[profh0011]

HEC RAMSEY  /  The Century Turns
A "Western" Sherlock Holmes   (8 of 10)

Retired US Marshal "Hec" Ramsey has taken a job in New Prospect, Oklahoma, at a point where "the old west" is becoming a whole new era. But his new boss, a former school teacher, takes an immediate dislike to the man he THINKS Hec is, before ever taking the trouble to get to know him. En route, the stagecoach is robbed, and on arrival, an apparent murder-suicide turns out to be a double-murder. So Hec has to not only solve two crimes at once, using "modern" techniques, and get to know the people of his new town, but wage a quiet "war" with the man who doesn't even want him on his new Police Force!

HEC RAMSEY was the 4th "NBC Mystery Movie" series on Sundays, along with COLUMBO, McCLOUD and McMILLAN & WIFE. It stood out from the others as being the only "period piece", set in the year 1901, which made it not only an unusual mystery show but also an unusual western. While many have expressed belief that "Hec" and "Palladin" of HAVE GUN WILL TRAVEL may be the same character in all but name, it appears this film in particular may have been inspired in part by DEATH OF A GUNFIGHTER with Richard Widmark. As I'm a big fan of his, and I love tracking down "influences" (and it's always seemed to me that near every NBC Mystery Movie series was inspired by something that came before it), I clearly need to track that down.

The show was a "Mark VII Limited" series, Jack Webb's company, and this aired during the same era as ADAM-12 and EMERGENCY. The show having an ongoing narrator (in the presence of Harry Morgan) made it similar to DRAGNET, the 1958 MIKE HAMMER and several other series.

Richard Boone (HAVE GUN WILL TRAVEL, THE BIG SLEEP) is "Hector 'Hec' Ramsey", a man who used to be a tough gunfighter but who has studied modern police techniques that include such things as ballistics, fingerprints, plaster of Paris casts. He's still quick on the draw and dangerous when he needs to be, but prefers using his wits these days.

Rick Lenz (CACTUS FLOWER) is "Police Chief Oliver Stamp", a former school teacher who was somehow voted into his job and spends too much time arguing with both the town council and his new Chief Deputy. He slowly begins to learn that Hec is someone who KNOWS what he's doing and is worth listening to, but, as Hec says, "I think he's starting to like me, and it's causing him lots of pain."

Perry Lopez (KELLY'S HEROES) is "Sgt. Juan Mendoza", a calm, low-key officer who clearly likes that Hec speaks Spanish as well as English. I don't understand why he only appeared in 4 episodes instead of all 10.

Harry Morgan (THE GLENN MILLER STORY, DRAGNET) is "Doc Amos B. Coogan", a doctor-turned-barber who becomes fast friends with Hec, is eventually recruited as the town's coroner, and serves as the story's narrator. In effect, he is "Dr. Watson" to Hec's "Sherlock Holmes". When the show was first-run, I recall the novelty that Morgan was appearing as a regular on 2 TV series at the same time-- HEC RAMSEY and M*A*S*H. I never liked "Colonel Potter" ONE-TENTH as much as I did "Doc Coogan".

R. G. Armstrong (LONE WOLF McQUADE) is "Ben Ritt", a hot-headed, loud-mouthed, short-tempered, arrogant rich guy who becomes the chief suspect in the double-murder when it comes out the dead couple's land had oil on it, and he's the only one in the area who's actively searching for oil.

Sharon Acker (STAR TREK: "The Mark Of Gideon") is "Nora Muldoon", a widowed professional pharmacist whose husband died a year earlier, is on the same stage as Hec that's held up, and slowly comes to care for him (and vice-versa). A stunningly-beautiful lady, I am still shocked that the characters of her and her young son only appeared in TWO episode of this show, especially given what happens to both of them in their 2nd appearance. (WHAT were the producers & writers thinking?) I also have this strong suspicion that her 2nd appearance was actually the 2nd episode, but was held back to the end of the season because someone at NBC thought it was too depressing.

I didn't see this show until its 2nd season, but I hooked fast, and was sad when it, like pretty much every other late-comer NBC Mystery Movie, didn't last long.

When originally broadcast, the pilot was titled HEC RAMSEY. In later syndication, it was retitled THE CENTURY TURNS.

Somebody seriously needs to put these 10 episodes out officially on DVD or Blu-Ray. I've found 4 different outfits selling bootlegs, and the one I decided to buy, the quality of the print (copied from a video recording made off a TV station in Denver) was so APPALLINGLY awful, I felt the people who put it out should have been EMBARRASSED to actually be charging money for it.

[The Australian Panther]

hec ramsey
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lu3fyeaNXro&list=PL6guIm0huWb64YyO8jqBBm99rKt-afASb

Taped from TV - so visuals are not great .
love Richard Boone and harry Morgan.

[profh0011]

This is exactly what I'm talking about.  I've SEEN the pilot episode on Youtube, and the picture was perfectly clear.  The link you posted brought up another episode where the signal is so bad, you're almost watching a BLACK AND WHITE show instead of one in color.

My computer (with Youtube) and my TV are on opposite sides of the room, and there is simply NO WAY I can possibly hook them up to watch Youtube on the TV.  It can't be done.  And I don't want to be sitting in front of my computer to watch these shows.

All my CBS Late Movie videotapes look WAYYY better than this.  Unfortunately, right now, I have a defective VCR, where it's unpredictable which tapes will play fine and which WON'T.

I was re-watching a McCLOUD the other day, and it took 30 minutes before it finally started playing smooth, without the sound fading out and the picture fluttering (NOT the tape's fault).  When it was playing good, the picture & sound quality was VERY CLEAR.  (I had to fast-forward the entire tape all the way to the end and then rewind it to the beginning in order to shake out the tape enough so it would play even that good.  It was maddenning.  In years past, I would have simply bought a brand-new VCR already.)

As it happens, I have every HEC RAMSEY taped off The CBS Late Movie... except the pilot, which they NEVER RAN.  CBS really pissed me off a lot back in those days.

[profh0011]

At the Classic Horror Board, someone said they'd been "burned" by bootlegs.  I agreed, and posted the following reply:

I got a movie from an outfit called "Trash Palace", and it was one of the worst prints I ever saw.  The seller actually apologized, said it was not the usual quality of his stuff, and said I could get my next order for free.

Then there's "Rare Films And More" (formerly "German Films and More").  Though a US outfit, their DVD-Rs appear to be copied from PAL discs, so they run way too fast.

Then there's "Loving The Classics".  While most of their catalog appears to be "factory originals", for out-of-print TV shows, it seems they're running off copies of VIDEOTAPES recorded off the air.  Their copy of the 1972 Stewart Granger HOUND wasn't bad... but yesterday, I got their HEC RAMSEY box set, and the copies are APPALLINGLY bad.  (Seriously, my own self-recorded videotapes look WAY BETTER, and I'm considering mailing them to someone I know who tells me he can copy them to DVD-R-- something I would normally NEVER do.)  So glad that of the 4 different outfits selling those, these guys were by far the cheapest.

But now, OnesMediaFilms, the majority of the prints are really decent (if anything, they look like they might have been copied straight off TCM), except for those prints TCM did not have copies of, because for whatever reason, nobody has decent copies of those specific movies.  Their packaging is also very nice.  So I can vouch for these these guys, I've gotten several items from them.  Also, any discs that are defective are replaced for free.

The best I've run across so far is "j4hi.com" ("Just for the Hell of It!" -- no kidding).  This guy put out a DVD-R of STACEY (1973), and it's genuinely BETTER-looking and sounding than the old official videotape rental was.  Plus, the box and disc both look VERY professional!


But yeah, given a choice, I'd prefer an "official" release.

On the other hand... VEI (Video Entertainment Inc.), who put out McMILLAN & WIFE, THE SNOOP SISTERS, and recently, McCLOUD, really impressed me.  McCLOUD took forever for the entire series to come out, because nobody could find Season 1 INTACT (Universal had butchered those 6 episodes when they turned them into "movies" in 1973, and lost the originals).  I don't know where they found them, but they have the original version of Season 1.  Half the eps look real good, half are slightly dodgy, but all very watchable.  The pilot, and Season 2, are "perfect" (but they'd been issued before).  But when I got to Season 3... the first episode was made from a PAL copy.  HOW THE HELL could they have screwed that up???  And now I'm worried the entire rest of seasons 3-7 might be that way.  (I sure hope not.)


Then again... Warner Archive, Shout Factory and Kino Lorber have all put out Blu-Rays of certain horror movies that are too dark to see what you're looking at.  How do "big" labels manage that?

[profh0011]

I saw the 2nd season when it was first run.  Seems most NBC Mystery Movie series, I came in a bit late.

In the early 80s, I taped 9 of them off The CBS Late Movie  This was before they started speeding up the film AND cutting scenes, so, I'm pretty sure my copies of those are uncut, AND clear.  The big question is if they'll play good on my current POS VCR.

Typically, infuriatingly, CBS did not run the pilot, even though, as far as I know, it was run as part of the regular season, NOT 6 months or more earlier.  I finally got to see the pilot several years ago on Youtube. That was a clear print.

The last time I watched the series, probably after seeing the pilot, I noticed something horrible.  In the epsode "The Mystery of the Chalk Hill" (3 of the 5 that year had titles like that, in the style of Holmes stories), Hec and Nora decide to get married.  He's also had it with his boss Oliver, and decided to take a job in another town.  She goes on ahead and he'll meet up with her later.  But when he arrives, she and her young son have both been MURDERED.  I mean, WHO THE HELL does this?  My best friend last night compared it to "Rachel Carruthers" (Ellie Cornell) getting murdered 25 minutes into HALLOWEEN 5, which the producer of those awful films said was "to prove no one is safe", then, years later, admitted was "a mistake".  NO S***.

Nora & her son only appeared in 2 episodes.  They changed producers between the pilot and the 2nd episode (this happens a lot-- too much, I think).  Now, to me, Since Nora and her son only appeared in 2 episodes, I would think that her 2nd episode was THE 2nd episode.  But NBC ran it 5th-- as the season finale.  WTF?  As Hec seemed to be getting along with Oliver in the other 3 episodes, again, I would think the one where he quits-- but then comes back-- should be the 2nd episode-- not the 5th.  I'm gonna watch this time in broadcast order, just to see if it feels right OR WRONG.

I wonder if this had anything at all to do with the alleged "creative differences" between Richard Boone and the network that led to it ending after only 2 seasons?

My guess is, SOMEBODY wanted Hec romancing a different woman in each story, and not romantically involved with just ONE woman (a la "Captain Kirk" on STAR TREK).  Since the relationship was so wonderfully set up in the pilot, I suppose they figured the only way out was a DOUBLE MURDER.  Those BASTARDS.



I didn't see the pilot until recently, so I was unaware of this before then.

[profh0011]

HEC RAMSEY:  Hangman’s Wages
The Electric Chair Murders   (7 of 10)

A famous outlaw who once rode with Hec is about to be executed via a new-fangled piece of modern technology: an electric chair. Naturally, this brings lots of strangers to town, dozens of newspaper reporters, a fire-and-brimstone Bible-thumping preacher, and random interested spectators. But while the town's businessmen begin doubling their rates to take advantage of all this publicity and excitement, someone murders a total stranger outside of town and leaves a note saying they will kill one person each day (shades of DIRTY HARRY) until the convict is freed. Hec and his boss Oliver continue to be violently at odds with each other, and I can only think how lucky it is for those youngsters who no longer have to put up with Oliver's attitude when he was a school-teacher, and now he has someone he's up against who can actually yell back.

Steve Forest (S. W. A. T.) is "Wes Durham", the outlaw who's killed so many in his time, yet plays guitar and sings while awaiting execution, and is a hero to many due to his exploits appearing in a magazine.

Murray Matheson (BANACEK) is "Lionel Harlock", the high-fallutin' author who is Durham's "official biographer", who at one point looks to be a suspect when he denies a gun he carries was recently fired.

Stella Stevens (THE NUTTY PROFESSOR) is "Ivy Turnwright", a newspaper reporter whose name sounds like it came out of an Ian Fleming novel, who get VERY friendly and "romantic" with Hec in order to get permission to be the only reporter in town allowed to interview the condemned man.

G. D. Spradlin (WRONG IS RIGHT, DICK) is "Brother Caxton", the fanatical, loud-mouthed preacher who at one point repeateldy yells, "IT'S IN THE BOOK!"

Walter Burke (THE OUTER LIMITS) is "Amos Mole", half of a pair of bank-robbers who are stupid enough to start shooting at Hec when he's outside of town looking for the murderer.

A year or so earlier, ABC attempted to create their own competitive "Mystery Movie" cycle using existing old characters in "period" stories (SHERLOCK HOLMES, NICK CARTER), but none of the pilots sold.  Instead, NBC created their own new "period" character in HEC RAMSEY, albeit one who bore a striking resemblence to "Paladin" from HAVE GUN WILL TRAVEL. This was certainly the most "different" of the NBC Mystery Movies, absolutely one of the most watchable, and it is criminal that it, like BANACEK, it ended after only 2 short years.

Now, regarding something that has been bothering me for a lot of years... Hec gets romantic with the fake reporter lady; therefore, there is NO WAY that this story takes place between the pilot and "The Mystery Of The Chalk Hill"-- which I believe was actually the 2nd episode filmed, but held back because someone at NBC felt it was "too downbeat", since the young widow and her son (from the pilot) were both MURDERED in that episode. In fact, as there's 3 stories in a row with "Mystery of the..." in the title, I suspect "Hangman's Wages" was actually the 5th story filmed, but SWAPPED with the 2nd one! This was certainly NOT the only some interfering network executive SCREWED with the logical running order of a show. (I've seen blatent examples of it on BATMAN, STAR TREK, NIGHT COURT, and late in its run, DOCTOR WHO.)

HEC RAMSEY is currently available as bootleg DVD-Rs from at least 4 different outfits. I got the cheapest one, partly because it had all 10 episodes (not just 9), and because I have no idea if the pricier ones are any better. This specific episode was taped off The CBS Late Movie (before they started really screwing with the shows), so it's running at the right speed. But it's also missing 3-1/2 minutes, and between the REALLY lousy, faded color, and the FUZZY-AS-HELL picture quality, my guess is it was recorded off a BAD antenna signal, at the SLOW speed, then COPIED at the slow speed, before whoever did those tapes then copied it onto disc. DAMN. I wish somebody would put out an OFFICIAL DVD box set of this show... or better yet, Blu-Ray. That way we could be sure every episode was running at the correct speed, wherever the copies came from, and wherever anyone was watching it. If they could put THE SNOOP SISTERS out, when that series only had 5 episodes, they sure as hec can do the same with HEC RAMSEY.

[profh0011]

HEC RAMSEY:  Mystery Of The Green Feather
Not-Quite Indian Trouble   (7 of 10)

A family is murdered, and the evidence is made to appear as if they were killed by Indians, but Hec has reason not to believe it. Meanwhile, an arrogant rancher is having cattle stolen from him, and doesn't care whose property he has to trespass on to find them; someone is pulling a con-game on the government by falsely claiming Indian heritage in order to accumulate free land being given to the Indians; and a wanted killer Hec & Oliver are chasing down gives them the slip after being on the road for two weeks.

This continues to be a genuinely involving and complex mystery series, though I have to say, this particular episode seems to be rambling all over the place and taking its time getting anywhere. On that score, it seems to have almost, in a very low-key way, predicted the complex, multi-plot "Alamo" episodes of McCLOUD by over a year!

Morgan Woodward (STAR TREK: The Omega Glory) is "Ben Buckley", a rancher who seems to believe he's the law unto himself, and can and will do whatever he wants with nobody to stop him. At the climax, he winds up shooting Hec's hat right off his head at quite a distance, causing Oliver to ask, "Does he always shoot that good?"

Rory Calhoun (longtime western star) is "Jim Patton", who Hec learns is not only stealing from his boss, but also messing around with his boss's girlfriend.

Lorraine Gary (JAWS, 1941) is "Bella Grant", who Hec is really impressed with, but refuses to mess with when he figures out she's already "taken".

Alan Hewitt (MY FAVORITE MARTIAN) and John Fiedler (THE WORLD OF HENRY ORIENT) are "Samuels" and "Pingree", a pair of railroad company men, who first try to push their weight around with Oliver & Hec when they hear there's Indian trouble in the area, then make the mistake of doing the same thing with a man who just happened to have a guilty conscience.

Lloyd Bochner (THE NIGHT WALKER) is "Myles Wingate", a former salesman who once spent time in a territorial prision, and is more terrified of ever going back than anything else.

Much of the plot involves someone deliberately trying to start a war with the local Indians, and Hec repeatedly drives Oliver crazy as he carefully, tediously demonstrates various new-fangled scientific crime-solving tests and methods. I noticed that "Doc Coogan" is mentioned once, but doesn't actually appear in this one. I kinda wish he had; this series could have used more regular, recurring characters.

[profh0011]

HEC RAMSEY:  Mystery Of The Yellow Rose
WHO killed the rich man's worthless son?   (7 of 10)

It's bad enough when the son of a very-wealthy man forges a check, but when he beats up a prostitute and then doesn't bother to pay, Hec winds up chasing him down in another town, where nearly every person is terrified of the creep's rich father. This includes the town sheriff, the town judge, and almost every business owner. The one exception is a woman Hec was in love with once, who he winds up having a romantic reunion with. But the next day, he learns the creep he tracked down, has been stabbed to death, and his old love is blamed for the murder! Hec decides her only chance at all is if HE acts as her lawyer in court, and performs an absolutely heroic effort, proving beyond any shadow of doubt that she was innocent. But the jury brings in a a guilty verdict anyway, and the dead creep's father then pushes the judge to have the convicted woman EXECUTED immediately, before any possible appeals can be called for.

Richard Boone never fails to satisfy in this series, at times exhibiting great intelligence, warmth, and hot-blooded rage, depending on the situation. When pushed, he even puts his own career at risk, to save someone he KNOWS is being railroaded.

Don Stroud is "Brock Madden". Before he was "Pat Chambers" on MIKE HAMMER, Stroud made a whole career out of playing rotten scum, and here, he's one of the worst, but also most pathetic. When he winds up dead, you don't wonder why. You only wonder, WHO did it?

Diana Muldaur (McCLOUD) is "Rose Ryan" alias "Miss Savannah", who runs a saloon and clearly still has deep feelings for Hec, and vice-versa. There was no way Hec was going to leave her to an undeserving fate.

George Murdock (BATTLESTAR GALACTICA) is "Milt Brennan", manager of the town's hotel and good friend of Rose, who goes to some lengths to help Hec clear Rose of the murder charge.

Ian Wolfe (WKRP IN CINCINNATI and countless roles going back to the 1930s) is "Judge P. B. Shelley", who is more concerned with doing what he's ordered than in actual justice. His character makes a complete mockery out of the legal system, and it's infuriating to know that people like him actually exist in this world.

Francine York (BATMAN, LOST IN SPACE and many other roles) is "Kate Harris", a very beautiful saloon girl who may have overheard the killing, but it too terrified to stick around and testify, as she fears her life will be at risk.

Claude Akins (RIO BRAVO) is "Marshal Bert McCabe", just one in a very long line of mean-spirited, abusive lawmen the actor has played. Like everyone else in town, he's constantly pressured not so much to do his job, but what the man who OWNS everything and everyone in town TELLS him to do, and that includes doing all he can to stand in Hec's way as much as possible. The main difference is, he seems to ENJOY that.

Virginia Gregg (DRAGNET 1966) is "Mrs. Lambert", who helps Hec enact a demonstration in the courtroom that definitely proves Rose's innocence-- before she even realizes that she might have helped prove her guilty!

Ted Cassidy (THE ADDAMS FAMILY) has a bit part as "Mountain Man Pete", who causes a ruckus in the saloon, but only until Hec steps in and puts a STOP to it.

David Brian (STAR TREK: Patterns of Force) is "Henry T. Madden", a man who's used to having his own way, IN ALL THINGS, and claims he loves his son, despite how completely worthless a human being he is. When someone "ends his line", he's determined to see that person hang, no matter how many laws have to be broken to see to it. The incredibly narrow-minded stupidity of this is that, he's so certain the woman accused of the crime MUST be guilty, it never once crosses his mind that, if she really is innocent, the REAL guilty person must still be out there.

This was one of the longer NBC Mystery Movie episodes that fit into a 2-hour slot (I clocked it at 1:36:15), and while I suppose it deserved the longer running time, the last half-hour the story did begin to drag a bit.
   (11-28-2024)

[profh0011]

HEC RAMSEY:  The Mystery Of The Chalk Hill
Devastation     (8 of 10)

Back when I compiled my own index of the NBC MYSTERY MOVIES, I was missing a few issues of TV GUIDE, including the one with the date of this film. As a result, I always figured this must have been the 2nd "HEC RAMSEY" film made, because it was the only one, aside from the pilot, "THE CENTURY TURNS", to feature Sharon Acker & Brian Dewey as Hec's girlfriend Nora Muldoon and her young son Andy. So I was surprised to check it out online and discover it was run last that season. But knowing network programmers and their habits, perhaps this was made 2nd, but "held back" for a reason?

Hec finally gets tired of inexperienced Sheriff Oliver Stamp's demands and harassment concerning his methods of apprehending felons, and decides to quit his job, take one with his old friend Charlie Hollister in another town, and asks Nora to marry him. She accepts, he leaves and begins preparation for the wedding. But en route, her stage coach is held up-- and, shockingly, both she and her son are murdered. This entire film takes place in broad daylight, but it's one of the darkest films ever shown as part of the MYSTERY MOVIE cycle.

Rather than cover the rest of the plot, I'd prefer to mention the astonishing cast in this film, some of whom do the best acting jobs I've ever seen from them. This includes Pat Hingle, who my Dad loved watching so much in "HANG 'EM HIGH", who gives one of the most intense, and emotional portrayals of his career as a man slowly having to face the truth about certain events and people. Also in the cast is Bruce Davison, who may always be remembered best as the star of "WILLARD", as an aspiring artist who seems to have a problem with telling the truth. Smaller roles are filled by Jeanette Nolan as Hingle's wife (I always remember her as Dan Fielding's mother on NIGHT COURT), Bernie Hamilton as the too-"obvious" suspect (he was the police captain on "STARSKY AND HUTCH"), Henry Jones (who I first saw on the idiotic "LOST IN SPACE" episode "The Curse of Cousin Smith") as the town doctor, Leo Gordon ("THE HAUNTED PALACE") as a trigger-happy saloon owner, John Anderson as the artist who taught Davison how to paint, but not how to feel, and Robert Fuller ("EMERGENCY") as "Dixie", the gunfighter-brother that Davison's character looks up to so much.

I remember with some amusement that Harry Morgan, who played the barber-doctor-best friend Amos Coogan, was, for a time, a regular on both "HEC RAMSEY" and "M*A*S*H". I always preferred him on "HEC RAMSEY" (and on "DRAGNET").

It's a shame this show only lasted 2 seasons. I wonder why NBC had such a bad run of luck trying to find successful additions to "COLUMBO", "McCLOUD" and "McMILAN & WIFE"?
   (7-17-2012)

[profh0011]

HEC RAMSEY: A Hard Road To Vengeance
Misguided Hero Worship   (6 of 10)

People gather from all over for the dedication of a statue in honor of New Prospect's resident DEAD hero, a young outlaw who was shot dead by a lawman in the process of trying to arrest him some years ago.  Among those arriving are a journalist who's made his career telling stories about the dead "hero", a woman who was the hero's girlfriend, and, most disturbingly, the lawman whose reputation and career were destroyed by all the hero-worship. Amidst the growing chaos, murder attempts and an actual murder, Hec tries to keep the peace and do his job as he sees fit.

Keenan Wynn (DR. STRANGELOVE) is "Bullard", the journalist who fears he may be at the end of his road, career-wise.

Ruth Roman (TARZAN: The Ultimatum) is "Della Redsmith", the dead hero's mother, who actually hated her son, but also has managed to make a living off his memory.

Rita Moreno (MARLOWE) is "Lina Ramirez", the hero's former girlfriend, who winds up briefly having an affair with Hec, despite her obvious animosity toward him.

Stuart Whitman (THE COMANCHEROS) is "Virgil Bassett", the former lawman who's struggled from job to job ever since he was forced to gun down a punk kid criminal in self-defense, is the target of several murder attempts, and has a secret plan to ruin the celebration party everyone's planning.

I feel compelled to mention that HEC RAMSEY has still not been released officially on disc.  However, while several bootleg companies have put it out, one in particular, "Loving The Classics", should be avoided at all costs.  The disc in their set with this movie on it, the disc menu doesn't work properly, this episode starts in the MIDDLE of the last chapter of the previous episode, and the episode CUTS OFF abruptly 21 minutes in.  I had to dig out my 40-year-old videotape I recorded off The CBS Late Movie and watch THAT instead, and I can attest, the quality of my tape is at least 10 TIMES BETTER than the tape that was used to make that particular bootleg DVD-R.

[profh0011]

HEC RAMSEY:  The Detroit Connection
The Organization   (5 of 10)

A man who was drilling for oil gets killed in an explosion.  Hec learns he apparently made a deal with some businessmen to get the money for drilling equipment, tried to back out of the deal, was killed for it, and now his widow is receiving threats not to talk to anyone.  Meanwhile, several businessmen from Detroit have arrived in town, a widow who catches Hec’s eye confides her late husband was involved in organized crime, someone is trying to buy influence on the city council, the murderer is killed to keep him quiet, and Hec tries to figure out who knew the police were after him.  A complicated story, and rather different, even for this show.

Kim Hunter (PLANET OF THE APES) is “Annie Kirby”, whose husband was killed, and finds her son’s life is being threatened as well.

Richard Jordan (LOGAN’S RUN) is “Charles Clavell”, an arrogant gangster who feels he’s next in line when “the old man” isn’t around anymore, but who finds he still has those above him he has to answer to.

Angie Dickinson (RIO BRAVO) is “Sarah Detweiler”, the widow who advises Hec to just “walk away” from a situation that is bigger than he can possibly understand or deal with.

Marshall Thompson (DAKTARI) is “Judd White”, the city councilman who fought for Hec to be hired to the Police Department, but winds up suggesting Hec retire with as much as he can get.

Harry Morgan’s “Doc Coogan” complains to Hec’s boss that he’s paying too many license fees.  Morgan was appearing on this show and M*A*S*H at the same time, but while I NEVER liked his “Colonel Potter” character (he always struck me as a pain-in-the-ass), I always enjoyed him as Coogan.
   (5-19-2025)

[profh0011]

HEC RAMSEY:  Dead Heat
MURDER:  But How Did He DIE?   (7 of 10)

The young foreman of a cattle ranch is found dead in bed... but the circumstances convince Hec he was murdered.  Yet, even after Doc Coogan performs an autopsy, he can find nothing to suggest it wasn't from natural causes.

While this is going on, Hec also has to contend with a widow causing repeated disruptions in the name of women's rights, and a convicted bank robber who claims he's in town looking for a job. Meanwhile, the arrival of a horseless carriage coincides with the introduction of something called "ice cream". And, the number of potential murder suspects keeps piling up.

Sheree North (MADIGAN) is "Esther Helpinstall", a widow who has passed the bar exam, but no one will hire to become a lawyer, or anything else, and she's determined to have her day in court, no matter how many laws she has to break to do it.

Jackie Cooper (the 1934 TREASURE ISLAND) is "Barney Tolliver", who calls Hec an "old friend", despite said friendship consisting entirely of Hec locking him up in jail repeatedly. He meets Esther while locked up, and takes a keen shine to her.

John Anderson (PSYCHO) is "Harry Munson", owner of the cattle ranch, who has nothing but praise for the dead man, but far less for his own son, and becomes increasingly annoyed with Hec the longer his investigation continues.  That always seems to be a sign of something wrong in any murder investigation.

Alfred Ryder (THE OUTER LIMITS: The Borderland) is "Frank Carmody", the Bible-spouting abusive husband of a woman who claims she had an affair with the dead man.  Could he be the killer-- or could SHE?

This show was so unique, so special, it stood out from among all the other NBC Mystery Movie series, and among most other westerns. I really wish it had gone on longer than just 2 short years, and DAMMIT, it's long overdue for somebody to do an official DVD box set.  The bootleg set I currently have from the increasingly-notorious "Loving The Classics" outfit, has to be one of the WORST-quality sets I've ever seen, and makes me think some people really have a lot of nerve to be charging money for the stuff they sell online.

[profh0011]

HEC RAMSEY:  Scar Tissue
The Unknown  Father   (7 of 10)

An angry young man is searching for the father he never knew, intending to kill him for abandoning his mother, who passed away recently.  Hec decides to help identify which of three possible men in town might be the father, while hoping he and the son can work things out.  Meanwhile, an old friend of Hec's, the man who taught him how to be a lawman, also comes to town, hoping for a job, but winds up as a night watchman at a store that's been robbed recently.

Kurt Russell (THE COMPUTER WORE TENNIS SHOES) is "Matthias Kane", who's had repeated run-ins with the law since his mother died.  He's hell-bent on finding and killing his father, without even knowing the facts that led to his father's disappearance.

Chill Wills is "Sam McDade", a retired lawman who's just gotten too old for the job, but doesn't yet feel ready to simply go live with his daughter.

William Campbell (STAR TREK: The Squire Of Gothos) is "Vince Alexander", a man who's had many jobs in his time and even more girlfriends, who once spent some time in the same town Matthias was born in.

Hilarie Thompson (WHERE ANGELS GO TROUBLE FOLLOWS) is "Betsy Alexander", who takes a shine to Matthias, but becomes upset when she begins to suspect that he might be her own brother.

Albert Salmi (LOST IN SPACE: The Sky Pirate) is "John Rhodes", who gives McDade a job.

Tom Drake (MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS) is "Will Bannister", Rhodes' business partner, who's had a lot of trouble in his life.

Every time I watch this series, I find myself wishing it had lasted a lot longer.  I also wish somebody would put out an official box set of it in Blu-Ray.  It's long overdue.

[profh0011]

HEC RAMSEY:  Only Birds And Fools
The Airplane Scheme  (7 of 10)

The latest advance in technology comes to New Prospect when an inventor and his business partner try to interest the town council in financially backing an experimental one-man aircraft (shades of The Wright Brothers).  But a stranger checks into the hotel and winds up dead in a field, starting Hec on another confusing murder investigation.  And while this is going on, Doc Coogan tries hopelessly to heal a family torn about by alcoholism.

Cliff Potts (SILENT RUNNING) is “Tom Bailey”, inventor of the airplane, who apparently crossed paths with the murdered man months earlier, and his exact relationship with him is unclear.

Robert Foxworth (Dan Curtis’ FRANKENSTEIN) is “Jonas Goodwin”, a longtime con-man, who tells Hec that for the first time in his life, he really, truly believes in what he’s trying to sell.

Charles Aidman (KOLCHAK: THE NIGHT STALKER: The Zombie, and, the narrator of the 1985-87 revival of THE TWILIGHT ZONE) is “Clyde Harris”, whose drinking is destroying his family and practically killing his wife.  I’ve never seen such a powerful, emotional performance from the actor as the one he gave here.

Katherine Helmond (TIME BANDITS and 88 episodes of SOAP) is “Emily Harris”, who cannot bring herself to take Doc Coogan’s advice and divorce her drunken husband.  It’s hurting Coogan as well, as he’s secretly in love with her.

Harold J. Stone (“Frank Nitti” in THE ST. VALENTINE’S DAY MASSACRE) is “Robert Pierce”, the town councilman who takes a lot of convincing before he’s ready to invest in the airplane scheme.

Bob Hastings (McHALE’S NAVY) is “Jack Kling”, a newspaperman who very quickly gets on Hec’s wrong side when he refuses to accept a simple answer to a simple question.

I really love this show, and wish it had lasted longer.  Apparently, it ended after 2 seasons due to some unspecified disagreement between lead actor Richard Boone and the producers (or was it the network? can't say).