The Wrecking Crew (1969) was the end of the line for the Dean Martin-as-Matt Helm franchise on the big screen, but in 1975, Man From U.N.C.L.E co-creator Sam Rolf attempted to relaunch the character on TV.
Gone was the comedy, although the tone remained light. Anthony Franciosa played an older Helm as a smoothie 1970s detective-about-Burbank rather than the icy cool secret agent of the Donald Hamilton books and Dean Martin films.
Helm worked for a beautiful blonde attorney named Claire Kronski (Laraine Stephens). Helm and Kronsksi were in love.
Sgt. Hanrahan (Gene Evans) was Matt’s friend on the force.
With neither the suspenseful atmosphere of the books’ government assassin or the light-hearted tone of the Martin films, the series struggled to find its place in the hearts of America’s TV viewers. The series lasted only 14 episodes on ABC and is largely forgotten – apart from the episode featuring future Wonder Woman Lynda Carter in a bikini.
And here’s a picture 🙂
Matt Helm
Anthony Franciosa Claire Kronski
Laraine Stephens Sgt. Hanrahan
Gene Evans Ethel
Jeff Donnell Joan
Eileen Chesis
Episodes
Matt Helm | Dead Men Talk | Now I Lay Me Down to Die | Scavenger’s Paradise | The Game of the Century | Murder on Ice | Squeeze Play | Deadly Breed | Death Rods | Double Jeopardy | Think Murder | Murder on the Run | Panic | Die Once, Die Twice
