Waterfront

1 9 5 3 – 1 9 5 6 (USA)
78 x episodes

This syndicated series was one of TV’s earlier seagoing adventures and focussed on tugboat captain John Herrick (Preston Foster), his crew, and his family.

Cap’n John ran the Cheryl Ann from Berth 14 of the San Pedro Harbor in Los Angeles, California, working for the Wellington Towing Company and encountering all sorts of smugglers, saboteurs, escaped convicts, and other seaborne criminals along the way. His crew included Tip Hubbard (Pinky Tomlin) and Willie Slocum (Willie Best).

John lived in San Pedro at 91 Surf Street – in an area called the Wharf – with his wife, May (Lois Moran).

Their oldest son, Jim (Harry Lauter), was a detective with the San Pedro Police Department. Their other son, Carl (Douglas Dick), was the captain of the tugboat Belinda (docked at Berth 5).

Terry Van Buren (former Miss New Jersey, Kathleen Crowley) was Carl’s fiancée, the daughter of a wealthy stockbroker who lived with her parents Henry (Frank Wilcox) and Emily (Frieda Inescort) Van Buren in the influential Crown Hill section of town.

John’s friend Dan Cord (Ramon Vallo) captained the tugboat Isabel (all tugboats owned by Wellington were named after women) and Mac Benson (George Chandler) ran the Lobster Claw Restaurant. Zachary Morgan (Ralph Dumke), was the owner of Wellington Towing.

The series was filmed on location at Wilmington, by Los Angeles Harbor.

Capt. John Herrick
Preston Foster
May (Mom) Herrick
Lois Moran
Carl Herrick
Douglas Dick
Jim Herrick
Harry Lauter
Tip Hubbard
Pinky Tomlin
Willie Slocum
Willie Best
Terry Van Buren
Kathleen Crowley
Dan Cord
Ramon Vallo
Mac Benson
George Chandler
Zachary (Zack) Morgan
Ralph Dumke
Henry Van Buren
Frank Wilcox
Emily Van Buren
Frieda Inescort