77 Sunset Strip is an hour-length American television private detective series created by Roy Huggins and starring Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., Roger Smith, and Edd Byrnes.

The show was the subject of an ownership battle between Roy Huggins and Warner Brothers, which was the proximate cause of Huggins' departure from the studio. It was actually based on novels and short stories written by Huggins prior to his arrival at Warner, but, as a matter of legal record, derived from a brief Caribbean theatrical release of its pilot, Girl on the Run. The show ran from 1958 to 1964 and won the 1960 Golden Globe Award for best TV series.

Description

The series revolved around two Los Angeles detectives, both former government secret agents: Stuart ("Stu") Bailey (Efrem Zimbalist Jr., playing a character that Huggins had created in his 1946 novel The Double Take, which he later adapted into the 1948 movie I Love Trouble, starring Franchot Tone in the role), and Jeff Spencer (Roger Smith). Spencer was also a former government agent, and a non-practicing attorney. They worked out of swank digs at 77 Sunset Strip, between La Cienega Boulevard and Alta Loma Road on the south side of the Strip next door to Dean Martin's real-life lounge, Dino's. Suzanne, the beautiful French switchboard operator played by Jacqueline Beer, handled the phones.

Hanging around for comic relief were Roscoe the racetrack tout played by Louis Quinn, and the rock and roll-loving, wisecracking, hair-combing, hipster, P.I. wanna-be, valet parking attendant next door, Gerald Lloyd Kookson III ("Kookie"), played by Edd Byrnes. Comb sales soared. So much for Huggins' hopes for a straight P.I. series. Hard-boiled drama was out, replaced by self-deprecating humor. Many of the episodes were named "capers". The catchy theme song, written by the accomplished team of Mack David and Jerry Livingston, typified the show's breezy, jazzed atmosphere. The song became the centerpiece of an of the show's music in Warren Barker-led orchestrations, which was released in 1959, a top ten hit in the Billboard LP charts (mono and stereo).

The Edd Byrnes character Kookie became a cultural phenomenon, with his slang expressions such as "ginchy" and "piling up Zs" (sleeping). When Kookie helped the detectives on a case by singing a song, Edd Byrnes began a singing career with "Kookie, Kookie, Lend Me Your Comb" (based on his frequent combing of his hair). When his demands for more money were not met, Byrnes left the show, but he came back as a full-fledged partner in the detective firm in May 1960; in 1961, Robert Logan became the new parking lot attendant, J.R. Hale, who usually spoke in abbreviations. In 1960, Richard Long moved from the recently canceled detective series Bourbon Street Beat with his role of Rex Randolph, but he left the program in 1962.

The show's popularity was such that rising young actors clamored for a guest spot. Up-and-comers who made guest appearances included William Shatner, Mary Tyler Moore, Shirley MacLaine look-alike , Robert Conrad, Dyan Cannon, Janet De Gore, Jay North, Connie Stevens, Adam West, Tuesday Weld, Marlo Thomas, Max Baer, Jr., Elizabeth Montgomery, Karen Steele, DeForest Kelley, Susan Oliver, Peter Breck, Roger Moore, Donna Douglas, Troy Donahue, Ellen Burstyn, Chad Everett, Gena Rowlands, and Diane Ladd. Even established film and TV actors plus older stars guested as well, including Fay Wray, Francis X. Bushman, Liliane Montevecchi, Keenan Wynn, Ida Lupino, Rolfe Sedan, Jim Backus, Billie Burke, Buddy Ebsen, George Jessel, Peter Lorre, Burgess Meredith, Nick Adams, and Roy Roberts, amongst others. The show was so "cool" that even sports stars such as Sandy Koufax had a guest roles in individual episodes.

In 1963, as the show's popularity waned, the entire cast except for Zimbalist was let go. Jack Webb was brought in as executive producer and William Conrad as director. The character of Stuart Bailey became a solo private investigator. The show was canceled halfway through its sixth season in February 1964, although reruns from earlier years were shown until the summer.

Spinoffs and legacy

The success of 77 Sunset Strip led to the creation of several other detective shows in exotic locales, all produced by the Warner Brothers studio which created "Strip" — Bourbon Street Beat in New Orleans, Hawaiian Eye in Hawaii, and Surfside 6 in Miami. The casts (not to mention the scripts) of the various shows sometimes crossed to the other programs, which was logistically easy since they were all actually shot in Hollywood on the Warner Bros. lot.

Currently, there is only a mere engraving in the sidewalk commemorating 77 Sunset Strip between La Cienega & Alta Loma Road and the area is slated for re-development as part of "" Project. In a twist of fate, the opposition to the redevelopment of the area is known as "Save Our Strip" or "SOS" and is spear-headed by former 77 Sunset Strip semi-regular . There is no number 77 on the Strip, as all Sunset Boulevard addresses in the area have four digits.

Episodes of the television series can be seen in reruns, courtesy of syndication packages offered through Warner Bros. Studios. A total of 43 episodes have been (at one time) removed from syndication for various legal reasons. All but 13 can now be seen in reruns.

A shot from the show appears briefly in Oliver Stone's Natural Born Killers when, in the beginning of the film, the waitress Mable is flipping through television stations.

Episode list