77 Sunset Strip / Hawaiian Eye, etc. (3 Viewers)

[Rustifer]

There are a few 77SS episodes where Roger Smith plays the acoustic guitar. He had a unique style of strumming the instrument and using it as a percussive tool simultaneously. I'm guessing he was a big hit a parties. Might even have been a factor in Ann Margret's attraction to him. At least I'd like to think so.

 

[Rustifer]

In the earlier episodes it was the Sunset Answering Service and didn't appear to be exclusive to Bailey and Spencer. You may also have noticed in the earliest episodes Suzanne referred to Stu and Jeff as Mr. Bailey and Mr. Spencer and didn't appear to be too fond of Kookie. She also had just met Roscoe for the first time. All that quickly changed not too far into season one.
There was a revised open for season three that had Rex getting in the car with Stu and Jeff but it hasn't made the cut yet on these episodes. One should pop up soon.

I noticed the Sunset Answering Service listed on the office directory in the lobby. You can see all the tenants of the building on occasion when somebody enters the lobby and walks by the sign. I freeze frame it to read off the names. interestingly enough, in the opening credit scenes (shot from above on Miller Drive) the building's topmost outside wall section has a large sign "Mary Allen Hill Models". One can only assume that the modeling agency resided in that building, yet it is not named on the directory. Yes, I know---sweatin' the details....

 

[Rustifer]

When 77SS originally aired back in 1958-1964, I was but a young lad of ten years old and absolutely fascinated by the series. Like many other kids my age, the show inspired me to want to grow up to be a private eye. Heck, what other profession could ever compete to be a glamorous? Being a kid in Indianapolis, Sunset Boulevard to me was about as close as the moon. How I wish I had been old enough to travel to LA during that time period just to hang out at Dino's and suck down a martini or two.

Much later in life, between 2005-2012, I had the opportunity to be in Orange County on business once a month. Occasionally I'd drive up to LA and visit 8523 Sunset Blvd. (the true address of 77 Sunset Strip). By that time, Dino's was long gone and replaced by an office building, and Bailey & Spencer's office made way for the Tiffany Theater. But the drive-through parking area, so often inhabited by car valet Kookie still existed. Right in front of it, embedded in the sidewalk, was an emblem commemorating the Warner Bros. series. I actually stood on it many times, closed my eyes and soaked in my imagined atmosphere of 1958. I still freeze frame the opening credits of the show for a minute or two just to ponder what it would have been like to be a part of that vignette. Sigh.

As of this date, it's ALL gone, having been replaced by a humongous modern condominium. If there is such a thing as reincarnation, and I have a choice, I'm coming back as a private eye in 1960. You'll find me at Dino's with martini and a hot blonde. Feel free to join us. Bring your own cigarettes.

 

[Rustifer]

Sorry to be sucking up so much space on this thread. I just discovered it from having been a semi-regular at nourish LA so I'm excited to be joined by what appears to be about 15 of us left who actually enjoy parading our creaky age by our interest in these old Warner Brothers TV series.

I have been a lifelong fan of 77SS, Hawaiian Eye and Surfside Six. Having spent hundreds of dollars (to my wife's despair and incomprehension) on pirated VHS tapes of the show, I am absolutely giddy (yes, giddy) that MeTV has been playing the entire series of 77SS. I DVR every one. On Friday nights, I settle into my easy chair with a straight up martini and an e-cigarette (because y'know the real smokes are bad for you) and watch an episode or two, unabashedly snapping my fingers in time with the theme song. My kids (who are in their 30's) roll their eyes. My wife relocates to the far side of the house. Even my dog finds something better to do.

I don't know why these shows have captured my interest for so long. I mean, let's face it, each of the series are fairly cheesy and the budgets seemed to hover around $100 per episode. The scripts aren't exactly clever (some are). I am also now familiar with almost every inch of the Warner Bros.backlot where most of the outdoor scenes were shot--usually the New York street setting which not even remotely resembles urban Los Angeles. I guess its the nostalgia of my childhood fascination that harkens me back to these shows. I can remember being lulled asleep by the theme song at the end of each Surfside 6 episode. Or wishing our lanai was ringed by tiki torches as in Hawaiian Eye. And boy, how I wish Dad would buy a Thunderbird convertible (instead of a Dodge DeSoto). I wanted to be Jeff Spenser. Or Tom Lopaka.

So...be ready, readers of this thread. I have lots of stories and observations that I'm anxious to share with you like-minded folks. If I start to go overboard, just give me a little shake to break my reverie.

 

[Rustifer]

Last night’s episode “The Target” was unique in that producer William Conrad, associate producer Jimmy Lydon, episode writer Tony Barrett, and episode director Lawrence Dobkin all also appeared in acting roles in the episode. Very good episode too. Great Hannah-Stu moments.

Is, or was, Jimmy Lydon the same guy who played Henry Aldrich in the movie series?

 

[Rustifer]

I remember enjoying "Alimony League" when it first aired and still dug it all these decades later. (I think my crush on Kathie Browne began there.) My supposition--and this is nothing more than that--is that Webb and Conrad saw the sinking ratings, realized they had made a mistake, and decided to try a "throwback" episode to see if that helped any. But since there were only four more episodes shot, I'm guessing it was too late--that either the axe had fallen or was about to. Nonetheless, it was nice to see they could still deliver the goods when they were so inclined.

Mike S.

Kathie Browne was undoubtedly a looker and in many an episode. My fondest teenage fantasies vacillated between Ann Helm and Yvonne Craig. Still vacillates me even in my old age.

 

[Gary16]

Is, or was, Jimmy Lydon the same guy who played Henry Aldrich in the movie series?

Yes.

 

[B-ROLL]

Mine was on Natalie Trundy from that same episode, and who also appeared in a memorable Thriller episode and the original Planet of the Apes movies.

Ms. Trundy was married to Arthur P. Jacobs hence her appearances in his productions

 

[Rustifer]

Is, or was, Jimmy Lydon the same guy who played Henry Aldrich in the movie series?

Jimmy Lydon had a bit part in the "Bouncing Chip" episode I watched on Friday night. He was listed as "James Lydon" in the closing credits. I guess in some small way he was trying to get away from his boyish Henry Aldrich days. It must have worked, as he was instrumental in the creation of 77 Sunset Strip and much later, M*A*S*H.
Even more importantly, the guy is still alive at age 94! Apparently you can take the James out of the boy, but you can't take the boy outta Jimmy.

 

[Rustifer]

I was watching my DVR version of the Bouncing Chip on
Friday night and noticed that Stu Bailey was smoking L&M cigarettes while playing poker with a gang of casino chip counterfeiters. Of course this was back in the day when NOT smoking was considered hazardous to your career.
Product placement was big in the Warner Bros detective series. Ford scored a big hit when it sponsored 77SS and all the guys tooled around in their convertible Thunderbirds and Fairlanes.
Not to be outdone, GM jumped into the fray and soon the Surfside 6 crew were in Pontiacs and Hawaiian Eye favored boat-sized Oldsmobiles.

So, I refreshed my Friday martini, and settled back to watch "Two and Two Make Six"-- a fairly unremarkable episode save for the fact that the female lead was played by Whitney Blake (later the wife of Don DeFore in the Hazel series). She was known for the sweaters she wore. Political correctness shuns me from explaining why she was known for this. Her husband in the episode was Adam West. I think we all know where he went from there.

As a matter of reference, the building next to Bailey & Spenser's office was an architectural & engineering firm whose name escapes me at the moment. It no longer exist. I only mention it because on rare occasions, Bailey or Spenser zoom out from the parking lot at Dino's and turn left onto Sunset which takes them past the firm. I used to think it was an appliance store as it was all lit up like a retail establishment and the drafting tables looked like washing machines and refrigerators. You can't beat freeze frame for clarifying your assumptions.

 

[Rustifer]

Okay, one more post today then I'll give it up and get back to work.

As you may know, Warner Bros. built a clone location setting of the drive-through between Dino's and Bailey & Spenser's office building on their soundstage in order to avoid problematic traffic and human congestion problems while filming. It was also a better opportunity to properly light Edward Brynes' hair as he carhopped for the dining patrons of Dino's. You can tell when the set is being used as opposed to the real location because the driveway is perfectly flat and ends just past the building. Having actually walked through that driveway of Sunset Boulevard many years ago, I can report that there is actually a very steep downslope that extends way past the buildings. From that angle is a view of apartments and various buildings off La Cienega St. You don't see that on the soundstage set.
I suspect this is a factoid that is interesting only to moi, yet still I feel the need to report it. Go figure.

I always wondered if the scenes shot inside Dino's were also replicated on the soundstage or whether that was the real thing. Easy enough to close down the restaurant on a slow night to shoot some scenes. I always found it amusing that the house band, the Frankie Oretega Trio, would sometimes break into the 77SS theme song when Stu or Jeff strolled in. Such hubris.
This was apparently Frankie Ortega's finest gig, for if you Google him there is almost nothing on the man past that series. (As a side note, you may have noted he always had the same drummer, but the bass player seemed to be a different figure each time. Apparently each couldn't keep the beat.)

Oh, I could go on...

 

[Rustifer]

Okay, I lied. I thought my last post would be it for the day. Yet here I am on my lunch break adding a new one--if only finally to help move this thread to page 15.

Surside 6--another of my favorites--was set in Miami Beach. More specifically, on a houseboat in the waterway across from the Fountainbleau Hotel. I have stayed in the Fountainbleau many a time on business. Of course, the houseboat was no longer around, nor was the Boom Boom room in the hotel where Cha Cha O'Brien (Margarita Sierra) sang. Much to my disappointment.
One interesting fact--the houseboat was eventually commandeered by Larry King (yep, that Larry King) from which to do his radio broadcasts. Much later on, it was the temporary home of Andrew Cunanan, the convicted murderer of Gianni Versace. Its final days served as a second-rate diner in Jacksonville.The boat has since been scrapped.

During filming the boat and hotel served only as exterior shots to establish location. But true to Warner Bros pattern, it was cheaper to build the boat's interior and the Boom Boom Room in their Burbank soundstage and shoot scenes there than to move its entire production to Miami Beach.

It makes me sad that some of the icons from the Warner Bros series no longer exist. I spent untold hours trying to track down and buy the neon Dino's restaurant sign as well as the 77 SS awning over the entranceway to Bailey & Spenser. All kaput. No more. I had visions of creating some kind of Warner Bros Detective series museum. Although she would never admit it, I'm sure my wife was secretly happy that I failed in this endeavor. She had some crazy idea I should save our money for retirement. Sheeez...

 

[JamesSmith]

Okay, I lied. I thought my last post would be it for the day. Yet here I am on my lunch break adding a new one--if only finally to help move this thread to page 15.

. Although she would never admit it, I'm sure my wife was secretly happy that I failed in this endeavor. She had some crazy idea I should save our money for retirement. Sheeez...

It sounds like your wife doesn't have the right priorities. Choosing retirement over icons from her husbands favorite television era. You have my sympathies.

James

 

[Rustifer]

It sounds like your wife doesn't have the right priorities. Choosing retirement over icons from her husbands favorite television era. You have my sympathies.

James

True dat. Thanks for the vote of sympathy. I'll pass it along to wifey.

 

[Rustifer]

Since I'm new to this site (and impressed by those of you have been on this thread for ages), can someone direct me to where the rules and regulations are? For instance, what are trophy points? I see that I've collected 10 of them, but before I puff out my chest with pride, brag to my neighbors or issue a press release--I guess I oughta know what they mean. Also, how does one post pictures?
In addition, I see that most of the posts have to do with when / if these episodes will be released on DVDs. Here I am exhaustively posting my impressions, opinions and observations which may not be what is appropriate for this forum. I certainly don't want to offend or bore.

 

[criblecoblis]

I have been a lifelong fan of 77SS, Hawaiian Eye and Surfside Six. Having spent hundreds of dollars (to my wife's despair and incomprehension) on pirated VHS tapes of the show, I am absolutely giddy (yes, giddy) that MeTV has been playing the entire series of 77SS. I DVR every one. On Friday nights, I settle into my easy chair with a straight up martini and an e-cigarette (because y'know the real smokes are bad for you) and watch an episode or two, unabashedly snapping my fingers in time with the theme song. My kids (who are in their 30's) roll their eyes. My wife relocates to the far side of the house. Even my dog finds something better to do.

I don't know why these shows have captured my interest for so long. I mean, let's face it, each of the series are fairly cheesy and the budgets seemed to hover around $100 per episode. The scripts aren't exactly clever (some are). I am also now familiar with almost every inch of the Warner Bros. backlot where most of the outdoor scenes were shot--usually the New York street setting which not even remotely resembles urban Los Angeles. I guess its the nostalgia of my childhood fascination that hearkens me back to these shows. I can remember being lulled asleep by the theme song at the end of each Surfside 6 episode. Or wishing our lanai was ringed by tiki torches as in Hawaiian Eye. And boy, how I wish Dad would buy a Thunderbird convertible (instead of a Dodge DeSoto). I wanted to be Jeff Spenser. Or Tom Lopaka.

Great to see you here, Rustifer. I am fortunate in that my wife loves 77 Sunset Strip as much as I do.

And we do genuinely love the show. Sure, part of it is nostalgia, for the time and the place. But most of it is the writing, the directing, and the acting. There is nothing ironic about my appreciation for this show.

 

[Rustifer]

Great to see you here, Rustifer. I am fortunate in that my wife loves 77 Sunset Strip as much as I do.

And we do genuinely love the show. Sure, part of it is nostalgia, for the time and the place. But most of it is the writing, the directing, and the acting. There is nothing ironic about my appreciation for this show.

Always glad to see another 77SS freak, Otis! I do believe there aren't many of us left who even remember the show. In scrolling back, it looks like I pretty much own page 14 of this forum. I didn't mean to monopolize it, but it points to the fact that there just aren't that many 77SS enthusiasts wanting to respond or contribute.
No matter. Guys like us, Otis, can ramble on and on about the series even when no one's listening. I look forward to your posts and memories!

 

[Rustifer]

I blew through my last episode of 77 SS on Friday. So now I have to wait for my DVR to catch up on the remaining episodes from Season 1. "All Our Yesterdays" was my last recording and it was art imitating art. The show was sort of an homage to "Sunset Boulevard" with Gloria Swanson and William Holden. In this episode, the diva was played by Doris Kenyon (who was born in 1897) and a frequent co-star with Rudolph Valentino. Old film stars getting a second chance was the theme and it rolled out the likes of Francis X. Bushman (75 at the time) and John Carradine (a young 52). The unlikely scenario involved Stu becoming the producer on a remake of a silent film. It ended with an interesting and very sweet twist to the plot.

Merry Andrews played the young and pretty secretary. She appeared in several 77 SS episodes and was always worth ogling...er, watching.
There was one scene in Dino's that I paused through to see if I could somehow determine whether it was a stage set or the real restaurant. For those who watch, did you ever notice the repeating plaques that resemble a coat of arms lining the walls of the establishment?
I always wonder what they meant. Very English-looking. Dean Martin was obviously of Italian descent. Maybe they were on special at the restaurant supply house and Dean thought they'd look nice on the walls. Anyway, I still can't tell if the scenes were actually shot on location. I sure like to think they were. Gosh, how I wish I had been old enough to visit that place in the late 50's. Bartender! Another martini!

 

[Rustifer]

I watched three more Surfside 6 episodes from the 16 available on Warner Archives streaming.
(My original post said 10 were available.) They are:

Season 2 Episode 17 Separate Checks
Season 2 Episode 26 A Piece of Tommy Minor
Season 2 Episode 27 A Portrait of Nicole

I understand when many posts in this thread talk about clearing music rights for the episodes of these Warner Bros. series for a possible release. Almost all of the episodes I watched had someone singing at one point in them. The detectives frequent The Boom Boom Room Club ("Featuring Chinese Food") and that's where the songs usually occur. In the Tommy Minor episode he is a nightclub singer and sings a couple times.

Sometimes the interest in an episode of a TV series like this is how societal norms are portrayed in a different time period.

The "Separate Checks" episode features a plot with a wealthy socialite woman who didn't mind at all that a man was swindling her (and many others) out of money because he was charming and she could afford it. And the lady practically says "lonely women gots to get it where they can!" This guy would be right at home as an internet scammer nowadays, but the whole episode treated him as though we should give him a break because "his heart is in the right place" and it all works out and, in the end, one of his faulty schemes happens to pay off, so all is forgiven. Never mind he almost gets his daughter and himself shot. As Maxwell Smart would say, "Missed it by that much." The con man was played by Roy Roberts (one of Darrin's fathers on Bewitched) and the main heavy in the episode was played by The Untouchables semi-regular Bruce Gordon (Frank Nitti).

As for societal norms, the wonderful theme song itself states the title and then a girl that is unmistakably on the very dumb side, to put it kindly, makes comments about it. The phrases in parentheses are the girl's voice.)

Surfside 6. (What's that?)
Surfside 6. (An address?)
Surfside 6. (Where is it?)
In Miami Beach.
Cha cha cha
Cha

Surfside 6. (Who lives there?)
Surfside 6. (Young bachelors?)
Surfside 6. (And where is it?)
In Miami Beach.
Cha cha cha
Cha.

Soft guitars under the palms
Will gently lead you to a lover's arms
See the waves kissing the shore
While you are kissing someone you adore.

Surfside 6. (It's an address?)
Surfside 6. (For a houseboat?)
Surfside 6. (And where is it?)
In Miami Beach
Cha cha cha
Cha.

Stewie on Family Guy did an amusing take on it:



Just based on these five episodes I watched I'd buy this 2 season, 74 episode series, if it was released.

Hard to believe they used to do so many episodes a season. Season 1 was 34 episodes and Season 2 was 40!

Fell asleep to that theme song many a time a young lad. Whenever I hear it now, I always feel like it's time to get ready for bed. I posted earlier about the history of the houseboat on the series. I actually stood right where it used to be docked when I was in Miami many years ago.
As I had mentioned, the Boom Boom Room no longer existed at the Fountainbleau. (I didn't know it served Chinese food. I bet it had pressed duck--a staple entree in those days that one rarely finds anymore). In fact, the bar had been moved into the big open lobby area of the hotel and therefore lacked any intimacy or nostalgia. Boo. Hiss.

 

[Neil Brock]

Ms. Trundy was married to Arthur P. Jacobs hence her appearances in his productions

A late friend of mine was good friends with Jacobs and he told me some stories about Trundy after Jacobs died. She was eccentric, putting it in a polite fashion.