Author Archives: Ralph

Casting

FILMED APRIL 2013 Serendipity: the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way; a “happy accident” or “pleasant surprise”; specifically, the accident of finding something good or useful while not specifically searching for it. Why … Continue reading

Posted in The Right Regrets | 22 Comments

Jeremiah Of Jacob’s Neck

FILMED March 1976 One of my most pleasant memories is the production of JEREMIAH OF JACOB’S NECK, a one-hour pilot I directed for Edgar J. Scherick Productions. It was another in my string of family shows, this one with fewer … Continue reading

Posted in Jeremiah Of Jacob's Neck | 13 Comments

Part II

FILMED August 1974 I never met Jack Sowards, the author of DEATH CRUISE, so I didn’t have the opportunity to ask him if Agatha Christie’s TEN LITTLE INDIANS had been the inspiration for his screenplay. Christie’s work originally was a … Continue reading

Posted in Death Cruise | 20 Comments

Part I

FILMED August 1974 From its very beginning television had a voracious appetite for product. For just the evening prime time airing hours of 8:00pm to 11:00pm (an hour earlier in the central part of the country) each of the three … Continue reading

Posted in Death Cruise | 13 Comments

They’re Either Too Young Or Too Old

FILMED  November 1969 In November I reported back to MGM to prep the first of a four-picture commitment for THE COURTSHIP OF EDDIE’S FATHER, this one a romantic comedy. The romantic triangle had been a staple of cinema for eons. … Continue reading

Posted in The Courtship of Eddie's Father | 1 Comment

Gentleman Friend

FILMED July 1969 The third and last of my contracted commitments on THE COURTSHIP OF EDDIE’S FATHER in the summer of 1969 was again a change in the tone of the script, but also changes in the visual presentation. Mrs. … Continue reading

Posted in The Courtship of Eddie's Father | 11 Comments

The Promise

FILMED  December 1969 Last night the following message was left on my Facebook home page: hi ralph!!! this is so amazing. so good to find you. you know, 19 years ago tomorrow, we lost bill. the timing of finding you … Continue reading

Posted in The Courtship of Eddie's Father | 4 Comments

To Denise, With Love And Murder

FILMED March 1973 Because BARNABY JONES had been a midseason replacement, it was still filming in the spring during what had become the television industry’s hiatus. That turned out to be a plus for me. Since QM Productions had completed … Continue reading

Posted in Barnaby Jones | 19 Comments

The Murdering Class

FILMED January 1973 As I wended my way back into hour-long shows after the debacle of THE THOLIAN WEB, my major employment was in shows of crime, and I think that was because crime shows had become the programs of … Continue reading

Posted in Barnaby Jones | 27 Comments

The Game Of Terror

FILMED August 1971 THE GAME OF TERROR was another first for me. Most of my bookings had been for series in their first or second season. There was an attrition that normally set into long-running series that made me want … Continue reading

Posted in The FBI | 7 Comments