77 SUNSET STRIP

'''77 Sunset Strip''' is the first hour-length private detective series in American television history. It is also the first in a series of ABC clones that included ''Bourbon Street Beat'', ''Hawaiian Eye'' and ''Surfside 6''—all of which were eventually revealed to share the same fictional universe.
It is further notable for being the subject of an ownership battle between Roy Huggins and Warner Brothers, which was the proximate cause of Huggins' departure from the studio. It is actually based on novels and short stories written by Huggins prior to his arrival at Warner, but, as a matter of legal record, derives from a brief Caribbean theatrical release of its pilot, ''Girl on the Run''. The show ran from 1958 to 1964 and won the 1960 Golden Globe Award for best TV series.

Contents

Description

Spinoffs and legacy

Episode list

Notes

External links

Description

The show revolved around two Los Angeles detectives, both former government secret agents: Stuart ("Stu") Bailey (Efrem Zimbalist Jr., playing a character that Huggins had created in his 1946 novel ''The Double Take'', which he later adapted into the 1948 movie ''I Love Trouble'') and Jeff Spencer (Roger Smith). Spencer was also a former government agent, and a non-practicing attorney. They worked out of swank digs at 77 Sunset Strip, between La Cienega Boulevard and Alta Loma Road on the south side of the Strip next door to Dean Martin's real life pizza joint, Dino's Restaurant. Suzanne, the beautiful French switchboard operator played by Jacqueline Beer, handled the phones.
Hanging around for comic relief were Roscoe the racetrack tout played by Louis Quinn, and the rock and roll-loving, wisecracking, hair-combing, beatnik, P.I. wanna-be, valet parking attendant next door, Gerald Lloyd Kookson III ("Kookie"), played by Edd Byrnes. Comb sales soared. So much for Huggins' hopes for a straight P.I. series. Hardboiled drama was out and occasionally self-deprecating humor was in. ''77 Sunset Strip's'' catchy theme song, written by the accomplished team of Mack David and Jerry Livingston, typified the show's breezy, jazzed atmosphere. The song became the centerpiece of an album of the show's music in Warren Barker-led orchestrations, which was released in 1959.
The Edd Byrnes character Kookie became a cultural phenomenon, with his slang expressions such as "ginchy" and "piling up Zs" (sleeping). When Kookie helped the detectives on a case by singing a song, Edd Byrnes began a singing career with "Kookie, Kookie, Lend Me Your Comb" (based on his frequent combing of his hair). When his demands for more money were not met, he left the show, but came back later as a full-fledged partner in the detective firm in May 1960; in 1961 Robert Logan became the new parking lot attendant, J.R. Hale, who usually spoke in abbreviations. In 1960 Richard Long moved from the recently canceled detective series ''Bourbon Street Beat'' with his role of Rex Randolph, but he left in 1962.
The show's popularity was such that rising young actors clamored for a guest spot. Up-and-comers who made guest appearances included William Shatner, Mary Tyler Moore, Shirley Maclaine look-alike Gigi Verone, Robert Conrad, Dyan Cannon, Jay North, Connie Stevens, Adam West, Tuesday Weld, James Garner, Marlo Thomas, Max Baer, Jr., Elizabeth Montgomery, Karen Steele, DeForest Kelley, Susan Oliver, Peter Breck, Roger Moore, Donna Douglas, Troy Donahue, Ellen Burstyn, Chad Everett Gena Rowlands, and Diane Ladd. Even established film and TV actors plus older stars guested as well, including Fay Wray, Francis X. Bushman, Liliane Montevecchi, Keenan Wynn, Ida Lupino, Rolfe Sedan, Jim Backus, Billie Burke, Buddy Ebsen, George Jessel, Peter Lorre, Burgess Meredith, Nick Adams, and Roy Roberts, amongst others. The show was so "cool" that even sportstars such as Sandy Koufax had a guest role in an episode.
In 1963, as the shows popularity waned, the entire cast except for Zimbalist was cut, and Jack Webb was brought in as executive producer and William Conrad as director. The character of Stuart Bailey became a globe-hopping investigator, with lavish international sets. The show was canceled at the end of the year.

Spinoffs and legacy

The success of ''77 Sunset Strip'' led to the creation of several other detective shows in exotic locales, all produced by the Warner Brothers studio which created "''Strip''" — ''Bourbon Street Beat'' in New Orleans, ''Hawaiian Eye'' in Hawaii and ''Surfside 6'' in Miami. The casts (not to mention the scripts) of the various shows sometimes crossed to the other programs, which was logistically easy since they were all actually shot in Hollywood on the Warner Bros. lot.
Currently, there is only a mere engraving in the sidewalk commemorating ''77 Sunset Strip'' between La Cienega & Alta Loma Road and the area is slated for re-development as part of "The Sunset Millennium" Project. And in an ironic twist of fate, the opposition to the redevelopment of the area is known as "Save Our Strip" or "SOS" and is spear-headed by former ''77 Sunset Strip'' semi-regular Gigi Verone. There actually is no number 77 on the Strip, as all Sunset Boulevard addresses in the area have four digits. ''77 Sunset Strip'' is currently rerun weekly on AmericanLife TV Network, a U.S. cable network with limited distribution.

Episode list

See List of 77 Sunset Strip episodes

Notes

External links

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★ ''77 Sunset Strip'' at Thrilling Detective

★ ''77 Sunset Strip'' at TV.com

★ ''77 Sunset Strip'' at TVparty.com

★ 77 Sunset Strip at AmericanLife TV Network website