Lock Up

Herbert L. Maris was a real corporate attorney in Philadelphia who devoted his spare time helping wrongly accused persons. Maris strongly believed in the fundamental canon of English/U.S. law: a person is innocent until proved guilty. The 78 episodes in the Ziv syndicated series are each based on a case history from the personal files of Herb Maris, who is played by MacDonald Carey.

This series is more police investigation like Dragnet than Perry Mason as there is little courtroom drama. Circumstantial evidence is the key element in each story and is used to discredit a suspect. But, Herb Maris always triumphs because as he says "this case is about justice." Each episode has a strong moral message but they are not obtrusive or offensive. Lock Up is a window into America before the 60s cultural revolution. This is America in the late 1950s before Viet-Nam, the Summer of Love, and the beginning of FM radio stations playing rock 'n' roll.

If you like programs with simple story lines and actors who can act, then you will enjoy Lock Up. If you like unscripted television programs without actors, then just keep watching American Idol, the Great Race, or poker games.

In today's world, where the term "lawyer" is unfairly synonymous with "ambulance chaser" or "political player", we could use a guy like Herbert L. Maris. Thankfully, there are a few lawyers like Maris still around today, and for that, we have TV series like this to thank.

For the uninitiated, Herbert L. Maris is an LA attorney whose specialty is defending the unjustly accused in situations where no one else can or will help. He usually is aided by police lieutenant Weston, who ironically is the cop who has his clients tossed in the clink. There isn't that much antagonism between the two, and Weston usually sees the light in the nick of time, particularly when Maris is in over his head... for instance, when he is held captive by a group of thugs (led by a pre-Spock Leonard Nimoy!!) who framed a rookie cop (James "The Virginian" Drury) for murder.

As is the case with 50's series, many young up-and-comers bit their teeth into some episodes, such as Mary Tyler Moore, Robert Conrad, Burt Reynolds, Sally Kellerman, and others. Maris himself is portrayed brilliantly by a young Macdonald Carey, six years before he found his calling in daytime TV as the kindly Dr. Horton on "Days Of Our Lives". And it wasn't the first time Carey played a doc, either; three years before "Lock Up", he took on the role as radio's beloved "Dr. Christian", or rather, Dr. Christian's nephew. Carey has the knack of playing people who you would kill to have on your side; in this case, some people are accused of taking it quite literally.

"Lock Up" is a Fred Ziv-United Artists Television Production, based on the life of Herbert L. Maris (yes, he was a real-life defense lawyer). 78 episodes were made between 1959 and 1961.

These episodes seem shallow and the characters lack depth compared to today's programs and even some of the older ones throughout the 60s and 70s. This is more of a docudrama style of film and the episodes are well done for that period. What's really intriguing for me is finding out what parts of L.A. most of these episodes were filmed at. Where in particular is/was the police station located at that's regularly shown in some of the episodes?

I have to admit, the first time I saw LOCK UP I had to laugh but I truly enjoyed it. This syndicated show, first aired in 1959, is based on a real-life Philadelphia lawyer, Herbert L. Maris which was played by MacDonald Carey. Maris was devoting his career to defending the wrongly accused. What I found so humorous is his relation to his friend; police detective Weston, played brilliantly by John Doucette. Doucette puts the bad guys behind bars and Carey uses him to find the same guys innocent. I really doubt that Barry Scheck goes to the police or the prosecutors for assistance in freeing an innocent person. Doucette lets Carey walk in at anytime and goes through his files; all this makes the show fun to watch. It's like Perry Mason asking Lt. Tragg for help in finding his client innocent! How would it look if a LAW & ORDER defense attorney were to walk in on Briscoe and Green? Carey finds the bad guy on his own while Doucette is there by his side to make the arrest. And get this, Carey's character is a corporate not a criminal lawyer. He seems to have more than one secretary, all blonde and dumb, and he drives some cool wheels, usually a Dodge. Carey has the same long, sad face as John Kerry! All in all, LOCK UP is enjoyable. These days, with our rights being trampled on, society needs people like Scheck and Carey's character to protect the innocent from over-zealous prosecutors………..Richard