The D.A.'s Man

American TV crime drama series (1959)
  • John Compton
  • Ralph Manza
  • Herb Ellis
Theme music composerFrank ComstockComposerFrank ComstockCountry of originUnited StatesOriginal languageEnglishNo. of seasons1No. of episodes26ProductionExecutive producerJack WebbProducerFrank La TouretteCinematographyEdward ColmanRunning time30 minutesProduction companyMark VII LimitedOriginal releaseNetworkNBCReleaseJanuary 3 (1959-01-03) –
August 29, 1959 (1959-08-29)

The D.A.'s Man is an American television crime drama, produced by Jack Webb, that aired on NBC from January 3, 1959, to August 29, 1959.[1]

Premise

The central character, who went by the single name Shannon, was a private detective who worked for the Manhattan district attorney.[2] Topics that Shannon investigated included hijacking rings, narcotics, prostitution, and other illegal activities that provided money to the underworld.[3] His investigations led him to use "a variety of guises to ferret out criminals".[4]

Shannon was not allowed to carry a gun or identification of any kind, and police were not aware of his position.[5]

Cast

  • John Compton as Shannon[2]
  • Ralph Manza as Al Bonacorsi[3]
  • Herb Ellis as Frank LaValle[3]

Episode list

Nº Title Air date
1"Sammy's Friend[5]"January 3, 1959 (1959-01-03)
2"Guns for Hire"January 10, 1959 (1959-01-10)
3"Inside Track"January 17, 1959 (1959-01-17)
4"The Unlucky Dutchman"January 24, 1959 (1959-01-24)
5"The Mob Versus O'Hara"January 31, 1959 (1959-01-31)
6"The Pushers"February 7, 1959 (1959-02-07)
7"Iron Mike Benedict"February 16, 1959 (1959-02-16)
8"Find Ezra Kane"February 21, 1959 (1959-02-21)
9"A Girl's Best Friend"March 7, 1959 (1959-03-07)
10"The Witness"March 14, 1959 (1959-03-14)
11"Two for Shakespeare"March 21, 1959 (1959-03-21)
12"Moonshine in Manhattan"March 28, 1959 (1959-03-28)
13"Iron Star"April 4, 1959 (1959-04-04)
14"Jail Watch"April 11, 1959 (1959-04-11)
15"Shakedown"April 18, 1959 (1959-04-18)
16"Corky"April 25, 1959 (1959-04-25)
17"The Club Fighter"May 2, 1959 (1959-05-02)
18"The Triangle"May 9, 1959 (1959-05-09)
19"Mr. Respectable"May 16, 1959 (1959-05-16)
20"Bajour"May 23, 1959 (1959-05-23)
21"Mr. Santa Claus"May 30, 1959 (1959-05-30)
22"The Actress"June 6, 1959 (1959-06-06)
23"Manhattan Gigolo"June 13, 1959 (1959-06-13)
24"Out of Town"June 20, 1959 (1959-06-20)
25"The Duke"June 27, 1959 (1959-06-27)
26"Flight 729"July 4, 1959 (1959-07-04)

Production

The program was based on the book The D.A.'s Man by Harold Danforth and James B. Horan,[6] which was "a nonfiction novel based on Danforth's real-life experiences as a special investigator for the NYC Special Rackets Prosecutor and the Manhattan DA's office."[5] It was produced by Mark VII Limited.[7] It replaced The Ed Wynn Show[8] at 10:30 to 11 p.m. Eastern Time on Saturdays.[3]

Webb was the executive producer, and Frank LaTourette was the producer.[5] Danforth was the technical advisor.[5] Webb and Ben Alexander were among the directors. Writers included Charles Beaumont and Richard Matheson.[5]

Liggett & Myers, for Chesterfield King and L&M cigarettes, sponsored the program. George Stevens Jr. and Webb were among the directors.[6]

References

  1. ^ The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946-Present. Ballantine Books. 203. p. 267. ISBN 0-345-45542-8.
  2. ^ a b Terrace, Vincent (2011). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010 (2nd ed.). Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. p. 237. ISBN 978-0-7864-6477-7.
  3. ^ a b c d Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle F. (June 24, 2009). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present. Random House Publishing Group. p. 311. ISBN 978-0-307-48320-1. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
  4. ^ Thomas, Bob (January 17, 1959). "'D. A.'s Man' Talks Like TV Western Star". The Evening Sun. Pennsylvania, Hanover. p. 12. Retrieved May 30, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ a b c d e f Erickson, Hal (September 29, 2009). Encyclopedia of Television Law Shows: Factual and Fictional Series About Judges, Lawyers and the Courtroom, 1948-2008. McFarland. pp. 76–77. ISBN 978-0-7864-3828-0. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
  6. ^ a b Hayde, Michael J. (2001). My Name's Friday: The Unauthorized But True Story of Dragnet and the Films of Jack Webb. Cumberland House Publishing. ISBN 9781581821901. Retrieved 1 June 2019.
  7. ^ McNeil, Alex (1996). Total Television: the Comprehensive Guide to Programming from 1948 to the Present (4th ed.). New York, New York: Penguin Books USA, Inc. p. 191. ISBN 0-14-02-4916-8.
  8. ^ Adams, Val (November 27, 1958). "N. B. C. Will Drop 2 TV Shows Soon: 'Ed Wynn Show' and 'Brains and Brawn' to Be Canceled -- Union Talk Held". The New York Times. p. 71. Retrieved May 29, 2023.

External links

  • The D.A.'s Man at IMDb Edit this at Wikidata


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