"The Defenders" (1961) TV series 1961-1965

Creator:

Reginald Rose
(more)

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4

Release Date:

16 September 1961 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

A Father-Son lawyer duo take a variety of cases that often deal with the important issues of the day.

Plot Keywords:

Law | Courtroom

Awards:

Won Golden Globe. Another 14 wins & 19 nominations

Cast

E.G. Marshall	...	Lawrence Preston (132 episodes, 1961-1965)
Robert Reed	...	Kenneth Preston (132 episodes, 1961-1965)

Series Directed by
Paul Bogart		(20 episodes, 1961-1965)
Stuart Rosenberg		(19 episodes, 1962-1964)
David Greene		(13 episodes, 1962-1965)
Buzz Kulik		(10 episodes, 1961-1964)
Don Richardson		(6 episodes, 1961-1963)
Franklin J. Schaffner		(6 episodes, 1961-1962)
Daniel Petrie		(5 episodes, 1962-1965)
Charles S. Dubin		(5 episodes, 1962-1964)
Alex March		(5 episodes, 1962-1963)
Elliot Silverstein		(4 episodes, 1962-1964)
John Brahm		(3 episodes, 1961-1962)
Leonard Horn		(3 episodes, 1964-1965)
Paul Stanley		(2 episodes, 1961-1963)
Jack Smight		(2 episodes, 1962)
Robert Butler		(2 episodes, 1963-1965)
Philip Leacock		(2 episodes, 1964)
Paul Sylbert		(2 episodes, 1964)
William Ball		(2 episodes, 1965)
Robert Stevens		(2 episodes, 1965)

Series Writing credits
Reginald Rose		(132 episodes, 1961-1965)
David Karp		(11 episodes, 1962-1965)
William Woolfolk		(10 episodes, 1962-1965)
Ernest Kinoy		(9 episodes, 1961-1964)
Larry Cohen		(9 episodes, 1963-1965)
Stanley R. Greenberg		(8 episodes, 1962-1965)
Roger H. Lewis		(7 episodes, 1963-1965)
Robert J. Crean		(6 episodes, 1961-1965)
David Shaw		(4 episodes, 1961-1965)
Max Ehrlich		(4 episodes, 1961-1962)
Robert Thom		(4 episodes, 1961-1962)
Edward DeBlasio		(4 episodes, 1964-1965)
Ellen M. Violett		(4 episodes, 1964-1965)
Alvin Boretz		(3 episodes, 1961-1965)
Peter Stone		(3 episodes, 1961-1962)
James Lee		(3 episodes, 1962-1964)
Albert Ruben		(3 episodes, 1964)
John Vlahos		(2 episodes, 1961)
Charles Garment		(2 episodes, 1962-1963)
Jerome Ross		(2 episodes, 1962)
Ian McLellan Hunter		(2 episodes, 1963-1964)
David W. Rintels		(2 episodes, 1963-1964)
A.J. Russell		(2 episodes, 1963)
Harold Gast		(2 episodes, 1964-1965)

Series Produced by
Herbert Brodkin	....	producer (32 episodes, 1961-1962)
Bob Markell	....	associate producer (32 episodes, 1961-1962)
George Justin	....	producer (unknown episodes)

Series Cinematography by
Morris Hartzband		(32 episodes, 1961-1962)

Series Film Editing by
Arline Garson		(32 episodes, 1961-1962)

Series Casting by
Alixe Gordin		(32 episodes, 1961-1962)

Series Art Direction by
Willard Levitas		(32 episodes, 1961-1962)
Edgar Lansbury		(unknown episodes)

Series Costume Design by
Mary Merrill		(32 episodes, 1961-1962)

Series Makeup Department
John Jiras	....	makeup artist (32 episodes, 1961-1962)

Series Production Management
M. Clay Adams	....	production manager / director of production operations (32 episodes, 1961-1962)
Kenneth Utt	....	production manager (32 episodes, 1961-1962)
David Golden	....	production manager (unknown episodes)
Hal Schaffel	....	production supervisor (unknown episodes)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Joel Glickman	....	assistant director (32 episodes, 1961-1962)
Richard Moses	....	assistant director (32 episodes, 1961-1962)
Arthur Steckler	....	second second assistant director (unknown episodes)

Series Art Department
Bob Coleman	....	set dresser (1 episode, 1962)
Harry Wolf	....	property master (1 episode, 1962)

Series Sound Department
Al Gramaglia	....	sound re-recording mixer / sound mixer (132 episodes, 1961-1965)
Arthur Bloom	....	boom operator (32 episodes, 1961-1962)
Jack C. Jacobsen	....	sound engineer / sound mixer (32 episodes, 1961-1962)
James Perdue	....	studio recordist (10 episodes, 1964)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Felix Trimboli	....	camera operator (32 episodes, 1961-1962)
Howard Block	....	camera operator (unknown episodes)

Series Costume and Wardrobe Department
Bea Leon	....	wardrobe supervisor (1 episode, 1962)

Series Editorial Department
Sidney Katz	....	supervising film editor (32 episodes, 1961-1962)
Irving Rathner	....	negative cutter (32 episodes, 1961-1962)

Series Music Department
Leonard Rosenman	....	composer: theme music (132 episodes, 1961-1965)

Series Other crew
Dorothy Weshner Kanzer	....	script supervisor (1 episode, 1962)
Jerome Leitner	....	technical consultant (1 episode, 1962)
William Woolfolk	....	script editor (1 episode, 1962)

Production Companies

• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS)
• Plautus Productions

Distributors

• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1961-1965) (USA) (TV) (original airing)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

60 min (132 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:13

Filming Locations:

Filmways Studios - 246 East 127th Street, East Harlem, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS)

Trivia:

The characters first appeared in an episode of "Studio One in Hollywood" (1948), when they were played by Ralph Bellamy and William Shatner.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Dick Van Dyke Show: You're Under Arrest (#5.13)" (1965)

Realistic, topical, sixties, court room drama

"The Defenders" realistically portrayed issues of the day, often in a court room setting. They produced the show in New York City with, if memory serves, location exteriors. The court room scenes were well written and directed, usually the high point of each program.

At its best, the acting could be very good indeed. E.G. Marshall and Robert Reed worked well together as father and son attorneys. Their roles in this series provided them with career high points. The guest stars added further strength to the show.

As a teenager then, I thought it was a cutting edge show. It would probably be dated if viewed today, since it was filmed mostly in black and white (though the last season might have been color), and production values were different then. One of the best shows of its era, it should be released on DVD, but probably won't be because of onerous residuals obligations.