Some of my readers must be wondering why I’ve written three straight short posts concerning Hollywood’s older days. Don’t I know about the coming digital ID and currency, and the rest of the whole dangerous mess our world is facing? Am I playing a fiddle while Rome burns?
Frankly, I’m amazed at how many alt-media websites, substacks, and podcasts have sprung up in recent years. Social media is constantly directing me to names and voices I’ve never heard of before. Quite a contrast to 2001; I was posting articles for Joseph Farah’s WorldNetDaily—back then, it was one of the few online alternatives to mainstream media.
I’ve addressed the dangers of digital ID and currency in the past, as in my 2020 book COVID-19 and the Agendas to Come, Red-Pilled. And while I plan to do so again, there’s no shortage of writers and podcasters sounding the alarm.
The Charlie Kirk assassination sparked so much analysis that I saw no need to add my voice. After posting a heavy-duty article on the 9/11 planes, I’m taking a break—as is my norm—from the serious to the more easygoing, while walking down a few side alleys that no other writer is apt to cover. My next article will return to graver issues.
Last week I wrote a short post called “Discovering a Forgotten Gem from the Final Year of the ‘Golden Age of Television,’” about the 1962-63 TV series Stoney Burke. I like going back in time: not only for perspective on the transition in entertainment, but on the transition of America herself.
If Stoney Burke was gold, I’d call the series I describe today as at least silver: the 1957-58 drama Decoy, starring Beverly Garland as a New York City policewoman. It’s called Decoy because she frequently works undercover to investigate a crime.
It’s rated 7.6 on IMDB—a score that fewer than 10 percent of all IMDB content reach—and 4.5 out of 5 stars on Amazon. One reason the show is forgotten: it wasn’t produced by the TV networks, but was syndicated—created independently, then sold to individual TV stations.
However, Decoy had a lot going for it. While more than 90 percent of 1950s TV shows were made on studio lots, Decoy was shot entirely in New York City, and really captured the city’s atmosphere of that time. Each episode opens with this dedication: “Presented as a tribute to the BUREAU OF POLICEWOMEN, Police Department, City of New York.” The closing credits include: “technical advisor, Margaret Leonard, Detective 1st grade—Ret., New York City Police Department.” Though obviously heavily fictionalized for entertainment’s sake, the stories told were reputedly inspired by actual cases. Even if we take that with a grain of salt, the show had a gritty authenticity.
Decoy was also a landmark: the first TV drama series featuring a woman as the lead character. Beverly Garland, who continued acting for more than 40 years after Decoy, played her part well, assuming a variety of personas when she went undercover. Each episode had a trademark ending: Garland, usually after taking some pensive steps, would face the camera and make a few reflective remarks about the case. This reminds me a little of Highway Patrol, which always closed with Broderick Crawford giving pithy advice about safe driving.
Some (not all) Decoy episodes are now in the public domain. I’m going to embed two public-domain episodes here that touched me: episodes 32 and 33 (no masonic inference intended), “Fiesta at Midnight” and “The Lieutenant Had a Son.” I know older TV is too slow for many young people, but I hope a few of my readers will enjoy these. Just click and play. Full screen, of course, is an option.
The full season of Decoy can be seen in a playlist at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0ak94pp8gYauP19IjbuGTsyXv7f9aPf0.
People who enjoyed this post may also like the following related ones:
The Real Reason There Was a “Golden Age of Television”
Forgotten Classic Movies You Can Watch for Free
