BootDigest Such a frustrating disappointment

SnoReptilePlenty Memorable, crazy movie

Lumsdal Good , But It Is Overrated By Some

Jonah Abbott There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

dougdoepke On Friday evenings, I was glued to 77. Thanks to Warner Bros., the movie studios were joining TV programming, so that by 1958, they knew they couldn't lick the little living room box. For TV, that meant better production values, more glamor, and hour-long formats. 77 hit the little screen with a bang, the first detective show to combine studio glamor, Hollywood chic, and urban cool. Zimbalist and Smith were perfect for their sleek roles. But it was really Edd Byrnes' jive-talking Kookie who caught public fancy, especially teens like me. There'd been nothing like him during the more laid-back Eisenhower years. As I recall, the stories were nothing special, though the studio had plenty of stock footage to draw upon. The staging was conventional for its time-- high-key lighting, straightforward direction, unobtrusive camera angles. (Stylistic changes in the detective genre would come a year later with the innovative Peter Gunn.) Nonetheless, the plots were just an excuse to combine colorful characters with a new glamor babe of the week. But naturally no series lasts forever and when the format wore down in '63, Jack Webb was brought in to revitalize. It was a tough job, at best. Right away I was turned off. Putting a suit on Kookie and moderating the jive talk was a big mistake, and unsurprisingly the series soon folded. But in its early years, the show was a definite trend- setter, as other reviewers detail. Even now, Kookie, Stu, and Jeff live on fondly in my little book of nostalgia. However, it's only logical that the material has lost its cutting-edge, especially for those uninterested in the evolution of TV. Still, for its time, it was a real gas, man!

Janet Harbison Warner Brothers had a hit with this show. Efrem Zimblist Jr. was wonderful as Stu Bailey. Roger Smith played his partner Jeff. Edd Byrnes played Kookie. And for one season 1960-1961 a character was moved from one show to another. It was the first time this had ever happened. Rex Randolph played by Richard Long came on board and helped take some of the burden off of Stu. Although he didn't stay but one season and only appeared in eleven episodes including a two parter, Long was wonderful as Rex. He and Jeff seemed to always get into one mess after another when they worked together on a case. But they usually solved them. I look forward to this show being issued out on DVD someday. It is truly a classic.

Cheyenne-Bodie Franchot Tone played private detective Stuart Bailey in the movie "I Love Trouble" (1948), which was based on a 1946 novel by Roy Huggins (the creator of "The Fugitive").Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. first played Stuart Bailey in a 1957 episode of "Conflict", a series produced by Roy Huggins ("Cheyenne", "Maverick"). Bailey is a low-rent guy who puts an add in the paper that says "Anything For Money", which would have been the title of the show.Zimbalist wanted to be a movie star, and tried as hard as he could to get out of doing "77 Sunset Strip". Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. was the son of a world famous concert violinist. He dropped out of Yale and wound up a platoon leader during World War II. He was wounded in action. Zimbalist was a successful stage producer before becoming an actor. A classy guy, although perhaps a bit of a playboy as a young man.Zimbalist projected great warmth, style and intelligence as Bailey. He was sort of a young Ronald Colman. Zimbalist was nominated for an Emmy the first season, as was Craig Stevens the same year for "Peter Gunn". Stuart Bailey was Zimbalist's greatest role.Time Magazine did a cover story about the glut of private eyes on television in 1959. The story concluded that the best of the new faces playing private dicks were Craig Stevens ("Peter Gunn"), David Janssen ("Richard Diamond"), Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. ("Stuart Bailey"), Philip Carey ("Philip Marlowe") and Raymond Burr ("Perry Mason"). The character of Jeff Spencer was created to be Bailey's partner. I would have cast flashy Ray Danton ("Tarawa Beachhead", "Legs Diamond") as Spencer. Danton was insanely handsome and confident. He had a shark like aspect to his personality and a trace of neurotic self loathing. He was an intense, sometimes brilliant actor who was a clear sexual threat to any woman he encountered. Danton could have been a great match for the more mellow, humanistic Zimbalist.Martin Scorecese and James Ellroy are just the guys to do justice to a movie remake of this classic series. If Ellroy isn't interested, Stuart Kaminsky ("Toby Peters") could nail it. The black and white movie should take place in the swinging early 1960's. Joe Dimaggio hires Bailey to investigate the death of Marilyn Monroe, his ex-wife. The trail leads Bailey to Peter Lawford, Elia Kazan, Tony Curtis, Billy Wilder, Arthur Miller, Howard Hughes, Bobby Kennedy and finally to President John Kennedy. Bailey and Spencer follow the trail wherever it leads, and to whoever. But Spencer is murdered, and Bailey is framed for it. Bailey is convicted and is awaiting execution. And then JFK is murdered. Bailey escapes from prison to prove his innocence and find the real killer.....Who among current actors has the style to play Stuart Bailey as well as Zimbalist did? Maybe Tom Hanks. And Bruce Willis would be fine as Jeff Spencer. Successful movies have been made of two series created by Roy Huggins: "The Fugitive" and "Maverick". "77 Sunset Strip" has the potential to be an even greater film.

eddy1911 I just move to a big house with a home theater, BIG TV, very comfortable leather recliners and perfect sound, all just to watch 77 Sunset Strip, Hawaiian Eye, Surfside Six and Bourbon street Beat.I am in heaven!! Where did they find all this handsome guys? and the cars!... the only character I do not like is the secretary in Bourbon St...I find her childish.Thanks for cable TV.I was just 4 years old the first time I remember seen 77 Sunset Strip and I still a fun of the program.My favorite was Roger Smith and his suits and ties.In Hawaiian Eye Conrad coming out the pool look so good that was imitated by me many, many times.What ever happen to Cha Cha, Margarita Sierra?..she was fun too even if the songs sometimes where a bit too long.Van Williams what a guy!...all of them, so well cast.