Troubleshooters

Seriously, I caught this show in second run on WGN in Chicago,(like at least one other poster), in the early 1960s. As I remember the opening, Keenan Wynn comes uphill towards the camera on a motorcycle, (make, unknown), and Bob Mathias comes down towards the camera riding a hook on a construction crane. They are, the troubleshooters ! Interesting look at the life of 'globe trotting' construction workers. Aside from their work, these two, naturally, get involved in the lives of the people who work for, with, or, around them. One episode had them, and their crew, build an iron lung for a young local/native lad who had apparently contracted polio, or a similar type of respiration paralysis. Another had them hold a carnival, subsidized by the construction company they work for, to raise funds for something or other. The highlight of this episode was a booth where each kid got a free ice cream cone, which they could either eat, or, throw at Keenan Wynn's face sticking through a canvas backdrop. Now, the telling part. As I remember, the name of the construction company was Corbett. At the same time, early 1960s, my uncle worked for a Corbett Construction Company, on the project to build what is now the Michigan Ave., Oak St. Lake Shore Drive interchange. Yet, I can't find it on Google.

Clicked onto TCM to find the movie Around the World Under the Sea (1966) featuring Keenan Wynn - also Lloyd Bridges, Shirley (Goldfinger) Eaton & David McCallum) - and was reminded of this series, but could not remember the title. A quick search of Keenan's credits did the trick! I just want to thank everyone who put their personal recollections & reflections in these interviews - refreshing my memory of this all-too-brief, very cool series! It's a shame that any recordings are apparently lost! This would've been a great addition to any of the many channels now offering reruns from the 50s & 60s!

I remember the show... it was shown on a local independent (WGN) here in Chicago as an after-market show...

I saw the notice of Bob Matthias' death today on cnn.com and remembered that he and Keenan Wynn starred in the show.

They were always tearing around on bulldozers and such, and blowing stuff up.

I vaguely remember Slats... just the name... what did he do? The opener to the show started off with an explosion... I can remember one episode where Bob Matthias had to get over a ditch... so he made a pole out of bamboo and pole-vaulted over the ditch...

I know Keenan Wynn was a character actor in the show, I seem to remember him riding a Harley or an Indian in the show. Does anyone out there remember if he did? I was just wondering, I would love to see tape of the show if anyone out there has one. I was very very young when the show aired, and I remember watching it. It always involved something to do with construction, and it seemed they were always traveling all over the world, and Wynn would at some point always end up riding a motorcycle in the show. I seem to remember as it being an early American Vtwin, either a Harley or an Indian. Like I mentioned I was extremely young when the show aired, so I don'r remember to much about the episodes.

This is a very obscure, essentially forgotten construction-based show from NBC from 1959-1960. My father, Chet Allen, played the role of "Slats" on the show. He has for many years tried to obtain VHS/DVD copies of the show but with no success. There is rumor that the archives were destroyed due to neglect over the years. I've never seen the show and would be delighted to be able to do so. Anyone out there with any concrete information about how to obtain copies of this show or who is in contact with former cast members or who have any memorabilia from the show, please feel free to contact me. My Dad would be really grateful if you have any information. Thanks. Thanks. Thanks. Thanks.