This Movie Can Only Be Described With One Word.

not as good as all the hype

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

A story that's too fascinating to pass by...

Okay, Amos Burke just has to look at a woman and she becomes consumed with wanton desire. Never mind that he has a studley twenty-something assistant, Tim Tilson, who has a great smile with acres of white capped teeth ,athletic physique, and perfect hair. The girls never notice him... He's invisible. All they want is Amos. All these martini-sippin', skinny-dippin', hair flippin' chicks want is to jump in bed with that suave, sophisticated, Rolls Royce chauffeur-driven middle aged,sleepy-eyed Adonis. When Amos Burke isn't in his tux hosting a party at his mansion, he's on duty, interviewing beautiful female suspects of the latest homicide.I think Amos Burke bedded more women than Lucas McCain,aka The Rifleman, shot bad guys. In other words, hundreds.

I have just purchased the complete first season DVD of "Burke's Law". It was so good that I immediately wanted to get the second season only to find it is not yet available. Produced in 1963/4 by the highly creative Aaron Spelling, So far as memory serves me it has never aired in the UK & certainly not since colour TV was developed in the late 1960's. An old-fashioned murder mystery series of the "whodunit" variety, it boasts a tremendous cast list & is exceptionally entertaining. Suave & debonair, cool-as-a-cucumber Gene Barry is great in the title role. Having now sat through and watched every season 1 episode it seems that Mr. Spelling believed in making a show as glamorous as possible in both locations & women. When off duty, usually at the start or finish of an episode, Amos Burke (Mr. Barry) gets to kiss some of the most gorgeous ladies in Hollywood at that time. Young starlet Mary Ann Mobley (who had one of the loveliest faces I ever saw in my life), Elizabeth Macrae, Debra Paget, Janice Rule, Francine York, Charlene Holt, Elizabeth Allen & Elaine Stewart. He never got to kiss Tina Louise (aw shucks, ain't life a bitch?.) Anyway, nice work if you can get it. To whom it may concern, PLEASE make seasons 2 & 3 available!.

I already commented on an episode of "Burke's Law," which had Jill St. John as a guest. Those comments basically apply to this show. This is a really superb show that deserved a lot better. This show was perhaps the granddaddy to "Columbo," "Murder She Wrote" and "Diagnosis: Murder," though the first one had already been created as early as 1960.As I mentioned in my other review, "Burke's Law" was truly an ensemble effort. Gene Barry carried quite a bit of his Bat Masterson persona over into Amos Burke, and does so with his usual flair. I would rather have him arrest me than Joe Friday anytime!!! Gary Conway, Leon Lontoc and Regis Toomey are also fun, as are Eileen O'Neal and Michael Fox.Unlike "Bat Masterson," though, there is a fair amount of comedy as well as mystery and mayhem. Amos Burke and his crew certainly run into their share of kooks and nuts, and it provides welcome comic relief.My only gripe about the series is that it was not shot in colour. Had the show been in colour, and had it retained its glitzy/kooky élan, it would have stayed on the air longer. And I think the show could have adjusted well to the late 1960s and to the growing counterculture environment. Changing the format to a spy series in 1965 was a huge mistake. Ironically, it last ran on Wednesday, 12 January 1966, the same night "Batman" premiered.Still, this is one show that did Aaron Spelling proud, and it was ahead of its time as well as of its time, for its unconventionality. It is also of its time in portraying the Los Angeles of the 1960s, and it is a sort of successor of "77 Sunset Strip" when it came to mystery shows.This show deserved better!

The 64 black and white hour-long episodes of "Burke's Law" were originally broadcast from 1963-65 on ABC. The show then morphed into "Amos Burke, Secret Agent" for another 17 episodes during the 1965-66 season. And one episode "Who Killed the Jackpot" served as the introduction of the "Honey West" characters played by Anne Francis and John Ericson. Gene Barry played police captain Amos Burke, who headed up homicide while maintaining a lavish lifestyle; not because he was on the take but because he was already extremely rich and was just working for whatever intrinsic value the job provided. This was the main hook or novelty of the show, which was a weekly showcase of his lavish lifestyle (chauffeured limo with fully stocked bar, mansion, and a host of gorgeous women clamoring for his affections). Although technically a mystery-adventure series there was a significant comedy element generated by the reactions of his detectives and his superior to Burke's displays of wealth and indulgence. Barry was perfectly cast as the suave and sophisticated working playboy. Unfortunately the supporting cast was quite marginal and the writers never developed these secondary characters beyond the most superficial level. But this did allow room to showcase a multitude of guest stars and like "The Wild Wild West" many of these were Hollywood's hottest starlets. Especially memorable was former Miss America Mary Ann Mobley whose unexpected chemistry with Barry led to multiple appearances during the course of the series.Unlike "Columbo", the series withheld the identity of the killer from viewers until the end although it was not disclosed in the standard "Murder She Wrote" moment of revelation. The huge popularity of "James Bond" and "The Man From UNCLE" caused producer Aaron Spelling to introduce a secret agent formula into the final season. Unfortunately what had been a unique cop show became just another silly spy series and it expired after just half a season. Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.