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''77 Sunset Strip'' was one of the most popular of the Detective Television Shows in early Television . Created by Roy Huggins it was based on the Warner Brothers 1958 film '' Girl On The Run ''. The show ran on ABC Television from 1958 to 1964 and won the 1960 Golden Globe Award For Best TV Series . Sunset Strip is the most famous section of Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood between Crescent Heights Boulevard to Doheny Drive. The show revolved around two ) and Jeff Spencer ( Roger Smith ). Spencer was also a former government agent, and a non-practicing attorney. They worked out of swank digs at 77 Sunset Strip, beteween La Cienega Boulevard and Alta Loma Road on the south side of the Strip next door to Dean Martin 's real life pizza joint, Dino's Restaurant, where Suzanne the beautiful French switchboard operator played by Jacqueline Beer , handled the phones. Hanging around for comic relief were Roscoe the Racetrack tout played by Louis Quinn , and the Rock And Roll -loving, wisecracking, hair-combing, beatnik, P.I. wanna-be, Valet Parking attendant next door, Gerald Lloyd Kookson III ("Kookie"), played by Edd Byrnes . Comb sales soared. So much for Huggin's hopes for a straight P.I. series. Hardboiled drama was out and occasionally self-deprecating humor was in. When Smith had to drop out of the show due to health concerns in 1960, Richard Long moved over from the recently cancelled detective series '' Bourbon Street Beat '' in his role of Rex Randolph to replace Smith for a single season. Kookie became a cultural phenomenon, with his Slang expressions such as "ginchy" and "piling up Zs" (sleeping). When Kookie helped the detectives on a case by singing a song, "Kookie, Kookie, Lend Me Your Comb" (based on his frequent combing of his hair), Edd Byrnes began a singing career. When his demands for more money were not met, he left the show, but came back later as a full-fledged partner in the detective firm. The show's popularity was such that rising young actors clamored for a guest spot. Up-and-comers who made guest appearances included , Dyan Cannon , Jay North , Connie Stevens , Adam West , Tuesday Weld , James Garner , Marlo Thomas , Max Baer, Jr. , Elizabeth Montgomery , DeForest Kelley , Susan Oliver , Peter Breck , Roger Moore , Donna Douglas , Troy Donahue , Ellen Burstyn , Chad Everett Gena Rowlands , and Diane Ladd . Even established film and TV actors plus older stars guested as well, including Fay Wray , Francis X. Bushman , Liliane Montevecchi , Keenan Wynn , Ida Lupino , Rolfe Sedan , Jim Backus , Billie Burke , Buddy Ebsen , George Jessel , Peter Lorre , Burgess Meredith , Nick Adams , Keenan Wynn and Roy Roberts , amongst others. The show was so "cool" that even sportstars such as Sandy Koufax had a guest role in an episode. In 1963 , as the show's popularity waned, the entire cast except for Zimbalist was cut, and Jack Webb was brought in as Producer and William Conrad as Director . The character of Stuart Bailey became a globe-hopping investigator, with lavish international sets. The show was canceled at the end of the year. The success of 77 Sunset Strip led to the creation of several other detective shows in exotic locales, all produced by the Warner Brothers studio which created "''Strip''" — '' Bourbon Street Beat '' in New Orleans , '' Hawaiian Eye '' in Hawaii and '' Surfside 6 '', in Miami . The casts of the various shows sometimes crossed to the other programs. Currently, there is only a mere engravement in the sidewalk commorating 77 Sunset Strip between La Cienega & Alta Loma Road and the area is slated for re-development as part of " The Sunset Millennium " Project. And in an ironic twist of fate, the opposition to the redevelopment of the area is known as "Save Our Strip" or "SOS" and is spear-headed by former 77 Sunset Strip semi-regular Gigi Verone . SEASON ONE SEASON TWO EXTERNAL LINKS |
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