Boston Blackie

I just picked up half a dozen Boston Blackie TV episodes on DVD on eBay, of all places. The quality is only so-so, but the shows themselves are wonderful! I don't think they are as good as the old radio show or even the movies, but they certainly reflect TV's infant age and a delight to watch!

I must confess to a weakness for all things detective. I remember fondly the old movies starring Chester Morris, but this series starring Kent Taylor has a particularly warm spot in my heart.

The few episodes I've seen since the show's syndicated run (I saw them years after the original run on television in the late '50s) were of dubious quality. In fact, the very first videotapes I got when I had my first VCR were duplications of other VHS tapes of old TV series.

I still get a kick out of the announcer appearing at a little newsstand when Boston Blackie walks by not even noticing this booming voice character narrating about our intrepid hero. "Yes that's Boston Blackie, and he's quite a guy." Well, he really was.

There was the usual shtick of the detective being a wiseguy to the frustrated police inspector (played with exasperated skill by Frank Orth) and his little dog Whitey who replaced his sidekick in the books and movies.

There was inevitably a great chase scene at the end of every half hour (Yes, kiddies. They actually made half hour adventure series back then.) And the most exciting was a top a roller coaster.

They just do make detective shows like that anymore, and that's a shame.

ACTION! DANGER! EXCITEMENT! BOSTON BLACKIE. FRIEND TO THOSE WHO HAVE NO FRIENDS. ENEMY TO THOSE WHO MAKE HIM AN ENEMY.

The old shows still give me chills with their great introductions.

under-rated show, full of wit and style, good chemistry between 3 main characters,witty dialogue,loved blackie's car, a borgward i believe. this show should have lasted longer, great representative of 50's culture.

When I was a child of 9 in 1951, Boston Blackie came on TV in my area each Sat. at 7PM. The show was on for 2 seasons and about 2 more years of repeats. It was always at 7PM on Sat. I never saw it again ever anywhere. I did buy some tapes about 5 years ago from a collector but unfortunately the copies are not very good. I would love to see these come on some cable channel such as Nick. Even Columbia House would be OK, at least the prints would be OK. The few episodes that I do have I always watch at 7PM Sat. to bring me back to that time. I loved the chemistry between Blackie, Mary and Faraday. Unfortunately most people never heard of such a show and now watch stupid sitcoms.

Do you suppose the originals still exist somewhere?

Maybe someday - in my lifetime - good quality copies will be available. I would love to watch those stories again.

Did they show outside of Los Angeles where we lived?

Though seeing my hometown as it was at that time would be a lot of the pleasure, everything about the show was great: the girl, the car, Blackie, etc.

At the beginning or end of every program there was a brief, dark, night scene of Blackie, the car, and an alleyway. At least that's the way I remember it.