DENNIS O’BRIEN - DETECTIVE SERIES Starring Hugh Beaumont

ROARING CITY

Dennis O'Brien (Hugh Beaumont) is hired by Barton (Stanley Price) to bet on Harper, an old fighter, against Lundy (Greg McClure), placing the bets in the name of Steve Belzig. Lundy dies of a blood clot during the bout. At Barton's hotel, after the fight, Dennis finds Gannon (William Tannen) and Lundy, where he learns that Belzig is Lundy's real name and that Barton and Gannon had the fight fixed for Lundy to take a dive in the first round, but Barton told Lundy to wait until the seventh and Harper didn't last that long. Dennis is knocked out and comes to to find police Lt. Burger (Richard Travis) in the room with him with Lundy dead. Accused of the murder and out on bail, Dennis starts his own investigation. and finds that Gale Chase (Rebel Randall) is connected with Gannon. He makes Gannon think that Gale is double-crossing him, but is arrested by Burger before he can harm Gale...(end first story...start second story)...Irma Rand (Joan Valerie) hires Dennis to pose as Ted Fallon, husband of her step-daughter Sylvia (Wanda McKay). She introduces him to Eddie (Abner Biberman) and Bill Rafferty (Anthony Warde), who knock him out and he awakens to find himself next to the body of the real Ted Fallon. He goes to Sylvia's apartment where he is again slugged by the two thugs, but this time he awakens and finds both men dead.

DANGER ZONE

This film features two mystery stories featuring Hugh "the Beaver's TV Dad" Beaumont. First, he is hired to go to an auction and buy a particular saxophone. Unfortunately, soon after he obtains it he is knocked unconscious and loses the instrument to the bidder he beat. Later he discovers that the horn is filled with valuable stolen jewels. He also learns that a murder is involved and so launches an investigation to solve it all. In the second tale, Beaumont is paid to escort a beautiful woman to a yacht party. Once he gets there, he discovers that he is the only guest and she is out to seduce him. During their lovemaking, a sleazy detective is busy photographing their every move. The gumshoe was working for the woman's jealous husband who is later found slain, causing the hapless Beaumont to stand accused. Fortunately, he is able to prove his innocence and solve the crime.

PIER 23

Pier 23 was one of three hour-long mysteries produced by Lippert Productions for both TV and theatrical release. Each of the three films was evenly divided into two half-hour "episodes," and each starred Hugh Beaumont as San Francisco-based amateur sleuth Dennis O'Brien. In Pier 23, O'Brien first tackles the case of a wrestler who has died of a suspicious heart attack after refusing to lose a match. He then agrees to help a priest talk an escaped criminal into returning to prison. The film's two-part structure leads to repetition and predictability, but it's fun to watch TV's "Ward Cleaver" making like Philip Marlowe.