The Cases of Eddie Drake

The Cases of Eddie Drake is an American crime drama series which aired on the DuMont Television Network. The series ran during 1952, and was a crime drama originally filmed for CBS Television by Imppro, a small outfit in 1949. The TV series was adapted from the radio series The Cases of Mr. Ace (1945-1947) starring George Raft, with both series written by Jason James.

The Cases of Eddie Drake
Created byHarlan Thompson
Herbert L. Strock
StarringDon Haggerty
Patricia Morison (ep. 1-9)
Lynne Roberts (ep. 10-13)
Country of originUnited States
No. of episodes13
Production
Running time30 minutes
Release
Original networkDuMont (filmed at CBS)
Picture formatBlack-and-white
Audio formatMonaural
Original releaseMarch 6 (1952-03-06) –
May 29, 1952 (1952-05-29)

However, the nine TV episodes were never broadcast on CBS. In 1952, these episodes were purchased by DuMont and aired on that network instead. (For an example of a DuMont-filmed series which aired on CBS, see The Honeymooners.) DuMont also filmed four additional episodes to round out the series to the standard 13-episode season.[1] A slightly similar detective series, The Files of Jeffrey Jones, also starring Don Haggerty, was produced by Lindsley Parsons in 1954.

Synopsis

The series stars Don Haggerty as Eddie Drake, a private eye from New York, and (in the original nine episodes) Patricia Morison as psychiatrist Dr. Karen Gayle. Actress Lynne Roberts portrayed criminologist Dr. Joan Wright in the final four episodes. In the series, Drake drives a 3-wheeled 1948 Davis D-2 Divan car. The final episode aired on May 29, 1952.[1]

Episode status

The episode "Shoot the Works" (aired April 10, 1952) is available online. The episode "Sleep Well, Angel" (May 1, 1952) is in the collection of the Paley Center for Media.[2]

Films released in the UK

Between February 1954 and February 1956, four feature films edited from the Eddie Drake series were released by Butchers Film Service and Jack Phillips Film Distribution to smaller cinemas in the UK:

  • The Brass Key
  • Eddie Drake Investigates
  • Pattern for Murder
  • Murder Ad Lib

See also

Bibliography
  • David Weinstein, The Forgotten Network: DuMont and the Birth of American Television (Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 2004) ISBN 1-59213-245-6
  • Alex McNeil, Total Television, Fourth edition (New York: Penguin Books, 1980) ISBN 0-14-024916-8
  • Tim Brooks and Earle Marsh, The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network TV Shows, Third edition (New York: Ballantine Books, 1964) ISBN 0-345-31864-1

References
  1. McNeil, Alex (1980). Total Television (4th ed.). New York: Penguin Books. ISBN 0-14-024916-8.
  2. Mystery File article by Michael Shonk
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