Obscure Classic TV Shows - Post Your Favorites! (1 Viewer)

[The 1960's]

Cannonball (1958-1959)
Stars Paul Birch William Campbell Beth Lockerbie​

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The Cannonball TV series follows the adventures of Mike Malone, nicknamed Cannonball (Paul Birch), and Jerry Austin (William Campbell), two truckers hauling for Toronto-based C&A Transport Company Ltd. Their truck is a GMC Model 950 Cab Over diesel tractor.

S01E01 The Runaway Truck (Oct.06.1958)
Stars Paul Birch William Campbell Beth Lockerbie Steven Barringer Beth Morris Carleton Young​

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In this episode some hijackers figure they can hijack Cannonball's truck. They should know better than to mess with these truckers. The supporting cast includes Beth Lockerbie as Mary Malone, Mike's wife, Beth Morris as Ginny Malone, and Steve Barringer as Butch Malone. Howard Milsom appears as C&A Transport Company Ltd.'s dispatcher Harry Butler. This episode also includes Carelton G. Young, Ann Doran, Stafford Repp, Eddie Little, Isabelle Dwan, Alan Dinehart, and Joan Young. Air Date: October 6, 1958. Transferred from 16mm b-w film. (Moviecraft Inc.)

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[The 1960's]

Fremont The Trailblazer (1956) Unaired Pilot
Stars Steve Cochran James Gavin Barbara Wilson William Kendis Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams Maria Monay Peter Whitney George Bruggeman​

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Unsold pilot for a series based around explorer John C. Fremont. In this pilot, Fremont gathers his crew for a surveying expedition to Oregon. John C. Frémont was an explorer and Military Office who led expeditions into the western states. Follow the exploits of the explorer where "from the ashes of his campfire have sprung cities." Fremont (Steve Cochran) leaves a beautiful woman (Barbara Wilson) to record trails of land only seen by Mountain Men. He finds Kit Carson (James Gavin) as his guide. An untamed land, Indians, and an endless desert awaits them on this adventurous journey. Two fisted western action. Great television episode for a proposed TV series, surprisingly not continued. With William Kendis, Guinn "Big Boy" Williams, Maria Monay, and Peter Whitney. Transferred from 16mm b-w film. (Moviecraft Inc.)

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[The 1960's]

The Yank (1960) Pilot
Stars James Drury John Sutton L.Q. Jones Don Megowan Donald Losby Jack Pennick George Graham Harry Townes John McIntire Chuck Hamilton Tex Holden Rod McGaughy Sid Troy​

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Writer/producer Andrew J. Fenady wanted a companion show to his Nick Adams series starring his friend, James Drury. The year was 1960 and Fenady, steeped in western history and Civil War lore, put together a terrific script, cast and production team for THE YANK. Fenady also enlisted the same director who had helmed THE REBEL’s first episode in 1959, Irvin Kershner. Both pilots were loaded with hard cuts, violence, and interesting camera placement. THE REBEL, starring Nick Adams, had sold quickly. Fenady was hoping that lightning would strike twice. In addition to working together on THE REBEL, Fenady and Kershner had previously teamed on the low budget cult classic, STAKEOUT ON DOPE STREET. All were years before George Lucas tapped Kershner to direct the STAR WARS sequel, THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK (1980). Fenady, whether it was for his TV series THE REBEL, BRANDED or HONDO, always packed his programs, and movies like CHISUM, with very talented character actors we all know and love. In THE YANK, we see an array of the finest. John McIntire. L.Q. Jones. Harry Townes. John Sutton. Jack Pennick. And, as a picked upon ex-Yankee surgeon in a Southern town, James Drury is terrific, gives a very strong performance and shows why he became one of TV’s most popular performers. Lots of moral dilemma and compromised characters populate this solid half hour. Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it, THE YANK failed to get picked up. Unfortunate for Fenady, but fortunate for Jim Drury because he soon became the star of the 3rd longest running network western in TV history, THE VIRGINIAN (1962-1971). A Word on Westerns

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Remembering some of the cast from this 1960 unsold tv pilot The Yank​

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[The 1960's]

Freedom And You (1962)

Stars
Jack Kelly as Jerry Donavan
Jeanne Cooper as Helen Donavan
Peter Brown as Bill Martin
Peter Breck as Russian Officer
Robert Conrad as Pete
William Reynolds as Ralph (Uncredited)
Van Williams as Air Force Sergeant (Uncredited)
Chad Everett as A Customer (Uncredited)
Mike Road as Prosecutor
Jack Webb as Narrator
Pat Woodell as Linda Donavan (as Patricia Woodell)
Fred Aldrich -asJudge (Uncredited)
E.J. André as Malenko (Uncredited)
Philip Carey as Major Barnett (Uncredited)
Ashley Cowan as Counter Ma (Uncredited)
Paul Cristo as Townsman (Uncredited)
Ronnie Dapo as Jimmy Donavan (Uncredited)
Carol Nicholson as Sally Donavan (Uncredited)
Louis Quinn as Machinist (Uncredited)
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Red Nightmare is an American short film, sometimes titled Freedom and You, first broadcast on the CBS television network in 1962. It was directed by George Waggner and Jack Webb is the narrator. It’s a blunt example of Cold War propaganda, a frightening depiction of the United States under Soviet occupation. The film begins in what seems an ordinary American town – before the panning camera reveals the presence of Soviet soldiers and barbed wire. According to the narrator, the Soviet Union has constructed mock American towns where they can train spies and infiltrators. This signals their intentions and serves as a warning about what will transpire.

The main character in Red Nightmare, Jerry Donavan, is an average American. He works in a defence plant and has a typical middle-class existence: a comfortable home, a wife and three children. As the film progresses Donovan shows signs of disinterest and complacency, missing community meetings and his army reserve training. One evening he arrives home from work tired and goes to bed early, the narrator explaining that he is about to have a “red nightmare”. On ‘waking’, Donavan finds his hometown has been transformed by Soviet military occupation. His eldest daughter has been forced to work on a state farm, while his other children now attend communist schools. Donavan’s own workplace is now under Soviet control and subjected to exhaustive quotas, requiring him to work longer hours. The Soviets have also closed down the local churches and rewritten American history – but for Donavan, worse is to come.

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This film was produced for the United States Defense Department by studio mogul Jack L Warner and stars many Warner Brothers actors from the 1960’s television era including Jack Kelly (Maverick), Robert Conrad (Wild Wild West), Peter Breck (Hawaiian Eye), William Reynolds (The F.B.I.), and Peter Brown (Lawman). At the time, Jack L. Warner was very staunch anti-Communist, even though he released a pro-Communist feature film, Mission to Moscow, in 1943. Cameo by Chad Everette. This film was edited into a half hour version and released as Armed Forces Information Film #142, AFIF-142, Red Nightmare (1965), (see below).

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Red Nightmare (1965)​

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Red Nightmare is the best-known title of the 1962 Armed Forces Information Film (AFIF) 120, Freedom and You. Made for the Department of Defense, the short film was produced to mold public opinion against communism. The film was later released to American television and as an educational film to American schools under the Red Nightmare title. The film is a Cold War-era drama short subject directed by George Waggner, narrated by Jack Webb and starring Jack Kelly and Jeanne Cooper.

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Small Town Espionage (1960) (Short)​

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National Archives and Records Administration - ARC Identifier 896138 / Local Identifier 263.3153 - Small Town Espionage - National Security Council. Central Intelligence Agency. (09/18/1947 - 12/04/1981). This film discusses Soviet spy school training and covers surveillance and audio contact. -

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[The 1960's]

General Electric Theater (1953-1962)
Stars Ronald Reagan Don Herbert Nancy Reagan​

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An American anthology series, with a new episode and different actors and actresses each week. Hosted by Ronald Reagan, the series was sponsored by General Electric's Department of Public Relations.

S03E36 Star in the House (Jun.05.1955)
Stars Ronald Reagan Joan Blondell John Sutton Ellen Corby Susan Whitney Rodney Bell Madge Kennedy Eleanor Audley Colin Campbell Leon Lontoc Linda Stirling Bill McLean​

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Joan Blondell stars in this delightful fast paced comedy. She is now raising a family. Getting ready for a magazine interview by Theater Arts Magazine about her "ideal marriage," she gets wind her husband is out late with another woman! Laughs galore as the teenage daughter and Joan find they might have prematurely judged daddy. Cute television comedy that should have been a TV hit! Directed by Rodney Amateau. Transferred from 16mm b-w film. (Moviecraft Inc.)

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[The 1960's]

Pony Express (1959-1960)
Stars Grant Sullivan Don Dorrell Boyd 'Red' Morgan​

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Pony Express is a western television series starring Grant Sullivan as the Pony Express agent Brett Clark, who keeps his riders and mail moving in the wild west.

S01E09 Message From New Orleans (1959)
Produced by Desi Arnaz Lucille Ball
Stars Grant Sullivan Don Dorrell Bethel Leslie Stephen Bekassy Ralph Reed Bill Catching Sam Edwards Sam Edwards Bill Coontz Ethan Laidlaw Kermit Maynard Joseph Vitale​

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Curious as to why a gorgeous Southern belle would travel all the way from Louisiana to Julesburg to meet Kit Dennison, one of his young riders, Clark searches for back issues of the New Orleans paper and learns that if Dennison is dead the débutante will inherit his uncles considerable estate.Transferred from 16mm b-w film. (Moviecraft Inc.)

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[JohnHopper]

The Partners (1971-1972)
Creator: Don Adams (Get Smart)
Starring Don Adams and Rupert Crosse

Lennie Crooke and George Robinson are inept detectives teamed up to solve crimes. Captain Andrews is their exasperated boss, Sgt. Higgenbottom is a smarmy co-worker, and Freddy confesses to most of the neighborhood crimes.

Creator Don Adams wrote three scripts and directed three episodes.

Genres: Crime, Comedy

1. Here Comes the Fuzz

1. Here Comes the Fuzz

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