Man With A Camera-The Complete Collection 11/20/07 (2 Viewers)

[Bob Gu]

MAN WITH A CAMERA: The Complete Collection, is showing at DeepDiscount.com($21.34) and ccvideo.com($27.98),with a November 20,2007 release date.

Man With A Camera starred Charles Bronson, as free-lance photographer,and sometime detective, Mike Kovac. It was a two season show on from Oct. 1958 to Feb. 1960. I don't recall ever seeing this show, but I do remember seeing a clip from an episode where Bronson is leaping down a staircase at a bunch of thugs like Jim West. So I guess it was an action packed half-hour.

The Internet Movie Data Base has an incomplete listing for this show in terms of the number of episodes. So, does anybody know how many episodes of Man With A Camera were produced?

This is coming from the Infinity Entertainment Group. They are also re-releasing,on Nov.20th: DANGEROUS ASSIGNMENT: The Complete Collection.

 

[Jeff#]

I've seen at least 2 complete episodes of Man with a Camera, which was Charles Bronson's first regular TV series (and his only one in the lead role). The show wasn't very good, and its low budget didn't help. But I'm a Bronson fan, so I might still buy this set eventually.

The show actually was produced for two partial seasons of 26 episodes (according to TV.com). The first season of 14 episodes aired on ABC from October 1958 to January 1959. The back 12 were shown from October 1959 to January 1960. So there were no episodes actually filmed in 1960.

 

[Ivan G]

Nice catch, Bob -- I'll definitely check this one out.

 

[Hank Dearborn]

29 episodes.

 

[Bert Greene]

Whoa, pass the smelling salts. What's next, a complete dvd-set to "Meet McGraw?" I'd just been introduced to the series a few days ago, via Mill Creek's "TV Detectives" set (which contained two apparently p.d. episodes). I certainly would never have expected an official release, especially considering how this series remained so forgotten and un-revived for years, even during the heighth of Bronson's later popularity. The two episodes I just viewed were quite decent and serviceable, and I'm entirely primed to see more. Bronson always made a somewhat offbeat hero, and that adds to the proceedings. I love these out-of-left-field dvd announcements! I'll be grabbing this set the moment it comes out.

The listing of the episodes' guest-casts looks pretty typical (if even a tad on the weak side, perhaps reflecting the show's low budget). But, a lot of familiar faces nonetheless... like Angie Dickinson, Sebastian Cabot, Ruta Lee, Lawrence Tierney, Jesse White, etc.

 

[Jeff#]

One old police drama from that era (late 1950s / early 1960s) that I'd like to see is THE DETECTIVES starring Robert Taylor. Years ago in my VHS tape trading days I caught a few of the 1/2 hour episodes and one of the hour shows from the final season (when Adam West played one of Taylor's men).

It was one of the better series from Four Star Productions complete with some great jazz music and the show was fairly realistic for its time.

 

[Hank Dearborn]

I can give you guys some heads up as to what else is on the way in this vein. After Camera, the next show up will be Code 3 from 1957. After that, look for season sets of Racket Squad. Both of these series, although PD will be coming from the original fine grain negatives. In addition, Mr. Peepers will be continuing with the next set out some time in early 2008 with two more coming after that, most likely one a year. They are doing some extensive work on the kinescopes and will actually be re-releasing a better quality version of the first set as well.

 

[Gary OS]

Great new, Hank. I'm in for all those sets!!

Gary "anything from the 50's and early 60's is going to be a sure purchase in my book" O.

 

[Ivan G]

Great to hear, Hank -- I don't know why I get such a kick out of Racket Squad, but it's definitely a guilty pleasure.

 

[docdoowop]

Boy, I hope so. The audio on the first Peepers set was extremely low-level.

 

[Hank Dearborn]

UCLA, which provided the prints, felt the same way, hence the improvements that will be made in subsequent volumes.

 

[Bob Hug]

Wow . . . . . a week away from the boards and this great news . . . . . thank you, Bob Gu, for this information. Like Bert, I've only seen the two PD episodes and enjoyed them both . . . . . there's enough in the two episodes that I want to see the series' entire run. This will be a very welcome addition and looks like it might be released right around the time of DeepDiscount's 20% off sale (assuming they continue the sale).

Also, thanks to Hank Dearborn for posting the information on upcoming releases in the pipeline. My first exposure to "Code 3" was the recent Mill Creek detectives set and it's pretty good . . . . . also like to see more of "Mister Peepers" . . . . . I liked S'more Entertainment's first set well enough that I wouldn't rebuy it, but would like to get additional episodes beyond the 26 that S'more released. "Racket Squad" is somewhat of a surprise to me considering the number of PD episodes floating around on various labels . . . . . I really wish that someone would give the original 1950s version of "Dragnet" an official release (something that I know is not likely to happen anytime soon).

 

[Hank Dearborn]

Thanks for giving me the idea. I will speak to the powers that be and try to get that one going for you. Any more requests? (Not owned by the majors of course)

 

[silverking]

Well, where to start Hank?
I have no idea who owns the old ZIV catalogue but 'Highway Patrol', 'Sea Hunt' spring to mind immediately along with some of their lesser offerings such as 'Man Called X' & 'Harbour Command'.
Infinity have already released the Jim Bowie Collection which was Desilu & I think owned by the Edelman estate. Perhaps they could investigate the full run of 'Life & Legend of Wyatt Earp' from the same source.
There are also the old westerns from Gene Autry's Flying A which seem to be in the public domain - Annie Oakley & Range Rider for example.
Delving into Mill Creeks 150 Best Detectives - I would like to see more of Colonel March, Michael Shayne, I'm the Law.

 

[Bob Hug]

How about "The Wide Country." IMDB.com says the filming location was Revue Studios (Universal), but the production company is listed as Gemini Productions which, I presume, is the rights holder unless they sold the series off to Universal.

IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055713/companycredits

I won't even ask about "Stoney Burke" since MGM has the rights to that, through the United Artists acquisition.

 

[Jeff#]

That was common even back then. For example, Alfred Hitchcock's company was Shamley Productions -- which produced both of his series at Revue Studios, which was bought by Universal before The Alfred Hitchcock Hour completed its run. Surely all series from that era are owned by Universal.

 

[Bert Greene]

After years of seeing only beat-up, scratchy prints of "Racket Squad," the prospect of nice-quality copies is almost mind-boggling. Heck, I assumed the original prints might have long since been scattered to the wind. The series itself dates back to 1950 apparently, circulating for a year in syndication before being picked up for its network run. I love how the episodes are like tight, compact b-movies (a recurring quality among early-50s series connected to Hal Roach, who certainly had decades of experience already in 'short' films). I do tend to prefer "Racket Squad" to Reed Hadley's follow-up series, "Public Defender." Hard to imagine someone like the dour-looking Hadley headlining a tv-series nowadays, but his plaintive narration and hosting duties is one of my favorite things about the series. Like Bob implied, maybe having a few spiffy-looking "Racket Squad" dvd-sets out might finally shame Universal into doing something with their 50s-vintage "Dragnet."

Altogether, some really exciting news on this thread!

 

[Hank Dearborn]

Well, what happened with the Racket Squads was that it was being syndicated by Republic, which was the last legitimate syndicator. Code 3 was being sold by them as well. As I'm sure you know, both shows were produced by Hal Roach studios which went belly up around 1958. When the rights to these shows expired, Republic had no place to send the elements to. Unlike others companies which might have just deposited everything in the dumpster, Republic donated the shows to UCLA, including the negatives and the fine grains. Now 30 years later with companies like Infinity dying for product, they make for perfect releases.

As for the shows mentioned above:

All of the Ziv shows had their copyrights renewed by UA, who bought the Ziv catalog years ago. They are now controlled by MGM and would have to come from Fox, as that is who MGM is distributing through these days. So, in other words, no chance in hell for any Ziv series. Fox won't even consider their own older series.

Stoney Burke is also owned by MGM as well. Wide Country is Universal owned. Both series are readily available off film in collectors circles which is likely the only way they'll ever be found.

Wyatt Earp is controlled by SFM and I believe last time I spoke with them there were plans for another set of them at least. Hopefully they will be complete like the first set but with their releases you can never know, you just have to take a wait and hope attitude.

 

[Bob Gu]

Hank, do you know anything about, the Kirk Douglas produced, TALES OF THE VIKINGS? I understand there are only two episodes around in fan/trading circles. I'd love to see a DVD season set of this one.

 

[Jeff#]

I did some research on this series (which I've never seen before either). Douglas was indeed one of the producers, although he never appeared in the show. One of the guest stars was Patrick McGoohan.
39 episodes were produced during the same season that McGoohan's Danger Man series was being filmed (1959 to 1960).