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| Burke's Law: Season 1 - Volume 1 (First 16 Episodes) | 
 enlarge | Directors: Charles F. Haas, Byron Paul, Frederick De Cordova, Robert Ellis Miller, James Goldstone
Actors: Gene Barry, Gary Conway, Frankie Laine
Studio: VCI Entertainment
Category: DVD
List Price: $29.99
Buy New: $14.88
You Save: $15.11 (50%)
New (37) Used (10) Collectible (1) from $14.88
Avg. Customer Rating:  17 reviews
Sales Rank: 8000
Format: Box Set, Black & White, Dolby, Dvd-video, Full Screen, Original Recording Remastered, Ntsc
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Number Of Items: 4
Running Time: 800
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.3
Dimensions (in): 7.6 x 5.3 x 2.4
MPN: 8510
UPC: 089859851025
EAN: 0089859851025
ASIN: B0013PVGGI
Release Date: April 29, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Five Star Seller!!! New, factory sealed US Region 1 DVD. Item is 100% guaranteed not to be a bootleg or import. Item is shipped directly from our warehouse. Easy exchange if item defective or damaged in shipped.
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| Customer Reviews:
Precursor of Classic Detective Shows July 13, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
In the early 1960s, television was just starting to get over the variety show genre' and began looking for new horizons due to competition from other networks. With the introduction of certain "Teen" idol "Surfside 6" and "Route 66" success, you could say that "Burke's Law" appealed to the young people of the Jet set.
It is highly unlikely that a millionaire would continue to work as a Captain in Homicide, given the hours and the constant requirement to answer to superiors. Yet, Gene Barry uses a small staff in conducting personal interviews and significant risk taking, dodging bullets here and there and having his young rookie constantly get hit over the head every other episode, to solve Hollywood crimes, usually among the more affluent members of Los Angeles society.
So very improbable, yet very successful. Each episode is loaded with Hollywood stars. Either they had the budget or they all owed something to Spelling and Co. or even Gene Barry to ensure the popularity of this series.
When you have stars like Anne Francis, The Gabor Sisters, Sir Cedric Hardwicke, Don Rickles, etc. among them playing small roles in a larger plot that should tell you something.
Anyway, I had never seen the old series. I was familiar with a few episodes from the 94 revival and based this purchase on that experience.
It is certainly entertaining. A constant reminder of technological life of the 1960s, most of which have disappeared (typewriters, adding machines, slide rules) and the show has style and a decent theme music introduction.
No doubt it was meant to be "Hip".
Burke has an Asian driver and there are several actors who appear such as Sammy Davis Jr. among other minority actors here and there in small roles in what I would call an "advanced" show for showing minorities in so early a period.
This is one of the better efforts. Of course, you can't take the situations too seriously and I believe they were not meant to be that way and certain intentional humor and camp are evident.
I look forward to more episodes and clearly this is the progenitor of future 70s and 80s Golden age Detective Fiction shows that dominated the networks for nearly a quarter of a century to follow. Even Gene Barry himself, launched Columbo and as Mr. Howard in "the Name of the Game" helped to bring about this era. Worth watching!
A THROWBACK TO THE '60S THAT STILL WORKS . . MOST OF THE TIME June 30, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
It is with some trepidation that one revisits a 1963 television series that has all but faded in memory. However, this one is a real winner. Starring the ever-so-suave Gene Barry, the best of the oh-so-cool leading man school of television, and supported by the pushy-but-fun Gary Conway, this series has aged particularly well. It's one of the first Aaron Spelling super spectaculars, to be followed, of course, by The Love Boat and Dynasty, but Burke's Law sets the general style and substance for the glamorous future Spelling was to have as the glossiest of television producers. Amos Burke (Barry), multi-millionaire Chief of Detectives for Los Angeles who's chauffeured in a Silver Cloud II Rolls Royce, solves crimes with a charm and devil-may-care attitude unimaginable today. The plots are outlandish, the setting outrageous, the casts absolutely out of this world. Where else could you get such guest stars as William Bendix, Zasu Pitts, Elizabeth Montgomery, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Paul Lynde, Mary Astor, Lizabeth Scott, Joan Blondell and Juliet Prowse? This list, believe it or not, is only from the first four of 16 episodes on this four-disc collection! It ain't Shakespeare, and, frankly not wildly realistic, but for a return to the glamorous Los Angeles of the mid-'60s, where Pop and Op and Mod and all that silliness reigned supreme, check out this gassy and groovy throwback to a more innocent era.
 Burke's Law Season 1 Volume 1 May 31, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Quality of the video was excellent and one of the best old tyme television shows now available. Hope more shows of this series is added. Gene Berry is excellent and for police cars, you can't beat a 1962 Rolls Royce car!
 "Some TV shows don't age well" - Burke's Law May 19, 2008
14 out of 23 found this review helpful
Sorry to differ from the other reviewers, but my wife and I just watched a few episodes of Season 1, Part 1, and were quite disappointed. I'm referring to both the quality of the DVD - and "Burke's Law" itself. Prior to getting the DVD set from Amazon, my wife fondly recalled the show and as such, I bought it for her as a gift.
It seemed that her memories of the show had been kind, and upon viewing the first few episodes, we were left shaking our heads: what was the appeal? Yes, the guest stars are fun to spot (e.g., a pre "Bewitched" Elizabeth Montgomery plays a flaky floozy who even twitches her nose - Samantha Stevens style - well before her bewitching TV sitcom aired).
But the stories are slow-moving, the characters are too wacky and unbelievable, and, well, the regulars are just plain dull. The Zucker Brothers "Police Squad!" would have had a field day with "Burke's Law".
Also, we noticed that the dialogue doesn't keep pace with the lip movements, at least in the second episode. That suggests poor workmanship in putting the DVD together.
(We did enjoy the only DVD extra - the old commercials, including one with Arnold Palmer pushing L&M cigarettes - even littering by tossing a lit cigarette onto the golf green!)
Finally, we compared "Burke's Law" to its contemporary, "Perry Mason", and found that there really is no comparison. "Mason" was generally full of well-developed characters - both the regulars and guests - and, despite repetition over the years - had interesting stories that allowed Raymond Burr & co. to shine. "Burke's Law" is at best, two-dimensional.
"You need interesting characters and stories in order to make a good TV show" - that's MY law.
"Burke's Law (1963) ... Gene Barry ... VCI Ent. (2008)" May 9, 2008
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
VCI Entertainment presents "BURKE'S LAW-SEASON 1 - VOLUME I" (20 September 1963) (Dolby digitally remastered) --- 1964 Golden Globe Winner best TV Show & Best Male TV Stars --- Capt. Amos Burke (Gene Barry) was a Los Angeles chief of detectives who was also a millionaire with a chauffeur driven Rolls Royce, a mansion, and a high wheeling lifestyle --- The hallmarks of this series were glamorous, sophisticated settings, unusual twists on formula homicide plot lines, and big name guest stars --- After a couple of seasons, its format was radically revamped. Burke left the police force and became an agent for US Intelligence --- At that point, the show's name changed to "Amos Burke--Secret Agent". Burke's adventures were briefly revived in 1994, under the original title.
Burke's Law is a detective series which ran on ABC from 1963 to 1966 and was revived on CBS in the 1990s --- The show starred Gene Barry as Amos Burke, millionaire Los Angeles Chief of Detectives, who was chauffeured around to solve crimes in his Rolls-Royce --- The best of the Cary Grant clones was Gene Barry --- In his career Barry was a male model, had good breeding and seductive whiskey voice --- Barry was also TV's greatest reactors --- With a multitude of comic takes that was perfect for Amos Burke, who had to confront an unending series of eccentric subjects --- Yet he could turn around and romance the ladies or get tough with the tough guys. And he was a good enough actor to hold up his end when the heavy dramatics intervened.
In the original series, other characters were Detective Tim Tilson (Gary Conway), Detective Les Hart (Regis Toomey), and Sergeant Ames (Eileen O'Neill). In several episodes Anne Francis appeared as female detective Honey West, which led to a short-lived spin-off series --- The musical score for Burke's Law was largely the work of Herschel Burke Gilbert, whose middle name was coincidentally the same as the character of the series --- The role of Amos Burke actually predated Barry's series, having been played by Dick Powell on an episode of The Dick Powell Show in 1961 --- The first incarnation of the series was produced by Powell's company, Four Star Television --- (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
Under the production staff of:
Don Weis - Director (13 episodes, 1963-1965)
Jerry Hopper - Director (11 episodes, 1964-1965)
the cast includes:
Gene Barry ... Capt. Amos Burke / ... (81 episodes, 1963-1966)
Gary Conway ... Det. Tim Tilson (64 episodes, 1963-1965)
Regis Toomey ... Det. Les Hart (64 episodes, 1963-1965)
Leon Lontoc ... Henry (64 episodes, 1963-1965)
Eileen O'Neill ... Sgt. Gloria Ames / ... (33 episodes, 1963-1965)
Michael Fox ... M. E. George McLeod / ... (25 episodes, 1963-1965)
SPECIAL FEATURES
BIOS:
1. Gene Barry
Date of Birth: 14 June 1919 - New York, New York
Date of Death: Still Living
2. Gary Conway
Date of Birth: 4 February 1936, Boston, Massachusetts
Date of Death: Still Living
3. Regis Toomey
Date of Birth: 13 August 1898, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Date of Death: 12 October 1991 - Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California
Hats off and thanks to Robert Blair and his staff at VCI Entertainment --- VCI was named in Variety and Hollywood Reporter as the first company to produce and release motion pictures directly to the home marketplace --- order your copy now from Amazon or VCI Entertainment where there are plenty of copies available on DVD, stay tuned once again for top notch releases --- VCI are experts in releasing long forgotten films and treasures to the collector -- looking forward to more Nostalgic Collections.
Total Time: 800 mins on DVD/VHS ~ VCI Entertainment 8510 ~ (4/29/2008)
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