Tightrope!

Tightrope

Mike Connors with Laura Snowden (left) and Claire Kelly, 1960.
Genre Crime drama
Created by Clarence Greene
Russell Rouse
Written by Frederick Brady
Berne Giler
Clarence Greene
Steven Ritch
Russell Rouse
Al C. Ward
Directed by Abner Biberman
Irving J. Moore
Russell Rouse
Oscar Rudolph
Starring Mike Connors
Theme music composer George Duning
Opening theme Vic Schoen & Orchestra
Country of origin United States
Original language(s) English
No. of seasons 1
No. of episodes 37
Production
Producer(s) Clarence Greene
Russell Rouse
Cinematography Scotty Welbourne
Camera setup Single-camera
Running time 2224 minutes
Production company(s) Greene-Rouse Productions
Screen Gems Television
Distributor Columbia TriStar Domestic Television (2001)
Sony Pictures Television
Release
Original network CBS
Picture format Black-and-white
Audio format Monaural
Original release September 8, 1959 (1959-09-08) – September 13, 1960 (1960-09-13)

Tightrope is an American crime drama series that aired on CBS from September 1959 to September 1960, under the alternate sponsorship of the J.B. Williams Company (Aqua Velva, Lectric Shave, etc.), and American Tobacco (Pall Mall). Produced by Russell Rouse and Clarence Greene in association with Screen Gems, the series stars Mike Connors as an undercover agent named "Nick" who was assigned to infiltrate criminal gangs. The show was to have originally been titled Undercover Man but it was changed before going to air.[1]

Synopsis

Mike Connors' character would narrate the episode, echoing film noir technique. He starred as an undercover police officer, known only as "Nick" (although some sources revealed that his last name was "Stone", his last name was never shown in the series' ending credits).[2][3] Only his immediate superior on the Police Force knew he was working undercover. Because the police often did not know that Nick was working for the law, he was often in danger from both the good guys and the bad guys, as he walked the "tightrope" between good and evil. A special gimmick was that in addition to a gun in a shoulder holster, he carried a second gun, a snubnosed revolver in a holster behind his back; he was often searched by both cops and bad guys, but they stopped searching after finding the first gun.

Guest stars

Cancellation

Despite the show's popularity, it was canceled after only one season. Mike Connors stated in an interview that the show's sponsor refused the network's request to move it to a later time slot on a different day. When CBS head Jim Aubrey stated the show was going to move, take it or leave it, the sponsor dropped Tightrope, and underwrote another program on another network. Connors also did not want suggested changes to the show to turn into an hour format with a sidekick to be played by Don Sullivan.[4] He thought such an alteration would eliminate the suspense element of the program.[5] Also, another factor in the show's eventual cancellation were complaints concerning its alleged excessive violence.[6][3] Seven years later, Connors would go on to star in the successful, long-running CBS crime series, Mannix.

References

  1. "Tightrope!". Broadcasting. Cahners Pub. Co. 56: 71. 1959.
  2. Terrace, Vincent (29 October 2003). "The Television Crime Fighters Factbook: Over 9,800 Details from 301 Programs, 1937-2003". McFarland. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
  3. 1 2 http://ctva.biz/US/Crime/Tightrope.htm
  4. Interview by Paul & Donna ParlaSULLIVAN’S TRAVELS IN HOLLYWOOD An Interview with ‘B’ Monster Movie Hero Don Sullivan copyright 2008 Paul Parla/Anthony Di Salvo
  5. pp. 29–30 Weaver, Tom Mike Connors Interview in Eye on Science Fiction, 2003, McFarland
  6. http://www.tv.com/shows/tightrope/
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