Fri 20 May 2016
Reviewed by Michael Shonk: FOUR FORGOTTEN TV AND RADIO SPY SERIES.
Posted by Steve under Old Time Radio , Reviews , TV Espionage & Spies[13] Comments
by Michael Shonk
WORLD OF GIANTS. ZIV Productions, 1959; syndicated. Cast: Marshall Thompson as Mel Hunter, Arthur Franz as Bill Winters and Marcia Henderson as Miss Brown.
SPY SHADOW. NBC, 1967-68. Depatrie-Freleng Productions with Mirisch-Rich Television. Voice Cast: Ted Cassidy, June Foray, Shepard Menkin, Don Messick, Paul Frees. Producers: David H. Depatie and Fritz Freleng.
FORTUNE HUNTER. Fox, 1994. BBK Productions Inc. / Columbia Pictures Television. Cast: Mark Frankel as Charlton Dial, and John Robert Hoffman as Harry Flack. Created by Steven Aspis. Co-Executive Producers: Steven Aspis & Paul Stupin. Executive Prodcuers: Frank Lupo & Carlton Cuse.
MR. I.A. MOTO. NBC Radio, 1951; sustaining. Cast: James Monk and Mr. I. A. Moto. Produced by Carol Irwin or Doris Quinlan. Announcer: Fred Collins or Ray Barret. Director: Harry W. Junkin. Writers include Harry W. Junkin, Robert Tallman and Jim Haines.
WORLD OF GIANTS (WOG). “Special Agent.†Teleplay by Donald Duncan and Jack Laird; story by Donald Duncan. Directed and produced by Otto Lang. Guest Cast: John Gallaudet and James Seay *** While on a mission behind the Iron Curtain, American spy Mel Hunter suffered an accident that shrank him to six inches. “Special Agent†is the series first episode and is the story of Mel’s first case as a six-inch man. Mel and his normal sized partner Bill search an office for secret papers.
There are two episodes available on YouTube – the first and last. Both are slow paced and clumsily written, even for the late fifties era. Direction and special effects did what they could with the limits of technology at the time. Drama was mocked as the most serious threats to life of our hero spy came from a cat and a falling pencil.
According to Broadcasting, (July 28 1958, August 18 1958 and July 28 1958) WOG was originally scheduled for the 1958-59 fall season on the CBS network. It would have aired on Wednesday following Invisible Man. Production problems caused the series to be delayed. The 1958 season was a bad time for network’s ad sales; the networks were still struggling with the fallout from the quiz show scandals. Both Invisible Man and World of Giants were replaced by the live drama Pursuit. WOG would finally air in syndication starting September 1959 and last only thirteen episodes.
SPY SHADOW. “Evila the Terrible†Credits can be found here on the Big Cartoon Database. *** Villain Evila is trying to take over the World again. Her servant has invented a hypnosis ray gun that Evila uses to obtain everyone’s jewels and money. Interspy agent Richard Vance is sent to stop his old flame.
This poorly animated and written Saturday morning cartoon is bad enough to be fun to watch. Spy Shadow was a segment of Saturday morning cartoon series, Super President Show. (Super President was the President of the United States and when needed turned into costumed superhero Super President who could change his molecular structure to any form).
Spy Shadow featured Richard Vance, an agent for an organization named Interspy. Thanks to his training in mysterious Tibet, Vance and his shadow could separate to fight Super-villains. The episodes usually began with the villain succeeding in his/her/it evil plot of the week. Vance would try to stop the crime and bad guys. Vance would fail and get captured. The villain would usually leave Vance in an over complicated death trap. Vance’s shadow would separate from his body and save the spy/detective from the trap. The only thing that could stop the shadow was darkness, as the shadow needed light to exist.
Both Spy Shadow and Super PresidentT episodes can be found on YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUNj9kO7wo0
FORTUNE HUNTER. “Red Alert.” Written by Carlton Cuse; directed by Mike Levine. Guest Cast: J.G. Hertzler and Karen Witter. *** The plot has a mad man seeking to free the Ukraine from Russia by blackmailing the World with nerve gas. The nerve gas had last been seen stored in an out of date Russian satellite that had crashed in South Carolina.
“Red Alert†featured a better than average script for the series by Carlton Cuse (Lost). Frankel offered some appeal as a cut-rate Bond while Hoffman was less hammy than usual. Karen Witter was terrible as the 90s stereotype – the female brilliant scientist/kick ass soldier with a beauty queen’s looks.
I would not be surprised that this series still has fans, especially young men who grew up during the 90s. Fortune Hunter is a typical example of the 1990s Action TV series with a style best described as 90s version of Stephen J. Cannell does James Bond.
However Fortune Hunter lacked any originality. The premise was a rip-off of TV series Search (1972, NBC). Former top British spy Charlton Dial now worked for Intercept Corporation, a private company specializing in high-risk assignments recovering objects. Dial was the field agent who had special contact lens and earpiece that allowed comedy relief and Intercept tech Harry to monitor Dial’s activity as a one man “Probe Control.†And not surprisingly the series had a fondness for gadgets.
While all thirteen episodes were filmed and reportedly successfully aired around the World, Fox pulled it off the air after only five episodes aired. “Red Alert†was the last to air on Fox.
MR. I. A. MOTO. “The Bazaloff Paper.†Written and directed by Harry W. Junkin. Produced by Carol Irwin. Cast: James Monk as Moto. Guest cast: Ross Martin and Connie Lembeke. *** Moto is in the Far East searching for a murdered scientist’s paper that could change the balance of power in the Pacific.
The character of Mr. Moto first appeared in a series of books written by John P. Marquand. I have a great fondness for the film version of Mr. Moto as portrayed by Peter Lorre. Both the books and films are still remembered today, but the same can not be said about the NBC radio series.
The radio series was well-written, racist, sexist and an excellent example of the culture at the time. Japanese-American Moto worked as an international secret agent fighting communism and crime all over the world.
The series aired on NBC in 1951 without a sponsor. It was a difficult time for radio, as TV was replacing it as the public’s favorite home entertainment. The focus of NBC was more on TV, and while the network produced 23 half-hours without a commercial sponsor, NBC paid little attention to promoting the series. Because of this there remains some confusion and questions about Mr. I. A. Moto.
For example, there are two versions surviving of the same story – “Bazaloff Paper†and “Kuriloff Paper.†Some believe one was for the West Coast and the other for the East Coast. Others believe one was a rehearsal copy and the other the final air version. Here are both versions:
Bazaloff Paper:
Kuriloff Paper:
More details about Mr. I. A. Moto can be found at The Digital Deli Too.
May 20th, 2016 at 5:57 pm
WORLD OF GIANTS was completely new to me. Have to look it up.
Does anyone besides me recall the spy series FIVE FINGERS David Hedison did. He played theatrical agent Victor Sebastian stationed out of London, posing as a communist sympathizer he was really an American agent. It was a black and white series, an early version of a MISSION IMPOSSIBLE type series.
May 20th, 2016 at 7:01 pm
Blue Light with Robert Goulet.
May 20th, 2016 at 7:11 pm
1. David,here is the opening from an episode of FIVE FINGERS.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ViPpRilGZgc
I have seen a couple of episodes and liked it. Anything with Luciana Paluzzi in it is worth watching, but the writing and the rest of the cast were equally entertaining.
May 20th, 2016 at 7:16 pm
2. John Hegenberger, you are right. BLUE LIGHT reminds me of FIVE FINGERS with Cold War instead of BLUE LIGHT in WWII.
I have reviewed BLUE LIGHT here.
https://mysteryfile.com/blog/?p=16133
May 20th, 2016 at 8:00 pm
Thanks, Michael. The show still holds up, but the 30 mins, slot is much too short, IMHO.
May 20th, 2016 at 10:55 pm
Michael, John,
Fan of BLUE LIGHT too, and THE MAN WHO NEVER WAS with Robert Lansing and Dana Wynter.
A few others MAN IN THE SUITCASE with Richard Bradford, ASSIGNMENT VIENNA with Robert Conrad, the Richard Telfair (Richard Jessup) based series with Harry Guardino, CALLAN with Edward Woodward, and QUILLER with Michael Jayston.
Of course those hardly scratch the surface.
May 21st, 2016 at 12:43 am
David you are thinking of MONTY NASH a half hour syndicated series in the 70s.
One of my favorite genres in TV is spies. There has been countless versions – comedy DOUBLE LIFE OF HENRY PHYFE, British MR. PALFREY OF WESTMINSTER, Canadian series ADDERLY, E-RING, SHE SPIES and SECRET SQUIRREL..
Remember when USA network aired pretty spies COVERT AFFAIRS opposite AMC’s quality RUBICON?
My favorite is ABC’s DELPHI BUREAU.
I have been wanting to do a genre post like this featuring forgotten series from TV, cartoons, and radio.
May 21st, 2016 at 12:03 pm
I remember liking “World of Giants”, of course I was only eight when it was syndicated. I mostly recall the scenes where the hero was trying to just have a normal life while having to live in a doll house. Too bad they couldn’t workout the pairing of this show with “Invisible Man”. Before local channels were allowed to air hour long commercials, shows like this would show up either in the after midnight hours, or late on Saturday afternoons.
Marshall Thompson was always a favorite actor of mine, probably due to seeing him in this show. He also appeared in some of my favorite sci-fi movies, “Fiend Without a Face”, and “Around the World Under the Sea”. And it’s always a treat to catch him when he was younger in films like John Ford’s “They Were Expendable”. Am looking forward to watching him in “Dial 1119”.
May 21st, 2016 at 1:46 pm
8. Matthew Clark, you might enjoy the other episode available on YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34PBqt76zjA
I was surprised by casting in this one. The 50s and 60s was a time of racial tension. Even the networks were reluctant to include black actors due to the risk the South region TV stations would refuse to carry the program. The episode above in set against the background of jazz musicians. The casting of Mel’s close friend and jazz mentor as a black man was a surprising risk for TV show like this. What made it even better was there was no references to anyone skin color.
May 21st, 2016 at 2:35 pm
Michael,
DELPHI BUREAU was a particular favorite, but then not many spy series starred Celeste Holm as a regular. The pilot was particularly good, with, if I recall right, Dean Jagger as a wealthy right wing nut with something more than grain in his silos. Unique STAR TREK tie in too (movies anyway).
Yes, Monty Nash was the series, I always confuse him with Peter Rabe’s Manny de Witt also from Gold Medal. Another, not exactly a spy, but related, was Craig Stevens globe trotting photographer in MAN OF THE WORLD.
Of course there was also JASON KING, DEPARTMENT S, SANDBAGGERS, DANGEROUS ASSIGNMENT, FOREIGN INTRIGUE (under several titles), THE CHAMPIONS, THE PROTECTORS, THE ADVENTURER, AMOS BURKE SECRET AGENT (slain by I SPY in the ratings if I recall), COOL MILLION, THE MAN FROM INTERPOL, JERICHO, and no few episodes of COURT MARTIAL dealt with espionage in wartime Italy. That doesn’t even touch on the more famous series.
There was one that starred Robert Conrad in the pilot but was another actor (Robert Hogan?) when it came to series that I can’t recall the name of. MATT HELM got turned into a private eye basically, Modesty Blaise got a pilot with Ann Turkel (Mrs. Richard Harrison), and I think the Henry Silva RETURN OF MR. MOTO was probably originally a pilot like the Richard Egan STRYKER from Leslie Stevens.
ESPIONAGE was a short lived anthology series of supposedly true tales. Then of course series like 77 SUNSET STRIP, MAGNUM P.I., HAWAII FIVE O (the whole Wo Fat saga), and THE FBI all regularly did spy episodes.
And lest we forget, the coolest television secret agent of them all, DANGER MOUSE.
May 21st, 2016 at 5:01 pm
David, I have been reviewing here since November 2010 and I have done about 20 reviews on TV spies. I did the Robert Conrad series A MAN CALLED SLOANE and the Robert Logan pilot DEATH RAY 2000.
Remember any of these?
These are some I reviewed: JOHN FORSYTHE SHOW, NEW ADVENTURES OF BEANS BAXTER, HUNTER (52/54), HUNTER (77), MR AND MRS SMITH, and SENTIMENTAL AGENT.
These are some I have not reviewed yet: AGENT X, THE ASSETS, CHAOS, PIGLET FILES, THREAT MATRIX, SECRET FILE USA, CORRIDOR PEOPLE, SECRET AGENT MAN (on UPN…not the British DANGER MAN), SPY GROOVE, SHEEP IN THE BIG CITY, SECRET SERVICE (Gerry Anderson) and LANCELOT LINK.
One of my post at Criminal Element was on TV Spies.
http://www.criminalelement.com/blogs/2013/02/home-of-the-forgotten-tv-spies-michael-shonk
There has been enough TV spies for full books devoted to the subject such as ENCYCLOPEDIA OF TV SPIES by Wesley Britton.
May 21st, 2016 at 10:40 pm
Michael,
Thanks, A MAN CALLED SLOANE, had it bassackwards.
I suppose considering the Cold War it wasn’t really surprising there were so many spy series, plus of course the Bond boom of the sixties.
Then too in Hollywood the influx of actors from Europe before and right after the war and the always popular British Raj meant that there was no shortage of actors to fill out spy dramas. You have to wonder where some character actors careers would have been without them.
I don’t have the Britton book, but I know him from his blog activity on the subject.
May 22nd, 2016 at 2:03 am
David , the fifties interest was more anti-Commie than spy while the 60’s was JFK’s fault for liking James Bond.
I went back an re-read my Amos Burke review. Spelling said ABC wanted in on the Bond craze and forced Burke to become a spy.
ABC did not stop with the failure of Burke but immediately tried BLUE LIGHT and then MAN WHO NEVER WAS. ABC wanted a MAN FROM UNCLE or I SPY but never found the right series.
Of course movies also had a Bond craze going in the 60s and 70s.
I was mildly surprised how relatively few spy radio shows there were. Some dealt with WWII while most were out to get Commies. Moto occasionally had just a detective story but most often tied to Commies.
Like most genres it is fun to track how the genre changes over time. I am trying to remember what was the last successful TV spy series. LEGEND and AGENT X recently failed. 24 may be the last serious successful spy. ARCHER, BURN NOTICE and COVERT AFFAIRS were light drama to comedy when they worked. And when BURN NOTICE and COVERT AFFAIRS got serious ratings fell. Maybe that is one of the reasons for the disappointing ratings for FX THE AMERICANS.
While my favorite of the genre is DELPHI BUREAU, I have to name DANGER MAN or RUBICON as the best TV spy series I have seen.