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'Burke's Law,' and its Million Dollar Guest Cast

posted 20 years ago by bheyer
7 replies | jump to latest

Here is just a partial list (a smidgen, really) of the Guest Stars who appeared on "Burke's Law" over its short run. Some of them were on their way up, and some were on their way down. What is that called, waning and waxing? Anyway, THINK what such a cast would cost, today! Since THIS was Aaron Spelling's first hit TV show, I imagine most (if not all) worked for scale.

Frank Sinatra, Nancy Sinatra, Annette Funicello, Frankie Avalon, Telly Savalas, Carolyn Jones, Arlene Dahl, Dick Clark, Elizabeth Montgomery, Linda Darnell, Mickey Rooney, Ed Wynn, Keenan Wynn, Barbara Eden, Jill St. John (as "Pinky Likewise," WHERE did they get THOSE names?!), Rhonda Fleming, Mamie Van Doren, Don Ameche, Jane Greer, Jeanne Crain, Joan Blondell, Buster Keaton,
Dorothy Lamour, Gypsy Rose Lee and her sister, June Havoc (NOT in the same episode), George Hamilton, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Eva Gabor, Walter Pidgeon, Martha Raye, Betty Hutton, Bobby Darin and Hugh M. Hefner (basically playing himself). WOW!

I'm the bad guy? How'd that happen?
Michael Douglas ("D-FENS"), in "Falling Down"

[–] misspaddylee 19 years ago

A big part of the fun of watching Burke's Law is enjoying all the familiar faces.

[–] 19 years ago

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[–] HarlowMGM 8 years ago

That's about the only fun of this show which is generally badly written and directed - and sometimes acted. It is nice to see many of the Hollywood greats again (including some character players of the period) but these little five minute "guest parts" don't give them much to do.

[–] kenolting 17 years ago

kenoltingI enjoyed Jayne Mansfield on Burke"s Law.

[–] schappe1 15 years ago

...says that many of the star cameos were arranged by the surviving members of the "Four Star" group. "Four Star" produced the series and the four stars who founded it were Dick Powell, David Niven, Ida Lupino and Charles Boyer. Powell was going to play Amos Burke but died of cancer before he could get the series going, (he played Burke in the pilot on the Dick Powell show). Lupino and Niven appear in "Who Killed Billy Joe", Lupino in one scene as his manager and Niven in a quick bit as "the World's Worst Juggler"- and that's the way he's billed. I don't recall Boyer appearing in the series.

[–] elvimark01 9 years ago

While Boyer does not appear in Burke's Law, he does get mentioned in the episode Who Killed Lenore Wingfield?

Amos and Tim go to interview Victor Jory about his involvement with the murder victim. His office is in the penthouse of his building, and when they go into the elevator, the operator tells them that she doesn't go past the 13th floor and that they need to use the elevator across the way...an elevator equipped with a love seat and a P.A. system that gives a spiel about Clover Industries (the company owned by Jory's character). When they exit the elevator, Amos quips 'On the way down, Charles Boyer gives us a reading from Don Juan In Hell!'. Boyer was appearing on stage in that play at the time, as well as another Four Star series, The Rogues.

[–] 8 years ago

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