Man with a Camera

I knew nothing about this series until stumbling across the title while checking Mr. Bronson's IMDb page to see what I'd missed among his legendary body of action flicks. Glad I did.

Theses stories are rather uneven in plotlines, but most are reasonably well done for TV fare of that era - including mostly above-average fight scenes. The casting is sound. A perk of seeing this now is catching future stars (Angie Dickinson, Gavin MacLeod, Sebastian Cabot, William Conrad, among others) in pre-fame roles. The format sending Kovac to many locales to snap his pix allowed a raft of one-and-dones for anyone with a union card.

But most important is this phase in the evolution of the Bronson persona we vividly remember. Few recall when Katherine Hepburn easily beat him up in 1952's Pat and Mike. By this time, he'd changed his name from Buchinsky, en route to becoming the hero of so many gritty westerns and contemporary crime flicks. This Kovac character was tough, but not yet primed to go Full Bronson on the bad guys. His won-lost ratio in the fist fights and shootouts was still lower than it was about to be for the next few decades. The best was yet to come, but this was still pretty good.

The points made by the exquisitely named Welsh gentleman in the previous review are fair enough in a 2004 context but what people like him always forget is the HISTORICAL context. No, Charlie Bronson did NOT have a digital camera in 1958, so he had to make do with the existing technology.

The point is that this series was made FOR ITS TIME and so the only test we can apply in 2004 is: "was it entertaining?" And, like most of Mr Bronson's work, yes, it was entertaining.

Providing you maintain the right perspective and keep old series and old films generally within the context of their time, you can apply a meaningful judgment of them. It utterly amazes me how so many people can dismiss something because it was made in the days before computerised special effects became available. If these special effects films nowadays are so good, why are the cinemas so empty?

Lets take a modern example of a film that is closely related to contemporary technology: this "Matrix" rubbish. Is that entertaining? Is it hell. It is absolute garbage.

"Man with a Camera" is completely watchable. I agree that Charlie's subsequent superstardom tends to detract as you look back on it, but it is certainly worth watching again for its own sake.

If it's on a nostalgia channel near you any time, believe me the story lines alone make it worth watching. And Charlie was always worth watching anyway.

A very entertaining series from 1958 that had interesting, fast paced, coherent stories, good action (although like most crime shows, it usually ended with a brawl), intelligible dialogue, attractive women and state of the art camera equipment. Bronson's lifelong Spartan, cool style was always compelling. He walks like a cat, never hits on girls but is protective of them at the risk of his own life and delivers haymakers to the criminals.

Back in 1958 when Charles Bronson starred in the 'Man With a Camera' series, even at the young age of 10 years, I found something that was both entertaining as well as educational. I had an Uncle who was a semi-professional photographer, who gave me my first camera when I was Seven ( 7 ) yrs. old, a Kodak Brownie Camera, with a flash attachment. I wanted to be in some ways like my Uncle who I admired very much. The Man With a Camera gave me my vision for the future, going places, meeting people, taking great photographs and someday doing my own processing. Now after nearly 53 years later, I still enjoy my first ambition, photography. I ran my own photographic business, doing weddings, portraits, school portraits, and sporting events. In High School I gained a nick name 'flash', because every time there was a school function, out came my camera. As time went on, I graduated from that first brownie camera, to a 35mm, a 2 1/4 x 3 1/4 press camera, to a 4x5 press camera, 120 format camera, 220 format camera, and now even a digital camera. Digital cameras are OK, they are convenient, but I still yearn for my Darkroom, doing the magic of taking a negative and creating a positive image. There is nothing like self-satisfaction in producing an item that is both pleasing to the eye, and elated knowing that I blended both light and image to become something that would be remembered for a life time in a Photograph.

Its too bad that shows of this nature do not exist today. Shows of this nature, can be inspirational. I know, I became inspired to take an avenue that both gave me satisfaction and gratification.

I've not only 'watched' the series...but watched it 'live in it's time slots'. when I was 25 years old...a young Professional Photographer myself.

Charles Bronson was most-impressive in the series. He used 35-mm film cameras and Flash Bulbs, long before Electronic Flash cameras became mainstream to the public..Polaroid Cameras was not yet invented.

The show sponsors were Sylvania 'Blue Dot'Flashbulbs and Kodak Films which EVERYONE used.

The 'Blue Dot' was Sylvania's Trademark and when the 'dot' on the flashbulb was the color-blue...you knew you had a good bulb that was guaranteed to flash. Other manufacturer bulbs sometimes failed to flash because they were 'defective', thus losing a possible great photo at cost of the film exposure and flashbulb.

The film image is captured in a split second for posterity. If you missed the shot...it was gone forever. 'Man With A Camera' got his 'shots' every time.

Every photographer developed film and made prints in a darkroom or makeshift one...was exciting times in Photography.

Charlie was the updated 'Weegee' (Live Free-Lance crime photographer in the 40's and 50's who used a 4x5 Press Camera and Flashbulkbs and covered New York City at night, and became an icon by doing so).

Charles Bronson became a Movie Icon as result of this Great Photography series, which lead him to become the Superstar he was.

This series filmed in Black & White is Historically accurate and exciting to everyone who is photography crafted. A real true-blue historical masterpiece of nostalgia.

If you get the opportunity to watch it...please do...you'll be glad you did...seeing a Superhero in the making...Take care.

~ ED Cherney