''Burke's Law'' is an American

detective A detective is an investigator, usually a member of a law enforcement agency. They often collect information to solve crimes by talking to witnesses and informants, collecting physical evidence, or searching records in databases. This leads the ...

series Series may refer to: People with the name * Caroline Series (born 1951), English mathematician, daughter of George Series * George Series (1920–1995), English physicist Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Series, the ordered sets used i ...

that aired on ABC from 1963 to 1966. The show starred

Gene Barry Gene Barry (born Eugene Klass; June 14, 1919 – December 9, 2009) was an American stage, screen, and television actor and singer. Barry is best remembered for his leading roles in the films '' The Atomic City'' (1952) and ''The War of the Worl ...

millionaire A millionaire is an individual whose net worth or wealth is equal to or exceeds one million units of currency. Depending on the currency, a certain level of prestige is associated with being a millionaire. Many national currencies have, or ...

captain of the

Los Angeles Police Department The City of Los Angeles Police Department, commonly referred to as Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), is the primary law enforcement agency of Los Angeles, California, United States. With 8,832 officers and 3,000 civilian staff, it is the th ...

homicide Homicide is an act in which a person causes the death of another person. A homicide requires only a Volition (psychology), volitional act, or an omission, that causes the death of another, and thus a homicide may result from Accident, accidenta ...

division Amos Burke, who is chauffeured around to solve crimes in his 1962

Rolls-Royce Rolls-Royce (always hyphenated) may refer to: * Rolls-Royce Limited, a British manufacturer of cars and later aero engines, founded in 1906, now defunct Automobiles * Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, the current car manufacturing company incorporated in ...

Silver Cloud II complete with an early

car phone A car phone is a mobile radio telephone specifically designed for and fitted into an automobile. This service originated with the Bell System and was first used in St. Louis, Missouri, on June 17, 1946. Overview United States The original equ ...

. The original series was converted into a spy drama, ''Amos Burke Secret Agent'', in its third and final season. The series was revived in 1994–1995 on

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...

, with Barry reprising the role of the millionaire detective.

Premise

The show shares stylistic similarities with Barry's previous series, ''

Bat Masterson Bartholemew William Barclay "Bat" Masterson (November 26, 1853 – October 25, 1921) was a U.S. Army scout, lawman, professional gambler, and journalist known for his exploits in the late 19th and early 20th-century American Old West. He was bo ...

'', in which he played a debonair lawman of the

Old West The American frontier, also known as the Old West, and popularly known as the Wild West, encompasses the geography, history, folklore, and culture associated with the forward wave of American expansion in mainland North America that bega ...

. During the opening credits, as the title flashes onscreen, a woman's voice seductively pronounces the words "It's Burke's Law!" The title also reflects Burke's habit of dispensing wisdom to his underlings in a professorial manner, ''e.g.'', "Never ask a question unless you already know the answer. Burke's Law." Gene_Barry_Burkes_Law_1963

The anomaly of a millionaire police captain is explained in a first episode conversation between Detective Tim Tilson and a potential witness. Told that Amos Burke is Head of the Homicide Division and a millionaire, the witness asks: "Why a cop?" ::Tilson: "Why're you a construction man?" ::Witness: "It's what I do best." ::Tilson: "That's why he's a cop." :A variant is repeated in the 1994 revival. The title of each episode begins with the words "Who Killed...?" with the name or description of the victim (who invariably dies or is found dead in the show's opening minutes) completing it. Five or six "special guest stars" comprise the list of suspects. Burke is then driven to the crime scene in his Rolls-Royce by his loyal chauffeur, Henry. Burke is an eligible bachelor whose dates with various gorgeous women are often interrupted by calls to begin a new case. He can be—though rarely—distracted by an alluring woman, and is often the object of much female interest. Burke is assisted by Detective Tim Tilson ( Gary Conway), Detective Sergeant Les Hart (

Regis Toomey John Francis Regis Toomey (August 13, 1898October 12, 1991) was an American film and television actor. Early life Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he was one of four children of Francis X. and Mary Ellen Toomey, and attended Peabody High Sc ...

), and chauffeur Henry (Philippine actor Leon Lontoc). Two recurring characters were coroner George McLeod/McCloud ( Michael Fox) and desk sergeant Gloria Ames ( Eileen O'Neill). Tilson is a brilliant, thorough young detective whose skill at finding clues and tracing references results in his "almost" solving the crime, only to be outflanked by Burke's cool intuition and years of experience. Les Hart is a no-nonsense, seen-it-all veteran (perhaps a nod to Toomey's numerous roles as cops in feature films) who has known Burke for years and is on a first name basis, while Henry often provides comic relief. The characters share a team camaraderie reflected in mild jokes about each other's foibles.

Production

The role of Amos Burke actually antedated Barry's series, having been played by

Dick Powell Richard Ewing Powell (November 14, 1904 – January 2, 1963) was an American actor, singer, musician, producer, director, and studio head. Though he came to stardom as a musical comedy performer, he showed versatility and successfully transform ...

in "Who Killed Julie Greer?," the initial episode of ''

The Dick Powell Show ''The Dick Powell Show'' is an American television anthology series that aired on NBC from September 26, 1961 until September 17, 1963, primarily sponsored by the Reynolds Metals Company. Overview The series was an anthology of various dram ...

'' in September 1961. The first incarnation of the series was produced by Powell's company,

Four Star Television Four Star Television, also called Four Star International, was an American television production company. Founded in 1952 as Four Star Productions by prominent Hollywood actors Dick Powell, David Niven, Charles Boyer and Joel McCrea, it was ...

. As in the later series, the episode features several well-known TV and movie stars in cameo appearances as suspects – one of whom is the murderer (in the original Dick Powell episode

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was an American politician and actor who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He was a member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party a ...

played one of the suspects). John Damler played Sgt. Hart, the role played in the show by

. Leon Lontoc was the only cast member of the episode to reprise his role in the later series. In the final season of the original series (1965–1966), the show was given a complete overhaul and retitled ''Amos Burke Secret Agent''. Burke went to work for a secret government agency, but still drove around in his Rolls, which had been discreetly bulletproofed by the agency. The supporting cast of the earlier seasons was dropped, as was the heavy use of celebrity cameos. According to producer

Aaron Spelling Aaron Spelling (April 22, 1923June 23, 2006) was an American film and television producer and occasional actor. His productions included the television series ''Family'' (1976–1980), ''Charlie's Angels'' (1976–1981), ''The Love Boat'' (1977� ...

, the change was forced by ABC in reaction to the success of '' The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'' and the

James Bond The ''James Bond'' franchise focuses on James Bond (literary character), the titular character, a fictional Secret Intelligence Service, British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels ...

films. The change was disliked by Barry and the crew. Ratings plummeted, and it was cancelled midway through the season. As of 2010, the Rolls-Royce used in the original 1963 series was owned by a collector in Palm Beach, Florida.

Cast

Main

as Capt. Amos Burke * Gary Conway as Det. Tim Tilson (seasons 1–2) *

as Det. Sgt. Les Hart (seasons 1–2) * Leon Lontoc as Henry (seasons 1–2)

Recurring

* Eileen O'Neill as Sgt. Ames (seasons 1–2) * Michael Fox, as

Coroner A coroner is a government or judicial official who is empowered to conduct or order an inquest into the manner or cause of death. The official may also investigate or confirm the identity of an unknown person who has been found dead within th ...

George McCleod/McCloud (seasons 1–2) * Carl Benton Reid as The Man (season 3: ''Amos Burke Secret Agent'')

Regulars

In addition, a number of actors appeared regularly in various roles through seasons 1 and 2: * June Kim variously as "girl/housegirl/maid" (season 1) * Don Gazzaniga as policemen (seasons 1–2) * Bob Bice,

bit part In acting, a bit part is a role in which there is direct interaction with the principal actors and no more than five lines of dialogue, often referred to as a five-or-less or under-five in the United States, or under sixes in British televisio ...

s (seasons 1–2) *

Paul Dubov Paul Dubov (October 10, 1918 – September 20, 1979) was an American radio, film and television actor as well as screenwriter. He frequently appeared in the works of Sam Fuller. Biography Among Dubov's radio credits include the 05/02/1953 ...

, bit parts; wrote various episodes (seasons 1–2) *

Hy Averback Hyman Jack Averback (October 21, 1920 – October 14, 1997) was an American radio, television, and film actor who eventually became a producer and director. Early years Born in Minneapolis, Averback moved to California with his family when he w ...

, bit parts; directed various episodes (season 1) *

Army Archerd Armand Andre Archerd (January 13, 1922 – September 8, 2009) was an American columnist for '' Variety'' for over fifty years before retiring his "Just for Variety" column in September 2005. In November 2005, Archerd began blogging for ''Variety' ...

as himself/bit parts (seasons 1–2)

Guest stars (partial list)

In alphabetical order:

Eddie Albert Edward Albert Heimberger (April 22, 1906 – May 26, 2005) was an American actor. He is known for his roles on stage and screen and received nominations for two Academy Awards, a BAFTA Award, and two Golden Globe Awards. Albert made his actin ...

June Allyson June Allyson (born Eleanor Geisman; October 7, 1917 – July 8, 2006) was an American stage, film, and television actress. Allyson began her career in 1937 as a dancer in short subject films and on Broadway in 1938. She signed with MGM in 1943 ...

Don Ameche Don Ameche (; born Dominic Felix Amici; May 31, 1908 – December 6, 1993) was an American actor, comedian and vaudevillian. After playing in college shows, repertory theatre, and vaudeville, he became a major radio star in the early 19 ...

Mary Astor Mary Astor (born Lucile Vasconcellos Langhanke; May 3, 1906 – September 25, 1987) was an American actress. Although her career spanned several decades, she may be best remembered for her performance as Brigid O'Shaughnessy in '' The Maltese ...

Frankie Avalon Francis Thomas Avallone (born September 18, 1940), better known as Frankie Avalon, is an American singer, actor and former teen idol. He had 31 charting U.S. ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' singles from 1958 to late 1962, including Record ...

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, Arlene Dahl,

Sammy Davis Jr. Samuel George Davis Jr. (December 8, 1925 – May 16, 1990) was an American singer, actor, comedian, dancer, and musician. At age two, Davis began his career in Vaudeville with his father Sammy Davis Sr. and the Will Mastin Trio, which t ...

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, Laraine Day,

Yvonne De Carlo Margaret Yvonne Middleton (September 1, 1922January 8, 2007), known professionally as Yvonne De Carlo, was a Canadian-American actress, dancer and singer. She became a Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film star and sex symbol in the 1940s a ...

William Demarest Carl William Demarest (February 27, 1892 – December 28, 1983) was an American actor, known especially for his supporting roles in screwball comedies by Preston Sturges and as Uncle Charley in the sitcom ''My Three Sons'' from 1965-72. Demares ...

Andy Devine Andrew Vabre Devine (October 7, 1905 – February 18, 1977) was an American character actor known for his distinctive raspy, crackly voice and roles in American frontier, Western films, including his role as Cookie, the sidekick of Roy Rogers ...

Diana Dors Diana Dors (born Diana Mary Fluck; 23 October 19314 May 1984) was an English actress and singer. Dors came to public notice as a Bombshell (slang), blonde bombshell, much in the style of Americans Marilyn Monroe, Jayne Mansfield, and Mamie Van ...

Joanne Dru Joanne Dru (born Joan Letitia LaCock;Known as Joan Lacock in th1930 United States census/ref> January 31, 1922 – September 10, 1996) was an American film and television actress, known for such films as '' Red River'', '' She Wore a Yellow Ribb ...

, Dan Duryea,

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, Nanette Fabray, Felicia Farr, Rhonda Fleming, Nina Foch, Anne Francis,

Annette Funicello Annette Joanne Funicello (October 22, 1942 – April 8, 2013) was an American actress and singer. She began her professional career at age 12, becoming one of the most popular Mouseketeers on the original ''The Mickey Mouse Club, Mickey Mouse Cl ...

Eva Gabor Eva Gabor ( ; February 11, 1919 – July 4, 1995) was a Hungarian-American actress and socialite. Gabor voiced Duchess and Miss Bianca in the Disney animations ''The Aristocats'' (1970), ''The Rescuers'' (1977), and ''The Rescuers Down Under'' ...

Zsa Zsa Gabor Zsa Zsa Gabor ( , ; born Sári Gábor ; February 6, 1917 – December 18, 2016) was a Hungarian Americans, Hungarian-American socialite and actress. Her sisters were socialites and actresses Eva Gabor and Magda Gabor. Gabor competed in the ...

, Gloria Grahame,

Jane Greer Jane Greer (born Bettejane Greer; September 9, 1924 – August 24, 2001) was an American film and television actress best known for her role as ''femme fatale'' Kathie Moffat in the 1947 film noir ''Out of the Past''. In 2009, ''The Guardian'' ...

Tammy Grimes Tammy Lee Grimes (January 30, 1934 – October 30, 2016) was an American film and stage actress and singer. Grimes won two Tony Awards in her career, the first for originating the role of Molly Tobin in the musical '' The Unsinkable Molly Brow ...

, George Hamilton,

Phil Harris Wonga Philip Harris (June 24, 1904 – August 11, 1995) was an American actor, bandleader, entertainer and singer. He was an orchestra leader and a pioneer in radio situation comedy, first with '' The Jack Benny Program'', then in '' The Phil ...

, June Havoc,

Richard Haydn Richard Haydn (10 March 1905 – 25 April 1985) was a British comedian. Early life George Richard Haydon was born in 1905 in Camberwell, in the London Borough of Southwark. After working as a music hall entertainer and overseer of a Jamaica, J ...

Celeste Holm Celeste Holm (April 29, 1917 – July 15, 2012) was an American actress. Holm won an Academy Award for her performance in Elia Kazan's '' Gentleman's Agreement'' (1947), and was nominated for her roles in '' Come to the Stable'' (1949) and ''A ...

, Oscar Homolka,

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, Rodolfo Hoyos Jr.,

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, Martha Hyer, Carolyn Jones,

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, Lauren Lane,

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, Dina Merrill, Vera Miles,

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, Ricardo Montalbán,

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, Sheree North, Susan Oliver, Janis Paige,

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, Ruth Roman,

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, Janice Rule,

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, Lizabeth Scott,

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, Miyoshi Umeki,

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, Michael Wilding,

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Episodes

Music

The musical score for ''Burke's Law'' was largely the work of Herschel Burke Gilbert, who also wrote the show's theme, although Richard Shores and Joseph Mullendore also composed scores. Gilbert's theme was rearranged for ''Amos Burke, Secret Agent''.

Home media

The following

DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for digital video disc or digital versatile disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any ki ...

sets of ''Burke's Law'' have been released by VCI Entertainment. VCI released the complete first season on April 5, 2016.Amazon.com

Spin-off

Actress Anne Francis, who appears in season-one episode "Who Killed Wade Walker?" and as female private detective Honey West in season-two episode "Who Killed the Jackpot?", starred in the 30-episode spin-off ''Honey West'' TV series. Francis later reprised the role on the 1994 revival series, in the episode "Who Killed Nick Hazard?"

1994 revival series

In 1994,

premiered a revival of the show with the same title ''Burke's Law''. The revival was produced by

's production company, Spelling Productions. In the revival of the show, Burke was back at work as a police detective — now as a deputy chief instead of a captain — and was assisted by his son, Peter ( Peter Barton), a police detective. The only character to return was Henry, now played by Danny Kamekona (Lontoc had died in 1974).

References

External links

* * * {{cite web, url=http://www.xmission.com/~emailbox/barry.htm, title=Gene Barry Fan Page, website=glendamoore.org 1963 American television series debuts 1966 American television series endings Black-and-white American television shows Television series about the Los Angeles Police Department Television series by Four Star Television Television series by 20th Century Fox Television American television series revived after cancellation Television shows set in Los Angeles American detective television series American Broadcasting Company television dramas