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The series tried to show an accurate depiction of police work. Detective King and his assistants sometimes missed clues, or failed to arrest suspects in a timely manner, but the audience appreciated that the characters were depicted as being fallible. Roscoe Karnes had met a few detectives, and tried
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The series blended dramatic police investigation with humorous banter between Rocky and his wife Mabel; banter which often pertained to their son, Junior. Mabel said foolish things, and nagged her husband, but it was shown that the couple cared for each other. Each episode ended with Rocky calling
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on
Sundays at 9pm ET for most of its run. The series ran for six seasons, from January 7, 1950, to December 26, 1954. From January 7, 1950, to July 22, 1950, the series was broadcast on Saturdays at 8:30pm ET, and from September 8, 1950, to March 9, 1951, it was broadcast on Fridays at 9:30pm ET,
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As an economy measure Carney was heard, but never seen, as the wife of
Detective King. DuMont always suffered from limited funds, and in an early episode Carney was asked to play both the detective’s wife and a woman connected to the crime being investigated. Since the thirty-minute series was
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to change in the men’s restroom. In 1953 it was shown on 45 stations and, after moving production to DuMont’s new Tele-Center, Karns obtained his own dressing room. The series became one of DuMont’s most popular shows, lasting nearly to the end of DuMont’s operations.
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broadcast live there wasn’t time for Carney to change her clothing and make-up, so she spoke her Mabel lines offscreen. The audience enjoyed the novelty of a character that was never seen, and so Carney continued to speak her lines out of camera range.
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Gossip columnist Art
Paulson is blackmailing actress Nora Wade. On opening night of Nora’s new play Art is shot in her dressing room. Detective Lane solves the crime while Detective King is away.
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A man will be electrocuted at midnight for the murder of his wife’s psychiatrist. Hours before the execution
Detective King receives a phone call from a man who claims to be the real murderer.
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A famous chemist is murdered and his secretary, his assistant, and a visitor all have secrets they want to keep hidden. A police chemist believes a powder may help solve the crime.
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Magician Lionel the Great is poisoned in an actor’s boarding house. His room is ransacked, but his cash-filled wallet is left untouched. Detective King's son may be working for a
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his wife to say he would soon be home, then he looked at the camera and remarked “Wonderful girl, that Mabel.” Roscoe Karns wrote much of the dialogue between Rocky and Mabel.
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An author of mystery stories attends a party at his publisher’s house, and vows to tell how he became successful. Later that night he is murdered.
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A hospital patient, who is searching for his estranged wife, dies of poisoning. His nurse declares the man’s traveling bag was filled with money.
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A millionaire recluse never leaves his mansion, but his body is discovered on the highway, an apparent victim of a hit and run accident.
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DVD. Several episodes are available for online viewing. Below is information about the most readily accessible episodes.
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Vincent
Terrace, Television Introductions: Narrated TV Program Openings Since 1949, page 119, Scarecrow Press, 2013
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When the series began in 1950 it was seen on nine DuMont stations, and budget limitations forced its star,
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portrayed King's partner, Detective Sgt. Lane. During the final two seasons, Karns' real life son
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The Actor
Hollywood Forgot: Roscoe Karns Has Outlasted All Other TV Detectives,
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The
Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946 – Present
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portrayed King's partner
Detective Hart. Rounding out the cast was
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The
Forgotten Network, DuMont and the Birth of American Television
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A cemetery watchman finds a murdered man in a family mausoleum.
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to model his role after them. He stated “The cops I’ve met like
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List of programs broadcast by the DuMont
Television Network
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In 2006 Alpha Home Entertainment released a four-episode
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List of surviving DuMont Television Network broadcasts
645:(Seventh Edition), Ballantine Books, 1999, page 866.
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799:American live television series
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641:Tim Brooks and Earle Marsh,
741:episode "Murder PhD" (1953)
493:Cy Charmak and Fran Carroll
397:28 September 1952
276:copies are archived at the
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698:UCLA Rocky King archive
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386:"One Minute For Murder"
138:Stark-Layton Production
496:7 March 1954
419:"Death Has Dark Hands"
327:13 July 1952
546:plays Frank Garrison.
529:23 May 1954
714:Rocky King Detective
285:Rocky King Detective
270:Rocky King Detective
186:Rocky King Detective
23:Rocky King Detective
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617:(Sundays at 9pm ET)
611:(Sundays at 9pm ET)
605:(Sundays at 9pm ET)
485:"Murder In Advance"
563:Phillip S. Goodman
518:"Return For Death"
353:"The Hermit’s Cat"
310:Original air date
135:Production company
684:David Weinstein,
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555:"In the Bag"
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272:episodes 38
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234:Earl Hammond
230:Roscoe Karns
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394:Carl Abrams
361:Carl Abrams
324:Carl Abrams
307:Written by
201:crime drama
61:crime drama
763:Categories
748:Rocky King
739:Rocky King
730:Rocky King
622:References
570:1954-08-01
533:1954-05-23
500:1954-03-07
467:1952-10-26
434:1952-10-19
401:1952-09-28
368:1952-08-31
331:1952-07-13
175:1954-12-26
165:1950-01-07
120:Production
112:of seasons
83:Todd Karns
526:Ed Morris
274:kinescope
96:Jack Ward
659:TV Guide
587:See also
321:Lee Polk
224:Overview
125:Producer
93:Music by
71:Starring
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342:bookie
301:Title
197:action
57:Action
254:Rocky
53:Genre
719:IMDb
298:No.
238:Todd
205:live
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110:No.
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