77 Sunset Strip / Hawaiian Eye, etc. (1 Viewer)

[Mysto]

Seems like a lot of pages talking about series that will never make it to DVD in our lifetime anyway. The music rights will hold them up forever.

Not being able to get commercial DVD's does not lessen the love for the series. It lives on in retro TV and unfortunately grey market sources and discussion on content. And as was posted - hope springs eternal.

 

[Mysto]

I may have missed this (you guys have a lot of pages) but have you seen this site.
http://www.thechipboard.com/archive...07/sbj/movie-tv-prop-items-2-77-sunset-strip/

The chip from S1E05 The Bouncing Chip

 

[Rustifer]

I may have missed this (you guys have a lot of pages) but have you seen this site.
http://www.thechipboard.com/archive...07/sbj/movie-tv-prop-items-2-77-sunset-strip/

The chip from S1E05 The Bouncing Chip

Odd little site, Marv, but an interesting discovery on your part. It seems a bit thin in content and depth, but I admit I didn't spend much time exploring it. Looks like stuff one occasionally sees on eBay.

Now if they could come up with the 77 SS awning (my avatar), or the cement avocado sculptures by the office's front door, or Suzanne's switchboard, or one of Stu or Jeff's B&S business cards or snub nosed .38 prop guns, or their office directory from the lobby, or any of the coat-of-arms wall plaques that lined the walls in WB's stage set replica of Dino's restaurant--they'd get my undivided attention.
Especially if any of those items could be purchased.

 

[Mysto]

Odd little site, Marv, but an interesting discovery on your part. It seems a bit thin in content and depth, but I admit I didn't spend much time exploring it. Looks like stuff one occasionally sees on eBay.

Now if they could come up with the 77 SS awning (my avatar), or the cement avocado sculptures by the office's front door, or Suzanne's switchboard, or one of Stu or Jeff's B&S business cards or snub nosed .38 prop guns, or their office directory from the lobby, or any of the coat-of-arms wall plaques that lined the walls in WB's stage set replica of Dino's restaurant--they'd get my undivided attention.
Especially if any of those items could be purchased.

Today a chip - tomorrow an awning! I thought I did pretty good. You guys have mined this series pretty well.

 

[Rustifer]

"Never To Have Loved", or "Being A Star Ain't So Easy" starts out with a big publicity shindig for newly-minted Swedish star Margrit Strom (Patricia Rainier)*. Directly afterward, she is viciously assaulted by her one-time Mentor-Director Toller Vengrin (Albert Paulsen)--always an effective way to snuff out the adrenalin rush of a press party. Toller expects Margrit to return to Sweden with him to do one more movie, and he's not about to take 'no' for an answer.

Margit's agent hires Stu Bailey and Kookie to protect his precious 10% meal ticket, so Stu embarks on a visit to Toller's apartment to confront him. Words are spoken, hackles are raised, demands go unmet and Stu is summarily thrown out. Other than that, they have a pleasant chat. Meanwhile, Kookie and Margrit are enjoying cocktails on a moonlit balcony and sharing deep meaningful stares into each other's orbs. Our boy Kookie was never one to let a potential hookup slip away, bless him and his tight chinos. Unfortunately, Stu displays dismal timing by showing up and ruining the magical moment.

Albert Paulsen, Virginia Christine

Margrit stuns Stu and Kookie by admitting she married Toller when she was a jail-baiting 17 years old. No wonder Toller has dibs on her. To add to the general discomfort of the moment, Stu jumps all over Kookie's case for getting amorous with the Swedish star. Kookie takes offense and stomps out like a scolded teenager and immediately hires a top shelf legal eagle to assist Margit in divorcing Toller.
In the meantime, we're treated to some cheesy "studio set" acting scenes of her upcoming film--WB's laughable version of what they think us non-Hollywood rural hicks imagine to represent the movie-making process.
Stu corners Greta, (Virginia Christine--Mrs. Olsen of Maxwell House Coffee fame), Magrit's long-time maid, for some inside dope on the Toller-Margrit thingie. Greta proves to be evasive and protective of any helpful info she may have hidden under her embroidered apron.

Margrit's dailies from the day's filming prove to be el stinko. Seems she left any shred of talent back in Sweden. Oh, the poor girl has such issues. The studio is not amused, and she is forced to turn to Toller for help in achieving some level of acting credibility. Using sex as a tool (no pun intended), she rekindles their May / December romance. Stu decides to drop the case as not being worthy of the firm's time, but Kookie still has hopes for an eventual hookup with the pretty lady. He confronts her in her dressing room and amid repeated background shouts of "Miss Strom--you're wanted on the set!"--heavy breathing and steamy windows from the two ensue. Apparently Margrit comes from the whatever, whenever, wherever stock of womanhood. You know, the kind of girl Mom does not want you to bring home for Thanksgiving dinner. Oh my, where is all this going?

Toller and his star are rehearsing a scene that entails the use of a studio prop gun. What can possibly go wrong here? You guessed it, she points the gun, pulls the trigger and he drops like a wet sack of flour. The girl is booked for murder, and the episode suddenly morphs into the look of a Perry Mason re-run. The Los Angeles County courthouse is packed with eager reporters, curious onlookers and a Judge screaming "Order! I will have order!" It's a gol-dang circus, folks. Stu returns from Stockholm (these guys jump over to Europe like it's in their backyard) with damning evidence against Margrit Strom--yet Kookie still refuses to be derailed in his quest for a good hookup and doesn't believe a word of it. I won't spoil the surprise ending other than to say beware of bitter Swedish maids.

As this is the last episode of the 5th season before the series takes an entirely different tact, you get the feeling that the actors' collective hearts just aren't in the effort. It's also directed by William Conrad who becomes Jack Webb's partner in revising the enterprise to its eventual doom.

*NOTE: Patricia Rainier gets large font billing in the closing credits, as if WB is promoting a big star. I could hardly find any info on her, much less a picture, that would justify such promotion. If this episode is any barometer, Miss Rainier was a crummy actress and deservedly faded quickly.

 

[Gary16]

"Never To Have Loved", or "Being A Star Ain't So Easy" starts out with a big publicity shindig for newly-minted Swedish star Margrit Strom (Patricia Rainier)*. Directly afterward, she is viciously assaulted by her one-time Mentor-Director Toller Vengrin (Albert Paulsen)--always an effective way to snuff out the adrenalin rush of a press party. Toller expects Margrit to return to Sweden with him to do one more movie, and he's not about to take 'no' for an answer.

Margit's agent hires Stu Bailey and Kookie to protect his precious 10% meal ticket, so Stu embarks on a visit to Toller's apartment to confront him. Words are spoken, hackles are raised, demands go unmet and Stu is summarily thrown out. Other than that, they had a pleasant chat. Meanwhile, Kookie and Margrit are enjoying cocktails on a moonlit balcony and sharing deep meaningful stares into each other's orbs. Our boy Kookie was never one to let a potential hookup slip away, bless him and his tight chinos. Unfortunately, Stu displays dismal timing by showing up and ruining the magical moment.

View attachment 47728 View attachment 47729
Albert Paulsen, Virginia Christine

Margrit stuns Stu and Kookie by admitting she married Toller when she was a jail-baiting 17 years old. No wonder Toller has dibs on her. To add to the general discomfort of the moment, Stu jumps all over Kookie's case for getting amorous with the Swedish star. Kookie takes offense and stomps out like a scalded teenager and immediately hires a top shelf legal eagle to assist Margit in divorcing Toller.
In the meantime, we're treated to some cheesy "studio set" acting scenes of her upcoming film--WB's laughable version of what they think us non-Hollywood rural hicks imagine to represent the movie-making process.
Stu corners Greta, (Virginia Christine--Mrs. Olsen of Maxwell House Coffee fame), Magrit's long-time maid, for some inside dope on the Toller-Margrit thingie. Greta proves to be evasive and protective of any helpful info she may have hidden under her embroidered apron.

Margrit's dailies from the day's filming prove to be el stinko. Seems she left any shred of talent back in Sweden. Oh, the poor girl has such issues. The studio is not amused, and she is forced to turn to Toller for help in achieving some level of acting credibility. Using sex as a tool (no pun intended), she rekindles their May / December romance. Stu decides to drop the case as not being worthy of the firm's time, but Kookie still has hopes for an eventual hookup with the pretty lady. He confronts her in her dressing room and amid repeated background shouts of "Miss Strom--you're wanted on the set!"--heavy breathing and steamy windows from the two ensue. Apparently Margrit comes from the whatever, whenever, wherever stock of womanhood. You know, the kind of girl Mom does not want you to bring home for Thanksgiving dinner. Oh my, where is all this going?

Toller and his star are rehearsing a scene that entails the use of a studio prop gun. What can possibly go wrong here? You guessed it, she points the gun, pulls the trigger and he drops like a wet sack of flour. The girl is booked for murder, and the episode suddenly morphs into the look of a Perry Mason re-run. The Los Angeles County courthouse is packed with eager reporters, curious onlookers and a Judge screaming "Order! I will have order!" It's a gol-dang circus, folks. Stu returns from Stockholm (these guys jump over to Europe like it's in their backyard) with damning evidence against Margrit Strom--yet Kookie still refuses to be derailed in his quest for a good hookup and doesn't believe a word of it. I won't spoil the surprise ending other that to say beware of bitter Swedish maids.

As this is the last episode of the 5th season before the series takes an entirely different tact, you get the feeling that the actors' collective hearts just aren't in the effort. It's also directed by William Conrad who becomes Jack Webb's partner in revising the enterprise to its eventual doom.

*NOTE: Patricia Rainier gets large font billing in the closing credits, as if WB is promoting a big star. I could hardly find any info on her, much less a picture, that would justify such promotion. If this episode is any barometer, Miss Rainier was a crummy actress and deservedly fades quickly.

Actually this was the first episode produced under Jack Webb’s new WB deal and one reason Edd Byrnes definitely wanted out (per his autobiography).
If you haven’t already you should review the previous episode, “The Checkmate Caper,” the last episode under the old regime and the last episode to feature the entire cast. I thought it was quite amusing.
WB (or at least Jack Webb) did try to build up Patricia Rainier’s career (she’s featured in the new 77 premiere episodes too) but that obviously didn’t have a happy ending.

 

[Dolly8]

Your posts here are always well-received and quite justifiably so. Also, would you please post a link to the thread that you mention re 30s and 40s mystery series? It sounds right up my alley, but I have a real problem finding threads on HTF. My search-fu here is weak. It took some time for me to find the last thread you mentioned, for example.

I have a terrible time finding threads on HTF!!!!!

 

[Dolly8]

I admit I've developed quite a nest egg of recorded 77 SS episodes that I just don't always get around to. I get caught up in other massive time consumers like fixing a leaky toilet or shopping for drapes with my wife. It's just exhausting.
So last night I chucked all my husbandry duties, made a martini, and settled in to watch "Crash Out", which I haven't seen in years.
If you're into prison movies, this ep has all the familiar clichés--prisoners whacking their tin cups against the cell bars and calling the guards "lousy screws", being put into the "hole" and sweating menial jobs in the machine shop.

The headlines scream CRIMINAL BERNIE GRAVES CAPTURED--SENT TO HIGH SECURITY PRISON! We see Bernie being escorted to his cell--a tough looking hombre and chewing gum as if to impart "I've-got-a-chip-on-my-shoulder-and-I'm proud of it" sort of demeanor. The chewing gum thing is a bad boy habit probably absorbed in middle school despite the teacher's admonitions. But wait! Bernie is actually Jeff Spencer! How can this be?
Wellll, I'll tell you. Seems the warden and Lt. Gilmore have cooked up a scheme to put Jeff in a cell with convicted robber Eddie Marco (Michael Parks in his best James Dean haircut) in order to hopefully learn where he's stashed the holdup loot before being caught. Eddie's girlfriend, Jan (Nancy Rennick), is a sweet unassuming type who makes you wonder how she got wrapped up with such a loser. She visits Eddie on occasion despite his best efforts to drive her away with his dickishness.

View attachment 47555 View attachment 47556
Michael Parks--remember him in 'Then Came Bronson'? You can probably dig up a thread on that show somewhere in this labyrinth of a forum. Also shown is Nancy Rennick, Allyson Ames

Jeff plans a breakout hoping Eddie will want into it and pay for the privilege, thus revealing where the money is hidden. He fakes an accident in the machine shop in order to get sent to the infirmary and from there makes his and Eddie's escape. So far, so good.
They make it to Jan's apartment (at the corner of Hollywood and Vine according to the street sign) where they meet up with Jan's
bad boy brother (Don O'Kelly) who's Eddie's co-robber in the heist. What do you do right after you break out of prison? Why sure, you get dressed up and go to a party and twist the night away to some crappy early '60's canned music that's supposed to sound hip. Eddie confides to Jan where the money is hidden, a sure script sign that he's probably not going to live to ever see it again.
At the party, Jeff hooks up with a pretty undercover cop (Allyson Ames) who mistakenly blows his cover. It was a good plan up until then, but like a defective cannonball it fell a little short.
Everyone ends up at the hidden loot site with a gunfight that rivals the OK Corral. Eddie gets shot but lives to enjoy happy visitations again from Jan after he's re-incarcerated. Some dumb folks never change.
This ep was directed by Paul Landres who did a slew of WB series in the '60's and 70's and written by Jerry Davis. I've got to give the show credit for using a prison motif in order to break away from its usual haunts.

EDIT: The pic I posted of Allyson Ames is actually Kate Manx. I don't know why Google got them mixed up, other than Allyson and then Kate were each married to writer, director, producer Leslie Stevens. Neither marriage went well. Kate committed suicide and Allyson became a "nervous wreck" after divorcing him.

 

[Dolly8]

In 1985 77Sunset Strip Reunion, Louis Quinn talks about making it to top of a wall &there was supposed to be something there to keep him from taking a 15 foot header. What ever was supposed to stop the header was not not there. He ended up in traction for I think he said 10 days. I'm wondering if this was the episode it happened on.

 

[Dolly8]

this is my 2nd time watching Season 6 (1963) of 77 Sunset Strip; it is just as horrible the 2nd time through as it was the first time through!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!I I will never watch anything with William Conrad (Cannon) in. Same for Jack Webb(Dragnet). I saw Dragnet once & it was sooooooooo boring! Although I can't prevent myself from seeing Conrad in some 77 Sunset Strip episodes.

 

[Dolly8]

In "Clay Pigeon" episode, season2, our boy Jeff show s up unrecognizable initially because of his very, very short hair.The hair is explained he was away with the Marines doing a job. Actually it was his first show back after having brain surgery.

 

[criblecoblis]

"Never To Have Loved", or "Being A Star Ain't So Easy" starts out with a big publicity shindig for newly-minted Swedish star Margrit Strom (Patricia Rainier)*. [. . . ]

As this is the last episode of the 5th season before the series takes an entirely different tact, you get the feeling that the actors' collective hearts just aren't in the effort. It's also directed by William Conrad who becomes Jack Webb's partner in revising the enterprise to its eventual doom.
.

Yes, this is a pretty meh episode, despite the presence of the excellent Albert Paulsen. I suspect that this was a trial run to see what the new crew would do with the old setup. Compared to this episode, the sixth season was an improvement.

Before we judge Webb and Conrad's work on 77SS too harshly, we must consider that, according to EZ Jr and a few other sources, it was Jack Warner that fired everyone else, not Webb, who was faced with having to devise a reboot in a very short time.

I can't get inside Warner's head, of course, but I do know that he had been pushing Wm. T. Orr to make the show's tone more serious; you can see that happening starting mid-fourth season. Apparently, he had reason to believe that the show's declining ratings were due to changing viewer tastes (not that I particularly endorse this idea myself).

I also know that Warner had EZ Jr under contract for another year, and that the show had already been renewed for a sixth season. I believe that everyone else's contract was up except for Edd Byrnes, and as I understand it he asked Webb to be let out of his contract to pursue movie roles.

So I'm guessing that the whole reason for the reboot, with everyone but Stu wished into the cornfield, was to make a show that was relatively cheap to produce and would hopefully last to the end of EZ Jr's contract.

Given this situation, Webb's reboot is at least understandable. And as I've said here before, I think the only real problem with the sixth season is that Stu is Stu. If the exact same setup had been presented as a new show with a differently-named lead character played by EZ Jr, it might have least have survived a whole season. While some of the episodes are real clinkers, I think the "5" story arc is superb, and the majority of the episodes are worth watching more than once.

 

[Rustifer]

this is my 2nd time watching Season 6 (1963) of 77 Sunset Strip; it is just as horrible the 2nd time through as it was the first time through!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!I I will never watch anything with William Conrad (Cannon) in. Same for Jack Webb(Dragnet). I saw Dragnet once & it was sooooooooo boring! Although I can't prevent myself from seeing Conrad in some 77 Sunset Strip episodes.

There is a general consensus in this thread that Season 6 belongs in the crypt of "Nice try, but no cigar", although Rob, as he often does, makes some good points in defending the production effort.
I have never watched Season 6, but did record the '5' series and plan to watch it with an open mind. And several martinis.

 

[Mysto]

There is a general consensus in this thread that Season 6 belongs in the crypt of "Nice try, but no cigar", although Rob, as he often does, makes some good points in defending the production effort.
I have never watched Season 6, but did record the '5' series and plan to watch it with an open mind. And several martinis.

I watched season 6 but I never (nor will I) re-watch it. I prefer the good memories.

 

[Gary16]

Yes, this is a pretty meh episode, despite the presence of the excellent Albert Paulsen. I suspect that this was a trial run to see what the new crew would do with the old setup. Compared to this episode, the sixth season was an improvement.

Before we judge Webb and Conrad's work on 77SS too harshly, we must consider that, according to EZ Jr and a few other sources, it was Jack Warner that fired everyone else, not Webb, who was faced with having to devise a reboot in a very short time.

I can't get inside Warner's head, of course, but I do know that he had been pushing Wm. T. Orr to make the show's tone more serious; you can see that happening starting mid-fourth season. Apparently, he had reason to believe that the show's declining ratings were due to changing viewer tastes (not that I particularly endorse this idea myself).

I also know that Warner had EZ Jr under contract for another year, and that the show had already been renewed for a sixth season. I believe that everyone else's contract was up except for Edd Byrnes, and as I understand it he asked Webb to be let out of his contract to pursue movie roles.

So I'm guessing that the whole reason for the reboot, with everyone but Stu wished into the cornfield, was to make a show that was relatively cheap to produce and would hopefully last to the end of EZ Jr's contract.

Given this situation, Webb's reboot is at least understandable. And as I've said here before, I think the only real problem with the sixth season is that Stu is Stu. If the exact same setup had been presented as a new show with a differently-named lead character played by EZ Jr, it might have least have survived a whole season. While some of the episodes are real clinkers, I think the "5" story arc is superb, and the majority of the episodes are worth watching more than once.

I agree with you 100%. As I’ve said before ABC has to share some of the blame for the show’s demise by moving the show to 7:30 instead of the 9 or 9:30 slot that it occupied for five seasons.
I’m also a fan of “5” especially for all of the guest stars.
It’s obvious too that Webb and his crew realized they had changed Stu’s character too dramatically by making him too serious and with little humor and moving his office without any explanation of why.
Bringing Joan Staley in to portray Hannah as a real person instead of just a voice was great casting and enabled Stu to return to being a lighter more humorous individual because of their interaction. Unfortunately this happened too late into season 6 to find its audience again. Had the show continued for the full season I have to believe Roscoe and/or Suzanne would have reappeared at some point.
Season 6 definitely deserves a closer look, especially “5” and then later when Joan Staley joins the show.

 

[Gary16]

There is a general consensus in this thread that Season 6 belongs in the crypt of "Nice try, but no cigar", although Rob, as he often does, makes some good points in defending the production effort.
I have never watched Season 6, but did record the '5' series and plan to watch it with an open mind. And several martinis.

Yes watch it but try to get thru all the episodes before rushing to judgment.

 

[Lutz Koch]

Yes watch it but try to get thru all the episodes before rushing to judgment.

I mostly agree with what Rob and Gary have said; season 6 definitely deserves a closer look. I just spent the past 20 weeks going through all the episodes, at a rate of 1 per week. S6 sure can be one tough cookie.
Let me explain what bugged me the most about it: It is the way most people behave toward Stu, treating him like he was some sort of shabby private dick. Even his clients often treat him like dirt. It seems like he doesn’t have a friend in the world. I think the only time someone calls him Stu that season was Joseph Cotten’s character in By His Own Judgement, which I thought was one of the weaker episodes, unfortunately. Everybody else calls him ‘Bailey’, like he’s a dog, or maybe ‘Mr. Bailey’ if he’s lucky. And of course, the police hate him. No friendly Lt. Gilmore anywhere in sight. I wanted to slap Richard Conte around for the way he treated Stu in ‘5’!
Speaking of ‘5’, it was an interesting experiment, with the extended story arc and the guest stars, although maybe the story was a bit over-complicated. Then again, maybe I just have to watch it more than once to grasp it all… I liked the next one, White Lie, much better. Elizabeth Montgomery was just great.
It’s true, as the season progresses, things start to lighten up a bit, including Stu himself, who is very tense early on, and who can blame him? I often wonder how Webb and Conrad would have explained the drastic shift in Stu’s environment, from luscious B&S agency on Sunset Strip to this hole-in-the-wall office? (I don’t want to knock the Bradbury, been there and it’s a beautiful place.)

Just last night wifey and I watched the final episode, Queen of the Cats, and I thought, hey this was almost like old times, wish they had continued that way, and maybe they would have found their audience again, but like Gary said, it was probably too late.
I’m going to take a break now from 77SS until later this year when I’ll start over with S1. I’m just gonna pretend that S6 was the prequel to S1…

 

[mark-edk]

Our cable guide's synopsis for the first S6 episode began with something along the lines of 'Stuart Bailey starts his own agency...'

 

[Gary16]

FYI “77” restarts on MeTV for the third run with “Lovely Lady Pity Me,” the first one hour episode of season one, late Thursday, July 26 (early Friday, July 27) at 4 am Eastern.
And they still haven’t shown “Bullets for Santa”.

 

[criblecoblis]

I agree with you 100%. As I’ve said before ABC has to share some of the blame for the show’s demise by moving the show to 7:30 instead of the 9 or 9:30 slot that it occupied for five seasons.

Great points, Gary. I had forgotten that they moved the show to 7:30, which was a foolish decision considering the reboot was strictly 10 PM material because it was so grim, at least for the first ten episodes or so.