The Investigators (1961 TV series)

1961 American television series

This article is about the 1961 American television series. For other television series of the name, see The Investigators.

The Investigators

Genre| Crime drama
Directed by| Joseph H. Lewis
Starring| James Franciscus
James Philbrook
Mary Murphy
Al Austin
Asher Dann
June Kenney
Theme music composer| Jack Marshall
Composer| Pete Rugolo
Country of origin| United States
Original language| English
No. of seasons| 1
No. of episodes| 13
Production
Executive producer| Richard Irving
Producer| Michael Garrison
Running time| 60 minutes
Production companies| Revue Studios
MCA TV
Original release
Network| CBS
Release| October 5 (1961-10-05) –
December 28, 1961 (1961-12-28)

The Investigators is an American drama television series starring James Franciscus and James Philbrook about a team of insurance investigators in New York City. Original episodes aired from October 5 to December 28, 1961,[1][2] on CBS.[3]

## Synopsis

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Investigators Inc. is a very successful private investigation firm with offices on Manhattan′s stylish Upper East Side in New York City.[2] The firm specializes in investigating very large insurance claims to root out cases of insurance fraud.[1][2] Russ Andrews and Steve Banks run the firm, Bill Davis and Danny Clayton are among the firm's investigators, and Maggie Peters serves not only as their girl Friday, but also as an investigator in her own right who sometimes goes undercover during an investigation.[2] Polly Walters is the secretary at the office.[2] As the team investigates the legitimacy of insurance claims, they become involved with criminals, the police, and others.[2]

## Cast

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* James Franciscus....Russ Andrews
* James Philbrook....Steve Banks
* Mary Murphy....Maggie Peters
* Al Austin....Bill Davis
* Asher Dann....Danny Clayton
* June Kenny....Polly Walters

## Broadcast history

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The Investigators premiered on CBS on October 5, 1961, airing on Thursdays at 9:00 p.m. throughout its 13-episode run.[1][2] CBS cancelled it after only half a season, and its last original episode aired on December 28, 1961.[citation needed]

## Episodes

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Sources:[4][5][6][7][8][9][10]

No.| Title| Directed by| Written by| Original release date

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1| "Murder on Order"| Joseph H. Lewis| Unknown| October 5, 1961 (1961-10-05)

A series of supposed accidental death cases leads to the glamorous Madame Lucia Vaillancour, the owner of a swank dance studio — and she does not suspect that her latest student is insurance investigator Russ Andrews. Rhonda Fleming, Brad Dexter, and June Dayton guest-star.[11]

2| "The Oracle"| Unknown| Unknown| October 12, 1961 (1961-10-12)

An insurance company hires Investigators Inc. to investigate a leader who calls himself "Nostradamus" and convinces the rich women who are his followers to cash in their insurance policies and give him the money. The company wishes to stop its client, Constance Moreno, from making the same mistake and giving him $250,000. Russ, Maggie, and Danny travel to Los Angeles to protect Constance from fraud and investigate the cult. "Nostradamus," it turns out, is a drifter and con man named Walter Mimms who has a talent for getting the women he meets to fall in love with them, but also has a weakness — he tends to fall in love with them as well. Walter himself is being manipulated by an older con man, Joseph Lombard, who is using Walter as a front for his own, bigger fraudulent schemes. Constance has fallen in love with Walter, but Russ and Maggie visit her and convince her to test Walter′s love before giving him her $250,000 check. At Lombard's orders, Walter fails Constance′s test and she keeps her check. Soon Lombard′s men visit her to get the check and murder her to prevent her from causing any more problems. They throw her from her apartment′s window, and Lombard tells Walter she jumped from the window to commit suicide because of his rejection of her. After Constance′s death, Walter becomes less and less stable, and Maggie goes undercover to impersonate Walter′s next mark, discovering that Walter uses a phony séance to trick his victims. Lee Marvin, Audrey Dalton, and John Williams guest-star.

3| "New Sound for the Blues"| Joseph H. Lewis| Unknown| October 19, 1961 (1961-10-19)

Kitty Harper is a nightclub pianist/singer whose athlete son is accidentally killed by Anderson in the lobby of the insurance firm's office building. As the facts emerge, she is faced with unwelcome revelations regarding her late son's alleged crimes. Claire Trevor–with songs dubbed by Jo Ann Greer–and Bill Williams guest-star.[12]

4| "I Thee Kill"| Joseph H. Lewis| Unknown| October 26, 1961 (1961-10-26)

A man named Jack Daley's ex-girlfriend Sheila Beaumont is about to marry someone else, and he insists on joining the crowd outside the church for a last look at her. Mickey Rooney, Claire Griswold, Richard Rust, Bill Zuckert, and Raymond Bailey guest-star.[13]

5| "Quite a Woman"| Joseph H. Lewis| Unknown| November 2, 1961 (1961-11-02)

A former silent film star hires Investigators Inc. to settle a claim for the theft of her valuable art collection. Soon after taking the case, however, Andrews begins to wonder if the paintings were really stolen. Miriam Hopkins, Otto Kruger, Abraham Sofaer, and Alan Mowbray guest-star.[14]

6| "Style of Living"| Unknown| Unknown| November 9, 1961 (1961-11-09)

A wealthy woman, Valerie Corbin, is concerned about her husband's safety. He is a heavy gambler, and his life could be in danger. Bethel Leslie, Dina Merrill, Gavin MacLeod, and Ed Binns guest-star.

7| "In a Mirror, Darkly"| Unknown| Unknown| November 16, 1961 (1961-11-16)

When a female fashion designer reports the loss of her exclusive fall line in a fire, the investigators get an anonymous tip which touches off an inquiry into her activities. Miriam Hopkins, Joanna Barnes, Diana Lynn, and Harry Townes guest-star.

8| "A Man of Means"| Unknown| Unknown| November 23, 1961 (1961-11-23)

Alternative title "De Luca." Steve Banks finds romantic complications when he investigates a fire in a cannery community. Robert Middleton, Vito Scotti, Mario Alcalde, and Judi Meredith guest-star.

9| "Death Leaves a Tip"| Unknown| Unknown| November 30, 1961 (1961-11-30)

A serial killer is murdering people in New York City, and almost all the victims are waitresses. The investigators decide that a shy waitress named Marla Jensen would be the perfect bait to lure the killer into a trap. Jane Wyman, Peter Leeds, Nancy Rennick, John Lasell, and Bill Zuckert guest-star.

10| "The Panic Wagon"| Unknown| Unknown| December 7, 1961 (1961-12-07)

A wealthy horse-breeder dies in an avalanche set off by a construction company's dynamite charge — and the investigators suspect it was no accident. Robert Webber, Albert Salmi, and Jean Engstrom guest-star.

11| "The Mind's Own Fire"| Unknown| Unknown| December 14, 1961 (1961-12-14)

Maggie Peters finds romance when she investigates a series of fires in an industrial town in New England. Dennis Hopper, James Dunn, and Mildred Dunnock guest-star.

12| "Something for Charity"| Unknown| Unknown| December 21, 1961 (1961-12-21)

Russ Andrews and Steve Banks persuade a down-on-her-luck woman to arrange a staged marriage with Banks in an effort to trap a large-scale, murder-for-insurance ring. Ida Lupino, Val Avery, and Linda Watkins guest-star.

13| "The Dead End Man"| Unknown| Unknown| December 28, 1961 (1961-12-28)

A woman named Margaret Ransom is about to have her missing husband Henry declared legally dead so that she can collect his life insurance. Dorothy Green, Henry Jones, William Fawcett, Philip Ober, Pat Carroll, William Challee, James Millhollin, Ted Newton, Vaughn Taylor, Dick Wessel, and Clegg Hoyt guest-star.

## References

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1. ^ a b c McNeil, Alex, Total Television: The Comprehensive Guide to Programming From 1948 to the Present, Fourth Edition, New York: Penguin Books, 1996, ISBN 0 14 02 4916 8, p. 412.
2. ^ a b c d e f g Brooks, Tim, and Earle Marsh, The Complete Directory to Prime-Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present (Sixth Edition), New York: Ballantine Books, 1995, ISBN 0-345-39736-3, p. 505.
3. ^ Terrace, Vincent (2011). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010 (2nd ed.). Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. p. 509\. ISBN 978-0-7864-6477-7.
4. ^ The Investigators (television listing), Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, October 5, 1961, Page 47 Accessed 4 January 2022
5. ^ The Investigators (television listing), The Des Moines Register, October 5, 1961, Page 11 Accessed 4 January 2022
6. ^ The Investigators (television listing), The Daily Register (Red Bank, New Jersey), October 5, 1961, Page 18 Accessed 4 January 2022
7. ^ The Investigators (television listing), The Times (Shreveport, Louisiana), November 16, 1961, Page 71 Accessed 4 January 2022
8. ^ The Investigators (television listing), The Boston Globe, November 23, 1961, Page 106 Accessed 4 January 2022
9. ^ The Investigators (television listing), Courier Post (Camden, New Jersey), December 7, 1961, Page 47 Accessed 4 January 2022
10. ^ The Investigators (television listing), Standard-Speaker (Hazleton, Pennsylvania), December 16, 1961, Page 21 Accessed 4 January 2022
11. ^ Nevins, Francis M. (1998). Joseph H. Lewis: Overview, Interview, and Filmography. Scarecrow Press. p. 52\. ISBN 9780810834071. "On one occasion during the Four Star years, he was loaned out to Revue, another booming TV production company, to direct the first episode of The Investigators, a short-lived sixty-minute detective series starring James Franciscus. Lewis's episode, Murder ..."
12. ^ Sculthorpe, Derek (2018). Claire Trevor: The Life and Films of the Queen of Noir. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company. p. 137\. ISBN 978-1-4766-7193-2. "Trevor played a nightclub pianist and singer, Kitty Harper, whose athlete son is accidentally killed by Andrews. She refuses to believe that her late son was ever involved in any nefarious activity or that he was carrying a gun, as Anderson describes. [...] Trevor [...] learned five songs but her singing voice was dubbed by Jo Ann Greer. [...] The episode's director, Joseph. H. Lewis, always lent true Noir style to all his work."
13. ^ Marill, Alvin H. (2005). Mickey Rooney: His Films, Television Appearances, Radio Work, Stage Shows, and Recordings. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company. p. 169\. ISBN 0-7864-2015-4. "The Investigators. CBS, October 26, 1961. Episode: "I Thee Kill," directed by Joseph H. Lewis, also starring James Franciscus, Mary Murphy ..."
14. ^ Ellenberger, Allan R. (2018). Miriam Hopkins: Life and Films of a Hollywood Rebel. Lexington, KY: The University Press of Kentucky. LCCN 2017-42898. "The Investigators (CBS) November 2, 1961. 'Quite a Woman.' (Season 1, Episode 5). Directed by Joseph H. Lewis."

## External links

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* The Investigators at IMDb

*[No.]: Number