Naked City (ABC crime drama) - end title (12-19-62)

[melbz1266]

i enjoy watching the show for the simple reason is i s i can see new york city in the early days.

[oluham]

This was a GrREAT theme song on TV.

[JubalCalif]

What a cool clip! I've neen the original crime drama "The Naked City" many times on TV but this is the first time I've seen any footage from the 60's TV show. I'm too young to remember it during it's original network run (I'm 54) but I've read about the show. It seem to have a good overall reputation: well written, good casts, fabulous on location New York filming, etc. THANK YOU for posting this! :-)

[HarpoMarx22]

@JubalCalif Yes, it was a great show, groundbreaking in its on location shooting on the streets of NYC. Many of the episodes are available on DVD, but many are not. I wish they'd release the rest of them.

[KennyMorse]

What is so fun for ME is that the thumbnail of this video, is my father's screen credit (he was the Production Coordinator of Naked City). THANKS.

[HarpoMarx22]

@KennyMorse That's cool to have a family connection with this great series.

[mmcckkgg]

This is the 2nd theme. The first theme was more dramatic.

[44032]

@mmcckkgg There were three themes. George Dowling wrote one for the 1958-59 season. Then came Billy may's theme for 1960-62, then Riddle's theme for the final season. All were good in their own way.

[tbear4pa]

@44032

That means the unmentioned season of 1959-60 must of been the George Dowling version as well, then Billy May's started in the 1960-61 season.

[44032]

@tbear4pa There was no 1959-60 season. it was a half hour show in 1958-59 and returned as an hour show for the 1960-61 season.

[johnnynoirman]

I like this version of "Naked City's" final season too.

[poughkeepsiejohn1]

Long before there was "NYPD Blue" or "Law and Order", there was "The Naked City'. Here was a show that depicted New York life as it was.

[Cantabrigidian]

I'm pretty sure that's Paul Frees saying "There are 8 million stories" at the end, not Lawrence Dobkin.

[byrd59]

No, that's Dobkin.

[JubalCalif]

@byrd59

I totally agree...I've heard a lot of Paul Frees' voice over work & Dobkin here sounds nothing like Paul (at least to me). THANKS for your clarifying comment! :-)

[TheyCallMeGroucho]

Stirling Silliphant and Nelson Riddle both had incredible, product careers. Their creativity shines on everything they did.

Larry in Taiwan

[poitrenaud]

This show was one of the greatest, and in B/W it really was better for the New York Scenes!

The Final Music score is awsome--that lead Trumpet is so, so clean!

And make not, the violinists, are terrific-

Paul Burke was the young detective; correct?

[giacblanc]

Pointenaud,  Oui.

[rickhatch1]

Yes,-- is Paul Burke still alive? He was very handsome in those days!

[poitrenaud]

Look him up on IMDB, I believe he is.

He is Irish American; and was perfect in that Role.

Originally, James Fransiscus was cast in his role.

That show was outstandinding.

I have two episodes: One with Suzanne Pleshette, and one with a family of Italians who are out for vengeance of the death of their "night-watchman" father who is murdered on a boat, while burglers rob a shipment of Cologne for Insurance-

Both are great, great episodes-

[rickhatch1]

Thank you. I didn't think to look him up there. I have 2 DVD's with several episodes of the show. Paul Burke was in 'Valley of The Dolls' too. I think that "Naked City" was a one of a kind show, before it's time. I love the b/w scenery filmed in NYC in the early 60's. And, of course, I loved the music!

[Juliaflo]

It is my sad duty to inform you that Paul Burke passed away this past Sunday of leukemia and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. He was 83 or 84 years old.

[rickhatch1]

It's very sad that Paul Burke passed away. Thank you for telling me. All of the good ones are going--especially this year.

[Juliaflo]

Have you noticed that this summer has become the summer of quick obituaries?

[rickhatch1]

Yes, this year has been very sad for loses in Hollywood. Bea Arthur, Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, Mary Travers, Ted Kennedy (Politics), now Paul Burke and on and on.............

[fredxtini1]

Please don't put Michael Jackson in this list of awesome people...

[rickhatch1]

That is my opinion. You can make your own list and omit whomever you please.

[tuxguys]

Interesting theme... Noir... and not a hint of the sexuality usually associated with "noir"...

[nanlisa]

I was only in kindergarten when this first aired.

[GOOSEYGOOSE9]

Naked City Should Have Stayed Two More Years And on ABC And would have gone to color in september 1963 and off the air in september 1965 and would have moved to friday nights they should of had the color by pathe in the closing credits they should of had brought back Westrex Recording System for the fifth season in 1963 they should of had the NAB Seal of good practice code affiliate,Westrex recording system,this picture made under the jurresdiction of IATSEIA affilliated with AFL-CIO,

[watayapupuya]

@GOOSEYGOOSE9

Actually ,everything went to color in September 1967.

btw

What the hell is "should of"?

[thephotoplayer]

I always thought Riddle's theme evoked New York City much better than "Somewhere in the Night."

[Gomezman5]

The ending musical credits (theme song) is quite a bit longer than the one that is being played here. For some reason this is an abbreviated version.

[rickhatch1]

I know, I wish someone would play it in it's entirety on here.

[byrd59]

Sometimes the credits during that final season were longer, but the longer version was re-looped from this one, so that the same bridge was played more than once.

[tss77]

I love that Naked City Theme does that bring back memories of the show.

[KCO1960]

I like the "Somewhere In The Night" theme a lot better.

[byrd59]

Ah. Well, "Somewhere In the Night," certainly became a well-known standard, played by lots of jazz musicians and others. Someone will probably post that version of the end credits at some point.

[oakandwillow]

This was aired the evening of the day I was born

[byrd59]

Nice. I think the early '60s were the greatest years for dramatic television. "Naked City," "Route 66," "The Defenders," "The Fugitive," "The Untouchables," "East Side West Side" -- the list of distinguished programs is quite long.

[rickhatch1]

This time period fascinates me. It was during the Kennedy years. You were born in the heart of 'Camelot'!

[AtterseeSommer]

I like the Riddle better.

[7772399]

I've had a look at the credits Attersee, and it appears that the version heard here, was in fact performed by Nelson Riddle, but it's not the 'jazzed up' variation ( that I posted on cassette ).

I should have called mine "version 5", because there's been about five different versions of this Naked City theme !

[AtterseeSommer]

yes, sorry. Both are good but I like the one you did cassette. Almost anything Nelson did is great.

[JohnBarnesHelper]

I'll second that !

[AtterseeSommer]

Yes, sorry it is Riddle. I just love the other theme.

[nanlisa]

Bethel Leslie was also in a movie with Suzanne Pleshette. She played Peter Graves' suffering suffering wife. When she finds out that Peter Graves' character is having an affair with Suzanne Pleshette's character, she goes to a charity carnival at Suzanne Pleshette's farm and confronts her.

[GOOSEYGOOSE9]

They Should Of Had The Westrex Recording System Logo Why Didn't They I Got The DVD's Of It

[byrd59]

Looks like they list the RCA Recording System. Maybe they switched to that in the final season.

[fromthesidelines]

...and ABC wasn't quite happy with the majority of the "downbeat" endings the series presented that final season. Apparently, network executives asked Herbert B. Leonard to "lighten up" the show; he refused. They cancelled it at the end of the season.

[byrd59]

Interesting. I appreciated the fact that "Naked City" tried to be complex, even when it overreached. One would have hoped that ABC, with few hits at the time, would've been willing to give Leonard more leeway to pursue his vision. Oh well.

[Attmay]

That's one reason why they were called the "Almost Broadcasting Company."