Arrest and Trial 

Los Angeles is where Sergeant Nick Anderson and his fellow officers work to keep the streets safe. After the arrest of the accused, attorney John Egan plans their defense, while the prosecution is lead by Jerry Miller.

Stars:

Ben Gazzara, Chuck Connors, Roger Perry

Nominated for 4 Primetime Emmys.

Cast

Complete series cast summary:
Ben Gazzara	...	Det. Sgt. Nick Anderson 30 episodes, 1963-1964
Chuck Connors	...	John Egan 30 episodes, 1963-1964
Roger Perry	...	Det. Sgt. Dan Kirby 30 episodes, 1963-1964
John Larch	...	Deputy DA Jerry Miller / ... 29 episodes, 1963-1964
Don Galloway	...	Mitchell Harris 26 episodes, 1963-1964
Joe Higgins	...	Jake Shakespeare / ... 24 episodes, 1963-1964
John Kerr	...	Assistant Deputy District Attorney Barry Pine / ... 18 episodes, 1963-1964
Noah Keen	...	Det. Lt. Bone / ... 17 episodes, 1963-1964
Joanne Miya	...	Janet Okada 13 episodes, 1963-1964

Storyline

Los Angeles is where Sergeant Nick Anderson and his fellow officers work to keep the streets safe. After the arrest of the accused, attorney John Egan plans their defense, while the prosecution is lead by Jerry Miller.

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Plot Keywords:

courtroom | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 September 1963 (USA)

Also Known As:

Arresto y juicio

Filming Locations:

Colonial Street, Backlot, Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Revue Studios,Universal Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min (30 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Although Chuck Connors was considered to be miscast as an attorney, much of the failure of this show to live up to its potential, was allegedly due to interference in the show's writing by Producer Frank P. Rosenberg. Connors is said to have butted heads many times with management over this, as well as its treatment of the show's staff (he once walked off the set until the studio resumed providing free coffee and donuts for the crew). Rosenberg was said to have a stack of "Arrest and Trial" scripts written by some of the top writers in Hollywood that were ignored, in favor of scripts that were increasingly mediocre. This show was also in one of the worst possible time slots, competing against Bonanza (1959), The Ed Sullivan Show (1948), and The Judy Garland Show (1963). When this show folded after one season, Connors, Universal, and Revue severed their contract by "mutual agreement". A year later, Connors was back on television in another western, Branded (1965) that, oddly enough, ran in the same unenviable time slot as this show, but managed to last two seasons. Ben Gazzara returned to enjoy a three-year run on the television series Run for Your Life (1965), before appearing in three critically acclaimed films directed by his friend, independent film pioneer, John Cassavetes.

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Connections

Remade as Arrest & Trial (2000)

User Reviews

"Law and Order" Forerunner Ahead of it's Time....

Created by Earl Bellamy, "Arrest and Trial" was an early attempt to meld, a la "Law and Order", the processes of apprehending criminals, then following the legal system as the cases would be resolved. As 'cop' shows and 'lawyer' shows were among television's most popular genres at the time, ABC and Universal thought the program would be a major hit, and provided first-class talent both in front of, and behind the camera.

The 'Arrest' phase starred 33-year old Ben Gazzara, a highly respected actor who had made his mark on Broadway in "Cat On a Hot Tin Roof", and in film, in ANATOMY OF A MURDER. Possessing a quick, analytical mind, and a wry sense of humor, Gazzara's 'Nick Anderson' would quickly cut through alibis, and make arrests, aided by fellow detectives Roger Perry ("Harrigan and Son") and Noah Keen ("The Crimebusters").

The 'Trial' phase returned TV's "Rifleman", Chuck Connors, to the small screen, as John Egan, an intimidating yet sensitive attorney, and featured veteran actors John Larch (WRITTEN ON THE WIND) and John Kerr (SOUTH PACIFIC) as D.A.s representing the State.

While not as intellectual as "The Defenders", "Arrest and Trial" was unique as either side could win or lose a case, as opposed to Perry Mason's nearly flawless record. This was heady stuff for the early sixties!

Unfortunately, being on television's 'Number 3' network did the series in, as ABC had a much harder time attracting viewers than CBS and NBC, particularly when the program was promoted as 'quality'.

It would take 30 years before "Law and Order" could make the formula work!