# Bourbon Street Beat

Bourbon Street Beat is a private detective television series that aired on the ABC network from October 5, 1959, to July 4, 1960, starring Richard Long as Rex Randolph and Andrew Duggan as Cal Calhoun, with Arlene Howell as detective agency secretary Melody Lee Mercer and Van Williams as Kenny Madison. Reruns continued until September 26, 1960.
Randolph and Calhoun — Special Services was based in the Absinthe House, a nightclub on the title street in the French Quarter of New Orleans. The firm's telephone number was EXpress 7123. The show's theme, "Bourbon Street Beat", was composed by Mack David and Jerry Livingston.

## Characters

Calhoun and Randolph were co-owners of the detective agency Randolph and Calhoun, Special Services. Melody Lee Mercer was their receptionist, and Kenny Madison was an assistant to the owners. The Baron played piano in the city.

## Cast

Richard Long as Rex Randolph Andrew Duggan as Cal Calhoun Arlene Howell as Melody Lee Mercer Van Williams as Kenny Madison Eddie Cole as The Baron (twelve episodes) Tommy Farrell as Jay O'Hanlon (seven episodes) Nita Talbot as Lusti Weather (four episodes)

## Guest stars

The following are among the many guest stars on the single season of Bourbon Street Beat:
* Charles Aidman
* Roscoe Ates
* Tol Avery
* Raymond Bailey
* Don "Red" Barry
* Jeanne Bates
* Roxane Berard
* Whit Bissell
* Lane Bradford
* Henry Brandon
* Victor Buono
* Walter Burke
* Jean Byron
* James T. Callahan
* Richard Chamberlain
* James Coburn
* Robert Colbert
* Tris Coffin
* Gary Conway
* Russ Conway
* Kathleen Crowley
* Michael Dante
* Ray Danton
* Richard Deacon
* Cyril Delevanti
* Brad Dexter
* Ann Doran
* James Drury
* Bill Erwin
* James Flavin
* Kathleen Freeman
* Lisa Gaye
* Virginia Gregg
* Myron Healey
* John Hoyt
* Brad Johnson
* Shirley Knight
* Ted Knight
* Gail Kobe
* Sandy Koufax
* Nancy Kulp
* Sue Anne Langdon
* Suzanne Lloyd
* John Marley
* Diane McBain
* Patrick McVey
* Tyler McVey
* Joanna Moore
* Mary Tyler Moore
* Rita Moreno
* Jeanette Nolan
* Jay Novello
* Cynthia Pepper
* Paul Picerni
* Mala Powers
* Judson Pratt
* Denver Pyle
* Rex Reason
* Rhodes Reason
* Madlyn Rhue
* Carlos Romero
* Richard Rust
* Karen Steele
* Randy Stuart
* Vaughn Taylor
* Mary Treen
* Lurene Tuttle
* Adam West
* Peter Whitney
* Robert J. Wilke
* Marie Windsor
* Donald Woods
* Carleton G. Young
* Tony Young

## Episodes

| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
| 1 | "The Taste of Ashes" | Leslie H. Martinson | Story by : Howard Browne, Teleplay by : Charles Hoffman & Al C. Ward | October 5, 1959 (1959-10-05) |
| Rex Randolph discovers his partner has died, the police dismiss the case as a simple suicide, but Randolph is convinced far more is at stake. Working his way through the social elite of Pelican Bay he does uncover a truth no one expected and picks up a new partner for his business along the way. |||||
| 2 | "Mourning Cloak" | James V. Kern | Sig Herzig | October 12, 1959 (1959-10-12) |
| Rex gets a strange note care of his office assistance requesting he come out to an old run down plantation house. It becomes obvious very quickly something is very wrong at the house especially when former employees turn up dead. |||||
| 3 | "Torch Song for Trumpet" | Leslie H. Martinson | Jim Barnett & Leo Townsend | October 19, 1959 (1959-10-19) |
| Cal is asked by a young lady, Cindy Roberts to investigate how her previous lover Kip Kiley had been released early from jail and refuses to have anything to do with her. What Cal discovers is far more complex and involves the whole existence of the club scene on Bourbon Street. |||||
| 4 | "Woman in the River" | Leslie H. Martinson | Luther Davis | October 26, 1959 (1959-10-26) |
| When police refuse to search for a young man's missing girlfriend, Rex and Cal agree to help him locate her. Guest star: Mary Tyler Moore. |||||
| 5 | "Girl in Trouble" | Reginald Le Borg | John Hawkins & Ward Hawkins | November 2, 1959 (1959-11-02) |
| Cal sets out to prove an old friend is innocent of murder and becomes convinced that the killing is somehow gangland related. With Russ Conway (actor). |||||
| 6 | "Tiger Moth" | James V. Kern | Marie Baumer | November 9, 1959 (1959-11-09) |
| 7 | "Secret of Hyacinth Bayou" | Andre de Toth | Story by : Kenneth Perkins, Teleplay by : William Spier | November 16, 1959 (1959-11-16) |
| 8 | "Invitation to a Murder" | Richard LeBorg | Stephen Lord | November 23, 1959 (1959-11-23) |
| 9 | "Mrs. Viner Vanishes" | Paul Henreid | Irving Elman | November 30, 1959 (1959-11-30) |
| 10 | "Light Touch of Terror" | William J. Hole Jr. | A.J. Carothers | December 7, 1959 (1959-12-07) |
| 11 | "The Golden Beetle" | Reginald LeBorg | William Spier | December 14, 1959 (1959-12-14) |
| 12 | "The Black Magnolia" | Reginald LeBorg | Earl Baldwin | December 21, 1959 (1959-12-21) |
| Guest star: Mary Tyler Moore. |||||
| 13 | "Portrait of Lenore" | Robert Gordon | Story by : Milton Geiger, Teleplay by : Milton Geiger & Charles Hoffman | December 28, 1959 (1959-12-28) |
| 14 | "Kill With Kindness" | William J. Hole Jr. | Marie Baumer | January 4, 1960 (1960-01-04) |
| 15 | "Inside Man" | Leslie H. Martinson | Story by : Ivan Goff & Ben Roberts, Teleplay by : Howard Browne | January 11, 1960 (1960-01-11) |
| 16 | "Find My Face" | Paul Henreid | Michael Plant | January 18, 1960 (1960-01-18) |
| 17 | "Knock on Any Tombstone" | William J. Hole Jr. | Story by : Sig Herzig, Teleplay by : Sig Herzig & Charles Hoffman | January 25, 1960 (1960-01-25) |
| 18 | "Key to the City" | James V. Kern | Story by : Jim Barnett, Teleplay by : Robert C. Dennis | February 1, 1960 (1960-02-01) |
| 19 | "The 10% Blues" | William J. Hole Jr. | Story by : Hugh Benson & Dick Nelson, Teleplay by : Stephen Lord | February 8, 1960 (1960-02-08) |
| Guest star: Bill Erwin |||||
| 20 | "Melody in Diamonds" | James V. Kern | Doris Gilbert | February 15, 1960 (1960-02-15) |
| 21 | "The House of Ledezan" | William J. Hole Jr. | Story by : David Evans, Teleplay by : Michael Cramoy & David Evans | February 22, 1960 (1960-02-22) |
| 22 | "Target for Hate" | Leslie H. Martinson | Story by : Richard Matheson, Teleplay by : Richard Matheson & William L. Stuart | March 7, 1960 (1960-03-07) |
| 23 | "The Missing Queen" | Paul Henreid | Dorothy B. Hughes, Doris Gilbert and James Patrick O'Neill | March 14, 1960 (1960-03-14) |
| 24 | "Neon Nightmare" | William J. Hole Jr. | Dean Riesner | March 21, 1960 (1960-03-21) |
| Guest star: Randy Stuart as Beejay. |||||
| 25 | "Wall of Silence" | Charles R. Rondeau | Sam Ross | March 28, 1960 (1960-03-28) |
| 26 | "Twice Betrayed" | William J. Hole Jr. | Story by : Howard Browne, Teleplay by : William Bruckner | April 4, 1960 (1960-04-04) |
| Guest stars: Tyler McVey and Judson Pratt. |||||
| 27 | "Swamp Fire" | Robert B. Sinclair | Story by : Edward Wellen, Teleplay by : Sig Herzig & Dean Riesner | April 11, 1960 (1960-04-11) |
| Guest star: Tony Young as Prosper Gamillon. |||||
| 28 | "If a Body" | Leslie H. Martinson | Story by : Irving Elman, Teleplay by : Charles Hoffman & Irving Elman | April 18, 1960 (1960-04-18) |
| 29 | "Six Hours to Midnight" | Charles R. Rondeau | Story by : Richard Bluel, Teleplay by : Lee Loeb | April 25, 1960 (1960-04-25) |
| 30 | "Last Exit" | Leslie H. Martinson | Story by : Douglas Heyes, Teleplay by : W. Hermanos | May 2, 1960 (1960-05-02) |
| 31 | "Deadly Persuasion" | Charles R. Rondeau | Berne Giler & W. Hermanos | May 9, 1960 (1960-05-09) |
| 32 | "Suitable for Framing" | Leslie H. Martinson | Story by : Gerald Drayson Adams, Teleplay by : W. Hermanos & Charles Hoffman | May 16, 1960 (1960-05-16) |
| 33 | "False Identity" | William J. Hole Jr. | Story by : David Goodis, Teleplay by : W. Hermanos | May 23, 1960 (1960-05-23) |
| 34 | "Green Hell" | Charles R. Rondeau | Story by : Tom Gries & Al C. Ward, Teleplay by : W. Hermanos & Al C. Ward | May 30, 1960 (1960-05-30) |
| 35 | "Ferry to Algiers" | William J. Hole Jr. | W. Hermanos | June 6, 1960 (1960-06-06) |
| 36 | "Wagon Show" | Robert B. Sinclair | Story by : Hugh Benson, Teleplay by : W. Hermanos | June 13, 1960 (1960-06-13) |
| Guest star: Brad Johnson as Michael Reynard. |||||
| 37 | "Interrupted Wedding" | William J. Hole Jr. | Story by : Laszlo Gorog, Teleplay by : Laszlo Gorog & W. Hermanos | June 20, 1960 (1960-06-20) |
| Guest stars: Patrick McVey as John Crane and Randy Stuart as Betty Jane Robinson. |||||
| 38 | "Reunion" | William J. Hole Jr. | Story by : Nelson Gidding, Teleplay by : W. Hermanos | June 27, 1960 (1960-06-27) |
| 39 | "Teresa" | William J. Hole Jr. | Story by : Whitman Chambers, Teleplay by : W. Hermanos | July 4, 1960 (1960-07-04) |

## Production

Bourbon Street Beat was broadcast on Mondays from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. Eastern Time. Most of the show was filmed in California, but ABC purchased a half-interest in the Absinthe House in New Orleans to provide a local angle. William T. Orr was the executive producer, and Charles Hoffman was the producer. William Hole was the director.

## Cars used in episodes

* Cal Calhun's 1951 Chevrolet 'Styleline DeLuxe' Convertible
* Kenny Madison's 1959 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible with optional removable hardtop (certain episodes)
* Rex Randolph's 1959 Oldsmobile 98 Convertible