Cannon: Season One, Vol. 1 - Dark Publications

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Product Description
Studio: Paramount Home Video Release Date: 07/08/2008 Rating: Nr

Amazon.com
William Conrad became television's first plus-sized detective in this Quinn Martin production that ran for six seasons. His girth makes him the butt of snide comments. In the episode, "Salinas Jackpot," a good 'ol boy invites Cannon to shoot a game of pool. Referring to The Hustler, he says, "Ever since I seen that movie, I've always wanted to take on a champion fat man." In the pilot episode, a little boy bluntly asks him, "How'd you get that fat?" But the balding, pipe-smoking Cannon has a style all his own (check out his boating shorts in the episode, "A Lonely Place to Die."). Fleeing miscreants may be just as surprised as viewers at just how fleet he is on his feet in a chase. The pilot episode fleshes out Cannon's backstory: He is a former Los Angeles cop-turned-private insurance investigator. He is introduced in his swank apartment (that comes complete with personal firing range), but the rest of the episodes find him in outlying locations that are at odds with his bon vivant lifestyle. Though expensive and "the best," he does handle desperate personal cases, as in the pilot episode, in which his investigation of a Korean War buddy's death leads him to "a town that reeks of bad money." Cannon is nothing but intuitive. He tracks down the bar from which a threatening phone call was made by noting the sound of a phone booth ceiling fan's faulty bearing. His imposing size, gruff manner, and blunt talk do not win him many friends. "Go back where you came from" is a representative greeting from those who don't want to be bothered by "the fella with all the questions." Among the most compelling episodes include "Death Chain," in which a married man turns to Cannon when his mistress is murdered, and "Stone Cold Dead," in which he defends a Viet Nam veteran falsely accused of murder. Cannon has no sidekick or office staff to banter with, but Conrad deftly carries the show on his hefty shoulders. Guest stars of note include Vera Miles, Earl Holliman, Keenan Wynn, and John "Tigger" Fiedler in the pilot, Tom Skerritt as a killer disguised as a rodeo clown in "Jackpot," and a pre-Star Wars Mark Hamill as a farm boy in "Country Blues." While Cannon may not rank in the pantheon of TV detectives, it's good to have him back pounding the beat on DVD. --Donald Liebenson

Customer Reviews: Read 15 more reviews...

5 out of 5 stars

Very BIG Entertainment!!!!! March 22, 2008
31 out of 38 found this review helpful

Finally, "Cannon," the Classic TV private eye series that premiered in 1971 is making its debut on DVD, with a four-disc boxed set collecting the first half of the show's Season 1 episodes.

Its star, William Conrad made a very big presence as Private Investigator Frank Cannon, well beyond the veteran actor's trademark girth. His deep, resonant baritone voice, and his remarkable acting demanded viewer's attention throughout the series' five-year run - and it still does today.

Cannon was a tough L.A. sleuth with very refined tastes. But, what could have been a forgettable series became an instant Classic when the versatile Conrad portrayed the character with depth and feeling. Cannon cared about his clients and it showed, so viewers cared about him.

Since Cannon's size didn't allow for many fist-fights and gun battles, which were the staple of the TV landscape of the day (and sadly still is), the series substituted car chases and high quality and innovative production values in their place.

Cannon had once been a police officer, but was discharged from the force for being overweight. After the murder of his wife and son, Cannon tracked down the killer and confronted him in a tearful and angry scene that still resonates. That loss and a deep understanding for the need for real justice, prompts Cannon to launch his successful career as a private investigator.

Cannon charged high fees to his well-to-do clients so that he could work for poorer clients at little or no charge. He also indulges his high-priced lifestyle, which includes a penthouse on the Sunset Strip, gourmet culinary delights and cooking, expensive wine, and regular maintenance on his Lincoln Mark IV, which was frequently damaged as a result of his cases.

"Cannon" was a staple of producer Quinn Martin's popular detective shows. It was nominated for a Best Drama Emmy in 1973, and Conrad was nominated for Best Dramatic Actor in 1973 and 1974. In 1980, Conrad reprised his role in a TV-movie, portraying Cannon coming out of retirement to investigate a friend's reported suicide.

The CBS series featured many of Quinn Martin's well-known stylistic innovations. "Cannon" marked the first time a QM series aired on a network other than ABC. Also for the first time, producers made a bold decision in 1973 to try to spread the established viewership popularity of "Cannon" to another QM show. They had Conrad's character "cross over" and appear routinely on the fledgling investigative series, "Barnaby Jones," which starred Buddy "Beverly Hillbillies" Ebsen, which was a QM series that began in 1973 and ran concurrently with "Cannon" on CBS.

For his part, Conrad was a star long before "Cannon." He created the role of Marshal Matt Dillon on the original radio version of the Classic western "Gunsmoke" in the 1950's. After "Cannon," Conrad starred in "Jake and the Fatman," and was "Nero Wolfe," as well as narrating numeroust TV shows like Tales of the Unexpected, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, and Manimal.

But, "Cannon" is considered by many to be the greatest achievement of Conrad's distinguished career, having created a character at once genial, witty, erudite, cultured and astute - but tough-as-nails.

Guest stars in "Cannon's" first season include: Tom Skerritt, Wayne Rogers, Mark Hamill, Joan Van Ark, Tim O'Connor, Vic Tayback, Kim Hunter, Dack Rambo and the late-great Roy Scheider.

Season 1 of "Cannon" had 24 episodes, including the two-part pilot. This four-disc DVD boxed set represents the first-half of the those episodes. Expected episodes are: Pilots Part I & II; Salinas Jackpot; Death Chain; Call Unicorn; Country Blues; Scream of Silence; Fool's Gold; and The Girl in the Electric Coffin; Dead Pigeon; A Lonely Place to Die; No Pockets in a Shroud; Stone Cold Dead; and Death is a Double Cross.

Season 1 Vol. 2, yet to be announced for preorder, is expected to collect the remainder of the first season episodes: The Nowhere Man; Flight Plan; Devi''s Playground; Treasure of San Ignacio; Blood On the Vine; To Kill a Guinea Pig; The Island Caper; A Deadly Quiet Town; A Flight of Hawks; The Torch; Cain's Mark; and Murder By Moonlight.

(Special Note: After the cancellation of Cannon, Conrad starred in "Jake and the Fatman." Conrad was Jason L. "Fatman" McCabe, DA, and Joe Penny, who portrayed Jake Styles, and Alan Campbell who played Derek Mitchell, two Private Investigator who teamed up with McCabe to get the bad guys first in L.A., then later in Hawaii. The series ran from 1987 to 1992.

CBS DVD and Paramount Home Entertainment have scheduled "Cannon - Season 1, Vol. 1," and "Jake and the Fatman - Season 1, Vol. 1," for DVD release on the same day.)

Cannon: Season One V.1 (4pc) (Full Sen)

Jake & The Fatman: Season One V.1 (3pc) (Full)

3 out of 5 stars

cannon July 12, 2008
12 out of 14 found this review helpful

I just can't give more then 3 stars. Not because this is a great series..but because Paramount continues to offer sloppy looking copies. This looks like something copied off TV in VHS and then transfered to DVD. Now I know that is not the case but just pointing out the over all quality of the set. Colors shift on some episodes and the picture quality is soft. I buy hundreds of DVD each year and many of the TV series. But this is truly the poorest quality I have seen so far. I know, Paramount will come back and say that this is because it is an old show, etc etc etc. But that is bull. Why Paramount couldn't have remastered the set before transfer is beyond me. They could have cleaned this set and offered the kind of quality I get from Universal, Disney, etc. Final statement - A great TV series that deserves better quality. Shame on you Paramount as you continue to blunder ahead.

5 out of 5 stars

Conrad's Urbane, Gourmet Private Detective Comes To DVD March 28, 2008
10 out of 15 found this review helpful

William Conrad had been around for quite some time before he became best known for being private eye Frank Cannon in the Quinn Martin television series, "Cannon." He had been an actor, producer, and director for movies and television shows, and was best known for three programs that used his voice only - being the voice of Matt Dillon on the radio version of "Gunsmoke," the narrator of the classic cartoon series "The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle," and the narrator of another Quinn Martin series, "The Fugitive."

When Martin looked for someone to play an overweight, but very capable private eye in Cannon, he could have picked a better actor than Conrad. Even though he was best known for his vocal talents, Conrad made Cannon a flesh and blood character - charming, humorous, compassionate, and on occasion, violent. For once, Conrad had a chance to show as much talent on camera as he had off camera. And with Martin's penchant for creating solid detective dramas, Cannon became a very popular series.

Conrad would have other notable gigs after Cannon, the emcee of CBS' Thanksgiving Day festivities, the DA in "Jake and the Fatman," and for too brief a time, "Nero Wolfe," but he will always be remembered at the portly detective who drove a Mark IV, had a car phone (very rare at the time), and who knew as much about cooking as he did the law.

5 out of 5 stars

Good Viewing April 23, 2008
8 out of 12 found this review helpful

The 120 hour-long episodes of the detective drama "Cannon" were originally broadcast on CBS from 1971-1976. There was also a two-hour pilot, which premiered on March 26, 1971 and a two-hour sequel broadcast on November 1, 1980. This DVD set includes on the first twelve regular episodes of the first season (no pilot). The episode titles, original broadcast dates, and notable guest stars are detailed below.

"Cannon" was probably the least pompous of the original entries in television's anti-establishment police/private-eye subgenre; setting the stage for "Harry-O" and "The Rockford Files". Rotund actor William Conrad played the title character; dubbed "Cannonball" in Mad Magazine's satire of the series. After years as the voiceover narrator of "The Fugitive" and "Rocky and Bullwinkle", Conrad finally was allowed to be on-screen and is said to have incorporated a lot of his own quirky characteristics into the Frank Cannon character.

Frank is a detective who only takes a case when he feels like it or his pressed for cash to maintain his expensive epicurean lifestyle (i.e. adventures in eating). Most of the action in the series is in the form of car chases; there is some fighting but almost no running. Lacking a handsome co-star "Cannon's" producers were obviously ceding most potential female viewers to the other networks during this time slot; which is generally a good thing for those in the target demographic as there are no compromises to expand the audience.

"Cannon" was a quality Quinn Martin production with logical situations, good suspense, and fast pacing.

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

Episode 1 (14 Sept 71) "Salinas Jackpot" - Tom Skeritt, Sharon Acker; Episode 2 (21 Sept 71) "Death Chain" Episode 3 (28 Sept 71) "Call Unicorn" - Wayne Rogers; Episode 4 (5 Oct 71) "Country Blues - Clu Gulager, David Huddleston, Joan Van Ark; Episode 5 (12 Oct 71) "Scream of Silence"; Episode 6 (19 Oct 71) "Fool's Gold," L.Q. Jones; Episode 7 26 Oct 71) "Girl In the Electric Coffin" Kim Hunter; Episode 8 (9 Nov 71) "Dead Pigeon"; Episode 9 16 Nov 71) "Lonely Place to Die"; Episode 10 (23 Nov 71) "No Pockets in the Shroud," Roy Scheider, Linda Marsh; Episode 11 (30 Jan 72) "Stone, Cold Dead," Richard Anderson;
Episode 12 (7 Dec 71) "Death is a Double Cross"

4 out of 5 stars

Cannon-The Gourmet P.I. April 3, 2008
7 out of 12 found this review helpful

"Cannon" was one of the staple "gimmick" detective shows of the 1970's.
Cannon was overweight (and he used this fact on numerous occasions to escape from the bad guys), Columbo was dishevelled and drove a clunker car, Barnaby Jones was old and would order milk in a bar, Kojak was bald and sucked lollipops and McCloud was a cowboy in New York. Cannon was a Quinn Martin production and, in general, QM shows were not of the caliber of shows by those such as Bruce Geller, and Levenson & Link (Mannix, Mission: Impossible and Columbo) but Cannon was the exception. The show had top writers and its first season Associate Producer was Paul Playdon who, as a writer, wrote some of the finest episodes of Combat, Mission: Impossible and others, so a lot of hard work and talent went into this series as well. On top of it all, there was William Conrad's fine acting, making Cannon a character one can identify with.

My only complaint is that they are breaking up the first season into two separate packages whereas all the other shows of that era (which usually had something like 24 episodes per season unlike the early 1960's when it was over 30) have included entire seasons in one package.

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