Honey West

I am a bit perplexed by a lot of the negative comments I have read about this show on this website. Granted, I have only seen three episodes as an adult, but still . . .

I first saw this program during the sixties when I was only 9 or 10 years old. There was enough action (the fist-fights and most of the Judo moves still look great now) and gadgets (only in more recent years do you see readily commercially available some of the things they purported to have then) to make it entertaining to kids at that age and both my younger sister and I enjoyed watching it. In the past few years, however, when I became interested in revisiting the shows I had watched growing up when they became available for the first time on video, I made no particular effort to see it when I learned that it was canceled after only a single year on the air. I naturally assumed that must have not been very good, something only a ten-year-old looking for action and gadgets would think was worthwhile. Maybe I would find it would turn out to be as bad as *Lost In Space* (which ran for three seasons) did, for example.

Just recently I had a chance to see the three episodes alluded to previously ("The Owl and the Eye", "A Neat Little Package", and "The Abominable Snowman") and based on that I'm just plain amazed this show was canceled so soon. The writing overall was excellent, the score very reminiscent of a lot of what you heard on *I Spy* or even *Peter Gunn*, and the rest of the production values were every bit as good as anything else that you would see on TV in the mid-sixties. It was much more plausible in every respect than the comparatively cheesy *It takes a Thief* with Robert Wagner, which lasted three seasons, and the terrific dialog and character development and relationships light-years better than the famed *Hawaii Five-O*, which ran for a total of 11 in prime time. I can't disagree enough with the reviewer who said that the only reason to see this show was to appreciate the blonde bombshell appeal of Anne Francis. He really ought to go back and look at it again as an adult over 40 or 50.

From that perspective, too, the relationship between Sam & Honey is readily understandable. Sam is a classic protective male who out of uneasiness or even acute anxiety finds him constantly yelling at Honey that she needs to do or not do something on a case because, at a minimum, it makes him worry about her, but she totally fails to appreciate this. Instead, after promising to heed his concerns, without a second thought she then promptly goes off does exactly the opposite of what he advised, just as she always intended, leaving Sam looking rather hapless and helpless. The results are mixed but often include Sam having to physically come to the rescue in the end. The writers caught this kind of real-life battle-of-the-sexes dynamic perfectly and if you don't appreciate it when you see it it probable that you have never experienced it yourself. While it is much more prosaic than the intriguingly ambiguous relationship between Mrs. Peel and Mr. Steed of *Avengers* notability, it is also that much more likely and realistic.

Add to this some cleverly conceived supporting characters (not the least Bruce the Ocelot, played by Himself) and the most perfect choice of a car for Honey, a 1965 AC Cobra (that car could be worth as much as 1.5 million dollars today, depending on which version it was) and you have about as stylish and entertaining a detective show as was ever on American TV.

If this program had any weaknesses that I could see, it was in the acting or direction. I felt that the lead actors performed outstandingly well in some scenes yet appeared to lack the range to do as well with some of the other scenes that had been written for them. While actors in this situation tend to get blamed for this kind of thing, it could easily have been the fault of directors who asked them for the wrong kind of performances in the wrong scenes.

Anyway, the user rating of 7.8 that is on here at the time I'm posting this is well-deserved, and I think it is most definitely a must-see for anyone who likes vintage crime/private-eye TV. Moreover, I am delighted to be able to add that it has been released on DVD!

People see something of The Avengers in this series and the connection is stronger than some may realize. As I've read it, Aaron Spelling had been to England and saw The Avengers with Patrick MacNee and Honor Blackman. I even think I know the episode he saw: Both the 1962 Avengers episode `Death of a Great Dane' and the 1964 Burke's Law episode `Who Killed the Richest Man in the World?' are about a reclusive billionaire who is actually dead but his staff is pretending he's alive to split up the profits from his empire. He was so impressed with Blackman that he offered her a job as the star of a private eye series he would create called `Honey West'. But she opted to do `Goldfinger' instead. Spelling wasn't willing to give up on the idea and searched for the actress who most reminded him of Blackman and decided it was Anne Francis. Honey West was then introduced on the Burke's Law episode `Who Killed the Jackpot?' in 1965. The series began the following fall but lasted only one year as it was on opposite the huge hit Gomer Pyle.

I don't think I ever watched a single episode of Gomer Pyle. I fell hard for Anne Francis, who I think was much better than the rather dower Blackman in The Avengers, (which I didn't see until A & E showed the earlier version of the series in 1990). If you rate Francis with the `Avenger Girls', the only one who really ranks with her is Diana Rigg, although I liked Linda Thorson as well. I think Francis and Rigg were easily the best actresses in those parts and brought both a dramatic weight and light comic touch to the characters and the show.

Looking at Honey West now, it doesn't seem like much of a show other than what Francis brings to it. John Ericson is a `he-man' who's only job is to argue with Honey whenever she tries to do anything dangerous. Quite a difference from Steed's genuine respect for the capabilities of Cathy Gale and Emma Peel. Irene Hervey as `Aunt Meg' adds nothing whatsoever to the show. The pet ocelot was more interesting. The fact that the show was only a half hour show also hurt: it came off as a cartoon rather than a dramatic adventure.

But a half hour with Anne Francis makes it worth it.

The sort of show that epitomised mid 60's Hollywood hip-great clothes and cars,fab music,graced with the presence of slim beautiful Anne Francis as the foxy sleuth.Okay the plots are elementary at best,and can veer towards silliness("Little green Robin Hood" anyone?),and the show is too darn short at half an hour to do real justice to itself.Also it's in black and white-but who cares-just watch Francis and John Ericson in action.Like the "Burke's Law" series-where Honey West first appeared on screen-there's quite a lot of wit in the writing(this show,like "Burke's Law",is from "4 star" television productions).And there's Bruce,Honey's amusingly roguish ocelot.Some interesting guest stars include Everett Sloane(in one of his final appearances),Edd Byrnes,Alan Reed(Fred Flinstone!)and Dick Clark!Special mention should be made of the brilliant montage of pictures accompanying the jazzy opening credits.

The good die young, the loveliest things are the most ephemeral, and the best TV shows are killed after a short run: Star Trek, Due South, The Powers that Be, and Honey West -- the briefest of the lot. I had already fallen for Anne Francis, from Forbidden Planet and The Satan Bug. But Honey West topped them and any other offering on TV or in movies. Honey was ultimately cool, ultimately hot, self-assured, poised, capable; she was superlative. But above all, she was smolderingly sexy. She made me think of a steel spring encased in ice-blue velvet. I think the ocelot only accentuated the sexual appeal of the woman, which needed no accentuation. She was the ultimate, and pheromones fairly poured out through the screen. Whether as Honey West or any other of her characters, Anne Francis was the sexiest woman who ever lived on this planet.

Is anyone aware that the man who worked on Special Effects for Honey West is the same man who did the Special Effects for the Star Trek series just a year later? The man's name was Jim Rugg. He was my Pops. He also worked on such shows as The Rifleman, Burkes Law, Broken Arrow, Mission Impossible, Cannon, Barnaby Jones and Hawaii Five-O. He worked on such movies as The Wizard of Oz, River of No Return, Bus Stop, The Day the Earth Stood Still, On the Riviera and Silent Running. Pops had a pyrotechnic license and he made a living blowing everything up from cars to boats to airplanes... you name it. He was most proud of the fact that in no show that he was in charge of did anyone ever get hurt. My Dad is gone now but he was the best in the business... just ask anyone who ever worked with him.