The Investigators (1961 TV series)

Last updated
The Investigators
The Investigators 1961 title card.PNG
GenreCrime drama
Directed by Joseph H. Lewis
Starring James Franciscus
James Philbrook
Mary Murphy
Al Austin
Asher Dann
June Kenney
Theme music composer Jack Marshall
Composer Pete Rugolo
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes13
Production
Executive producer Richard Irving
Producer Michael Garrison
Running time60 minutes
Production companiesRevue Studios
MCA TV
Original release
Network CBS
ReleaseOctober 5 (1961-10-05) 
December 28, 1961 (1961-12-28)

The Investigators is an American drama television series starring James Franciscus and James Philbrook about a team of insurance investigators in New York City. Original episodes aired from October 5 to December 28, 1961, [1] [2] on CBS. [3]

Contents

Synopsis

Investigators Inc. is a very successful private investigation firm with offices on Manhattan′s stylish Upper East Side in New York City. [2] The firm specializes in investigating very large insurance claims to root out cases of insurance fraud. [1] [2] Russ Andrews and Steve Banks run the firm, Bill Davis and Danny Clayton are among the firm's investigators, and Maggie Peters serves not only as their girl Friday, but also as an investigator in her own right who sometimes goes undercover during an investigation. [2] Polly Walters is the secretary at the office. [2] As the team investigates the legitimacy of insurance claims, they become involved with criminals, the police, and others. [2]

Cast

Broadcast history

The Investigators premiered on CBS on October 5, 1961, airing on Thursdays at 9:00 p.m. throughout its 13-episode run. [1] [2] CBS cancelled it after only half a season, and its last original episode aired on December 28, 1961.[ citation needed ]

Episodes

Sources: [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10]

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
1"Murder on Order"UnknownUnknownOctober 5, 1961 (1961-10-05)
A series of supposed accidental death cases leads to the glamorous Madame Lucia Vaillancour, the owner of a swank dance studio — and she does not suspect that her latest student is insurance investigator Russ Andrews. Rhonda Fleming, Brad Dexter, and June Dayton guest-star.
2"The Oracle"UnknownUnknownOctober 12, 1961 (1961-10-12)
An insurance company hires Investigators Inc. to investigate a leader who calls himself "Nostradamus" and convinces the rich women who are his followers to cash in their insurance policies and give him the money. The company wishes to stop its client, Constance Moreno, from making the same mistake and giving him $250,000. Russ, Maggie, and Danny travel to Los Angeles to protect Constance from fraud and investigate the cult. "Nostradamus," it turns out, is a drifter and con man named Walter Mimms who has a talent for getting the women he meets to fall in love with them, but also has a weakness — he tends to fall in love with them as well. Walter himself is being manipulated by an older con man, Joseph Lombard, who is using Walter as a front for his own, bigger fraudulent schemes. Constance has fallen in love with Walter, but Russ and Maggie visit her and convince her to test Walter′s love before giving him her $250,000 check. At Lombard's orders, Walter fails Constance′s test and she keeps her check. Soon Lombard′s men visit her to get the check and murder her to prevent her from causing any more problems. They throw her from her apartment′s window, and Lombard tells Walter she jumped from the window to commit suicide because of his rejection of her. After Constance′s death, Walter becomes less and less stable, and Maggie goes undercover to impersonate Walter′s next mark, discovering that Walter uses a phony séance to trick his victims. Lee Marvin, Audrey Dalton, and John Williams guest-star.
3"New Sound for the Blues"UnknownUnknownOctober 19, 1961 (1961-10-19)
A young athlete dies in the lobby of the insurance firm's office building. Claire Trevor and Bill Williams guest-star.
4"I Thee Kill"UnknownUnknownOctober 26, 1961 (1961-10-26)
A man named Jack Daley's ex-girlfriend Sheila Beaumont is about to marry someone else, and he insists on joining the crowd outside the church for a last look at her. Mickey Rooney, Claire Griswold, Richard Rust, Bill Zuckert, and Raymond Bailey guest-star.
5"Quite a Woman"UnknownUnknownNovember 2, 1961 (1961-11-02)
A former silent film star hires Investigators Inc. to settle a claim for the theft of her valuable art collection. Soon after taking the case, however, Andrews begins to wonder if the paintings were really stolen. Miriam Hopkins, Otto Kruger, Abraham Sofaer, and Alan Mowbray guest-star.
6"Style of Living"UnknownUnknownNovember 9, 1961 (1961-11-09)
A wealthy woman, Valerie Corbin, is concerned about her husband's safety. He is a heavy gambler, and his life could be in danger. Bethel Leslie, Dina Merrill, Gavin MacLeod, and Ed Binns guest-star.
7"In a Mirror, Darkly"UnknownUnknownNovember 16, 1961 (1961-11-16)
When a female fashion designer reports the loss of her exclusive fall line in a fire, the investigators get an anonymous tip which touches off an inquiry into her activities. Miriam Hopkins, Joanna Barnes, Diana Lynn, and Harry Townes guest-star.
8"A Man of Means"UnknownUnknownNovember 23, 1961 (1961-11-23)
Alternative title "De Luca." Steve Banks finds romantic complications when he investigates a fire in a cannery community. Robert Middleton, Vito Scotti, Mario Alcalde, and Judi Meredith guest-star.
9"Death Leaves a Tip"UnknownUnknownNovember 30, 1961 (1961-11-30)
A serial killer is murdering people in New York City, and almost all the victims are waitresses. The investigators decide that a shy waitress named Marla Jensen would be the perfect bait to lure the killer into a trap. Jane Wyman, Peter Leeds, Nancy Rennick, John Lasell, and Bill Zuckert guest-star.
10"The Panic Wagon"UnknownUnknownDecember 7, 1961 (1961-12-07)
A wealthy horse-breeder dies in an avalanche set off by a construction company's dynamite charge — and the investigators suspect it was no accident. Robert Webber, Albert Salmi, and Jean Engstrom guest-star.
11"The Mind's Own Fire"UnknownUnknownDecember 14, 1961 (1961-12-14)
Maggie Peters finds romance when she investigates a series of fires in an industrial town in New England. Dennis Hopper, James Dunn, and Mildred Dunnock guest-star.
12"Something for Charity"UnknownUnknownDecember 21, 1961 (1961-12-21)
Russ Andrews and Steve Banks persuade a down-on-her-luck woman to arrange a staged marriage with Banks in an effort to trap a large-scale, murder-for-insurance ring. Ida Lupino, Val Avery, and Linda Watkins guest-star.
13"The Dead End Man"UnknownUnknownDecember 28, 1961 (1961-12-28)
A woman named Margaret Ransom is about to have her missing husband Henry declared legally dead so that she can collect his life insurance. Dorothy Green, Henry Jones, William Fawcett, Philip Ober, Pat Carroll, William Challee, James Millhollin, Ted Newton, Vaughn Taylor, Dick Wessel, and Clegg Hoyt guest-star.

Related Research Articles

<i>JAG</i> (TV series) American legal drama television series (1995–2005)

JAG is an American legal drama television series with a U.S. Navy theme, created by Donald P. Bellisario, and produced by Belisarius Productions in association with Paramount Network Television. The series originally aired on NBC for one season from September 23, 1995, to May 22, 1996, and then on CBS for an additional nine seasons from January 3, 1997, to April 29, 2005. The first season was co-produced with NBC Productions and was originally perceived as a Top Gun meets A Few Good Men hybrid series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victor Garber</span> Canadian actor (born 1949)

Victor Garber, is a Canadian stage and film actor and singer. Known for his work on stage and screen, he has been nominated for three Gemini Awards, four Tony Awards, and six Primetime Emmy Awards. In 2022, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada.

<i>General Electric Theater</i> Anthology radio and television drama series

General Electric Theater is an American anthology series hosted by Ronald Reagan that was broadcast on CBS radio and television. The series was sponsored by General Electric's Department of Public Relations.

<i>Longstreet</i> (TV series) American police procedural

Longstreet is an American police procedural that was broadcast on ABC in the 1971–1972 season. A 90-minute pilot movie of the same name aired prior to the debut of the series as an ABC Movie of the Week.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Culp</span> American actor (1930–2010)

Robert Martin Culp was an American actor and screenwriter widely known for his work in television. Culp earned an international reputation for his role as Kelly Robinson on I Spy (1965–1968), the espionage television series in which he and co-star Bill Cosby played secret agents. Before this, he starred in the CBS/Four Star Western series Trackdown as Texas Ranger Hoby Gilman in 71 episodes from 1957 to 1959. The 1980s brought him back to television as FBI Agent Bill Maxwell on The Greatest American Hero. Later, he had a recurring role as Warren Whelan on Everybody Loves Raymond, and was a voice actor for various computer games, including Half-Life 2. Culp gave hundreds of performances in a career spanning more than 50 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alan Mowbray</span> British-American actor (1896–1969)

Alan Mowbray MM was an English stage and film actor who found success in Hollywood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tommy Rettig</span> American child actor (1941–1996)

Thomas Noel Rettig was an American child actor, computer software engineer, and author. He portrayed the character "Jeff Miller" in the first three seasons of CBS's Lassie television series, from 1954 to 1957, later seen in syndicated re-runs with the title Jeff's Collie. He also played the young orphan adopted by British star David Niven in Niven's film titled "No Identity," for the TV anthology series, Four Star Playhouse. He also co-starred with another former child actor, Tony Dow, in the mid-1960s television teen soap opera Never Too Young and recorded the song by that title with the group, The TR-4.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Middleton</span> American actor (1911–1977)

Robert Middleton was an American film and television actor known for his large size, beetle-like brows, and deep, booming voice, usually in the portrayal of ruthless villains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Franciscus</span> American actor (1934–1991)

James Grover Franciscus was an American actor, known for his roles in feature films and in six television series: Mr. Novak, Naked City, The Investigators, Longstreet, Doc Elliot, and Hunter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mary Murphy (actress)</span> American actress (1931–2011)

Mary Murphy was an American film and television actress of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Otto Kruger</span> American actor

Otto Kruger was an American actor, originally a Broadway matinee idol, who established a niche as a charming villain in films, such as Hitchcock's Saboteur. He also appeared in CBS's Perry Mason and other TV series. He was the grandnephew of South African president Paul Kruger.

<i>The Aquanauts</i> Television series

The Aquanauts is an American adventure/drama series that aired on CBS in the 1960–1961 season. The series stars Keith Larsen, Jeremy Slate and Ron Ely, who later replaced Larsen on midseason.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tod Andrews</span> American actor (1914–1972)

Tod Andrews was an American stage, screen, and television actor.

James Philbrook was an American actor who appeared in several major films, including I Want to Live! (1958), Woman Obsessed and as Colonel Tall in the 1964 war picture The Thin Red Line. He had supporting roles on television, including The Islanders (1960–61) and The New Loretta Young Show.

The Good Wife is an American legal political drama television series that aired on CBS from September 22, 2009, to May 8, 2016. It focuses on Alicia Florrick, the wife of the Cook County State's Attorney, who returns to her career in law after the events of a public sex and political corruption scandal involving her husband. The series was created by Robert and Michelle King and stars Julianna Margulies, Josh Charles, Christine Baranski, Matt Czuchry, Archie Panjabi, Zach Grenier, Matthew Goode, Cush Jumbo, Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Alan Cumming, and features Chris Noth in a recurring role. The executive producers included the Kings, Ridley and Tony Scott, Charles McDougall, and David W. Zucker.

<i>The Tom Ewell Show</i> 1960 TV series or program

The Tom Ewell Show, also known as The Trouble With Tom, is an American sitcom that aired on CBS during the 1960-61 television season. It depicts the challenges a husband and father faces as he resides in a household otherwise consisting entirely of women and girls.

<i>Oh! Those Bells</i> 1962 American TV series or program

Oh! Those Bells is a 1962 United States sitcom television series starring The Wiere Brothers about the misadventures of three brothers who work in a Hollywood theatrical supply shop. It aired from March 8 to May 31, 1962.

The Good Fight is an American legal drama television series produced for CBS's streaming service CBS All Access. It was the platform's first original scripted series. The series, created by Robert King, Michelle King, and Phil Alden Robinson, is a spin-off from and standalone sequel to The Good Wife, which was created by the Kings. The first season premiered on February 19, 2017, with the first episode airing on CBS and the following nine episodes on CBS All Access.

<i>FBI</i> (TV series) 2018 American crime drama television series

FBI is an American police procedural television series created by Dick Wolf and Craig Turk that premiered on CBS on September 25, 2018. The series is produced by Wolf Entertainment, CBS Studios, and Universal Television, with Dick Wolf, Arthur W. Forney, Peter Jankowski, and Turk serving as executive producers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chapter Twelve: Anatomy of a Murder</span> 12th episode of the 1st season of Riverdale

"Chapter Twelve: Anatomy of a Murder" is the twelfth episode of the first season of the American television show Riverdale. The episode was written by Michael Grassi and directed by Rob Seidenglanz. It originally aired on The CW in the United States on May 4, 2017.

References

  1. 1 2 3 McNeil, Alex, Total Television: The Comprehensive Guide to Programming From 1948 to the Present, Fourth Edition, New York: Penguin Books, 1996, ISBN   0 14 02 4916 8, p. 412.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Brooks, Tim, and Earle Marsh, The Complete Directory to Prime-Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present (Sixth Edition), New York: Ballantine Books, 1995, ISBN   0-345-39736-3, p. 505.
  3. Terrace, Vincent (2011). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010 (2nd ed.). Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. p. 509. ISBN   978-0-7864-6477-7.
  4. The Investigators (television listing), Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, October 5, 1961, Page 47 Accessed 4 January 2022
  5. The Investigators (television listing), The Des Moines Register, October 5, 1961, Page 11 Accessed 4 January 2022
  6. The Investigators (television listing), The Daily Register (Red Bank, New Jersey), October 5, 1961, Page 18 Accessed 4 January 2022
  7. The Investigators (television listing), The Times (Shreveport, Louisiana), November 16, 1961, Page 71 Accessed 4 January 2022
  8. The Investigators (television listing), The Boston Globe, November 23, 1961, Page 106 Accessed 4 January 2022
  9. The Investigators (television listing), Courier Post (Camden, New Jersey), December 7, 1961, Page 47 Accessed 4 January 2022
  10. The Investigators (television listing), Standard-Speaker (Hazleton, Pennsylvania), December 16, 1961, Page 21 Accessed 4 January 2022