ClassicFlix RARE TELEVISION Thread (2 Viewers)

[The 1960's]

David I could post a list of stuff that I’ve wanted to see released for some time but I’m sure most if not all of it isn’t feasible for various reasons.

I would imagine tv series that viewers are familiar with make for better sales but personally the ones I look forward to the most are the ones that have never seen the light of day in any form anywhere. That’s why the Classic Flix New Rare TV Line has me more excited than anything I’ve heard about in years!

 

[potnoodle]

View attachment 181846

With countless rare and almost never seen classic TV shows unavailable, we've started a new RARE TELEVISION line to focus exclusively on such properties (1940s - 1960s) and have several titles lined up for 2023.

Since many broader discussions regarding the line were showing up in different places, we've started this dedicated thread which will serve to centralize all things regarding our new line.

Cat #​	Cover​	Title​	Year​	# of Ep.​	Format​	Street Date​
1​	​	21 Beacon Street - The Complete Series	1959​	13​	DVD​	06/27/23​

Very interesting news. David, any chance of acquiring more episodes of the Ann Sothern series "Private Secretary/Susie", apart from the 16 or so episodes that have been circulating in public domain for several years? Metromedia owned the series for many years, but I believe that Fox acquired all of their shows at some point. Thanks.

 

[Jay_Z_525]

Very interesting news. David, any chance of acquiring more episodes of the Ann Sothern series "Private Secretary/Susie", apart from the 16 or so episodes that have been circulating in public domain for several years? Metromedia owned the series for many years, but I believe that Fox acquired all of their shows at some point. Thanks.

I’d be all for this! Nick at Nite used fresh transfers from 35mm (mostly).

 

[The 1960's]

Hi David,
Any chance with Bachelor Father, Karen (might be still owned by Universal-why are they holding on to it and no release???) Thanks.

Not likely.

- David
ClassicFlix Founder, Producer

Tim asking David to produce 157 episodes is a bit much, but perhaps this will hold you for a couple days.

 

[oldtvshowbuff]

The Trials of O'Brien starring Peter Falk could be a worthy choice, a single season legal drama series in the one hour format on CBS, and it was filmed in NYC.

 

[Flashgear]

Joanna Barnes, Brian Kelly and Dennis Morgan in a 1959 FILMWAYS / NBC-TV publicity photo for 21 Beacon Street, ClassicFlix's upcoming Rare Television DVD release...

Star Dennis Morgan and lovely Joanna Barnes strike a pensive pose...

Joanna Barnes having her make-up done...damn fine lookin' woman!

I found this 1959 newspaper clipping from a Michigan daily announcing newcomer Brian Kelly's casting for the soon to air Filmway's series 21 Beacon Street summer replacement series for NBC...Brian Kelly would go on to further fame as the dad in the 1964-67 family adventure series Flipper...

21 Beacon Street received some nice advance publicity in the July 11, 1959 issue of TV GUIDE, that also featured Peter Gunn's Craig Stevens and Lola Albright on the cover, and a feature photo article on Lola Albright...

Transcribed from TV GUIDE 'television this week' of July 11 to July 18, 1959...
- Also on Thursday night:
21 Beacon Street on NBC is about investigators who basically scam criminals into doing themselves in.
This week, one of the group poses as a prizefighter in order to bring down a crooked fight promoter.
(This must be for episode 3, The Payoff that aired on July 16...at the direction of Dennis Chase (Dennis Morgan of course) and with Lola (Joanna Barnes) assisting, Brian (Brian Kelly) goes undercover as a boxer to help the team snare a nefarious prize fight promoter-fixer Al Paradise (tough guy Anthony Caruso)...Harry Bellaver (Naked City) is also in this episode...in an episode scripted by the great Tom Gries!

Yes, that same Tom Gries who later created great TV series like The Reporter (1964-65, Harry Guardino, Gary Merrill newspaper drama), executive producer, writer, director and co-creator of action-packed WW2 series The Rat Patrol, writer and director of just about EVERY classic TV show that you love...producer and director of the mini-series QB VII, Helter-Skelter, director/writer of such theatrical films as Will Penny (truly a great Charlton Heston western), 100 Rifles, The Hawaiians, Fools, Breakout, Breakheart Pass etc.

Guest stars like DeForest Kelly, John Hoyt, Steve Brodie, Joan Taylor, Jean Willes, Barney Phillips, Whit Bissell, Paul Richards, Paul Dubov, Myron Healey, Ted de Corsia, Arthur Batanides, Fredd Wayne, Robert Carricart, Sally Fraser, Henry Corden, Frances Fong, Kam Tong and other familiar faces also appear in 21 Beacon Street's 13 episode run...

A rather bizarre but interesting bit of trivia...21 Beacon Street's head writer (8 episodes) and Filmways co-creator was a man named Leonard Heideman, whose career was derailed when he killed his wife in February 1963. He pleaded insanity, was institutionalized for two years, and was released.

Leonard Heideman later changed his name to Laurence Heath, and went back to writing television - ultimately becoming a major writer-producer of Mission Impossible. He produced 13 episodes of that series, and also wrote 23 episodes over the seven year run...Apparently, because of his earlier work on 21 Beacon Street, Heideman/Heath was named as a defendant with Bruce Geller and others in a lawsuit brought by plaintives claiming that the concept of Mission Impossible was a derivative of the earlier 21 Beacon Street...the lawsuit was dismissed...as Laurence Heath, he also scripted and produced episodes of Hawaii 5-0, The Magician, Most Wanted, Dynasty, Murder She Wrote and Code Red.

The actual location that is 21 Beacon Street, Boston Massachusetts, (inspiration for the title of the series, but with the show actually set in nondescript locations) as seen recently on Google Street View...still one of the most prestigious of luxury condominium buildings in what was then the fabled domain of the 'Boston Brahmin', the old-money New England Beacon Hill blueblood like Henry Cabot-Lodge, ha, ha...

Just a suggestion...I hope I don't come across as a killjoy (and I'm not a moderator, just speaking for myself), but as a fellow fan, I share you guy's yearnings (B+W TV is my favorite era), but I think we should let up a little on a barrage of obscure or well known never-on-disc vintage TV show requests in this dedicated thread...just to give ClassicFlix a break on having to answer each and every show inquiry, although David has been very informative and helpful, but we should look forward to whatever info he chooses to volunteer here, when and if he feels like it...we know that David of ClassicFlix reads Gary-O's 'B+W TV on DVD is Slowly Coming to an end' thread...you guys do you, but that ongoing and lengthy thread might be a better approach in posting wants and suggestions for ClassicFlix?

I'm very much looking forward to getting 21 Beacon Street, and subsequent ClassicFlix Rare Television releases!

 

[Kevin Antonio (Kev)]

Could we ever see a release of a show like Brenner? I believe it was owned by CBS, also another favorite trackdown?

 

[Matt Hough]

I have no memory of 21 Beacon Street growing up, but I'm looking forward to getting acquainted with it!

 

[ScottRE]

21 Beacon Street received some nice advance publicity in the July 11, 1959 issue of TV GUIDE, that also featured Peter Gunn's Craig Stevens and Lola Albright on the cover, and a feature photo article on Lola Albright...
View attachment 182131

Who says old magazines aren't relevant? How to Stay on a Diet? They should reprint that every month. One of my main struggles!

A rather bizarre but interesting bit of trivia...21 Beacon Street's head writer (8 episodes) and Filmways co-creator was a man named Leonard Heideman, whose career was derailed when he killed his wife in February 1963. He pleaded insanity, was institutionalized for two years, and was released.

Leonard Heideman later changed his name to Laurence Heath, and went back to writing television - ultimately becoming a major writer-producer of Mission Impossible. He produced 13 episodes of that series, and also wrote 23 episodes over the seven year run...Apparently, because of his earlier work on 21 Beacon Street, Heideman/Heath was named as a defendant with Bruce Geller and others in a lawsuit brought by plaintives claiming that the concept of Mission Impossible was a derivative of the earlier 21 Beacon Street...the lawsuit was dismissed...as Laurence Heath, he also scripted and produced episodes of Hawaii 5-0, The Magician, Most Wanted, Dynasty, Murder She Wrote and Code Red.

Great hopping snot (and that is NOT the epithet that involuntarily burst out), that's crazy - no pun intended. Imagine that happening today. Looking further, I see he took his own life in the end in 2007 at the age of 78.

I never knew any of this about a man whose TV work is all over my collection.


I know this is what I'm focusing on in my reply but this is a great post all around, thank you for the background Randall.

Just a suggestion...I hope I don't come across as a killjoy (and I'm not a moderator, just speaking for myself), but as a fellow fan, I share you guy's yearnings (B+W TV is my favorite era), but I think we should let up a little on a barrage of obscure or well known never-on-disc vintage TV show requests in this dedicated thread...just to give ClassicFlix a break on having to answer each and every show inquiry, although David has been very informative and helpful, but we should look forward to whatever info he chooses to volunteer here, when and if he feels like it...we know that David of ClassicFlix reads Gary-O's 'B+W TV on DVD is Slowly Coming to an end' thread...you guys do you, but that ongoing and lengthy thread might be a better approach in posting wants and suggestions for ClassicFlix?

I'm very much looking forward to getting 21 Beacon Street, and subsequent ClassicFlix Rare Television releases!

Agreed with alla this. I am more than happy to just sit back and await what treasures and surprises @ClassicFlix has in store.

 

[oldtvshowbuff]

Maybe an old Revue series Crusader starring Brian Keith, just 52 episodes in two seasons on CBS 1955-57. It's highly unlikely on that, for Universal would demand big $$$ for a transfer job from original 35s.

 

[RobertMG]

Joanna Barnes, Brian Kelly and Dennis Morgan in a 1959 FILMWAYS / NBC-TV publicity photo for 21 Beacon Street, ClassicFlix's upcoming Rare Television DVD release...
View attachment 182122

Star Dennis Morgan and lovely Joanna Barnes strike a pensive pose...
View attachment 182123


Joanna Barnes having her make-up done...damn fine lookin' woman!
View attachment 182120

I found this 1959 newspaper clipping from a Michigan daily announcing newcomer Brian Kelly's casting for the soon to air Filmway's series 21 Beacon Street summer replacement series for NBC...Brian Kelly would go on to further fame as the dad in the 1964-67 family adventure series Flipper...
View attachment 182112

21 Beacon Street received some nice advance publicity in the July 11, 1959 issue of TV GUIDE, that also featured Peter Gunn's Craig Stevens and Lola Albright on the cover, and a feature photo article on Lola Albright...
View attachment 182131

Transcribed from TV GUIDE 'television this week' of July 11 to July 18, 1959...
- Also on Thursday night:
21 Beacon Street on NBC is about investigators who basically scam criminals into doing themselves in.
This week, one of the group poses as a prizefighter in order to bring down a crooked fight promoter.
(This must be for episode 3, The Payoff that aired on July 16...at the direction of Dennis Chase (Dennis Morgan of course) and with Lola (Joanna Barnes) assisting, Brian (Brian Kelly) goes undercover as a boxer to help the team snare a nefarious prize fight promoter-fixer Al Paradise (tough guy Anthony Caruso)...Harry Bellaver (Naked City) is also in this episode...in an episode scripted by the great Tom Gries!

Yes, that same Tom Gries who later created great TV series like The Reporter (1964-65, Harry Guardino, Gary Merrill newspaper drama), executive producer, writer, director and co-creator of action-packed WW2 series The Rat Patrol, writer and director of just about EVERY classic TV show that you love...producer and director of the mini-series QB VII, Helter-Skelter, director/writer of such theatrical films as Will Penny (truly a great Charlton Heston western), 100 Rifles, The Hawaiians, Fools, Breakout, Breakheart Pass etc.

Guest stars like DeForest Kelly, John Hoyt, Steve Brodie, Joan Taylor, Jean Willes, Barney Phillips, Whit Bissell, Paul Richards, Paul Dubov, Myron Healey, Ted de Corsia, Arthur Batanides, Fredd Wayne, Robert Carricart, Sally Fraser, Henry Corden, Frances Fong, Kam Tong and other familiar faces also appear in 21 Beacon Street's 13 episode run...

A rather bizarre but interesting bit of trivia...21 Beacon Street's head writer (8 episodes) and Filmways co-creator was a man named Leonard Heideman, whose career was derailed when he killed his wife in February 1963. He pleaded insanity, was institutionalized for two years, and was released.

Leonard Heideman later changed his name to Laurence Heath, and went back to writing television - ultimately becoming a major writer-producer of Mission Impossible. He produced 13 episodes of that series, and also wrote 23 episodes over the seven year run...Apparently, because of his earlier work on 21 Beacon Street, Heideman/Heath was named as a defendant with Bruce Geller and others in a lawsuit brought by plaintives claiming that the concept of Mission Impossible was a derivative of the earlier 21 Beacon Street...the lawsuit was dismissed...as Laurence Heath, he also scripted and produced episodes of Hawaii 5-0, The Magician, Most Wanted, Dynasty, Murder She Wrote and Code Red.

The actual location that is 21 Beacon Street, Boston Massachusetts, (inspiration for the title of the series, but with the show actually set in nondescript locations) as seen recently on Google Street View...still one of the most prestigious of luxury condominium buildings in what was then the fabled domain of the 'Boston Brahmin', the old-money New England Beacon Hill blueblood like Henry Cabot-Lodge, ha, ha...
View attachment 182115

Just a suggestion...I hope I don't come across as a killjoy (and I'm not a moderator, just speaking for myself), but as a fellow fan, I share you guy's yearnings (B+W TV is my favorite era), but I think we should let up a little on a barrage of obscure or well known never-on-disc vintage TV show requests in this dedicated thread...just to give ClassicFlix a break on having to answer each and every show inquiry, although David has been very informative and helpful, but we should look forward to whatever info he chooses to volunteer here, when and if he feels like it...we know that David of ClassicFlix reads Gary-O's 'B+W TV on DVD is Slowly Coming to an end' thread...you guys do you, but that ongoing and lengthy thread might be a better approach in posting wants and suggestions for ClassicFlix?

I'm very much looking forward to getting 21 Beacon Street, and subsequent ClassicFlix Rare Television releases!

Brian Kelly was GREAT in Flipper - will be nice to see him in another role. We lost him too soon

 

[The 1960's]

Good morning David. On January 24th of this year you wrote:

“Last year we teased an early 60s single season sitcom (over 30 episodes), but at the time didn't have the deal completed. We now have the deal done and will likely have news about it in the spring. I can tell you that of the few episodes we have scanned thus far from 35 original elements they are razor sharp and pristine (like they haven't been touched in over 60 years). Again, nobody is talking about this and it will come as a major surprise.”

Can you now tell us about this early 1960’s sitcom? Did I miss that announcement??

 

[Gary OS]

Good morning David. On January 24th of this year you wrote:

“Last year we teased an early 60s single season sitcom (over 30 episodes), but at the time didn't have the deal completed. We now have the deal done and will likely have news about it in the spring. I can tell you that of the few episodes we have scanned thus far from 35 original elements they are razor sharp and pristine (like they haven't been touched in over 60 years). Again, nobody is talking about this and it will come as a major surprise.”

Can you now tell us about this early 1960’s sitcom? Did I miss that announcement?? View attachment 182168

Not to speak for David, but I'm certain it hasn't been officially announced yet. But I imagine it will be pretty soon, Neal. I too am anxious to hear about it.


Gary "I'm hoping for a specific sitcom, but will happy with anything from that time period" O.

 

[timk1041]

Tim asking David to produce 157 episodes is a bit much, but perhaps this will hold you for a couple days.

Maybe, but doesn't hurt to ask. Karen and Happy were 1 season shows, so maybe those are possibilities. Thanks.

 

[The 1960's]

Not to speak for David, but I'm certain it hasn't been officially announced yet.

Thanks for the confirmation Gary.

But I imagine it will be pretty soon, Neal. I too am anxious to hear about it.

But wasn't there a third mystery series being discussed as well?

Maybe, but doesn't hurt to ask. Karen and Happy were 1 season shows, so maybe those are possibilities. Thanks.

Agreed Tim. I too enjoy Bachelor Father each and every day on AntennaTV. Bentley Gregg's number 1 priority was chasing young women and thus just about each episode features a new beauty. I currently have 117 episodes in my DVR but it certainly doesn't qualify as "rare" television.

 

[jayembee]

Could we ever see a release of a show like Brenner? I believe it was owned by CBS, also another favorite trackdown?

Brenner was a Plautus Productions (Herb Brodkin) entry, like The Defenders, so it might be in limbo like that series and some of the others from that company.

Then again, a couple of Plautus's series managed to get DVD releases -- Coronet Blue from Kino, and Espionage (a UK co-production) from the British label Network -- so who knows?

 

[Peter M Fitzgerald]

Hmmm... I wonder if the early-1960s, one-season sitcom might be an 'all-in-one' re-release/completion of I'm Dickens, He's Fenster? A total of 32 episodes, half of which made it onto the Vol. 1 DVD set from TV Time Machine back in 2011, and seemingly not licensed from a major studio (i.e. CBS, Universal, MGM).

Whatever it might be, I guess we'll find out soon enough.

 

[The 1960's]

Hmmm... I wonder if the early-1960s, one-season sitcom might be an 'all-in-one' re-release/completion of I'm Dickens, He's Fenster? A total of 32 episodes, half of which made it onto the Vol. 1 DVD set from TV Time Machine back in 2011, and seemingly not licensed from a major studio (i.e. CBS, Universal, MGM).

Whatever it might be, I guess we'll find out soon enough.

Peter, David responded to that here.

 

[ClassicFlix]

Good morning David. On January 24th of this year you wrote:

“Last year we teased an early 60s single season sitcom (over 30 episodes), but at the time didn't have the deal completed. We now have the deal done and will likely have news about it in the spring. I can tell you that of the few episodes we have scanned thus far from 35 original elements they are razor sharp and pristine (like they haven't been touched in over 60 years). Again, nobody is talking about this and it will come as a major surprise.”

Can you now tell us about this early 1960’s sitcom? Did I miss that announcement?? View attachment 182168

Nothing on that yet, but we expect to release it later this year.

- David
ClassicFlix Founder, Producer

 

[ClassicFlix]

Just a suggestion...I hope I don't come across as a killjoy (and I'm not a moderator, just speaking for myself), but as a fellow fan, I share you guy's yearnings (B+W TV is my favorite era), but I think we should let up a little on a barrage of obscure or well known never-on-disc vintage TV show requests in this dedicated thread...just to give ClassicFlix a break on having to answer each and every show inquiry, although David has been very informative and helpful, but we should look forward to whatever info he chooses to volunteer here, when and if he feels like it...we know that David of ClassicFlix reads Gary-O's 'B+W TV on DVD is Slowly Coming to an end' thread...you guys do you, but that ongoing and lengthy thread might be a better approach in posting wants and suggestions for ClassicFlix?

I'm very much looking forward to getting 21 Beacon Street, and subsequent ClassicFlix Rare Television releases!

This suggestion is very much appreciated, and while we have our plate full for at least the next year or so with definite and likely TV releases, please do continue mentioning PD and non-studio releases (no WB, Paramount, MGM or Universal).

Why PD and non-studios? The studios are basically closed to us at this time and while we seek out titles constantly, we are only doing 21 BEACON STREET and the next two RARE TELEVISION releases because of fan suggestions. Specifically,

1) A fan of Dennis Morgan casually mentioned 21 BEACON STREET (PD) to me and I investigated it and 6 months later, we announced it for release.
2) Our next RARE TELEVISION release (PD) was mentioned on this very forum! I won't say where or when as it might give it away, but I am grateful for the mention as it spurred us to pursue it.
3) The next RARE TELEVSION release after that will be the 1960s sitcom that I have previously mentioned. It is owned by the family of the original producer. We came to know about it because a friend of that producer emailed me and gave me the family contact information and suggested I reach out to them.
4) Because of the mention of #2 above on this forum, we have several more PD TV shows we have access to because they are housed at the same place as #2.

So please keep the suggestions coming. I may not always answer every single suggestion, but I will be checking this thread regularly, as well as other TV related threads on HTF.

Thanks!

- David
ClassicFlix Founder, Producer