Mon 27 May 2013
A TV Series Review by Michael Shonk: THE MANHUNTER (1974-75).
Posted by Steve under Reviews , TV mysteries[27] Comments
THE MANHUNTER. CBS, 1974-75. QM Productions; developed by Sam H. Rolfe. Cast: Ken Howard as Dave Barrett, Robert Hogan as Sheriff Paul Tate, Ford Rainey as James “Pa†Barrett, Claudia Bryar as Mary “Ma†Barrett and Hilary Thompson as Lizabeth “Sis†Barrett.
THE MANHUNTER was Quinn Martin’s second attempt at doing a series about a PI in 1930s Depression. His first was NBC’s BANYON [reviewed here ] set in Los Angeles that ran from 1971-73.
Developed by Sam H. Rolfe (HAVE GUN WILL TRAVEL, DELPHI BUREAU), THE MANHUNTER featured ex-Marine Dave Barrett returning from fighting in China to find the Depression had changed his hometown of Cleary Idaho and the fortunes of his family’s farm.
Dave was a man of few words, a man experienced in action. After stopping one infamous group of bank robbing gangsters, he decided to keep the family farm financially safe with the money he would collect tracking down wanted criminals. With the superfluous help of friend Sheriff Paul Tate, Dave showed rural America could handle those city gangsters. At least that was the way it started.
The characters were drenched in Americana folklore from the good hardworking locals to his family with Pa, Ma, and little sister. This GUNSMOKE meets THE UNTOUCHABLES told in the Quinn Martin style of straight forward action had one major flaw.
In the book Quinn Martin, Producer by Jonathan Etter (McFarland, 2008), Ken Howard discussed the series THE MANHUNTER.
“I was playing a role that I wasn’t suited to,†explained Howard, “If you were to pick somebody to play the Manhunter, it would be Clint Eastwood. Kind of a stony-faced man of few words, which is not my own measure of what I had done as an actor up to that point. I tried to be that as best I could.â€
Quinn Martin and the writers began to change the character of Dave Barrett. Howard remembered Quinn Martin comparing him to more like Jimmy Stewart, more verbal and laconic:
I have seen the TV Movie pilot and three episodes. All four episodes had a different producer, not a sign of behind the scenes stability, but if Ken Howard’s point of view is correct, Quinn Martin was the showrunner.
EPISODE INDEX —
“The Pilot.†(February 26, 1974) Written by Sam H. Rolfe. Directed by Walter Grauman. Produced by Adrian Samish. GUEST CAST: Gary Lockwood, Stefanie Powers and Tim O’Connor *** It is 1934 and ex-Marine Dave Barrett returns home to find things have changed. Due to the Depression, the Barrett’s farm is in financial trouble. Dave is at the local bank when its robbed by a gang made infamous by an opportunistic reporter. Things go wrong and Dave’s ex-girl friend (wife of Sheriff Tate) and Dave’s loyal dog are killed. Dave goes after the bad guys and girl and discovers reward money might be an answer to keeping the family’s farm.
The pilot had moments when writer Rolfe’s wit lifted the TV Movie above the standard action TV Movie but the story was burdened with clichéd characters and predictable twists.
“Death On the Run.†(October 2, 1974) Written by Robert W. Lenski. Directed by Leslie H. Martinson. Produced by Sam H. Rolfe. GUEST CAST: Harry Guardino, Bo Hopkins and William Schallert. *** Gangsters take a wounded member to the local hospital. On the run for multi-murders and other crimes, the gangsters take everyone in the hospital hostage just as Dave and the Barrett family arrive with a seriously injured Pa. One of the gangsters recognizes Dave as the famous Manhunter.
This episode featured the original version of Dave Barrett. The episode was standard TV action drama that was mindless, if not also, mildly entertaining.
“Flight To Nowhere.†(December 18, 1974) Written by Robert I. Holt. Directed by Lawrence Dobkins. Produced by Arthur Weingarten. GUEST CAST: Christine Belford, Tom Skeritt and Norman Alden *** PI Dave Barrett is hired by an insurance company to investigate a jewel robbery in a small town near Los Angeles.
This was a generic TV PI episode more suited for BANYON than THE MANHUNTER. Why send a PI from Idaho to solve a simple jewel robbery in Southern California? The mystery is obvious. The action keeps things moving, but leaves no time for the romance between Belford’s character and Dave to be more than a kiss at the end.
“To Kill A Tiger.†(February 26, 1975) Teleplay by S.S. Schweitzer. Story by Mort Fine. Directed by Bernard McEveety. Produced by Mort Fine. GUEST CAST: Kevin McCarthy, Robert Loggia and JoAnn Harris *** The Governor hires Dave to uncover a conspiracy to assassinate him.
Ken Howard is looking more Ivy League than Idaho farmer. The original premise of rural hero versus Chicago type gangsters has been replaced with just another Quinn Martin style action TV PI. The one thing that was not changed was the gunfire, chases, and fistfights.
In Broadcasting (September 16, 1974) excerpts from various reviews of the first episode were printed.
John J. O’Connor of the New York Times wrote, “It’s still action adventure, but it works better than most. The production is good, the period details are attractive, and [Ken] Howard and other cast regulars are pleasantly effective. As escapist fluff, it could settle into the plausible category.â€
Kay Gardella of the New York Daily News wrote, “This is a good, weekly bread-and-butter series.â€
Dick Adler of the Los Angeles Times had a different view. “There might have been the germ of a workable idea in THE MANHUNTER … but the same Quinn Martin trash-compacter which has already turned CANNON and BARNABY JONES into interchangeable hours of mindless motion seems to have been at work here…â€
THE MANHUNTER lasted only one season, but ratings, while not Top 30 worthy, were not bad. The show aired on CBS, starting September 11, 1974 on Wednesday night at 10 to 11pm, opposite ABC’s GET CHRISTIE LOVE and NBC’s PETROCELLI. After two weeks, THE MANHUNTER average rating share was 36.5 compared to GET CHRISTIE LOVE 29.5 share and PETROCELLI’S 28 share. (Broadcasting September 30, 1974). But that would change.
In April 1975, CBS cancelled THE MANHUNTER. Broadcasting (April 14, 1975) reported the series had an average of a 33 share from September through December, but in January the audience began to turn to NBC’s PETROCELLI. THE MANHUNTER also lost on average five shares from its lead-in CANNON.
Timing doomed THE MANHUNTER from any possibility of a second chance. Public opinion was in one of its anti-violence moods. For the next season, the FCC had ordered the networks to adopt the “Family Hour,†where between 8 and 9pm only family entertainment could air. In Broadcasting (May 5, 1975), CBS President Robert Wood admitted that for the upcoming season, when offered a choice he’d pick a tame melodrama or variety show rather than an action series.
Despite its early potential, THE MANHUNTER could never overcome the changes in premise and character nor the growing anti-violence public. The series was watchable but so ordinary and flawed that when gone few noticed or cared.
May 27th, 2013 at 1:44 pm
I saw this when it first came out, and enjoyed it. But there was another version with Roy Thinnes in the role, and Sandra Dee as guest star.
RJR
May 27th, 2013 at 3:30 pm
RJR, its not unusual for different stories to have the same title. In this case the Roy Thinnes TV Movie had nothing to do with this series.
What is interesting about the Thinnes version is it was based on a book by an author popular here at Mystery*File, “Wade Miller.” The TV Movie was based on “The Killer” and tells the story of a professional big game hunter hired to find a killer but falls for the suspect’s wife.
May 27th, 2013 at 6:24 pm
One fun note I forgot to add. In the episode “Flight To Nowhere” one of the locations used was later used as Harry Orwell’s home in Santa Monica (even had a boat, but different boat in front).
May 28th, 2013 at 11:59 am
Michael, I have three comments:
1 — It is refreshing to hear Ken Howard take some responsible for the show’s failure, saying he wasn’t the right man for the role, rather than blaming it on someone else.
2 — Can we conclude from your synopses that Mort Fine was likely the “funny, hard-nosed guy” they brought in to change the show?
3 — Interesting that Quinn Martin, who today is widely regarded as one of the geniuses of sixties-seventies episodic drama, was considered the operator of a “trash-compacter” by contemporary critics, or at least one contemporary critic.
May 28th, 2013 at 12:29 pm
#4. David.
1. I agree, but I think he was too hard on himself. Did you notice the almighty TV critic John J. O’Connor liked him in the first episode? The problem really was Quinn Martin who cast him for a part even Martin would agree he was wrong for. I think the problem was more Howard’s lack of comfort with starring and his untested abilities.
In the book, Howard mentions he was doing a play when he got the phone call the series was cancelled, the caller joked Howard would be celebrating that night. Howard admitted he did, but he would have done his duty if it had been renewed.
2. The fact Howard did not name the writer, to me, showed the chain of command. Howard and QM met for lunch and exchanged phone calls and QM made any changes Howard requested. I know during the 80s the writers rarely dealt with the cast unless they were producing the series. Yes, though the description is perfect for Sam Rolfe, the later in the year comment hinted to me it was Mort Fine.
3. During my day Quinn Martin was considered a commercial hack (I don’t mean hack in the bad sense of the word). He produced professional product aimed at the masses. His work rarely took risks and most of his work has a common look or style that many such as myself find boring.
The geniuses of sixties-seventies episodic drama were Roy Huggins and ITC.
May 28th, 2013 at 5:22 pm
Your cast paragraph has two actresses switched.
Hilarie Thompson, a cute brunette ingenue of the period, played Sis, and the ever-matronly Claudia Bryar was Mom.
On another matter, I’d like to know exactly what is the “good” sense of the word hack.
No one that I’m aware of regards this word as anything other than a putdown.
Moreover, hack is used far too facilely by “critics” who automatically disparage anything that happens to be popular with “the Masses”, as though anything really good would be “over their heads”.
My own tastes are all over the place; I’ve often chafed at “critical darlings” and enjoyed the less-favored, as a quick reread of my many posts here will attest.
Thus, hack is a word I would use sparingly, if at all; the target would have to truly deserve that label, and I frankly don’t think that anything that bad has survived that long.
May 28th, 2013 at 8:51 pm
#6. Mike, thanks for the correction. Steve, it should be:
Claudia Bryar as Mary “Ma” Barrett
Hilary Thompson as Lizabeth “Sis” Barrett
I figured my reply in #5 would get some QM fan to comment. I know there are certainly many of them out there. I am not a fan of Quinn Martin’s work, sorry.
My definition of hack is any writer or artist more interested in commercial success than creative success. I don’t expect everyone to be able or interested in producing great literature. I actually prefer genre fiction over most literature. But there needs to be some signs of creative growth or risks for me to respect any artist.
Now let me state the obvious, this is my opinion, but considering all entertainment quality is based on one’s perspective, opinion is all we got.
Quinn Martin Production did one thing well and just repeated it over and over. One might argue Quinn Martin was a auteur, if one could find any creativeness in the formula. The standard episodic drama with little to no character advancement, no wit, mindless action, conservative in attempting to test and grow from the basic formula, QM had virtually no creative range. It is not surprising he never could sell a sitcom.
I agree QM is important in the history of 60s-70s TV, if only for the amount of product he churned out for the masses. I see his influence in Dick Wolf’s successful series.
THE MANHUNTER was pure QM, bland, boring, predictable, but it also had whatever it is QM fans find so entertaining. In my reviews I try to stay openminded. I attempt to judge the show on who was the audience and how successful was the show entertaining that audience. QM stuff usually works for its audience, but THE MANHUNTER (and BANYON) had other problems behind the camera that doomed it.
I have no problem using the word hack. Maybe it is too strong from your point of view, but I feel more comfortable using hack with QM than the word artist.
I will admit I smile and feel warm inside every time I hear Hank Sims voice.
May 28th, 2013 at 10:00 pm
Mike
Changes made!
— Steve
May 29th, 2013 at 9:48 pm
Remembering that I once expressed to him that I had enjoyed the TV series CANNON (a Quinn Martin production), Michael wondered in a short email he sent me recently why I hadn’t come rushing to QM’s defense back up there following Comment #5.
There are several reasons for that, the first being I enjoyed CANNON because of its star, William Conrad, not so much for its stories, which although they were PI shows, which is always a plus, they were fairly pedestrian PI shows.
Conrad, of course, was the star of radio’s GUNSMOKE, and of tons of noirish movies in the 40s and 50s, and I always found him fun to watch, and even more, to listen to.
But as I recall, I don’t think CANNON showed up on any night of my prime time crime series programming, that’s how far down on the horizon lies that particular series.
Back then, who produced a TV series meant almost nothing to me, and the name Quinn Martin very little more than that. It does now, from a historical perspective, and Michael, reading your definition of “hack” in Comment #7, I see nothing now to disagree with.
May 29th, 2013 at 11:37 pm
#9. Now where is the fun if you agree with me? 🙂
Way back in #4 David mentioned the current thoughts about QM, the “genius” of the 60s-70s TV. The book “Quinn Martin, Producer” has a crush on QM.
Many of us lived through that era and I don’t remember QM getting alot of love from the critics then. I wondered if I was remembering it all wrong. I hoped someone could help me understand what made a QM Production popular and why people watched them.
May 30th, 2013 at 12:40 pm
Michael, much of Quinn Martin’s work is unwatchable to me, but I do give him credit for certain formal innovations, like the so-called “docudramatic deus ex machina” (to quote Marc/Thompson) construction of The Untouchables, along with the decision to use Winchell narration and to give prominence and recurring roles to Ness’s nemeses, thus letting tensions between them simmer.
One can argue forever about who gets credit for what, and I fully grasp the importance of Roy Huggins to The Fugitive, but as far as I know the idea for ending the series with a two-part episode bringing closure was Martin’s — I could be wrong, but that is my understanding. Likewise, I get that Larry Cohen created The Invaders and left behind numerous story ideas, but one could argue that formatting the series within the QM template — the narration, the act structure, etc. — imbued the series with a certain charm and style that enhanced the viewing experience.
Beyond those shows there isn’t much of Martin I can take, though.
May 30th, 2013 at 1:01 pm
#11. Thanks, David for the insight.
TV, like film, is nearly always a group creation, but while the term auteur is usually misused there are some TV producers with such a distinct style their work is instantly recognizable. Sadly, in television and film, the style can become a straitjacket where the audience refuses to accept anything else from you. Stephen Cannell fell into the trap. Maybe we should say the same for QM.
May 30th, 2013 at 4:02 pm
There will always be differences of opinion about TV shows and the styles of producers.
That said, my generation of viewers will always be in Quinn Martin’s debt – for his main titles.
Without those titles, I (and my contemporaries) would never have learned the correct pronunciations of
Edgar Stehli
Rhys Williams
Oscar Beregi
Alf Kjellin
Ramon Bieri
– or for that matter, Maurice Evans.
(… and many others i’ve momentarily forgotten.)
If only QM hadn’t downed tools before the advent of Zjelko Ivanek …
May 30th, 2013 at 9:32 pm
#9. William Conrad was a talented man, not only as a voice actor and on screen actor but director as well.
I wish I could remember the details. But I think it was in the 60s and someone (WB executive or producer) told him he had to give up his second job (voice work) and focus on his day job acting on screen. Conrad respond it was the other way around, he was making more from voice work than his on screen work.
My favorite of all his roles will always be ROCKY AND BULLWINKLE.
May 30th, 2013 at 9:36 pm
#13. Perhaps the most memorable aspect of any QM Production was the opening introduction to title and cast. Others tried it but never got it right.
May 31st, 2013 at 9:49 am
#14:
Somewhere back in time, I think I told this Bill Conrad story on a blog (maybe even this one).
In the ’60s, Bill Conrad had pretty much given up acting on-camera in favor of producing and directing second-feature thrillers under contract to Warners (the best remembered being Two On A Guillotine).
During this period, Jack L. Warner would hold court during lunch at the WB commissary, turning it into a sort of roast-and-toast for whoever he happened to see there. (Warner was a frustrated performer; he played these sessions to the hilt.)
So one day, it was Conrad’s turn.
Warner: “Young man!” (Conrad was in his late 40s at the time.)
Conrad (meekly): “Yes, sir?”
Warner (sternly): “I was looking at that TV show, The Fugitive, and I thought I heard your voice. Was that you?”
Conrad: “Yes, sir. I narrate that show.”
Warner: “My grandchildren were watching a cartoon called Rocky And His Friends, and I thought I heard your voice again. Was that you?”
Conrad: “Yes, sir. I’m the announcer of that show.”
Warner: “I saw a commercial for something called Hot Wheels, some kind of toy. Was that you?”
Conrad: “Yes, sir. I’ve done that commercial for a couple of years now.”
Warner went on down a list of various voice-overs; Conrad confirmed his participation in all of them.
Warner (imperially): “Young man, I wonder if you are aware of the dim view I take of moonlighting by employees of this studio!”
Conrad (calmly and logically): “I am aware of that, sir.
But I don’t think you are aware that those things you mentioned – the cartoons, the commercials, the narrations – those are what I do for a living.
What I do here – the movies I’m producing – that’s my moonlighting.”
Large laughs from everyone; Jack Warner knew he’d been topped, and laughed harder than anyone.
I may be mistaken about this, but I seem to recall Conrad telling this tale in Warner’s presence on a TV tribute to Warner (maybe Merv Griffin’s show, not sure).
Big laugh,as expected.
May 31st, 2013 at 10:33 am
#16. Thanks Mike for filling in the details. Maybe where I heard that story was here from you.
September 20th, 2013 at 2:01 pm
You appear to be missing some episodes:
•”The Manhunter” (11 Sep 1974)
•”Trackdown” (9 Oct 1974)
•”The Doomsday Gang” (23 Oct 1974)
•”The Deadly Brothers” (30 Oct 1974)
•”The Wrong Man” (5 Feb 1975)
•”Trial by Terror” (5 Mar 1975)
•”The Man Who Thought He Was Dillinger” (9 Apr 1975)
September 20th, 2013 at 5:01 pm
#18. Zathras IX, thanks, but I index only the episodes I see since mistakes are common on all databases available. Titles are commonly wrong and even dates can be off. I currently use TVTango.com for air dates especially when IMDb agrees.
IMDb claims there were 23 episodes for the series. I saw three and the TV movie pilot.
August 8th, 2014 at 8:34 pm
First off, the author of the QM book is Jonathan ETTER (not ‘Bitter’). Jon and I became friends online, and I am credited in the ‘acknowledgements’ in the front of the book, merely for sending him a VHS tape with two Untouchables episodes. One was an important episode that he speaks about in the chapter on that series (produced for Desilu by Martin in the first season).
Second, on the subject of Hank Simms and pronunciation of names, here’s an interesting one that got pronounced two different ways: Cesare Danova. When he appeared on Cannon in 1971, the last name was pronounced the way most people would pronounce it upon reading it…Duh-NO-va. Fast forward eight years later to 1979 and there he is as the Special Guest Star on Barnaby Jones (though he’s the guy who gets killed in the episode!), only this time Hank Simms announces his last name as ‘DAN-oh-va’…so who’s to say what the exact pronunciation is, since Mr. Danova passed away some time ago, sadly.
August 16th, 2014 at 5:19 pm
Incidentally, Cesare is pronounced ‘CHEZ-a-ray’.
August 16th, 2014 at 5:22 pm
A couple of other names I would not have known how to pronounce had it not been for QM:
Pina Pellicer (PEEN-ya Pel-is-AIR)
Lori Lethin (last name is pronounced ‘La-THEEN’)
More as they come to mind…
August 16th, 2014 at 5:23 pm
And also Clu Gulager (correct pronunciation of his last name is ‘GYOO-la-gur’)
August 16th, 2014 at 8:15 pm
Mark
Re your comment #20. I’ve corrected the error. Thanks for pointing it out!
August 29th, 2020 at 10:32 pm
where can i find on tape / dvd?
August 29th, 2020 at 11:48 pm
The pilot seems to be readily available. Some Googling should help. The rest of series is going to take some digging. I *think* it exists, but I’m not sure.
October 17th, 2022 at 11:55 am
Your guest star listing for ‘Flight to Nowhere’ should include Stephen Brooks. Although why the talented Mr. Brooks would take this role killing him off at the end of Act 1 is a mystery in itself.
A few episodes like this one can be found streamed on YouTube.