''Bourbon Street Beat'' is a
private detective television series
A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed be ...
that aired on the
ABC network from October 5, 1959, to July 4, 1960, starring
Richard Long as Rex Randolph and
Andrew Duggan as Cal Calhoun, with
Arlene Howell as detective agency secretary Melody Lee Mercer and
Van Williams as Kenny Madison.
Randolph and Calhoun — Special Services was based in the Absinthe House, a French Quarter nightclub on the title street. The firm's telephone number was EXpress 7123. The show's theme, "Bourbon Street Beat", was composed by Mack David and Jerry Livingston.
Characters
The series was one of several
Warner Bros. detective shows which aired on ABC during this era, but ''Bourbon Street Beat'' was not as successful as the others. When the series ended, the character of Rex Randolph moved to ''
77 Sunset Strip'' for a year, joining the L.A.-based detective firm of Bailey & Spencer for the 1960-61 season. The character of Kenny Madison moved to the
spin-off
Spin-off may refer to:
*Spin-off (media), a media work derived from an existing work
*Corporate spin-off, a type of corporate action that forms a new company or entity
* Government spin-off, civilian goods which are the result of military or gov ...
''
Surfside 6'', which aired in the ''Bourbon Street Beat'' time slot the following season. Set in Miami, this show lasted through mid-1962.
Andrew Duggan's character, Cal Calhoun, was later seen on a 1962 episode of ''77 Sunset Strip''; it was established that he quit the P.I. business and returned to being a member of the New Orleans police force.
Legacy
Arlene Howell had appeared
several times on 1957's western series ''
Maverick
Maverick, Maveric or Maverik may refer to:
History
* Maverick (animal), an unbranded range animal, derived from U.S. cattleman Samuel Maverick
Aviation
* AEA Maverick, an Australian single-seat sportsplane design
* General Aviation Design Bure ...
'', sometimes as a semi-regular character "Cindy Lou Brown," and was a former
Miss USA; she appears to have retired from the screen after a last appearance as an understandably astonished Sergeant Carter's blind date on ''
Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
''Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.''The show (and CBS) renders the title as ''Gomer Pyle – USMC''. is an American situation comedy that originally aired on CBS from September 25, 1964, to May 2, 1969. The series was a spin-off of ''The Andy Griffith Sho ...
''.
Richard Long went on to play the lead in the western series ''
The Big Valley'' (1965–69) and the
sitcom
A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ...
''
Nanny and the Professor'' (1970–71).
Van Williams eventually played ''
The Green Hornet
The Green Hornet is a superhero created in 1936 by George W. Trendle and Fran Striker, with input from radio director James Jewell. Since his 1930s radio debut, the character has appeared in numerous serialized dramas in a wide variety of med ...
'' (1966–67) opposite
Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee (; born Lee Jun-fan, ; November 27, 1940 – July 20, 1973) was a Hong Kong and American martial artist and actor. He was the founder of Jeet Kune Do, a hybrid martial arts philosophy drawing from different combat disciplines th ...
.
Andrew Duggan continued to portray a large number of character roles in films and television, including two other stints as series lead, taking over
Cary Grant
Cary Grant (born Archibald Alec Leach; January 18, 1904November 29, 1986) was an English-American actor. He was known for his Mid-Atlantic accent, debonair demeanor, light-hearted approach to acting, and sense of comic timing. He was one of ...
's movie role in the short-lived television version of ''
Room for One More'' (1962), and as the sullen patriarch in ''
Lancer
A lancer was a type of cavalryman who fought with a lance. Lances were used for mounted warfare in Assyria as early as and subsequently by Persia, India, Egypt, China, Greece, and Rome. The weapon was widely used throughout Eurasia during the ...
'' (1968–70), a western in the vein of ''
Bonanza
''Bonanza'' is an American Western television series that ran on NBC from September 13, 1959, to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 432 episodes, ''Bonanza'' is NBC's longest-running western, the second-longest-running western series on ...
'', albeit darker and more complex.
Cast
Richard Long as Rex Randolph
Andrew Duggan as Cal Calhoun
Arlene Howell as Melody Lee Mercer
Van Williams as Kenny Madison
Eddie Cole as The Baron (twelve episodes)
Tommy Farrell
Tommy Farrell (born Thomas Farrell Richards; October 7, 1921 – May 9, 2004) was an American actor and comedian who appeared in over 100 films and TV series between 1944 and 1983. He was best known for his sidekick roles in the Hollywood Gold ...
as Jay O'Hanlon (seven episodes)
Nita Talbot
Nita Talbot (born Anita Sokol) (born August 8, 1930) is an American actress. She received an Emmy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for the 1967–68 season of '' Hogan's Heroes''.
Film
Born in New York City on Au ...
as Lusti Weather (four episodes)
Guest stars
The following are among the many guest stars on the single season of ''Bourbon Street Beat'':
*
Charles Aidman
*
Roscoe Ates
*
Tol Avery
Taliaferro Ware "Tol" Avery (August 28, 1915 – August 27, 1973) was an American film and television character actor with more than a hundred screen appearances between 1950 and 1974.
Biography
Early in his career, Avery appeared as "Dennison ...
*
Raymond Bailey
Raymond Thomas Bailey (May 6, 1904 – April 15, 1980) was an American actor, and comedian on the Broadway stage, films, and television. He is best known for his role as greedy banker Milburn Drysdale in the television series ''The Beverly Hill ...
*
Don "Red" Barry
*
Jeanne Bates
*
Roxane Berard
Roxane Berard (January 21, 1933 — December 31, 2019), was an American actress who was the leading lady in various episodes of thirty-four different American television series between 1958 and 1967.
One notable appearance was in 1964 when she ...
*
Whit Bissell
*
Lane Bradford
*
Henry Brandon
*
Victor Buono
Victor Charles Buono (February 3, 1938January 1, 1982) was an American actor, comic, and briefly a recording artist. He was known for playing the villain King Tut in the television series '' Batman'' (1966–1968) and musician Edwin Flagg in '' ...
*
Walter Burke
*
Jean Byron
*
James T. Callahan
*
Richard Chamberlain
*
James Coburn
James Harrison Coburn III (August 31, 1928 – November 18, 2002) was an American film and television actor who was featured in more than 70 films, largely action roles, and made 100 television appearances during a 45-year career.AllmoviBi ...
*
Robert Colbert
*
Tris Coffin
*
Gary Conway
*
Russ Conway
Russ Conway, DSM (born Trevor Herbert Stanford; 2 September 1925 – 16 November 2000) was an English popular music pianist and composer. Conway had 20 piano instrumentals in the UK Singles Chart between 1957 and 1963, including two numbe ...
*
Kathleen Crowley
*
Michael Dante
*
Ray Danton
*
Richard Deacon
*
Cyril Delevanti
*
Brad Dexter
Brad Dexter (born Boris Michel Soso; April 9, 1917 – December 12, 2002) was an American actor and film producer. He is known for tough-guy and western roles, including the 1960 film '' The Magnificent Seven'' (1960), and producing several fi ...
*
Ann Doran
*
James Drury
*
Bill Erwin
*
James Flavin
*
Kathleen Freeman
*
Lisa Gaye
*
Virginia Gregg
*
Myron Healey
*
John Hoyt
*
Brad Johnson
*
Shirley Knight
*
Ted Knight
*
Gail Kobe
*
Sandy Koufax
*
Nancy Kulp
*
Sue Anne Langdon
*
Suzanne Lloyd
*
John Marley
*
Diane McBain
*
Patrick McVey
*
Tyler McVey
*
Joanna Moore
Joanna Moore (born Dorothy Joanne Cook, November 10, 1934 – November 22, 1997) was an American film and television actress, who, between 1956 and 1976, appeared in 17 feature films and guest-starred in nearly a hundred television series episod ...
*
Mary Tyler Moore
Mary Tyler Moore (December 29, 1936 – January 25, 2017) was an American actress, producer, and social advocate. She is best known for her roles on '' The Dick Van Dyke Show'' (1961–1966) and '' The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' (1970–1977), whi ...
*
Rita Moreno
Rita Moreno (born Rosa Dolores Alverío Marcano; December 11, 1931) is a Puerto Rican actress, dancer, and singer. Noted for her work across different areas of the entertainment industry, she has appeared in numerous film, television, and thea ...
*
Jeanette Nolan
*
Jay Novello
*
Cynthia Pepper
*
Paul Picerni
*
Mala Powers
Mary Ellen "Mala" Powers (December 20, 1931 – June 11, 2007) was an American actress.
Early life
Powers was born in San Francisco, California, and raised in Los Angeles. Her father was a United Press executive, while her mother was a minister. ...
*
Judson Pratt
*
Denver Pyle
*
Rex Reason
*
Rhodes Reason
Rhodes Reason (April 19, 1930 – December 26, 2014) was an American actor who appeared in more than 200 roles in television, film, and stage.
Film and television career
Reason was born in Glendale in Los Angeles County, California, the so ...
*
Madlyn Rhue
*
Carlos Romero
*
Richard Rust
Richard Rust (July 13, 1938 – November 9, 1994) was an American actor of stage, television, and film born in Boston, probably best remembered for his role as a young lawyer in NBC's ''Sam Benedict'' series (1962–1963).
Early years
Rust ...
*
Karen Steele
Karen Steele (March 20, 1931 – March 12, 1988) was an American actress and model with more than 60 roles in film and television. Her most famous roles include starring as Virginia in '' Marty'', as Mrs. Lane in ''Ride Lonesome'', and as Ev ...
*
Randy Stuart
*
Vaughn Taylor
*
Mary Treen
*
Lurene Tuttle
Lurene Tuttle (August 29, 1907 – May 28, 1986) was an American actress and acting coach, who made the transition from vaudeville to radio, and later films and television. Her most enduring impact was as one of network radio's more versatile a ...
*
Adam West
*
Peter Whitney
*
Robert J. Wilke
Robert Joseph Wilke (May 18, 1914 – March 28, 1989) was an American film and television actor noted primarily for his roles as villains, mostly in Westerns.
Early years
Wilke was a native of Cincinnati. Before going into acting, he h ...
*
Marie Windsor
*
Donald Woods
*
Carleton G. Young
Carleton Garretson Young (May 26, 1907 – July 11, 1971) was an American actor in radio, film and television.
Early years
Young was born in Westfield, New York in May 1907. He attended Carnegie Institute of Technology, where he became " ...
*
Tony Young
Episodes
References
External links
''Bourbon Street Beat''at Thrilling Detectives website
''Bourbon Street Beat''at the
Internet Movie Database
IMDb (an abbreviation of Internet Movie Database) is an online database of information related to films, television series, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and personal biographies, ...
{{William T. Orr shows
1950s American drama television series
1960s American drama television series
1959 American television series debuts
1960 American television series endings
American Broadcasting Company original programming
Television series by Warner Bros. Television Studios
Television shows set in New Orleans
Black-and-white American television shows
American detective television series