WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.360 --> 00:00:06.320 It's Night with Dan Ray. I'm Wazon Video. 2 00:00:07.559 --> 00:00:11.880 We've got half the show done, half the show to go, 3 00:00:12.679 --> 00:00:15.400 and I have a fun way to spend it. We're 4 00:00:15.480 --> 00:00:22.239 going to put two TV programs from the sixties under 5 00:00:22.239 --> 00:00:26.239 a microscope and do that to two other TV programs 6 00:00:26.440 --> 00:00:32.880 from the seventies under a microscope. I didn't do it. 7 00:00:33.079 --> 00:00:40.600 One of the stronger writers of TV programs, I say 8 00:00:40.679 --> 00:00:46.960 TV programs. He did books on James Garner's series Maverick, 9 00:00:47.240 --> 00:00:51.039 The Legend of the West, the Rockford Files, he did 10 00:00:51.079 --> 00:00:55.600 a book on the FBI. He's written a lot of 11 00:00:55.600 --> 00:01:01.640 books on legendary TV programs, and his current book, Men 12 00:01:01.840 --> 00:01:07.760 of Action talks about these four series. The Magician with 13 00:01:07.879 --> 00:01:13.239 Bill Bixby, Harry O with David Jansen, The Untouchables with 14 00:01:13.319 --> 00:01:16.640 Robert Stack and yes, I know there was another one 15 00:01:16.760 --> 00:01:20.599 that they tried to bring back in nineteen ninety three. 16 00:01:20.640 --> 00:01:23.760 I do believe. He mentions that and does the whole 17 00:01:23.799 --> 00:01:27.000 segment on that as well in this book and Run 18 00:01:27.560 --> 00:01:32.079 for Your Life. And the people behind these series are 19 00:01:32.200 --> 00:01:37.799 names with which you're familiar. For an example, I want 20 00:01:37.840 --> 00:01:41.599 to talk about, oh which one, let me just pick 21 00:01:41.760 --> 00:01:46.120 put my finger on one. Run for your life. When 22 00:01:46.120 --> 00:01:51.159 I mentioned the book on James Garner. One of the 23 00:01:51.280 --> 00:01:58.319 creators of James Garner's Maverick character and Rockford Files was 24 00:01:58.400 --> 00:02:06.760 Roy Huggins. Ed Robertson did conversations with mister Huggins on 25 00:02:06.799 --> 00:02:10.280 this book Man of Action, and I have had so 26 00:02:10.400 --> 00:02:16.520 many superb conversations with Ed Robertson off the radio. I'm 27 00:02:16.560 --> 00:02:19.719 glad to share him with my audience. And forgive me 28 00:02:19.719 --> 00:02:21.759 for being so long. When did welcome aboard? 29 00:02:22.199 --> 00:02:24.520 This is the Morgan White Show. You could be as 30 00:02:24.560 --> 00:02:25.840 long winded as you want. 31 00:02:26.080 --> 00:02:28.960 No, no, this is a Dan Ray knightside show. 32 00:02:29.439 --> 00:02:32.319 Well, I realized this is the Dan Ray nightside show 33 00:02:32.400 --> 00:02:35.719 for our purposes. Tonight it's the Morgan White Show filling 34 00:02:35.759 --> 00:02:37.800 in for Dan Ray and you can still be as 35 00:02:37.840 --> 00:02:38.960 long winded as you want. 36 00:02:39.120 --> 00:02:41.680 All right, fair enough, thank you for Happy Thanksgiving. 37 00:02:41.800 --> 00:02:42.719 Happy Thanksgiving. 38 00:02:42.879 --> 00:02:45.800 Did you enjoy your Thanksgiving today? I did. 39 00:02:45.960 --> 00:02:48.800 I had. I had a very very good friend over 40 00:02:49.520 --> 00:02:54.000 and we had roasted chicken dinner with with with with 41 00:02:54.039 --> 00:02:57.840 the works, and two kinds of salads. And I didn't 42 00:02:57.840 --> 00:03:00.039 feel like I didn't I didn't feel like an I 43 00:03:00.039 --> 00:03:02.000 didn't eat a lot per se, but I feel like, 44 00:03:02.039 --> 00:03:03.639 I ate a lot of If that makes a lot 45 00:03:03.639 --> 00:03:05.159 of sense, that's what dancing. 46 00:03:05.159 --> 00:03:06.960 And I had roasted chicken. 47 00:03:07.599 --> 00:03:12.599 Yeah, and I made and the fixens and and I 48 00:03:12.680 --> 00:03:14.039 made apple pie from scratch. 49 00:03:14.919 --> 00:03:16.439 Wow, we didn't go that far. 50 00:03:19.520 --> 00:03:22.800 Even and and meaning homemade crust too. 51 00:03:23.159 --> 00:03:26.479 Okay, Well the pies that we had we purchased at 52 00:03:26.479 --> 00:03:26.960 the store. 53 00:03:27.719 --> 00:03:31.800 Well, you're you're probably smarter than I. But I years 54 00:03:32.120 --> 00:03:34.400 years ago, when I was in college, I was in 55 00:03:34.520 --> 00:03:38.520 a I was I was in a I was in 56 00:03:38.599 --> 00:03:44.319 a like like a dorm like situation, and we, uh, 57 00:03:45.159 --> 00:03:48.280 there are I don't know about ten fifteen of us, 58 00:03:48.439 --> 00:03:53.520 and uh we used to take turns making meals. And 59 00:03:53.599 --> 00:03:57.439 that's when I first learned. I mean, for a while, 60 00:03:57.479 --> 00:04:02.000 I got into making pizza us from scratch and pie 61 00:04:02.000 --> 00:04:05.520 dough from scratch, and so I got into it for 62 00:04:05.560 --> 00:04:08.599 a while, and then I stopped doing that. But then 63 00:04:08.639 --> 00:04:11.960 about two or three years ago, the person I was 64 00:04:12.000 --> 00:04:14.360 with encouraged when she when she I made the mistake 65 00:04:14.400 --> 00:04:17.879 of telling her that I used to bake, and then 66 00:04:18.160 --> 00:04:22.360 she prodded me into baking. And so while she and 67 00:04:22.360 --> 00:04:24.959 I are no longer together, the fact that I still 68 00:04:24.959 --> 00:04:27.399 bake is a nice residual of that relationships. 69 00:04:27.480 --> 00:04:28.560 Okay, there you go. 70 00:04:29.079 --> 00:04:31.759 Yeah, so we made Apple Fire from scratch. 71 00:04:32.519 --> 00:04:35.199 I want to sell books for you. I'll make sure 72 00:04:35.279 --> 00:04:39.120 that people are teased enough by Men of Action. So 73 00:04:39.240 --> 00:04:41.319 want to go out and buy it? And yes, a 74 00:04:41.600 --> 00:04:47.879 perfect book for the size of some stockings hung by 75 00:04:47.920 --> 00:04:48.879 the chimney with care. 76 00:04:50.079 --> 00:04:53.439 Yes, Yes, it's Men of Action. Behind the scenes of 77 00:04:53.560 --> 00:04:58.519 four classic television series which Morgan enumerated a few minutes ago. 78 00:04:58.639 --> 00:05:02.040 The Magician with Bill mixby HARRYO with David Jansen Me 79 00:05:02.120 --> 00:05:04.079 and Touchables with Robert Stack Run for Your Life with 80 00:05:04.120 --> 00:05:09.600 Benkers are available through Cutting Edge Press. You can also 81 00:05:09.720 --> 00:05:13.519 find it directly at Amazon dot commne Action available Amazon 82 00:05:13.560 --> 00:05:18.879 dot com. It's available. The hardback is available for about 83 00:05:18.879 --> 00:05:23.199 twenty twenty one bucks, the paperbacks about eighteen dollars. In 84 00:05:23.240 --> 00:05:27.800 the ebook I think is ten bucks, but it's not 85 00:05:28.160 --> 00:05:30.639 terribly expensive. I think you'll get a lot of bang 86 00:05:30.680 --> 00:05:33.600 for your buck, especially if you like a classic television 87 00:05:33.600 --> 00:05:34.959 from the sixties and seventies. 88 00:05:35.120 --> 00:05:38.920 I'll say this throughout the book. There are names that 89 00:05:39.079 --> 00:05:45.120 come up that you know of now, from the eighties 90 00:05:45.120 --> 00:05:50.560 and nineties into the twenty first century that were pertinent 91 00:05:51.480 --> 00:05:57.399 back in the sixties and seventies, and I'm thoroughly amazed 92 00:05:57.480 --> 00:06:01.959 by how many names throughout all four of these TV shows. 93 00:06:02.240 --> 00:06:08.680 Histories were important back in the day. I wrote down 94 00:06:08.720 --> 00:06:13.240 some notes. I mentioned Roy Huggins Runs for Your Life. 95 00:06:14.000 --> 00:06:18.680 Roy Huggins was kind of co worse than the being 96 00:06:19.560 --> 00:06:21.839 the executive producer of that series. 97 00:06:22.480 --> 00:06:27.040 Well he was, and I realized, you're going to break 98 00:06:27.079 --> 00:06:29.079 in a couple of minutes, so I'll try to be 99 00:06:29.120 --> 00:06:31.160 as quick as this as possible and we'll pick it 100 00:06:31.240 --> 00:06:36.079 up on the other side. But he Roy Huggins, as 101 00:06:36.120 --> 00:06:39.360 you know, was also the creator of The Fugitive with 102 00:06:39.480 --> 00:06:44.079 David Jansen, and by the time he sold the series 103 00:06:44.160 --> 00:06:46.920 to ABC, he was unable to produce the show because 104 00:06:47.000 --> 00:06:49.879 Roy had actually left television for a couple of years. 105 00:06:49.920 --> 00:06:54.079 He went back to school. He studied political philosophy at 106 00:06:54.439 --> 00:06:56.240 u c l A for a couple of years before 107 00:06:56.360 --> 00:06:59.319 Universal made him an offer he couldn't refuse and brought 108 00:06:59.360 --> 00:07:02.800 him back in a time television. But The Fugitive, as 109 00:07:02.800 --> 00:07:05.480 you remember, was a huge hit for ABC and and 110 00:07:05.680 --> 00:07:10.360 and as imitation is often the ccerious form of flattery, 111 00:07:10.879 --> 00:07:15.720 every network, uh the both CBS and NBC tried to 112 00:07:15.759 --> 00:07:21.800 do their own versions of The Fugitive. None of them succeeded. 113 00:07:22.480 --> 00:07:24.600 Roy was under contract in the Universal at the time. 114 00:07:24.639 --> 00:07:30.920 The president of the President of Television Universe Well said, Roy, 115 00:07:31.120 --> 00:07:35.319 everyone else is doing the Fugitive knockoff, you should. If 116 00:07:35.360 --> 00:07:37.920 anyone should do it, you should, and he gave him 117 00:07:37.959 --> 00:07:40.759 the premise and Roy took it from there and it 118 00:07:40.800 --> 00:07:44.439 was a It was a top rated series for three years. 119 00:07:44.519 --> 00:07:47.319 The only reason didn't go beyond that it was a 120 00:07:47.399 --> 00:07:50.120 victim of its own premise, which is that Ben Gazzara 121 00:07:50.199 --> 00:07:55.680 played a man who had a mysterious illness, a mysterious 122 00:07:55.800 --> 00:07:58.680 terminal illness that only gave him two years to live, 123 00:07:59.439 --> 00:08:02.839 and the show went three years, right, and and a 124 00:08:03.000 --> 00:08:08.079 very uptight executive said, well, you've you know, if you've 125 00:08:08.120 --> 00:08:10.319 been on three years, he was only supposed to be 126 00:08:10.319 --> 00:08:12.839 on a live for two years. He's had one year 127 00:08:12.920 --> 00:08:14.360 too long. And that's why the show. 128 00:08:14.480 --> 00:08:17.680 Funny thing about that, which you mentioned in the book, 129 00:08:19.120 --> 00:08:24.959 the original premise had it so we the audience as 130 00:08:25.079 --> 00:08:30.959 watching it, we found out that that diagnosis was inaccurate. 131 00:08:31.519 --> 00:08:36.559 Now the character didn't know that the diagnosis was inaccurate, 132 00:08:37.120 --> 00:08:41.399 and that's what led to weekly conflicts. 133 00:08:41.559 --> 00:08:45.360 I think you're complaining something, Morgan, if I may. That 134 00:08:45.720 --> 00:08:48.080 was the premise of a very good movie with Dabney 135 00:08:48.120 --> 00:08:52.120 Coleman called Straight Time or a Short Time And and Yes, 136 00:08:52.159 --> 00:08:54.519 he thought he had he thought he had a terminal illness. 137 00:08:54.559 --> 00:08:58.120 It turns out he was given wrong information. But that 138 00:08:58.240 --> 00:09:05.399 was not the case with Ben Gazzara. The whole premise was, Okay, 139 00:09:05.480 --> 00:09:08.879 if you find out you're you have a terminal illness 140 00:09:08.879 --> 00:09:10.720 and only have a limited amount of time, what do 141 00:09:10.759 --> 00:09:12.639 you do with the rest of your life? Do you 142 00:09:12.799 --> 00:09:15.559 do you feel sorry for yourself? Or do you make 143 00:09:15.600 --> 00:09:17.960 the most of it? He decided to make the most 144 00:09:17.960 --> 00:09:20.879 of it, and because he was a person of certain means, 145 00:09:21.240 --> 00:09:24.000 he was able to travel the world and see places 146 00:09:24.000 --> 00:09:26.159 he may not have otherwise done if he was still 147 00:09:26.200 --> 00:09:27.919 working his job as a lawyer. 148 00:09:28.399 --> 00:09:30.720 I'm gonna stop. I'm gonna stop you here because you're 149 00:09:30.799 --> 00:09:35.440 right right, the break must be observed. Let's take the 150 00:09:35.480 --> 00:09:37.799 break and pick up this break when we come back. 151 00:09:38.159 --> 00:09:41.679 You want to join the conversation. People six one, seven, two, five, four, 152 00:09:41.799 --> 00:09:45.440 ten thirty or eight eight, eight, nine, two, nine, ten thirty, 153 00:09:45.840 --> 00:09:48.480 we'll be talking about all four of these shows once again, 154 00:09:48.559 --> 00:09:52.240 The Magician, Harry O, The Untouchables and Run for your 155 00:09:52.240 --> 00:09:56.720 Lifetime and temperature here on BZ ten sixteen. Oops, I'm 156 00:09:56.759 --> 00:10:00.360 in trouble and the temperature is forty two to grease. 157 00:10:02.320 --> 00:10:05.240 Now back to Dan Ray Live from the Window World, 158 00:10:05.440 --> 00:10:17.919 Light Side Studios on WBZ News Radio. 159 00:10:18.360 --> 00:10:21.279 The thing here in the background is from Bill Bisby's 160 00:10:21.320 --> 00:10:27.600 series The Magician. I love this show. 161 00:10:30.879 --> 00:10:36.159 Bill Bixby portrayed the magician named Anthony Blake, who went 162 00:10:36.240 --> 00:10:39.480 behind bars for years for a crime he did not 163 00:10:39.720 --> 00:10:45.440 commit and came out with the incentive to help people 164 00:10:46.399 --> 00:10:50.519 who were in no win situations and he used magic 165 00:10:51.279 --> 00:10:52.720 to extricate. 166 00:10:52.200 --> 00:10:58.360 Them out of those tough terms. The Magician. All right, 167 00:10:58.399 --> 00:11:01.399 that's enough for the Magician and thank you, thank you. 168 00:11:02.799 --> 00:11:07.200 That's stay my producer, and I love that theme. I 169 00:11:07.279 --> 00:11:11.240 used to have a Lincoln town Car and I had 170 00:11:11.240 --> 00:11:13.559 CDs made for it, and I had a what I 171 00:11:13.600 --> 00:11:17.919 call junk CD which included songs from TV, of which 172 00:11:17.960 --> 00:11:18.639 that was one. 173 00:11:19.480 --> 00:11:23.279 It was one of the many great theme musics from 174 00:11:23.519 --> 00:11:28.240 Patrick Williams. Patrick Williams, he did the Streets of San Francisco, 175 00:11:28.480 --> 00:11:31.399 He did the Bob Newhart Show theme Home to Emily. 176 00:11:32.320 --> 00:11:35.759 He did. He did the theme the lou Grant, he 177 00:11:35.919 --> 00:11:41.399 did countless countless he did. If I remember correctly, I 178 00:11:41.480 --> 00:11:46.720 believe he did the Mary Tyler Moore show thing. And 179 00:11:46.840 --> 00:11:51.639 he may have also done the music for Love Is 180 00:11:51.679 --> 00:11:55.840 All Around by Sonny Curtis. I'm going off memory there. 181 00:11:55.879 --> 00:11:59.840 If someone, if I misspeak, your listeners will let me know. 182 00:12:00.159 --> 00:12:03.039 Sara Curtis sang the theme. That was his voice. We 183 00:12:03.120 --> 00:12:05.639 heard Who's been trying the world on with a smile. 184 00:12:06.039 --> 00:12:07.480 But you're saying Pat Williams. 185 00:12:07.480 --> 00:12:09.639 I think Pat Williams did the music for the show. 186 00:12:09.879 --> 00:12:15.240 Okay, well we're jumping hopscotch here. Let's go back to 187 00:12:15.799 --> 00:12:17.960 Run for Your Life, which is where we were before 188 00:12:18.000 --> 00:12:24.480 the break. And if I remember correctly reading, because I 189 00:12:25.080 --> 00:12:29.559 read all this like three weeks ago, but the plot 190 00:12:31.000 --> 00:12:35.440 all of a sudden just rang in mister Huggard's head 191 00:12:35.559 --> 00:12:41.320 that maybe I should do it this way where he 192 00:12:41.399 --> 00:12:43.919 only has two years to live. 193 00:12:44.039 --> 00:12:46.600 That's okay, Actually, no, you're let me. I'm going to 194 00:12:46.679 --> 00:12:50.399 circle back. Yes, the way the idea was originally presented 195 00:12:50.480 --> 00:12:57.879 to him. You remember that correctly, The idea was a 196 00:12:57.960 --> 00:13:02.600 man A man is A man is mistakenly told that 197 00:13:02.679 --> 00:13:04.919 he has two week that he has a short time 198 00:13:04.960 --> 00:13:08.960 to live, and and Roy thought that was a Roy 199 00:13:09.039 --> 00:13:12.360 did not think that was a good premise for a series. 200 00:13:12.639 --> 00:13:16.200 Maybe a movie, not a series. And then Roy said, okay, 201 00:13:16.240 --> 00:13:18.279 what He turned that on his head and said, what 202 00:13:18.320 --> 00:13:21.720 if it's true? What if what if he only has 203 00:13:21.799 --> 00:13:26.519 two years to live? What does he do? And because 204 00:13:26.919 --> 00:13:30.399 it could be a statement on it could be a 205 00:13:30.480 --> 00:13:33.559 statement on what it means to truly live, depending on 206 00:13:33.559 --> 00:13:36.360 how you spend the rest of your days. And as 207 00:13:36.399 --> 00:13:41.240 we said before, he made he made the Ben Gazera 208 00:13:41.720 --> 00:13:46.600 character a lawyer because that gave that gave him the 209 00:13:46.679 --> 00:13:48.840 means to travel. 210 00:13:49.960 --> 00:13:51.960 He had deep pockets, He. 211 00:13:51.919 --> 00:13:57.200 Had deep pockets. And and because this was an episodic 212 00:13:57.279 --> 00:14:01.840 television show that you could put him realistically in position 213 00:14:01.879 --> 00:14:06.799 in position situations where being a lawyer would come in handy, 214 00:14:06.879 --> 00:14:11.120 as it often did in the course of of the series. 215 00:14:11.240 --> 00:14:15.519 And because this was done in sixty five sixty six, 216 00:14:15.600 --> 00:14:20.279 at the height of the Cold War, he had government contacts. 217 00:14:20.320 --> 00:14:24.600 Sometimes they would ask him to do you know, some 218 00:14:24.720 --> 00:14:29.799 covert spy work, some semi spionage type of stuff, you know, 219 00:14:29.960 --> 00:14:33.960 where he might negotiate something from the other, you know, 220 00:14:34.080 --> 00:14:36.879 for one side or the other. So it was. But 221 00:14:37.240 --> 00:14:39.480 by making him a man of means and a man 222 00:14:39.559 --> 00:14:44.039 with a legal background, they gave him the ability to 223 00:14:44.200 --> 00:14:47.720 plausibly find himself in a lot of situations, a lot 224 00:14:47.759 --> 00:14:50.639 of different type of situations where he could help people 225 00:14:50.840 --> 00:14:56.200 or help other countries. And and so that was the 226 00:14:56.240 --> 00:15:01.840 premise of the show. And it uh very very well. 227 00:15:02.200 --> 00:15:06.039 It did very very well. And uh one, it's times 228 00:15:06.159 --> 00:15:11.879 one on a consistent basis and uh uh and it was 229 00:15:11.919 --> 00:15:15.200 one of many things that helped solidify Roy Huggin's relationship 230 00:15:15.279 --> 00:15:18.240 as a successful producer of television for Universal. 231 00:15:18.600 --> 00:15:21.320 And that was NBC, if I'm not mistaken. 232 00:15:21.519 --> 00:15:27.919 NBC Wednesday nights, ten o'clock. Uh and uh and and 233 00:15:27.919 --> 00:15:29.919 and it was it was. It was a very six 234 00:15:30.039 --> 00:15:32.759 It was. It was one of the great anthology shows 235 00:15:32.840 --> 00:15:36.279 during like the I was gonna almost said the Golden 236 00:15:36.320 --> 00:15:39.120 Ages anthologies that would be the fifties. But there are 237 00:15:39.120 --> 00:15:42.840 a lot of shows in the sixties, like Craft Suspense Theater, 238 00:15:44.759 --> 00:15:48.840 uh that would have either you you would have you 239 00:15:48.840 --> 00:15:52.120 would tell different stories and you would have a whole 240 00:15:52.200 --> 00:15:56.399 different cast every week, which is great for actors at 241 00:15:56.399 --> 00:15:59.759 the time. You know, Uh, Run for Your Life was 242 00:15:59.799 --> 00:16:03.559 an anthology series with a recurring character. You know, so 243 00:16:03.759 --> 00:16:07.159 Ben Ben Gazzar was the only staple of the show, 244 00:16:07.639 --> 00:16:10.360 but because you threw him in different type of situations, 245 00:16:10.399 --> 00:16:13.039 he was always meaning different people. So there's always a 246 00:16:13.120 --> 00:16:14.720 need for great guest stars. 247 00:16:14.759 --> 00:16:23.159 Right, And once that show began a third season, now 248 00:16:23.279 --> 00:16:25.480 that played with the plot, Hey, I thought that I 249 00:16:25.639 --> 00:16:28.960 was going to die after too, what's up with this? 250 00:16:29.639 --> 00:16:38.279 Yeah? Yeah, well, the the uh, the funny story was that, uh, Roy, 251 00:16:39.120 --> 00:16:42.360 you know, one of the things that made Roy Huggins 252 00:16:42.519 --> 00:16:45.559 different and successful is that he thought, he thought outside 253 00:16:45.639 --> 00:16:49.759 the box, and uh, he he trusted in the audience 254 00:16:49.919 --> 00:16:53.039 and he knew that if if you if, if you, 255 00:16:53.399 --> 00:16:56.559 if you deliver an interesting premise with good stories and 256 00:16:56.559 --> 00:17:00.000 hook the reader's interest every week, they're they're not necessar 257 00:17:00.120 --> 00:17:02.600 only going to remember that he only he was only 258 00:17:02.600 --> 00:17:05.319 supposed to have two years left the lip, you know, 259 00:17:05.359 --> 00:17:08.960 And when you think about it, a season was twenty 260 00:17:09.000 --> 00:17:12.920 five twenty six weeks back in nineteen sixty five sixty six, 261 00:17:13.000 --> 00:17:16.039 so two full seasons, that's only fifty two weeks. So 262 00:17:16.759 --> 00:17:18.599 if you think in terms of fifty two weeks, he 263 00:17:18.720 --> 00:17:21.759 still had, he still had at least another fifty two 264 00:17:21.759 --> 00:17:25.759 weeks or two years of episodes to go. But as 265 00:17:26.759 --> 00:17:29.839 as it happens, the head of program at the time 266 00:17:30.000 --> 00:17:34.400 was a little too literate or literal, and he said, okay, 267 00:17:34.440 --> 00:17:38.279 well you said, you said two years. We gave you 268 00:17:38.279 --> 00:17:40.640 a third year. He's been on one year too long. 269 00:17:40.680 --> 00:17:42.440 And that was the end of the show, all right. 270 00:17:42.480 --> 00:17:46.319 And I'm going to ask this isn't something that was 271 00:17:46.359 --> 00:17:53.119 in the book. But when you think of these three names, Benkasara, 272 00:17:54.319 --> 00:17:57.839 John Cassavetti's and Peerful, you knew right where it was 273 00:17:57.920 --> 00:18:00.920 going to go. You beat me to the punch, you 274 00:18:02.000 --> 00:18:06.640 dastardly man. You all right, I'll tell you what. I've 275 00:18:06.640 --> 00:18:10.240 got a news hit coming in ninety seconds. 276 00:18:09.680 --> 00:18:10.000 Okay. 277 00:18:10.519 --> 00:18:15.079 I want to talk about the interaction of those three. 278 00:18:14.759 --> 00:18:20.160 They they did movies together as the produced direct act. 279 00:18:20.799 --> 00:18:25.640 They were very tight. They were their own rap pack. 280 00:18:26.160 --> 00:18:27.640 They all had Columbo in common. 281 00:18:27.920 --> 00:18:34.920 Yeah, they all did. Because Cassavetti's played the Maestro I 282 00:18:34.920 --> 00:18:35.960 think that was the title. 283 00:18:36.079 --> 00:18:41.039 And in the second in Black and There you Go. 284 00:18:41.160 --> 00:18:44.240 And Gazira directed that episode. 285 00:18:43.960 --> 00:18:48.079 He I don't remember if he directed that episode, but 286 00:18:48.119 --> 00:18:51.480 he directed the episode where Columbo was on a cruise. 287 00:18:52.119 --> 00:18:53.599 Oh yeah, my mistake. 288 00:18:53.640 --> 00:18:57.160 And Patrick and Patrick McNee was the was the captain. 289 00:18:57.039 --> 00:19:02.319 And the Robert the bad guy was Robert Vaughan. Yes, 290 00:19:02.799 --> 00:19:08.400 mister Danzinger, Ye love the way that Yes, yep, pronounce 291 00:19:08.440 --> 00:19:12.920 that name, Danzinger. We could have trivia competition to you 292 00:19:13.000 --> 00:19:13.720 and I forever. 293 00:19:14.119 --> 00:19:15.000 I don't think so you. 294 00:19:15.119 --> 00:19:15.400 I don't. 295 00:19:15.400 --> 00:19:17.000 I don't. I don't think I'm in the same league 296 00:19:17.000 --> 00:19:17.240 as you. 297 00:19:17.759 --> 00:19:19.960 Let me take my break and we'll come back and 298 00:19:20.039 --> 00:19:23.480 talk about that core of friendship and we'll get back 299 00:19:23.519 --> 00:19:28.319 to manufaction. I promise you, uh people, and and I 300 00:19:28.400 --> 00:19:31.000 will talk for two hours. If you want to call 301 00:19:31.079 --> 00:19:37.279 in and stop us, I'd recommend you do six one, seven, two, five, 302 00:19:37.319 --> 00:19:40.720 four ten thirty or eight eight, eight, nine to nine, 303 00:19:40.759 --> 00:19:44.839 ten thirty. This is Nightside guest hosted tonight by me 304 00:19:45.000 --> 00:19:48.720 Morgan White Junior. Time and temperature here BZ ten thirty 305 00:19:49.440 --> 00:19:51.480 and I guess it's still forty two degrees. 306 00:19:53.079 --> 00:19:56.359 You're on the Night Side with Dan Ray on w BZ, 307 00:19:56.799 --> 00:19:58.000 Boston's news radio. 308 00:19:58.319 --> 00:20:01.640 Welcome back on, Morgan. I have been a part of 309 00:20:01.680 --> 00:20:06.200 the BZ fabric since nineteen ninety six. I have my 310 00:20:06.240 --> 00:20:10.319 own show Saturday nights beginning at ten, But this week 311 00:20:10.599 --> 00:20:12.920 or half of this week, I've been filling in for Dannery. 312 00:20:13.000 --> 00:20:17.519 Here on Nightside. I am speaking with Ed Robertson, who's 313 00:20:17.680 --> 00:20:25.279 done books on various classic TV shows, James Garner. He 314 00:20:25.359 --> 00:20:28.200 did a book on Maverick, Legend of the West. He 315 00:20:28.240 --> 00:20:31.559 did a book on roberts Files. He did a book 316 00:20:31.599 --> 00:20:35.359 on Perry Mason. Perry Mason, you did a book with 317 00:20:35.480 --> 00:20:37.039 someone else who was the co author? 318 00:20:38.119 --> 00:20:41.960 I co authored that book with Bill Sullivan, who I 319 00:20:42.000 --> 00:20:44.400 also co authored the FBI a doociate with. 320 00:20:44.799 --> 00:20:49.519 And also your current book, Man of Action is all. 321 00:20:49.319 --> 00:20:53.960 You The Men of Action Behind the scenes of four 322 00:20:54.000 --> 00:20:57.400 classic television series available Amazon dot com. And yes, it 323 00:20:57.519 --> 00:20:57.960 is all me. 324 00:20:58.200 --> 00:21:02.440 The Magician, The Untouchables, Herr O and Ren for Your Life, 325 00:21:03.079 --> 00:21:08.519 and we have touched on two. Shortly we'll bring HARRYO 326 00:21:08.680 --> 00:21:12.519 and the Untouchables into our conversation. I wanted you to 327 00:21:12.559 --> 00:21:18.559 talk about the I'll call them the more aeradite Brat 328 00:21:18.680 --> 00:21:26.160 pack of Peter Falk, Ben Gazzara and John Cassavetti's. 329 00:21:26.559 --> 00:21:29.240 Yeah, I don't know the romance is the right word 330 00:21:29.400 --> 00:21:33.279 for it, but they're all very very good friends and 331 00:21:34.119 --> 00:21:40.000 They were all idiosyncratic actors and they worked with They 332 00:21:40.119 --> 00:21:46.759 work with each other a lot. One difference between Gazara 333 00:21:47.640 --> 00:21:54.160 and Peter Falk and John Cassavetti's is Cassavettis was sort 334 00:21:54.160 --> 00:21:58.720 of use a very idiosyncratic director, very unconventional. 335 00:21:59.680 --> 00:21:59.799 Uh. 336 00:22:00.319 --> 00:22:05.599 Peter Falk took a very much stage actor's approach to Colombo. 337 00:22:06.680 --> 00:22:10.039 It was not uncommon for him to do fifteen sixteen, 338 00:22:10.160 --> 00:22:14.440 seventeen eighteen takes on a given line until he got 339 00:22:14.440 --> 00:22:18.720 it right, which worked for him because he was he 340 00:22:18.759 --> 00:22:21.279 was He was the straw that stirred the drink and 341 00:22:21.319 --> 00:22:26.200 the mystery movie. And so as long as it made 342 00:22:26.240 --> 00:22:29.279 money for Universal and NBC, they would they would put 343 00:22:29.359 --> 00:22:35.160 up with his any idiosyncrasy there. Gazara, well, you know, 344 00:22:35.319 --> 00:22:44.160 he he messed with Falk and Cassavetti's he was. He 345 00:22:44.279 --> 00:22:50.039 was very much a professional when he came to direct. 346 00:22:50.559 --> 00:22:52.839 He directed a good number of Run for Your Lives, 347 00:22:52.920 --> 00:22:57.759 especially in the third season. He was he I was 348 00:22:57.839 --> 00:23:02.119 told by Swirling, one of the producers of the show, 349 00:23:02.240 --> 00:23:06.079 that he was very unusual for an actor who directed, 350 00:23:06.079 --> 00:23:09.319 because he was very mindful of the budget and so 351 00:23:09.799 --> 00:23:13.200 uh and and so he would he would do good 352 00:23:13.240 --> 00:23:15.200 work and do you want to do it on time? 353 00:23:15.480 --> 00:23:20.480 And uh not cause undue headaches, which Cassavetties was known to. 354 00:23:20.440 --> 00:23:25.839 Do, okay, and was Cassavetties married to Gina Rowlands. 355 00:23:27.119 --> 00:23:31.559 Uh I one of them was married to Gina Rowland. 356 00:23:31.640 --> 00:23:33.000 I believe it was Cassavetties. 357 00:23:34.240 --> 00:23:36.880 I thought so too. And I'm sorry to go off 358 00:23:36.880 --> 00:23:39.559 the subject of your books, but this is. 359 00:23:39.519 --> 00:23:41.599 The this is this is Morgan why filling in for 360 00:23:41.680 --> 00:23:43.000 Dan Ray? You can do whatever you want. 361 00:23:44.240 --> 00:23:49.720 Thank thank you for getting that right. Well, Morgan, if 362 00:23:49.720 --> 00:23:51.759 you want to be specific, order white. 363 00:23:51.559 --> 00:23:53.880 You you're talking to Ed Robertson, author of Manu Offaction 364 00:23:53.920 --> 00:23:55.480 of a wy aamaz undercom. 365 00:23:55.400 --> 00:23:58.920 And tell people what you do in California that we 366 00:23:59.000 --> 00:24:01.440 hit thirty eight states. They might may not know about 367 00:24:01.480 --> 00:24:02.279 your background. 368 00:24:02.720 --> 00:24:06.440 I host and produced a syndicated radio show called TV Confidential, 369 00:24:06.480 --> 00:24:09.960 where we talk about shows like what Morgan and I 370 00:24:10.000 --> 00:24:12.440 are doing right now. We talk about your favorite shows 371 00:24:12.839 --> 00:24:15.240 from the sixties and seventies, of shows that you grew 372 00:24:15.319 --> 00:24:20.039 up watching, and in many cases we interview some of 373 00:24:20.039 --> 00:24:22.000 the people who made those shows possible. 374 00:24:23.119 --> 00:24:25.960 Now, I had to read the book to find out 375 00:24:26.000 --> 00:24:29.079 this this thing that was in my memory. I know 376 00:24:29.200 --> 00:24:31.960 I knew it, but I needed to see it in 377 00:24:32.079 --> 00:24:39.039 print to recognize that Sarah Fawcett was a part of 378 00:24:39.240 --> 00:24:44.359 the on again, off again what you would call a 379 00:24:44.400 --> 00:24:46.839 semi regular on HERRYO. 380 00:24:47.400 --> 00:24:51.119 This is this is Sarah Fawcett about a year before 381 00:24:51.519 --> 00:24:56.160 Charlie's Angels yet and this, this is, this is Sarah 382 00:24:56.240 --> 00:24:59.440 Fawcett around the time she was this, this is when 383 00:24:59.480 --> 00:25:03.680 she was still going by Fharrapacet Majors because she had 384 00:25:03.799 --> 00:25:10.359 just married Lee Majors at the time. And it's it's 385 00:25:09.920 --> 00:25:13.039 it was very easy to forget this when she blew 386 00:25:13.119 --> 00:25:17.160 up and you know, into Pharaohmania in the in seventy 387 00:25:17.200 --> 00:25:21.640 six seventy seven. But she was she was a good 388 00:25:21.680 --> 00:25:28.079 looking woman who studied to be a good actress. And 389 00:25:28.079 --> 00:25:31.200 and even if if you watch some of the things 390 00:25:31.200 --> 00:25:33.519 she did in the early seventies when she was in 391 00:25:33.599 --> 00:25:39.759 a contract with screen Gems, she they put her on. 392 00:25:40.319 --> 00:25:44.559 She had a recurring role the last season of idrima Genie. 393 00:25:45.319 --> 00:25:49.200 She was a she was she was Bill Daily's on again, 394 00:25:49.279 --> 00:25:55.519 off again girlfriend. And you know, look, she she wasn't 395 00:25:55.559 --> 00:25:58.359 asked to do Lady Macbeth or anything like that, but 396 00:25:59.759 --> 00:26:03.359 she she you know, she could hold her own and 397 00:26:05.000 --> 00:26:07.759 when when given the opportunity, she can show a little 398 00:26:07.759 --> 00:26:08.799 bit of personality. 399 00:26:08.839 --> 00:26:09.240 And so. 400 00:26:11.039 --> 00:26:14.000 She wasn't always given she wasn't always given that chance 401 00:26:14.079 --> 00:26:18.160