| Genre | Legal drama |
|---|---|
| Creator | E. Jack Neuman |
| Writer | E. Jack Neuman Ellis Marcus Joseph Calvelli |
| Director | Abner Biberman Richard Donner Ida Lupino Paul Nickell |
| Starring | Edmond O'Brien Richard Rust Joan Tompkins |
| Theme music composer | Nelson Riddle |
| Composer | Jeff Alexander |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Num seasons | 1 |
| Num episodes | 28 |
| Producer | William Froug |
| Camera | Single-camera |
| Runtime | 45–48 minutes |
| Company | MGM Television |
| Channel | NBC |
| First aired | September 15, 1962 |
| Last aired | March 30, 1963 |
Sam Benedict is an American legal drama that aired on NBC from September 1962 to March 1963. The series was created and executive produced by E. Jack Neuman, and produced by William Froug. The series starred Edmond O'Brien in the title role, with Richard Rust as his assistant Hank Tabor, and Joan Tompkins as his secretary Trudy Wagner.[1]
The character Sam Benedict is based on real-life lawyer Jake Ehrlich, who served as technical consultant for the series.[2] According to Hal Erickson in his 2009 Encyclopedia of Television Law Shows, "Beyond his salty delivery of lines and bulldozer courtroom demeanor, Sam Benedict shared with Jake Ehrlich an up-from-poverty background (including a short stint as a prizefighter!), and a sincere empathy for underdog clients."[1]
Guest stars
- Inger Stevens
- Vera Miles
- Fred Aldrich
- Elizabeth Ashley
- Phyllis Avery
- Larry Blyden
- Anthony Call
- Spencer Chan
- James Chandler
- Sidney Clute
- Fred Coby
- Hazel Court
- Yvonne Craig
- Ken Drake
- Howard Duff
- Ross Elliott, four episodes as Marty Rhodes
- Stefan Gierasch
- Sam Gilman
- Gloria Grahame
- Ellen Holly
- Marsha Hunt
- Diana Hyland
- Jean Inness
- Ray Kellogg
- Nancy Kelly
- Jess Kirkpatrick
- Otto Kruger
- Elizabeth MacRae
- Joyce Meadows
- Burgess Meredith
- Gary Merrill
- Gregory Morton
- John Nolan
- Richard O'Brien
- Maria Palmer
- Michael Parks
- Joseph V. Perry
- Claude Rains
- Stephen Roberts
- Ruth Roman
- Cosmo Sardo
- Joseph Schildkraut[3]
- Barbara Stuart
- Kelly Thordsen
- George Tobias
- Arthur Tovey
Disclaimer in end credits
"Sam Benedict is based on the real living character of J. W. (Jake) Ehrlich but the stories are fictional."
Home media
On November 22, 2016, Warner Bros. released Sam Benedict – The Complete Series on DVD via their Warner Archive Collection. This is a manufacture-on-demand (MOD) release, available through Warner's online store and Amazon.com.[4]
References and notes
- ^ Erickson, Hal (2009). Encyclopedia of Television Law Shows: Factual and Fictional Series About Judges, Lawyers and the Courtroom, 1948-2008. McFarland. p. 243. ISBN 978-0786438280.
- ^ The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946–present. Ballantine Books. 2003. p. 1029. ISBN 0-345-45542-8.
- ^ Joseph Schildkraut received a best actor Emmy Award nomination in 1963 for his guest-starring role on Sam Benedict. Retrieved November 1, 2010.
- ^ 'The Complete Series' of the 1962 NBC Legal Drama Archived 2016-10-28 at the Wayback Machine
External links
- Sam Benedict at IMDb