New Orleans, Bourbon Street

TV actors, at least in the old days when they were placed in a separate class from movie actors, often seemed to be clones of their movie brethren. Some were singular in their associations. Nehemiah Persoff seemed to be the Edward G. Robinson of television, getting similar roles and acting them in a very similar manner. Carolyn Jones was the Bette Davis of TV, even to the point of playing a set of sisters one of whom is a murderer on Burke's Law. Other's had company in their pursuits. The western stars were all either John Wayne or Gary Cooper, with an occasional Jimmy Stewart or Henry Fonda thrown in, (including the real thing on "The Deputy"). There were a whole selection of Clark Gables, including John Russell, Rory Calhoun, Richard Egan , Robert Lowery and others. There were plenty of Brandos, including Burt Reynolds, George Maharis and John Saxon. There were enough Rock Hudsons to fill a theater, with John Gavin, Tom Tryon and Gardner McKay coming immediately to mind. The blonde versions I call the "Redfords", a group of thoughtful , well educated types of which Robert Redford was one along with James Franciscus, Richard Chamberlain and William Shatner. They had varying degrees of success with Redford emerging as the head of the class.

Perhaps the most successful strain, however were the Cary Grants. Grant made an ideal model for the suave detective hero, able to be charming or tough as the occasion demanded. Craig Stevens was hired to play Peter Gunn specifically because of a strong resemblance to Grant. His tightlipped performance was not really very charming but it's surely how Cary would have played that character. Latern-jawed John Vivyan played a role that Grant had actually essayed in the movies, Mr. Lucky. He was competent at best. The heroes of the Warner Brother's detective shows were largely based on Cary Grant. Ephram Zimbelist Jr.'s Stu Bailey was a grant-style role with a lot more charm than Peter Gunn. Richard Long's Rex Randolph on Bourbon Street Beat was much the same. Anthony Eisley's Tracy Steele was a less convincing version of the same character on Hawaiian Eye.

But the best of the Grant clones was Gene Barry. He was male-model handsome, had good breeding and seductive whiskey voice. He was also TV's greatest reactors. He had a series of comic takes that was perfect for Amos Burke, who had to confront an unending series of eccentric subjects. Yet he could turn around and romance the ladies or get tough with the tough guys. And he was a good enough actor to hold up his end when the heavy dramatics intervened.

One wonders what the originals of these clones must have thought as they watched the boob tube in it's infancy.

"Randolph and Calhoun" were private investigators working out of New Orleans.

Thirty-one year old Richard Long played senior partner Rex Randolph. The firm's offices were in Rex's elegant home. I loved the set of that home. There was a striking spiral staircase in Rex's office that led up to his bedroom. At the bottom of the staircase was a kitchenette where Rex liked to cook gourmet meals for his lovely guests. (Reportedly, this was the same set Warner Brothers had used for "A Streetcar Named Desire".)

Thirty-five year old Andrew Duggan was Cal Calhoun, a former small town police detective. Rex met Cal in the first episode when Rex was investigating the murder of his previous partner. Cal was less educated and more rustic than Rex. Cal had pictures of silent screen stars like Theda Bara on his office wall.

Twenty-four year old Arlene Howell played Melody Lee Mercer, their secretary. Melody's blond hair and lovely figure had won her many beauty contests, but she was still very prim and proper. Arlene (then Eurlyne) Howell had been Miss USA (representing Louisiana) in 1958, the year before she started this series.

Twenty-five year old Van Williams played Ken Madison, a young law student who works part time for the firm. Ken also invests a lot of time trying to melt Melody's reserve.

These were four nicely written roles and they were beautifully played by four very appealing actors. All four actors had star potential. Warner Brothers must have had a great talent program (although they didn't pay the talent much money.)

In one episode three men planning to assassinate a man running for governor take over Rex Randolph's home. The three killers were superbly played by Richard Chamberlain, James Coburn and John Marley. The writer of the episode was Richard Matheson ("Duel", "The Night Stalker", "I Am Legend").

Other impressive guest stars included Joanna Moore, Kathleen Crowley, Shirley Knight, Mary Tyler Moore, Madlyn Rhue, Diane McBain, Margaret Hayes, Nita Talbot, Rex Reason, Rhodes Reason, Ray Danton, James Drury, Robert Vaughn and Wayne Morris.

When "Bourbon Street Beat" was canceled, Ken Madison opened his own firm in Miami Beach. Ken now had his law degree. His partner Dave Thorne (Lee Patterson) was a former NYC assistant district attorney. Their combination home and office was a luxurious houseboat moored at "Surfside Six."

Rex also left New Orleans, moving to Los Angeles. He became a non-name partner in Bailey and Spencer, a firm whose address was "77 Sunset Strip". (Richard Long went from top billing to fourth billing.) Rex left Bailey and Spencer after one year. My guess is Rex opened his own firm in Beverly Hills, which would have been more his style than the garish Sunset Boulevard. Maybe Ken Madison eventually came out from Miami to be his partner. When Rex left Bailey and Spencer, Kookie moved up from being a lowly carhop to taking over Rex's office and becoming a full partner (with his own crime lab no less.)

Stuart Bailey (Efrem Zimbalist, Jr.) was in New Orleans on a case a couple of years later. Who does he run into but Cal Calhoun. Calhoun is now a detective lieutenant in the New Orleans Police Department. Calhoun recognizes Bailey's name. He says, "I think you inherited an old partner of mine for a while". Bailey realizes this must be the great Cal Calhoun that Rex talked about. But no one mentioned Rex by name. Calhoun says he prefers being on the force to private practice since there is a case waiting for him each morning, instead of having to worry about drumming up business. Apparently Cal couldn't keep the firm going without the charming Rex's ability to find clients.

Andrew Duggan had played a crooked New Orleans private eye in a 1956 episode of "Conflict" called "The Money". "Conflict" was a Warner Brothers anthology series produced by the great Roy Huggins, the creator of "77 Sunset Strip". This episode, which predated "77 Sunset Strip", must have partially inspired "Bourbon Street Beat". Other future series stars in addition to Duggan who had roles in "The Money" were David Janssen ("Richard Diamond"), Kathy Nolan ("The Real McCoys"), John Smith ("Laramie") and Peggie Castle ("Lawman"). Howard Browne was the writer of "The Money" and also wrote the story for the pilot of "Bourbon Street Beat".

Andrew Duggan worked again with Richard Long as a guest star on "The Big Valley." Van Williams also guest starred on "The Big Valley" in a pilot for a series where Williams would have played a sheriff with a young son. Van Williams also worked with Richard Long on a "Nanny and the Professor".

Sadly, we never saw much more of delightful Arlene Howell. My guess is she married well.

My favorite shows of the 1959-60 season were "Tightrope", "Mr. Lucky" and "Bourbon Street Beat".

I got to see this series on 7 February 2005 on GoodLife TV, and it is a series that wears well. Of all the Warner Brothers TV Detective series, I think this may be the crown jewel, because it is supposed to be set in New Orleans, away from the glamor and glitter of Hollywood.

The two main characters are played by Andrew Duggan and Richard Long, who do a great job. Van Williams was one year away from his starring role on Surfside 6, and seven away from The Green Hornet, but is still fun to watch. Definitely a 1959 series that did well, as did Johnny Staccato, and it should be released on DVD. Hopefully, GoodLife TV will continue to show this series.

A New Orleans PI's adventures in the late fifties Big Easy. Excellent representation of New Orleans street life, this was ahead of its time which probably contributed to its relitively short run. Great actors, great writing, I hope its syndicated someday. Its being transferred to video tape by some diehard fans, you can pick it up on EBAY and its well worth the trouble.

The location was great, the characters were great, the cast was great. So why only one season? The reason became clear about 2/3 of the way through the season. Early on, BSB's New Orleans was full of black people and white people mixing together - whites still held the privileged spots, mind you, but black people had jobs and dignity and white private eyes had no problem working with them and even visiting them in their homes. Then, suddenly, all the black musical bands became white. All the black people on the street disappeared. Even the Baron, head of the band at the Absinthe House, disappeared with his black band and a white band replaced them. (Note, the Baron was played by Eddie Cole, Nat "King" Cole's older brother - Nat's own tv show was canceled, by him, only 3 years earlier because they couldn't get any sponsors for the show by a black man even if he was Nat "King" Cole).. White USA in 1959 was not interested in seeing black people and white people together, and that interaction was what gave BSB's New Orleans its flavor and made it the background to its stories more interesting. Without that NO flavor, BSB was more like just another 77 Sunset Strip, and not the series it was really born to be. Kudos and respect to everyone involved in taking a chance at integration, even if the US wasn't ready for it - the product was very good, and maybe it helped us in the long run.

Two of the characters went on - Rex Randolph (Richard Long) to 77 Sunset Strip and Kenny Madison (Van Williams) to Surfside Six. Long, whose career began in film in 1945, went on to other series (The Big Valley, Nanny and the Professor) but had suffered an early heart attack at age 33 and died at 47, in 1974, working steadily to the end and set to appear in All the President's Men when he passed. Andrew Duggan (Cal Calhoun in BSB) went on to do Lancer and Van Williams went on to do The Green Hornet.

I understand Arlene Howell left the series early because she became pregnant, and that she did not work in the industry after that.