.

 

[Bob Hug]

Amazon is also showing what may be a stripped down version of the larger set to be released on July 24th; it's a four disc set. The Mill Creek web site is also showing a stripped down version of the larger Ultimate Westerns release. Interesting release approach . . . the Westerns and Detectives get the larger set released prior to the smaller sets while Ozzie & Harriet gets the smaller set first followed by the larger set. I'll never understand these releasing patterns.

 

[Tony J Case]

So whatever happened to Tree Line Films anyway? I picked up their 100 classic TV shows a couple years back and LOVED the hell out of it. They were talking about doing a second set, but it never materlized.

I'll probably pick this up. Pity that there's no Boston Blackie (love that car!), but getting more Racket Squad makes me The Happy.

 

[Bob Hug]

Mill Creek is the successor to Tree Line.

 

[Gary OS]

That's only one of the two different versions that Amazon has listed.
The larger, 12 disc set is listed here.

Gary "another great price for Mill Creek" O.

 

[docdoowop]

"Just the artwork, sir".

 

[Bob Hug]

Makes perfect sense to have the good sergeant on the front cover since "Dragnet" is the dominant series in this set. I still can't figure out why the two PD episodes from "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" are being included in this collection, though . . . . . they're sort of out of place here. Thanks for sharing, Doc.

*** Update ***

DeepDiscount is showing this for $16.48, a great deal which might even get a little better depending whether or not DD does their semi-annual 20% off sale in June as they've done in past years. Either way, i'm in on this one . . . an incredible amount of rarities and material which have not previously been released on commercial DVDs.

 

[Bob Hug]

Just a reminder, DeepDiscount's 20% off sale will extend into next week and the shipped price on this set should be $13.18 . . . . . around 9 cents per episode!