SEASON ONE | PART TWO
16 EPISODES ON 4 EXTENDED DISCS

       

HAWAIIAN EYE
Season One | Part Two (16 Episodes on 4 Extended Discs)
Warner Bros Television series (1959-1963) 134 episodes throughout four seasons

directors: Jesse Hibbs · Andre de Toth · Charles F. Haas · Robert B. Sinclair
Everett Sloane · Mark Sandrich Jr · William J. Hole · Alvin Ganzer

starring Anthony Eisley · Robert Conrad · Connie Stevens · Poncie Ponce · Arthur Lyman
guest stars Troy Donahue · Mary Tyler Moore · George Takei · Julie Adams · Ray Danton · Fay Wray · Shirley Knight

       

In the original days of network television, a season would routinely consist of 33 to 40 episodes (not the 8 or 10 today). This special box-set includes the 16 episodes of Season One | Part Two [on 4 extended discs]. HAWAIIAN EYE was inspired by the immediate success of 77 SUNSET STRIP, put together by the same production team for debut in September of 1959. The structure of EYE was conceptually similar to 77. Two tough-guy detectives, Tom Lopaka (Robert Conrad) and Tracy Steele (Anthony Eisley), are partners in a chic private eye agency in Honolulu that specializes in investigation, surveillance. and protection. Depending on he case, they are sometimes assisted by nightclub singer Cricket Blake (Connie Stevens) and Taxi driver Kim (Poncie Ponce).

Besides the on-screen chemistry among the leading actors and the impressive guest stars, the series also benefits from a fine team of writers, the authentic Hawaiian music of Arthur Lyman, and an impressive group of directors from Jesse Hibbs to Howard W. Koch.

       

Robert Conrad would continue his success with the television series "Wild Wild West" (1965-69) and "Black Sheep Squadron" (1976-78). He died from a heart attack, February 2020.

Anthony Eisley left Hawaiian Eye after 96 episodes to star in Sam Fuller's NAKED KISS (1963), followed by Elvis Presley's FRANKIE AND JOHNNY (1965), a couple episodes of Perry Mason and the Mamie Van Doren monster movie NAVY VS THE NIGHT MONSTER in (1966). After a couple decades of television work (in S.W.A.T, Ironside,Streets of San Francisco, General Hospital, etc) he returned to the big screen with MONSTROID (1980) and DEEP SPACE (1988). Anthony Eisley passed away from heart failure at age 75.

Connie Stevens had a #1 hit song with Sixteen Reasons in 1957. A year later, she did the duet with Edd Byrnes for Kookie, Kookie, Lend Me Your Comb. During the HAWAIIAN EYE shoot, Connie Stevens starred in two Warner Bros hit movies PARRISH and SUSAN SLADE with Troy Donahue. She followed EYE with Wendy and Me [a two season sit-com starring George Burns], a marriage to Eddie Fisher that lasted 16 months, ending in the summer of 1969. She starred in the Made-For-TV movie SEX SYMBOL (1974) which was released to theaters uncut [internationally] with controversial nude scenes. Connie Stevens founded an uber-popular cosmetics line called Forever Spring in 1986 which makes her life comfortable today.

    

Notes on the directors for Season One | Part 2:

Jesse Hibbs (episodes #18, #25, and #27) was an award-winning director for the Audrey Murphy motion picture FROM HELL AND BACK (1955); he followed with many hit TV series including The Fugitive, Rat Patrol and Perry Mason.

Andre de Toth (#21) was probably best known for the 3-D genre film HOUSE OF WAX. He also won an Oscar in 1959 for DAY OF THE OUTLAW.

Charles F. Haas (episode #19, #20 and #32) directed the grindhouse hits FRANKENSTEIN 70 and UNTAMED YOUTH. He was best known for helming the popular Untouchables TV series.

Episode #28 was directed by William J. Hole Jr. He made the 1959 drive-in hit THE GHOST OF DRAGSTRIP HOLLOW and, later, produced/directed most episodes of TV's Peyton Place (1966/69).

Robert B. Sinclair (episodes #29 and #31) was best remembered as a television director for Lee Marvin's M Squad, Richard Diamond Private Detective, Lawman, and numerous episodes of 77 Sunset Strip.

Episode #23 was helmed by prolific actor Everett Sloane, originally part of Orson Welles' Mercury Theatre (1938) and star of 100+ movies including CITIZEN CANE (1941) and THE BIG KNIFE (1955).

Alvin Ganzer (Episodes #30 and #33) was a major TV director, responsible for numerous episodes of Twilight Zone, Route 66, Man from UNCLE and Gunsmoke.

     

Here is a list of the 16 'hour' episodes:

18 SWORD OF THE SAMURAI (2/3/60)
with guest star George Takei

19 HONG KONG PASSAGE (2/10/60)
with guest star Whit Bissell

20 CUT OF ICE (2/17/60)

21 FATAL CRUISE (2/24/60)
with guest star Shirley Knight

22 DANGER ON CREDIT (3/2/60)

23 BEQUEST OF ARTHUR GOODWIN (3/9/60)
with guest star Fay Wray

24 BIRTHDAY BOY (3/16/60)
with guest star Troy Donahue and Fay Spain

25 SECOND FIDDLE (3/23/60)
with guest star Myrna Fahey and Paul Burke)

      

26 KIM QUIXOTE (3/30/60)

27 THE LADY'S NOT FOR TRAVELING (4/6/60)

28 MURDER, ANYONE (4/13/60)
with guest star Julie Adams and Ray Danton

29 TYPHOON (4/27/60)
with guest star Mary Tyler Moore

30 SHADOW OF THE BLADE (5/4/60)

31 DEAD RINGER (5/11/60)

32 LITTLE BLALAH (5/18/60)
with guest star Wendell Holmes

33 ASSIGNMENT: MANILA (5/25/60)

      

16 Episodes (Season One | Part 2) of a 1959/60 television series on four extended discs; in English language
total 850 minutes), encoded for ALL REGIONS NTSC, playable on any American machine;
original Black and White format

     

The images on this page are actual screen-shots from this 4 disc package