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FIVE--TV's first mini-series?
The final (1963-1964) season of 77 SUNSET STRIP retained only Efrem Zimbalist as detective Stuart Bailey. It was produced and directed under the auspices of Jack Webb and William Conrad and the the season began with a five part storyline/arc featuring a remarkable gueststar list: Richard Conte, Ed Wynn, Keenan Wynn, Tony Bennett, Gene Nelson, Luther Adler, Herbert Marshall, Peter Lorre, Joseph Schildkraut, Diane McBain, Marisa Pavan, Lloyd Nolan, Wally Cox, Telly Savalas, Brian Keith, Leonid Kinskey, Cesar Romero, Jacques Bergerac, George Jessel, Walter Slezak, Clint Walker, Burgess Meredith, Victor Buono. Although the absence of Edd "Kookie" Byrnes, Louis Quinn, and Roger Smith makes this a substantially different show from the rest of the show, the historical value of the program and the guest stars would make this a great one-shot dvd (approx. 250 minutes).
By the by, Zimbalist was not the first Stuart Bailey. Franchot Tone played Roy Huggins' detective in a 1947 film called I LOVE TROUBLE. The tv series derived from a WB B-film called GIRL ON THE RUN, in which Zimbalist played Bailey and Edd Byrnes was the villain.
Charles Hoyt
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