Dan Raven
GenrePolice drama
StarringSkip Homeier
Dan Barton
Quinn Redeker
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1 (see text)
No. of episodes13 (see text)
Production
Running time60 mins. (see text)
Production companyScreen Gems
Original release
NetworkNBC
ReleaseSeptember 23, 1960 (1960-09-23) –
January 6, 1961 (1961-01-06)

Dan Raven is an American police drama that aired on NBC during the 1960–1961 television season. It stars Skip Homeier and Dan Barton as Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department detectives whose beat is the Sunset Strip.

Synopsis

Lieutenant Dan Raven is a Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department detective.[1][2][3] He and his partner, Detective Sergeant Burke, work the night shift in the West Hollywood Division, where their beat is the Sunset Strip.[1][2][3] The work brings them into frequent contact with celebrities such as singers, actors, and comedians.[1][2][3] Perry Levitt is a magazine photographer working the Hollywood beat who frequently appears on the scene as Raven and Burke investigate crime in and around the many entertainment venues along the Strip.[1][2][3]

Cast

Production

Screen Gems produced Dan Raven.[citation needed] It was the first starring role for Skip Homeier,[3] a former child film star.[1][3] The show′s setting along the Sunset Strip created an opportunity for the characters to engage with famous performers as guest stars each week.[1][2][3] Some of the guest stars played themselves on the show, while others portrayed fictional characters.[2][3] Mel Tormé, who appeared in episode 8 ("The Junket"), co-composed (with Stanley Styne and George Duning) and recorded for the show a song titled "(These) Desperate Hours".[4]

Broadcast history

Alex McNeill′s Total Television claims that the show premiered in a 30-minute format on January 23, 1960, airing on Saturdays, then expanded to a 60-minute format beginning with the broadcast of September 23, 1960,[1] and numerous other sources repeat this claim. According to Brooks and Marsh′s Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, however, the show premiered on September 23, 1960 and consisted only of 60-minute episodes.[2] The 60-minute episodes on and after September 23, 1960, are well documented,[5][6] but no source provides any information on any 30-minute episodes or any episodes broadcast prior to September 23, 1960.

The following list of episodes reflects the 60-minute episodes of Dan Raven. A total of 13 of these episodes ran from September 23, 1960, to January 6, 1961, broadcast on Fridays at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time.[2]

Episodes

SOURCE [5][6]

No.
overall 		Title Directed by Written by Original air date
1"The High Cost of Fame"UnknownUnknownSeptember 23, 1960 (1960-09-23)
While in Los Angeles for a singing engagement, singer and actor Bobby Darin is approached by an old friend who has fallen on hard times and tries to help him. But when a young woman is murdered, she dies screaming "Bobby!" — and her body is found next to an autographed picture of Darin. Bobby Darin plays himself in the episode. Other guest stars include Corey Allen, Richard Carlyle, Sue Ane Langdon, and Elaine Martone.
2"The Mechanic"UnknownUnknownSeptember 30, 1960 (1960-09-30)
A nightclub entertainer is in danger after he eavesdrops on the conversations of organized crime figures patronizing the club. Guest stars: Buddy Hackett and Eddie Ryder
3"L.A. 46"UnknownUnknownOctober 14, 1960 (1960-10-14)
Alternative title "The Trade." Singer Paul Anka becomes the victim of an extortion scheme in which he is told that if does not pay up, someone will be killed. Paul Anka plays himself. Other guest stars include Bernard Fein, Joe di Reda, William Shaw and Mark Bailey.
4"Penny"UnknownUnknownOctober 28, 1960 (1960-10-28)
Penny Murrow's husband blames her for his failure as a songwriter. Guest stars: Gogi Grant, Paul Richards, John Marley, and Diana Darrin.
5"The Empty Frame"UnknownUnknownNovember 4, 1960 (1960-11-04)
After a woman's body is found in Hollywood Hills, the investigation into her death at first yields evidence that she had dated Raven and had committed suicide after he broke her heart. Evidence even begins to suggest that Raven may have killed her — but until her body was found, he had never even heard of her. Guest stars: William Leslie, Suzanne Storrs, Marian Collier, and Stanley Adams.
6"The Night is Numbered"UnknownUnknownNovember 11, 1960 (1960-11-11)
The detectives suspect that a numerologist is committing murder to reaffirm his reputation as a seer. Singer and dancer Bob Crewe plays himself. Other guest stars include Kent Smith, Henry Corden, and Jon Lormer.
7"Japanese Sandbag"UnknownUnknownNovember 18, 1960 (1960-11-18)
Mobsters kidnap Burke and use him as a hostage to protect a visiting organized crime leader from the police. Guest stars: Leo Gordon, Regis Theodore Marcuse, Valerie Starrett, and Steve Gravers.
8"The Junket"UnknownUnknownNovember 25, 1960 (1960-11-25)
A hit singer′s brother is jealous of his success — and comes under suspicion in the murder of a disc jockey after he expresses an unusual amount of sorrow over the disc jockey's death. Actor Dick Whittinghill plays himself, and other guest stars include Mel Torme, Don Dubbins, and Ed Prentiss.
9"Man on the Ledge"UnknownUnknownDecember 2, 1960 (1960-12-02)
A comedian is murdered at the same time that the detectives receive word that big-time organized crime figures are in town. Guest stars: Paul Winchell, Marty Ingles, Allen Pinson, Rita Lynn, and Frank Gerstle.
10"Amateur Night"UnknownUnknownDecember 9, 1960 (1960-12-09)
Confusing phone calls cover a plan by four war veterans to rob a night club. Guest stars: Claude Akins, Marty Ingels, Jan Arvan, Sid Tomack, and Asa Maynor.
11"Tinge of Red"UnknownUnknownDecember 16, 1960 (1960-12-16)
A scandal-bent editor blackmails glamorous nightclub singer June Carey over her politics. Guest stars: Julie London, John Craven, Gavin MacLeod, and Judson Pratt.
12"The Satchel Man"UnknownUnknownDecember 30, 1960 (1960-12-30)
After stealing $250,000, a mobster tries to get out of town. Singer Paul Anka plays himself. Other guest stars include Parley Baer, Jocelyn Somers, Richard Bakalyan, and Marjorie Stapp.
13"Buy a Nightmare"UnknownUnknownJanuary 6, 1961 (1961-01-06)
Two drug addicts see a young girl as an easy target and rob her to get money for drugs. Guest stars: Harvey Lembeck, Tony Call, Adrienne Ellis, Claude Johnson, Paul Genge, and Don Haggerty.

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g 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. 195.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h 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. 237.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Nostalgia Central DAN RAVEN Accessed 31 October 2020
  4. ^ Cashbox. United States: Cashbox. October 22, 1960. p. 27. ((cite magazine)): Missing or empty |title= (help)
  5. ^ a b tvtime.com Dan Raven Episodes
  6. ^ a b tvguide.com Dan Raven Episode Guide

External links

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