An Epilogue

Quinn Martin was a highly regarded American television producer with at least one television series running in prime time every year for twenty-one straight years, from 1959 to 1980. As QM Productions, Martin established a distinct format for his series—filmed as mini-movies—that was broken into four sections called “Acts." It was essentially a clever device to resume the story after commercial breaks. Each episode wrapped up the story with a short "Epilogue." They were parodies of this format, none better than the six-episode comedy, Police Squad starring Leslie Nielsen. After selling QM Productions, Martin continued developing motion pictures for Warner Bros. with a new company, QM Communications, until his death. 

My highlights of his most noted television-producing career:

1958: "Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse" anthology TV series for Desilu Productions. 

1959: The landmark series "The Untouchables" (1959-63) for Desilu Productions. Emmy winner. Famous theme by Nelson Riddle.

1960: Established QM Productions. Sold the company in 1978 to become an adjunct professor at the University of California's Earl Warren College, San Diego.

1961: 36 episodes of the ABC police crime drama, "The New Breed," starring Leslie Nielsen and John Beradino. Theme composed by Dominic Frontiere. 1st series under his QM Production company. 

1963: "The Fugitive" drama series. The QM Productions logo became known worldwide. His use of narration was a signature element of the series.

1964: "12 O'Clock High" TV series. Ratings nose-dived after charismatic star, Robert Lansing, was unceremoniously "killed off" at the beginning of 2nd season. Replaced by Paul Burke. Lansing was understandably puzzled by the decision.

1965: "The F.B.I." was his longest-running series based around the James Stewart film, "The F.B.I. Story."

1967: "The Invaders" starring Roy Thinnes as architect, David Vincent, in his 1 year career swap to become an expert on sneaky interplanetary aliens.

 
1970: "Dan August" crime drama series with Burt Reynolds as a police lieutenant. Not unique enough to survive beyond 26 episodes. Innovative theme by Dave Grusin. Reynolds' film stardom made reruns popular.

1971: "Cannon" was a five-year Private Detective series about a rotund investigator who drove a Lincoln Mark IV equipped with a telephone.

1972: "The Streets of San Francisco" ran for five years and made a star of Michael Douglas.

1973-1980: "Barnaby Jones," an unlikely popular detective series about a 65-year-old investigator ran for seven years.

Hidden in Plain Sight

Jason Evers (1922-2005) was an American actor on stage, in film, and on television. The handsome actor often portrayed ill-fated characters. Despite consistent, strong supporting roles, he seemed hidden "in plain sight" by his fellow lead actors. Roles on Broadway led to Hollywood, with one of his earliest television multi-role characters on the hit comedy The Phil Silvers Show. His first recurring role was on the 1960 NBC Western series Wrangler. Evers made three appearances on Perry Mason before Evers starred as Professor Howe in the 26-episode ABC drama series Channing (above), based on life at Channing College and not his character's name. His most infamous role is from the 1959 B-movie, The Brain That Wouldn't Die, which was not released until 1962. He redeemed himself in two big-budget sci-fi films, The Illustrated Man (1969) and Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971). Evers appeared in thirteen episodes of The Guns of Will Sonnet (1967). By 1970, Evers turned up on many television series ranging from The Doris Day Show, The Streets of San Francisco, The Rockford Files and many others through the 1980s. 

Either Rain Or Gloom Of Night

 

Motor Cargo Industries, Inc. is one of the largest less-than-truckload carriers. The Utah-based company provides transportation and logistics services to shippers primarily within the western region of the United States. Motor Cargo transports general commodities such as consumer goods, packaged food, electronics, computer equipment, apparel, hardware, industrial goods, and auto parts.

Dating back to a sparse 1922 Utah and only "two trucks and a guy," the Barton Truck Line was finally incorporated in 1954. During the 1950s and early 1960s, the firm shipped to several Utah cities. After Barton acquired Bonanza Trucking Company, it became a regional carrier. Upon close inspection of the fabulous 1959 illustration above for Goodyear Tire's Hi-Miler Cross-Rib tires, the trailer appears to have a Motor Cargo logo emblazoned. Odd, in that Barton did not change its name officially to Motor Cargo until 1973.

FWIW: The tractor depicted is a late 1950s Diamond T COE.

Big Yellow Brick

 

The Checker is an automobile produced by the Checker Motors Corporation of Kalamazoo, Michigan. Its Marathon/Superba models began production in 1960 and were advertised to individual customers in upscale publications. The ads emphasized the durability of the Checker and the attention to quality improvements. Marathons were produced in both four-door sedan and four-door station wagon forms. The eight-door, 12-seater "Aerobus" wagon was typically spotted shuttling airline passengers to and from a major airport. They remained largely unchanged to keep costs down and its late 50s design held its ground until 1982, the Marathon's final production year. 

Long before the Marathon, the Checker Motor Company manufactured taxicabs aimed at fleet buyers, famously used by Checker Taxi, a privately owned cab company in Chicago. Morris Markin established the Kalamazoo business in 1922. In its early years, he not only produced the vehicles but also ran Checker Cab, a taxi company that was in direct competition with John D. Hertz, owner of Yellow Cab. The Checker Motor Company ceased to exist with the sale of its Kalamazoo headquarters in 2010.

Tall In The Saddle

Standing 6' 7", Don Megowan (1922-1981) was one of the few actors who saw eye to eye with Clink Walker on his series, Cheyenne, as a six-time guest star splitting his time portraying good and bad men. The supporting actor benefitted from a great voice, a comic book hero face, and a quiet demeanor. A perfect fit for television's western "hay" days. His saddle never cooled much with roles on Gunsmoke, Wagon Train, The Tall Man, Maverick, Cimarron City, frequenting Have Gun–Will Travel, Tales of Wells Fargo, The Rifleman, Lawman, Colt .45, Bonanza, and Rawhide. Megowan guest-starred on several modern-day dramas and even a sitcom or two. His film career was very sparse, notable only for his appearance in Blazing Saddles and least recognizable as the Gill-man on land in The Creature Walks Among Us, the third and final installment of the black lagoon creature trilogy. 

A Blass From The Past

 

Bill Blass (William Ralph Blass 1922-2002) was an American fashion designer, the recipient of many fashion awards, including seven Coty Awards and the Fashion Institute of Technology's Lifetime Achievement Award in 1999. His school books were filled with sketches of Hollywood-inspired fashions instead of notes. At fifteen, he began sewing and selling evening gowns for $25 each to a New York manufacturer. Blass was the first male to win Mademoiselle's Design for Living award. At Seventeen! He enlisted in the Army in 1943 and was assigned to the 603rd Camouflage Battalion. Its mission was to deceive the German Army into believing the Allies were positioned in fake locations, by using dummy tanks, for example. He served in this unit at several major operations including the Battle of the Bulge. Rarely photographed without a cigarette, Blass was diagnosed in 2000 with oral/tongue cancer which spread to throat cancer.

Little Sure Shot of The Wild West

 

On this day in 1922, Annie Oakley (Phoebe Ann Mosey 1860-1926) set a women's record by shooting 100 clay targets in a row (above in 1899). The American sharpshooter starred in Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show earning more than anyone except Buffalo Bill himself. Born near Greenville, Ohio, she won a shooting contest against experienced marksman Frank E. Butler at age 15. They would later marry and the duo joined Buffalo Bill in 1885, performing in Europe before royalty and other heads of state. At five feet tall, Oakley was given the nickname of "Watanya Cicilla" by fellow performer Sitting Bull, a rough translation meaning "Little Sure Shot" for the purposes of public advertisements. Audiences were astounded to see her shooting a cigar from her husband's lips or splitting a playing-card edge-on at 30 paces, or shooting her rifle backward over her shoulder using a mirror.