Coronado 9

I was just searching around Y/T and ended up watching a few episodes of this series. I had never even heard of this title before and it took a little research to figure out what Coronado 9 even meant. (the only lime I ever heard the name Coronado was that he was one of the Conquistadores who searched for the fabled, 7 Lost Cities of Gold). As I watched more and more I realized the extensive use of rear-projection in many of the scenes. In other words, they hardly ever left the studio and relied on visual tricks so we would believe we were on location for the stories. A couple of the episodes were great, but the others I watched were totally uninspiring. This series never played in my area in 1960, so I missed it entirely. (those were in the days when we had only 2 or 3 channels). Watch it now and enjoy.

Rod Cameron makes a believably rugged hero in this excellent detective series. The stories are tough, smart, and fast, packing a lot of plot, and a lot of plot twists, into efficient, engaging half-hours. With episode titles like "Three's a Shroud" and "A Bookie's Not a Bibliophile", the whole show could have come from the pages of Manhunt magazine, or Black Mask. Fans of vintage detective fiction will know that's a compliment. A frequent director is William Witney, who had directed many of the best movie serials, so you know he could deliver action on a budget. Stunt doubles are often a bit obvious in fight scenes, but that's typical of the period, and not that distracting. Location work is a big plus, not only around San Diego, but as far afield as New Orleans. It would appear that only Cameron and a camera crew got to go to some locations, with dialogue scenes done back at the studio, but still, it adds to the visual texture of the show. One episode has an extended sequence filmed on the roof of the iconic Hotel Del Coronado, predating the film "The Stunt Man" by 20 years.

This show won't change anyone's life, but it does exactly what it's supposed to do, and holds its own against any other detective show. My wife and I only wish there were more than 39 episodes.

One of the coolest things about this program are the mid-century views of a very different California. That alone makes the program worth checking out.

Rod Cameron is not a grest Thespian, but he is well suited to the role he plays. Cameron has an ernestness an "heroic" attitude that makes him enjoyable to watch. Many of the best character actors of the period appear in the different episodes.

Unlike contemporary tv shows, violence is kept to a minimum. In the episodes I watched if there was violence it happened off camera. When characters were shot there was no blood or gore.

This is engaging entertainment that the whole family can watch.