77 Sunset Strip (TV Series) The Disappearance (1962) User Reviews

One audacious caper

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 14 July 2017]

It didn't take me long to figure out that the 'distinguished visitor' played by John Litel in the cast referred to former President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Some crooks led by John Dehner kidnap him off a golf course in southern California. Among the foursome playing golf is Stuart Bailey.

So Efrem Zimbalist is picked as the go between to deliver the ransom where Litel is being held at a monastery headed by Nestor Paiva who is also a hostage as are the rest of the monks.

One thing Dehner does that really gives it away that it's Ike is that he asks that several of Litel's rich patriotic friends contribute pieces of the ransom in small non-consecutive bills. Ike had a regular coterie of rich business people whom he called his 'gang'. I'm sure the whole group could have come up with the loot without bothering the Feds.

Dehner is one shrewd and ruthless crook, but there's always some little detail that trips them up. Interesting what it is here.

Race Bannon Shows Up In Person!

[ed-ryba · 9/10 · 14 July 2017]

Yes, fans of Hanna-Barbera's ORIGINAL ANIMATED ACTION-ADVENTURE SERIES, "Jonny Quest"! The one and only voice of the guy that ALWAYS SAVED THE DAY for Dr. Quest, Jonny, Hadji and Bandit, RACE BANNON, actor Mike Road plays a Fed on 77 Sunset Strip! He has a good deal of screen time in this one, too. I've seen shows in which he was on camera for YEARS, but never knew it until the end credits. This time, though, Mr. Road was actually listed in the cast on the Dish Network program listing! I don't know about you, but I'd always wondered what the guy looked like, after hearing that powerful voice of his on so many animated shows as a kid. Road was a good-looking actor, and in fact, could have easily played Paul Drake on the "Perry Mason" series - he was working at the time it was made, and at least in this "77SS" show, in which Road plays a Federal Agent, he looks a bit like William Hopper on "Mason", although Road looks to be a bit shorter than Hopper. But there's sure no mistaking that voice! Especially in one of the final scenes. This was a good 77 Sunset Strip outing, but having Mike Road in it is just the icing on the cake.

The Bells, The Bells...

[darbski · 10/10 · 14 July 2017]

**SPOILERS** I'm giving it a 10 just because it was done with a real shot of realism. As in: kidnapping used to be an automatic death sentence, so why leave witnesses? Two guys got killed, and it did show how ruthless these guys were. John Dehner and Victor Buono did their normal terrific jobs of great acting, and J.R. Hale (Logan), filled in as Kookie's replacement Hotrodder.

A great emphasis was placed on the playing of the mission bells, and it took Louis B. Quinn (Roscoe), to cue them in to the connection. I thought at the time that a burger stand had to be stupid; they were at a country club, for god's sake!! It was the connection, though, to the lucky break they needed. Roscoe comes through again to get a bad guy; it was great. I always liked Roscoe.

I think Logan's Rod is a '32 ford Phaeton, and the bad guys had a late '30s Ford pickup (sweet). No women (BORING), but the story moved very quickly and brutally to it's inevitable conclusion. A great story, great acting, a little silliness trying to hide a person's face after they'd shown it, but no one's perfect, are we???

THE MONESTARY MONEY CONNECTION.

[tcchelsey · 10/10 · 5 February 2024]

Excellent directing and writing here, credit Sidney Salkow, who directed numerous popular B films, later switching to tv in the 50s.

10 Plus Stars. You have to love this one.

I agree with the last reviewer, it's a bit silly and campy, but it works, all about a million dollar kidnapping right off a LA golf course, mastered by the diabolical "doctor", well played by John Dehner. Dehner was the resident bad guy of movies and tv for years, never to let down an audience.

There's also a neat monestary angle, where the victim is being held and where Stu must deliver the cold cash. This may also be one of only a few episodes where a perfect crime could have been carried out. Lots of familiar actors here, including Victor Buono, in an early role, playing Stanison, popular character actor Nestor Paiva as nervous-looking monk and veteran actor Jerome Cowan.

Yes, voice actor Mike Road appears as Bill, and looking very distinguished, best known as Race Bannon on JOHNNY QUEST.

Stay tuned for a rather ingenious ending. Roscoe --who does his homework-- and JR make a good team, racing around in a classic Ford roadster.

This may have been the final script turned in by writer Fred Brady, who passed very suddenly a few months earlier, and possibly his best one. Brady wrote several memorable scripts for the series and was missed. It was a sad time at Warner Bros.

Trivia question; can you guess what "former" president is the center of attention?

Sidney Salkow, after retiring, taught courses at Cal State Northridge.

SEASON 4 EPISODE 32 remastered WB dvd box set.

Be cautious when purchasing series box sets, as some are produced in Europe and may not be playable on American made dvd players.