Under the guidance and creativity of Blake Edwards, this debut of his TV series "Mr. Lucky" is a prime example of breezy, suave entertainment. The show manages to conjure up both suspense and surprises, while John Vivyan and Ross Martin create characters that seem to have stepped out of a James Bond movie, except that the Bond series' films were not made until three years later.
Ziva Rodann is equally sleek and confident as the show's femme fatale, and Edwards directs a silent sequence of nearly-classic style when she uses a hatpin to kill guest star Nehemia Persoff, the overconfident president of some corrupt Latin American country.
I imagine it was irresistible to tune into next week's episode after this wonderful series launch. Besides the animated opening credits sequence and Henry Mancini's lilting theme music, there's an air of competence and intelligence that permeates the show. Only mystery is why star Vivyan never had a leading role again once the show folded.
Ziva Rodann is equally sleek and confident as the show's femme fatale, and Edwards directs a silent sequence of nearly-classic style when she uses a hatpin to kill guest star Nehemia Persoff, the overconfident president of some corrupt Latin American country.
I imagine it was irresistible to tune into next week's episode after this wonderful series launch. Besides the animated opening credits sequence and Henry Mancini's lilting theme music, there's an air of competence and intelligence that permeates the show. Only mystery is why star Vivyan never had a leading role again once the show folded.
