Fri 24 Jul 2009
A TV Series Review by Ted Fitzgerald: ARREST AND TRIAL (ABC; 1963-64)
Posted by Steve under Reviews , TV mysteries[4] Comments
ARREST AND TRIAL. ABC-TV, 1963-64. Ben Gazzara, Chuck Connors, Roger Perry, John Larch, Don Galloway, Joe Higgins, John Kerr. On DVD: The Best of Arrest and Trial, Part Two, Timeless Media Group.
I was disappointed with this set of shows. This was the 90 minute 1963 ABC series that first tried out the Law and Order formula of having the first half chart the police work and the second half cover the resulting legal proceeding.
The difference here is that the second half focused on the defense attorney, rather than the prosecutors, in this case, Chuck Connors as “Irish” John Egan. Some critics said this undercut the show’s premise but I think it expanded the storytelling possibilities, although there are times you wonder which side of the street Egan is working.
What hurt the show, based on the nine episodes on view in this three-disc set, was its length. It was too long, it was sloooow, scenes dragged or were dragged out for padding. It was confusing as stories lost their way and guest stars like James Whitmore, John McIntire, Kim Hunter and Roddy McDowall gave great performances that were swallowed up in the maelstrom.
The writers didn’t seem to know how to write for the show’s length; potentially strong 60 minute stories became weak, discursive and ultimately boring behemoths.
While Connors projected authority and had presence as Egan, Ben Gazzara phoned in his cop character, Nick Anderson. Anderson was an absolute cipher and Ben did nothing to flesh him out.
This isn’t so much a bad show as one that didn’t live up to its potential. There’s another box set out there, but I don’t think I’ll be looking it up.
July 25th, 2009 at 3:11 pm
Chuck Connors is a terrific actor. He was very good in The Rifleman.
I’ve never seen ARREST AND TRIAL. Too bad it sounds as if some of the scripts are second rate.
July 25th, 2009 at 4:28 pm
Chuck Connors was very good in The Rifleman and later in Branded, but I think what shows he was a better actor than some probably think was how good he was in the few comic roles he played like a hood (with Charles Bronson) in Pat and Mike, a fellow named ‘Superman” in the George Reeves Adventures of Superman, and the bald mutton chopped gunfighter in Support Your Local Gunfighter. Comedy is always the true test of how good an actor is.
I remember Arrest and Trial though I was only thirteen at the time. Ted is being kind in his assessment of the series despite an outstanding cast. There was a tie in novel but I can’t recall if it was an original story or a novelization of an actual episode. I would guess the former as I remember the book being better than anything on the series. The book was by pulp and paperback original writer Norman Daniels, I think for Pyramid.
July 25th, 2009 at 11:36 pm
I don’t know whether or not the tie-in paperback was based on an episode of the series, either. I don’t have it in hand to check, but I did find an image of the cover online.
You’re right about Norman Daniels being the author, David, but as it turns out, it was published by Lancer, not Pyramid:
The show itself was on during my first year of grad school, and we had no TV in the apartment I and three other guys shared, so I have no memories of this show at all.
But I guess I’m a sucker for TV shows of this vintage. When I found copies of both box sets cheaply enough, I went ahead and bought them anyway — not that I’m doubting your review, Ted!
July 25th, 2009 at 11:59 pm
Well, I had a 50/50 chance as Daniels was writing quite a bit for Pyramid and Lancer in this period — the John Keith Man From APE series at the former and tv-tie ins and some gothics at Lancer.
Arrest and Trial episodes may play a little better on DVD where instead of 90 minutes they probably run closer to 75 or 80. And as I said outstanding cast whatever their flaws.
Truth is I don’t think the producers or writers knew what to do with the extra twenty minutes a week, and the mid episode switch from police drama to Perry Mason tended to make the show seem to be at odds with itself. Neither Connors or Gazzara were interesting or likable enough to root for, and it was hard to root for them when they might turn out to have arrested and tried the wrong man.
Or as some wit at the time supposedly said, “Arrest is okay, Trial not so much.”