| DANTE |
DANTE - 1960
Willie Dante carries his shady history, and old-time buddies Biff and
Stewart, into the operation of his legit San Francisco nightclub. Neither
the cops nor the badguys really believe he's done with the underworld
however. Stars Howard Duff
Dick Powell had originally played "Willie Dante" in a couple of 50s TV
plays.When Powell's TV production company "4 Star Television"
decided to "spin off" the character into a series,second rung 50s movie
star Howard Duff took over the role."Dante" is a half hour crime drama,a
category of programme which has vanished from the schedules,but was
common during the early days of filmed television series.The show is
reminiscent of the series "Mr Lucky",which made its debut in 1959,the
season before "Dante" appeared.Dante is a gambler,who runs a night
club-Mr.Lucky was a gambler who owned a gambling
club/restaurant,though the latter operated from a ship at sea,while
"Dante's Inferno" was on dry land.Like Mr.Lucky,Dante seemed to have
a vaguely shady background,with the police regularly suspicious about
his activities,though Willie Dante,like Lucky,has long abandoned any
behaviour not strictly "legit".Duff is the sort of hero who is tough but
suave,great with the women,and always ready with a good retort or quip
when required.The series is helped greatly by the presence of character
players Tom D'Andrea as Biff,and Alan Mowbray as Stewart,Willie's
associates from way back,who work with him in the club.Biff the
barkeep still harbours some regrets for the good old (less
legal)days,Stewart,the urbane polished Maitre D,a former con
artist,seems more settled with his present respectability. One of the
main problems for Willie and the boys is that people have a tendency to
pop up from their past,plunging them back against their will into the
milieu of crime-they have to deal with this,while making sure their roles
in the business can't be wrongly construed as illegal by a police force
ready to think the worst of them.It's often surprising how much these
half hour dramas can fit into a tight running time-"Dante" succeeds thru
solid "4 Star" production values,neat if routine little stories,good
characterizations from the principals,and the reliable array of guest
stars(Robert Strauss,John Anderson,Joan Marshall,Ruta Lee,Charles
McGraw,Patricia Medina-and even a young Yvonne Craig among
them)"Dante" appears to be a "lost" show,rarely referred to or
remembered,and does not seem to have made even the kind of minor
mark in popular culture achieved by "Mr Lucky"(the latter series was
undoubtedly helped here by the Henry Mancini music-Lucky certainly
had the better theme tune,and the music became popular on record at
the time). There were 26 episodes of "Dante" made.Duff went on to
greater TV success in the late 60s with "Felony Squad".The inspiration
for "Dante" probably came from the film "Casablanca" and Bogart's
character Rick Blaine. 6 DISCS
Willie Dante carries his shady history, and old-time buddies Biff and
Stewart, into the operation of his legit San Francisco nightclub. Neither
the cops nor the badguys really believe he's done with the underworld
however. Stars Howard Duff
Dick Powell had originally played "Willie Dante" in a couple of 50s TV
plays.When Powell's TV production company "4 Star Television"
decided to "spin off" the character into a series,second rung 50s movie
star Howard Duff took over the role."Dante" is a half hour crime drama,a
category of programme which has vanished from the schedules,but was
common during the early days of filmed television series.The show is
reminiscent of the series "Mr Lucky",which made its debut in 1959,the
season before "Dante" appeared.Dante is a gambler,who runs a night
club-Mr.Lucky was a gambler who owned a gambling
club/restaurant,though the latter operated from a ship at sea,while
"Dante's Inferno" was on dry land.Like Mr.Lucky,Dante seemed to have
a vaguely shady background,with the police regularly suspicious about
his activities,though Willie Dante,like Lucky,has long abandoned any
behaviour not strictly "legit".Duff is the sort of hero who is tough but
suave,great with the women,and always ready with a good retort or quip
when required.The series is helped greatly by the presence of character
players Tom D'Andrea as Biff,and Alan Mowbray as Stewart,Willie's
associates from way back,who work with him in the club.Biff the
barkeep still harbours some regrets for the good old (less
legal)days,Stewart,the urbane polished Maitre D,a former con
artist,seems more settled with his present respectability. One of the
main problems for Willie and the boys is that people have a tendency to
pop up from their past,plunging them back against their will into the
milieu of crime-they have to deal with this,while making sure their roles
in the business can't be wrongly construed as illegal by a police force
ready to think the worst of them.It's often surprising how much these
half hour dramas can fit into a tight running time-"Dante" succeeds thru
solid "4 Star" production values,neat if routine little stories,good
characterizations from the principals,and the reliable array of guest
stars(Robert Strauss,John Anderson,Joan Marshall,Ruta Lee,Charles
McGraw,Patricia Medina-and even a young Yvonne Craig among
them)"Dante" appears to be a "lost" show,rarely referred to or
remembered,and does not seem to have made even the kind of minor
mark in popular culture achieved by "Mr Lucky"(the latter series was
undoubtedly helped here by the Henry Mancini music-Lucky certainly
had the better theme tune,and the music became popular on record at
the time). There were 26 episodes of "Dante" made.Duff went on to
greater TV success in the late 60s with "Felony Squad".The inspiration
for "Dante" probably came from the film "Casablanca" and Bogart's
character Rick Blaine. 6 DISCS
VOLUME ONE:
ONE FOR THE BIRDS
OPENING NIGHT
THE FELINE TRAVELLER
DANTE'S DILEMMA
VOLUME TWO:
SAN QUENTIN QUILL
THE UNCLEAN GREEN
THE BAVARIAN BARBARIANS
THE MISFORTUNE COOKIE
VOLUME THREE:
THE JOLLY ROGERS COCKTAIL
A PUNCH FROM JUDY
WINE, WOMEN, AND WILLIE
DIAL "D" FOR DANTE
VOLUME FOUR:
THE DEVIL TO PAY
DANTE RIDES AGAIN
DANTE'S FICKLE FATE
ACES & EIGHTS
VOLUME FIVE:
LIGHT LADY, DARK ROOM
NOT AS A CANARY
PICK A PECK OF DIAMONDS
DANTE, IN THE DARK
VOLUME SIX:
HUNTER WITH A BADGE
FRIENDLY ASSASSIN
THE SESAME KEY
AROUND A DARK CORNER
PLUS - Two Discs of Episodes from FOUR STAR
THEATER of DANTE starring Dick Powell
ONE FOR THE BIRDS
OPENING NIGHT
THE FELINE TRAVELLER
DANTE'S DILEMMA
VOLUME TWO:
SAN QUENTIN QUILL
THE UNCLEAN GREEN
THE BAVARIAN BARBARIANS
THE MISFORTUNE COOKIE
VOLUME THREE:
THE JOLLY ROGERS COCKTAIL
A PUNCH FROM JUDY
WINE, WOMEN, AND WILLIE
DIAL "D" FOR DANTE
VOLUME FOUR:
THE DEVIL TO PAY
DANTE RIDES AGAIN
DANTE'S FICKLE FATE
ACES & EIGHTS
VOLUME FIVE:
LIGHT LADY, DARK ROOM
NOT AS A CANARY
PICK A PECK OF DIAMONDS
DANTE, IN THE DARK
VOLUME SIX:
HUNTER WITH A BADGE
FRIENDLY ASSASSIN
THE SESAME KEY
AROUND A DARK CORNER
PLUS - Two Discs of Episodes from FOUR STAR
THEATER of DANTE starring Dick Powell
| LOST & FOUND TV RARE 1960 SERIES! |