Sat 1 Aug 2015
TV Review: KING OF DIAMONDS “The Wizard of Ice” (1961).
Posted by Steve under Reviews , TV mysteries[5] Comments
KING OF DIAMONDS. “The Wizard of Ice.” September 1961. (Episode 1, Season 1.) Syndicated: Ziv/United Artists. Broderick Crawford as John King and “introducing” Ray Hamilton as Casey. Guest Cast: Lola Albright, Telly Savalas, with: Bert Freed, John Anderson, John Marley, Joan Tabor, Sid Tomack, Juli Reding, Olan Soule, Clegg Hoyt, Frank Warren, Donald Eitner, Isabelle Dwan, Daran Marshall, Mike Masters, Dorothy Crehan, Tony Mafia. Executive Producer: Babe Unger. Associate Producer: Broderick Crawford. Writer-producer: John Robinson. Director: Irving Lerner.
Michael Shonk wrote up a comprehensive overview of the entire series a couple of years ago on this blog, and you may want to go read that post first, including the comments, before going to read my own thoughts about this, the first episode. Just some things I thought might be interesting, plus the entire list of credits, which I jotted down in their entirety when the show was over, without realizing that perhaps I was duplicating Michael’s efforts.
IMDb says John King’s young, handsome, buttoned-down assistant is Al Casey, while the Classic TV Archive says he was Casey O’Brien. He was referred to only as Casey in this first episode, so that’s still an open question. As to why Ray Hamilton was “introduced” in the opening credits, that’s also a small puzzle. He had parts in six earlier TV shows, starting in 1959. The roles were probably small, however. This would have been his first starring role. And also his last appearance on TV of any kind.
Also note that Highway Patrol ended in 1959. This first episode of King of Diamonds could have been filmed then, or soon after, and not picked up for syndication until 1961. Also, for what it’s worth, IMDb lists Hamilton as appearing in only 13 of the overall 38 episodes.
As for the series itself, Broderick Crawford plays John King, the gruff and rather burly head of security for a large international diamond corporation, and he’s the one who’s called right away when a staged automobile accident nets a gang of thieves two million dollars worth of uncut diamonds.
There are a few twists and double-twists after that, mostly involving Lola Albright’s character, who wants the diamonds and doesn’t care how she gets them. This particular episode was filmed with very quick transition scenes and even quicker dialogue, so after a while it is easy to sit back and watch with no real need to pay close attention. They managed to get a lot of story crammed into only 30 minutes of running time, and as you can see, the cast was a large one.
Some of the scenes take place in a nightclub with both King and Casey hanging around a good-looking young lady playing the piano. I’m sure this was not an idea wholly original to the series.
August 2nd, 2015 at 12:47 pm
Watched the show when I was a kid. And what a great pic of a hardboiled detective on that Dell comic!
August 2nd, 2015 at 1:45 pm
This first episode is the only one I’ve seen. There are three that are available on the collector-to-collector market, including this one. I don’t know why the complete series isn’t available, but maybe someday.
Based on this one, I’d say the series is a step above average when it comes to 30 minute crime shows, including network offerings, but I’d need to see another one before saying so for sure. They certainly went all out in this first one, though — that’s quite a lengthy list of cast members.
August 2nd, 2015 at 8:30 pm
Heard of but never saw this one so it may not have been syndicated in the Dallas market.
I wonder if someone had read Ian Fleming THE DIAMOND SMUGGLERS as John King seems to have the same job with the IDB Fleming’s John Blaise had.
August 2nd, 2015 at 9:37 pm
Apparently there were film rights sold and there was an attempt to make a film of the book in 1964. Fleming’s Bond was at his height of popularity. It may explain CBS and Ziv’s interest in a TV series about hunting diamond smugglers.
The “King” was the top man to diamond companies as he and his agency fought the evil organization Spectre…no, Illicit Diamond Buyers – the IDB.
August 2nd, 2015 at 11:16 pm
Stephen, Comment #1
Broderick Crawford looks like that all the way through the show. I don’t think he takes his trenchcoat off once.