Checkmate

I was three years old, and I watched this show a lot..what seems to have made an impression, from what I remember, was the opening credits, on a background that looked like a Jackson Pollock painting..of course, I had no idea who Jackson Pollock was, or what the word "Checkmate" meant...its fascinating that 1. this show starred Sebastian Cabot..who later played the Butler, Mr. French in the inane, A Family Affair and 2. It was created by Eric Ambler.. Why hasn't it been re-run? I must say, however, that I just remembered another reason it was so unique..it featured one of the few TV guest appearances by Charles Laughton. In fact, it may have have been his last bit of acting, anywhere. It was called "Wind From the East",and it starred Laughton as a Chinese master-spy, a sort of cross between Fu Manchu and Wo Fat..

I loved this series, and I do not like television series in general. The cast was perfect: Corey as tough, worldly-wise chief of "Checkmate" and mentor to partner Doug McClure, who here was able to get away from the grinning, pretty-boy roles that would dog his career, playing the younger detective with (for him) a subdued grittiness. And then there was Sebastian Cabot--vested suits, walking stick, sparkling eyes, he stole every scene he was in. The writing was excellent, and yes, the opening was way ahead of its time. An all-around classy show with terrific guest stars...naturally it is not available on VHS or DVD. Another reason that even at that age I was in agreement with Newton Minnow's description of television programming as a "vast wasteland." And the waste is the stuff that makes it to TVland and DVD. Which would be fine if shows like "Checkmate" were not lost forever.

How funny - all of us baby boomers have memories of particular episodes.

"Checkmate" was a detective-type show starring Sebastian Cabot, Doug McClure, and Anthony George. Sadly, all these actors are gone now. The series was based in San Francisco. The firm was established to stop crime before it happened. Each episode would focus on a particular cast member, but the others would appear in the episode as well. The firm was owned by Don Corey (George) and he worked with an associate, Jed Sills (Doug McClure) and a university criminologist (Cabot). So you had a hunk for the teens in McClure, a familiar face in Cabot, who had been in movies from 1946 and later in television, and someone interesting to women over 18 (George). Cabot had not yet played Mr. French in "Family Affair." The creator of the series was the wonderful Eric Ambler.

This was a very classy show that had many guest stars from the world of film. I recently saw two episodes, one starring Claire Bloom and the other starring Jeffrey Hunter as a psycho. Episodes and DVDs of the whole series occasionally show up on ebay, so it's worth checking.

Personal memories - Tony George, during his years on "One Life to Live," used to live in my friend's building. He was a very slight man, though he doesn't look it on screen. When working on the Audrey Hepburn book, my research partner interviewed Doug McClure, and I actually transcribed the tape. He said that he had just been to the doctor and gotten a clean bill of health for his lung cancer. He died very shortly afterward, and I remember the man who interviewed him being very upset. When Jeremy Brett died shortly after I interviewed him, I received a card from my research partner that said, "Welcome to the black widow's club." Now, here's the episode I remember - it was with Anne Baxter and had something to do with a horse.

These really should be released on an official DVD.

I remember Checkmate. It had great style, action, plots & characters. I never knew it was created by Eric Ambler, the author of A Coffin For Dimitrios.

I had just moved to San Francisco in 1960 & it was a very exciting place to be - the fog, the cable cars, the bridges, Alcatraz & Chinatown. They all appeared in episodes of Checkmate. I recall the series was saturated with a sense of the city.

It would be great to see some of those old episodes again. They might seem corny now, but I'd like to see that great gray city by the bay again the way it was way back then.

I remember Checkmate from when I was four years old, oddly. I have a few other memories from that age but the swirling colors in the opening, even in black and white, stuck with me and somehow I enjoyed the show even at that age, though I'd have understood little behind the stories.

As an adult, I years ago bought the DVD set. I haven't watched it all by a long shot. To be truthful the episodes are a bit dated by now and not all of their plot points really hold together that well. A lot of things happened because it was 'convenient' for the writers, rather than a plot point making good sense.

Still, the episodes are enjoyable and a window into the world of the early 60s. If you have a hankering for this type of classic show, 77 Sunset Strip is head and shoulder better than Checkmate, but I've seen most of 77 Sunset Strip twice. LOL I'd say the story quality of Checkmate is more in line with Hawaiin Eye.

This show was made when networks bought almost twice as many episodes as they have for many years. You can still pick the DVD set up for just more than 50 cents an episode. That's a good value.