The Lt. Columbo Forum

An area where fans from all over can ask each other questions and voice their own ideas and opinions on anything Columbo.

This Forum is fondly dedicated in memory of  "cassavetes45"  (Carleen Zink),
Columbo's greatest fan and a great friend to us all.
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The Lt. Columbo Forum
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Re: Re: Johnny Staccato, brilliant but canceled, Bravo network, ping Cass

yes, the music throughout the whole series was so cool. (sorry to use the word 'cool' once again, but i really don't know how to describe it any other way...the whole thing was just cool.)
the jazz music was something i could understand without it going too far.

and all the episodes were only a half hour long. for some reason, i think that was probably a good thing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDUiws5Z95g

what i like about this clip is that at the end they show the beginning of the show where johnny smashes his hand in the window, and then the words 'john cassavetes' appear across his face in the same way it does in 'etude in black'...i just always found it eerily coincidental.

i've said this here before, but i guess i'll just repeat myself...it won't be the first time.
cassavetes wanted to end the series because he wanted to go on and make some movies of his own. he somehow found an 'out' by claiming that one of the sponsor's, a deodorant company, had used a greek bust sculpture in their commercials, and john being greek himself, said he was offended by it, and did not want to continue with the show with that sponsor...he found it an insult...or he claimed that it was.

he found a bizarre way out of his contract, and i guess that's one of the reasons i love him so.

Re: Re: Johnny Staccato, brilliant but canceled, Bravo network, ping Cass

Cool is the perfect word for it. John is so suave in the role, and I love the clip you posted of the opening. And I do agree aboout the half hour being a good length for them. Same as with the early 1959 Danger Man episodes I mentioned. They just get straight to the point. Just as cool I think, but in a different kind of way. What I didn't know about before was the fact you mention about John leaving by choice to pursue his own movies. I had assumed it had been cancelled by the network as many good shows have been over the years. And that is certainly an inovative way to get out of a contract! A unique man.

Re: Re: Johnny Staccato, brilliant but canceled, Bravo network, ping Cass

john was assuredly a unique man, just like patrick mcgoohan was also. i loved both of them for their talents, and especially for their personalities.
i don't think i've ever seen an episode of 'danger man', but i'll try and look for it on the interwebs. i have watched a number of episodes of 'the prisoner' and i really enjoyed them.

Re: Re: Johnny Staccato, brilliant but canceled, Bravo network, ping Cass

Patrick McGoohan is usually remembered first for The Prisoner partly because it was so unusual, and caused such an uproar at the time. It certainly makes viewers think more and is remembered far more than Danger Man, but I love Danger Man too. I think if you enjoy Johnny Staccato you would almost certainly enjoy Danger Man too, so give it a try if you can find it, Cassa.

Re: Re: Johnny Staccato, brilliant but canceled, Bravo network, ping Cass

well, gregg, i tried, but i couldn't find 'danger man' on imdb or hulu.
BUT i did find some stuff on youtube. i LOVE the theme music! it was just wonderful, just like the music from 'johnny staccato'. so jazzy!
there's a few more on youtube that i want to check out. they're not full episodes but they'll give me the flavor of the show, which i can already see is so much like the staccato series.
thanks for hooking me up with this.
and of course patrick mcgoohan was 'the bomb' once again!

Re: Re: Johnny Staccato, brilliant but canceled, Bravo network, ping Cass

Sorry you couldn't find any full episodes, Cassa. I'm sure you would love them. I'm glad you managed to see a few and bits and pieces of it at least. Both Johnny and Patrick have such a marvelous coolness (if that's a word !) about them which is very much of it's time, but is also, somehow, timeless. They just don't make shows like that anymore. Or actors for that matter. Both McGoohan and Cassavetes had such integrity. They both were more interested in making films/shows in their own unique way, rather than becoming superstars and simply gaining money or fame. And I love the theme music too.

Re: Re: Johnny Staccato, brilliant but canceled, Bravo network, ping Cass

gregg, i can't add to anything you said...you captured it all so wonderfully.

(and 'coolness' is indeed a word. )