Mr. Pizza's Hardy Boys Forum

Other Hardy Boys Series Discussion => Hardy Boys on TV => Topic started by: MacGyver on July 08, 2011, 07:41:24 AM

Title: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: MacGyver on July 08, 2011, 07:41:24 AM
Hi fellow Hardy Boys fans,
      Well, as a completist in so many things, I have been interested in of course reading all of The Hardy Boys books, but also seeking out all the television and other media incarnations of The Hardy Boys. And I finally was able to track down one of the rarest and hardest to find of their appearances. For anyone else who had heard about this fabled production and wondered about it, here is your opportunity to know more about it!
After much searching online, I have a copy of The Hardy Boys: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk 1967 pilot. It's not the best quality, but it's very much watchable. Keep in mind that it may well be coming from a 16mm reel originally.
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: SDLagent on July 08, 2011, 02:17:43 PM
Awesome! Thanks. I'll have to watch this later.
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: MacGyver on July 08, 2011, 06:40:43 PM
You're welcome. Let me know what you think when you get a chance. :)
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: Olivia on July 09, 2011, 06:16:13 PM
Thanks again, MacGyver! I know how much time and effort you put into this and it is very much appreciated.
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: MacGyver on July 09, 2011, 07:14:50 PM
Well, you're welcome. I was glad to do it- I think it's worth seeing. Too bad nothing further came of this- I think it was a really good effort overall.
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: Olivia on July 09, 2011, 07:57:44 PM
Yeah. That just reminds me that I have a lot of HBs to read (which I suppose is good - I'll have a never-ending supply, so to speak). I think I spend way more time on the forum than actually reading the series, though.
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: MacGyver on July 09, 2011, 11:06:48 PM
Haha- well, though I do still have a few of The Hardy Boys books that I have yet to read (mainly the Undercover Brothers series and related books, but also the two Hardy Boys/Tom Swift Ultra Thrillers and the rest of the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys Supermystery series ['88] and some of the other spin-off books), I've actually read most of The Hardy Boys books at this point (over years of reading them of course- from childhood through the present). And so I've read all of the original 58 Hardy Boys books and the Digests (#59-190) and The Hardy Boys Casefiles. I've been trying to get all of the original text version of The Hardy Boys books to read those as well though and so I've read a few of those now too. But yeah- I probably spend more time on the forum than reading the books in general too. lol- Need to crack some books open! So many to read- so little time... ;D
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: SDLagent on July 11, 2011, 07:02:27 PM
Quote from: MacGyver on July 09, 2011, 11:06:48 PM
Haha- well, though I do still have a few of The Hardy Boys books that I have yet to read (mainly the Undercover Brothers series and related books, but also the two Hardy Boys/Tom Swift Ultra Thrillers and the rest of the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys Supermystery series ['88] and some of the other spin-off books), I've actually read most of The Hardy Boys books at this point (over years of reading them of course- from childhood through the present). And so I've read all of the original 58 Hardy Boys books and the Digests (#59-190) and The Hardy Boys Casefiles. I've been trying to get all of the original text version of The Hardy Boys books to read those as well though and so I've read a few of those now too. But yeah- I probably spend more time on the forum than reading the books in general too. lol- Need to crack some books open! So many to read- so little time... ;D

I would have to admit I spend more time on this forum than I do reading The Hardy Boys, too. I've only read a few HB books over the last few years (and I don't think I've read one this year). I remember a time in my life when that would have been unimaginable.

Actually, come to think of it, I read Break-Up this year. So I've read a HB graphic novel but no novels.
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: MacGyver on July 11, 2011, 10:53:38 PM
Still about another month to go for the followup to that storyline...patiently waiting...
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: MacGyver on July 18, 2011, 02:19:01 PM
I've taken a number of screen captures from this pilot but I don't really know where would be a good place to put them. I put a few on The Hardy Boys wiki page (http://hardyboys.wikia.com/wiki/The_Mystery_of_the_Chinese_Junk_(1967_TV)) for The Mystery of the Chinese Junk pilot, but I still have a lot of others. I've added some to a Flickr stream and I'm thinking I may just upload them there for now. Here's the link (http://www.flickr.com/photos/65324234@N02/with/5948712261/) if anyone wants to check out a few pics from this pilot. (More to be added as I have time.) :)

(http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6136/5949265438_d40d48edcb_b.jpg)
(http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6012/5949266846_bdf201650c_b.jpg)
(http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6030/5949267068_f89ec386e7_b.jpg)
(http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6018/5948712261_e3fb6d22a9_b.jpg)
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: SDLagent on July 18, 2011, 10:11:31 PM
Thanks for the screencaps.
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: MacGyver on July 19, 2011, 12:26:34 AM
No problem. :) 8)
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: HB@1718 on July 19, 2011, 10:09:04 AM
Thanks MacGyver! Can't wait to watch it!
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: MacGyver on July 19, 2011, 01:19:06 PM
Not a problem- post your review in the forum if you get a chance. :)
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: MacGyver on July 26, 2011, 04:45:50 PM
Just so you all know, I finished uploading the screencaps I had taken to my Flickr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/65324234@N02/with/5948712261/) page. So if anyone wants them for any purpose- enjoy. :)
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: Hardy Sleuth on July 28, 2011, 11:56:59 PM
Quote from: MacGyver on July 08, 2011, 07:41:24 AM
Hi fellow Hardy Boys fans,
      Well, as a completist in so many things, I have been interested in of course reading all of The Hardy Boys books, but also seeking out all the television and other media incarnations of The Hardy Boys. And I finally was able to track down one of the rarest and hardest to find of their appearances. For anyone else who had heard about this fabled production and wondered about it, here is your opportunity!
After much searching online, I have a copy of The Hardy Boys: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk 1967 pilot here (http://macgyver.80scartoons.net/). It's not the best quality, but it's very much watchable. Keep in mind that it may well be coming from a 16mm reel originally. And definitely please use discretion in sharing this link (as much as for bandwidth's sake as anything else.) Enjoy! :) 8)

WOW!  8) Such a cool find, MacGyver, and how awesome for you to share it!  8) Thanks so much!!!!  :) That was very nice of you!!!  8)
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: MacGyver on July 29, 2011, 12:23:45 AM
As Parker Lewis would say, Not a problem. :D I was happy to do it as I know a lot of other Hardy Boys fans have been wanting to see this and it doesn't look like it's finding its way to an official DVD or any other media release any time soon, if ever.
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: Hardy Sleuth on July 29, 2011, 12:48:04 AM
Quote from: MacGyver on July 29, 2011, 12:23:45 AM
As Parker Lewis would say, Not a problem. :D I was happy to do it as I know a lot of other Hardy Boys fans have been wanting to see this and it doesn't look like it's finding its way to an official DVD or any other media release any time soon, if ever.

It's something I definitely would like to watch!  8)
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: hardygirl847 on August 20, 2011, 10:07:23 PM
I FINALLY made it to this topic thread!!! :) I don't know how you found it Mac, but that's super cool! I didn't really know about this and it's definitely cool to see. Unfortunately, the sound is so low (yes I checked my volume buttons lol) that I am having a hard time watching it. :(

Other than that though, I'm shocked it's even around! Nice sleuthing!
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: MacGyver on August 21, 2011, 01:28:59 AM
Cool! Glad you got a chance to watch it, hardygirl.
Yeah, unfortunately I can't do much with the quality, but it's amazing to have even that kind of quality with this thing as rare as it is. I guess just try cranking your volume as high as it will go...
It took me a while to get it converted to a level where it could be shared. And yes, it took me a long while looking online to find someone who had a copy of this pilot but it was great to finally see this production, which I think was really pretty good.
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: SDLagent on August 23, 2011, 02:50:35 AM
Finally watched it.

First off, I really wish this had been picked-up and turned into a series. I really liked this show's vibe. The overall feel of the show was just good and, in my opinion, very authentic Hardy Boys. At first I went, "Oh, actors that actually look like Frank and Joe for once!" Then I realized that the tall dark one was Joe and the shorter blond one was Frank. Seems like a pointless switch to me and a bit disappointing but I got over it and it barely diminished from the Hardy Boyness of the story. As I mentioned it just felt very Hardy Boys to me, and, in fact, I think it captured the spirit of the books better than any of adaptation I've seen. From analysing evidence in the crime lab to the chum to the references to Hardy Boys continuity I was again and again reminded of the original books which I haven't read in ages. Actually it made me want to read them again.

I really liked the style of the show, too. The hot rods, the beach parties, the Hardy's fashion sense. Very chill. Made me wish I could chill with the Hardys and their chums.

The story itself wasn't that great but it was still fun and exciting. Good entertainment. Likewise, the acting was the best but it wasn't horrible, either. The fight scenes were well done. Even though I thought the story could have been better, as you may have been able to guess by now, I really liked it! In fact I kind of loved it! Like I keep saying I just really liked the feel of the show. The vibe. The style. I can't quite put my finger on it.
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: MacGyver on August 23, 2011, 02:27:20 PM
Cool! Glad you got a chance to see it and liked it so much. I totally agree- I thought it was a great pilot as well. It's a shame it didn't make it into a series because they had a good handle on the aspects of The Hardy Boys books. We got to see Fenton Hardy and Aunt Gertrude making their usual appearances (but unfortunately, still no Laura Hardy! I don't know why she never seems to show up in any of The Hardy Boys productions...maybe she's in the cartoons...)  Anyway- it was also great having Chet Morton, Callie Shaw, Iola Morton and Biff Hooper and Tony Prito all on hand! (The last two making their only media appearances that I know of to date.)
Yeah- I don't know why they mixed up Frank and Joe as far as hair color and body size, but the casting was great otherwise- they definitely looked the part of The Hardy Boys.
        I've heard a lot of Hardy Boys fans say The Mystery of the Chinese Junk pilot is one of, if not the best adaptation of the books. I'm happy I was able to get this out there for everyone as I'm inclined to agree. (If I put them in order, I'd probably have this toward the top alongside the '70s series and then the Disney serials and the '90s series after that. And then the cartoon series. But I still love them all. ;D)
I agree that the setting was well done for the time period too. In fact, that may be the best way to look at it- this pilot is probably the truest to the original 58 Hardy Boys books (well, revised versions anyway.) The '50s serials remind me more of the original texts (somewhat- mainly because Frank and Joe are much younger there and it's set in earlier times). The '70s show has sort of a mix of the original 58 (revised) books in some places and also sort of a blend of The Hardy Boys Digests feel as well. And the 3rd. Season was definitely like a precursor to The Hardy Boys Casefiles and even The Hardy Boys: Undercover Brothers on a very basic and general level. The cartoon show actually was adapted from the original 58 (revised) books as well, so I do give it some credit for keeping some of the very basic details from the books intact, though of course it was all way too rushed to really understand the story very well.
And the '90s series reminds me a good bit of The Hardy Boys Casefiles though not exactly- it was kind of its own thing as well.
       
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: SDLagent on August 23, 2011, 02:47:56 PM
I still haven't seen the 95 show. Hopefully someone will post them on YouTube.

On Laura not appearing in TV series, it's probably because Gertrude is a much more memorable character. The Gertrude in the pilot actually seemed like a combo of Gertrude and Laura. She was recognizable as Aunt Gertrude but seemed a bit more motherly. If I was making a TV series and keeping production costs in mind I'd probably do the same thing.
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: MacGyver on August 23, 2011, 05:57:48 PM
QuoteOn Laura not appearing in TV series, it's probably because Gertrude is a much more memorable character. The Gertrude in the pilot actually seemed like a combo of Gertrude and Laura. She was recognizable as Aunt Gertrude but seemed a bit more motherly. If I was making a TV series and keeping production costs in mind I'd probably do the same thing.
Well, that makes sense. It's just still a shame to me that the character never made any appearance...though of course, it's not like Laura ever has had much of a big role in the books (save a few exceptions- Danger Zone in the Casefiles and Shhhhhhh! in the graphic novels come to mind)

And for the 1995 show- I do think it is worth seeing. I enjoy it pretty well. I'm sure you probably know already, but it is out on DVD- Amazon.ca seems to have some fairly reasonable prices for it...you might want to check at your local library- if they carry much TV series on DVD, it's possible they might have it... or you could request they get it anyway- might be another option for you if you can't really afford it right now. (I certainly understand that...)
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: MacGyver on August 24, 2011, 12:26:28 AM
Hey SDLAgent- since you've seen it, you can speak to this. Did you have any trouble with the audio levels? I'm wondering if it's been low volume for everyone or just some...
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: SDLagent on August 24, 2011, 01:37:59 AM
High, I did have trouble with it. Had to watch it with headphones in otherwise I couldn't hear it.
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: MacGyver on August 24, 2011, 09:13:58 AM
Okay- sorry about that then. The audio wasn't the greatest from the original source to begin with either... I'm not sure if I can do much to improve it...
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: tomswift2002 on August 24, 2011, 04:46:16 PM
Quote from: MacGyver on August 23, 2011, 05:57:48 PM
And for the 1995 show- I do think it is worth seeing. I enjoy it pretty well. I'm sure you probably know already, but it is out on DVD- Amazon.ca seems to have some fairly reasonable prices for it...you might want to check at your local library- if they carry much TV series on DVD, it's possible they might have it... or you could request they get it anyway- might be another option for you if you can't really afford it right now. (I certainly understand that...)

Canadian libraries might have it, considering that so far the only official release for the DVD was in Canada (which is a little odd, considering that for most shows Canada and the US get it released at the same time or the US gets it first followed by Canada).
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: SDLagent on August 24, 2011, 06:25:28 PM
Quote from: tomswift2002 on August 24, 2011, 04:46:16 PM
Canadian libraries might have it, considering that so far the only official release for the DVD was in Canada (which is a little odd, considering that for most shows Canada and the US get it released at the same time or the US gets it first followed by Canada).

Well, it was produced by a Canadian company.
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: tomswift2002 on August 24, 2011, 08:14:50 PM
Quote from: SDLagent on August 24, 2011, 06:25:28 PM
Well, it was produced by a Canadian company.

That doesn't really mean anything, considering that Nelvana is well known throughout Canada and the US.  So even if kaBoom only had the Canadian rights, Nelvana could've always licensed the US rights to another distributor.
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: MacGyver on August 24, 2011, 10:19:52 PM
Hey- found a couple of things for you on Youtube for the 1990s series of The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew. :)
First off, here's a promo (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5hCMDBp9Xc&feature=related) for both shows on The WB (which I'm guessing is probably the channel I recall seeing at least one episode of The Hardy Boys on as a child in the USA.
Here's The Hardy Boys theme song (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vr3nh9dQAxU&feature=related).
And here's the "Say Cheese" episode (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMSa-Mk4S1I&feature=related)!
And here's "The Debt Collectors" episode (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0jmIx8ZANA&feature=related)!
And if you're interested, here's one of the Nancy Drew episodes (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXIWa-_xujw&feature=related)- "The Long Journey Home"
And in case anyone hadn't seen this yet- I also ran across the 2002 pilot (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A92oRg2ZIeo&feature=related) Nancy Drew, starring Maggie Lawson.
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: SDLagent on August 25, 2011, 03:46:47 PM
Thanks, man!
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: MacGyver on August 25, 2011, 04:16:11 PM
No problem. :) 8)
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: SDLagent on August 26, 2011, 01:57:36 AM
I watched the two episodes you linked. They were good but would have been a lot better if each episode was an hour.
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: MacGyver on August 26, 2011, 02:04:42 AM
Yeah, that's the general problem with the '90s show- it's still The Hardy Boys and I enjoy it- but it definitely would have benefited from an hour slot to tell a mystery story rather than having to cram it all into a half hour. It forces you to pay very close attention to every little detail in order to follow the plot well because it all moves very fast.
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: SDLagent on August 26, 2011, 01:29:20 PM
Which I don't mind. I like fast-paced stories but a lot of scenes were even just mentioned when they should have been shown.
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: MacGyver on August 26, 2011, 02:40:06 PM
It's definitely a change of pace from the '70s show and that's cool- I find both enjoyable. Oh well- the '90s show is still much better paced than The Hardy Boys cartoon. ;D
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: SDLagent on August 26, 2011, 04:50:20 PM
That's for sure. Why they'd try to cram two stories into one half hour is beyond me!
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: MacGyver on August 26, 2011, 06:06:29 PM
Oh well- it's kids watching the cartoon- they don't care about things like storylines and plots- as long as there's action and excitement and some groovy music to dance to! :D
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: SDLagent on August 27, 2011, 04:34:41 PM
"Chubby" probably scared kids.
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: MacGyver on August 27, 2011, 06:31:25 PM
haha- probably.  ;D  They were probably thinking, "Wow, I don't want to grow up and look like him!"
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: SDLagent on August 27, 2011, 08:36:48 PM
Or sound like him! I'm pretty sure they only had like two voice actors for the whole show.
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: Olivia on September 14, 2011, 04:55:02 PM
SDLagent finally gets to see the '90's show!

And of course Amazon.ca suddenly has the DVD in stock, and someone on YouTube puts up the opening intro this past summer. Right after I gave up and ended up doing things the hard way. Ah well.
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: MacGyver on September 23, 2011, 11:09:35 AM
Hope everyone who wanted to see The Hardy Boys: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk pilot got a chance to see it because the link is now down. (I'm afraid it may have been causing a drain on the host site...)
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: SDLagent on September 23, 2011, 08:51:42 PM
Well, that's too bad. But, as you know, I did get to see it.
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: MacGyver on September 24, 2011, 10:45:52 PM
Yeah- glad you had a chance to check it out. PM me if you (or anyone else) still want it though.
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: Lessers08 on October 15, 2011, 07:31:54 PM
Hi!

I am a HUGE fan of Tim Matheson's and when I discovered he made a pilot of the Hardy Boys, I got super excited! However, the link posted above (where we're supposed to click "here"), I can't get it to work! If anybody has any suggestions, please let me know :) Thanks!
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: MacGyver on October 15, 2011, 09:26:11 PM
Hi!
    Yeah, the link is down due to possible bandwidth overuse....but PM me if you want to view it.
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: Lessers08 on October 16, 2011, 11:35:57 PM
Thank you for getting back to me!

Oh cool!!! I would love to still view it...however, I am VERY new to this forum and I'm not sure how to send you a personal message (I'm assuming that's what PM stands for), hahaha! Sorry, I haven't had any experience in this format so any direction would be greatly appreciated on how to send you a message :) Wow, I so excited!!!!!

Thanks!
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: SDLagent on October 17, 2011, 03:49:37 PM
I don't think you can send PMs until you have ten posts or more. But I can send you one, and maybe Mac can too, but if he can't he can always send the link to me and I'll send it to you.
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: Lessers08 on October 17, 2011, 07:45:35 PM
So, in order to send and receive PMs, I have to post 10 times about something on the forum?? :) I just really want to get to see this pilot! Hehe! And you mentioned something about sending me a link???

Thanks for your help, by the way!
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: MacGyver on October 17, 2011, 09:25:12 PM
Yeah, I will try to send you something on that as soon as I can...
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: Lessers08 on October 18, 2011, 07:56:43 PM
Thank you MacGyver for all your help and going out of your way :) It looks like another user did send me a PM welcoming me to the forum but I still can't send PMs of my own. I eagerly await your message!! Thanks sooooo much
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: Lessers08 on October 25, 2011, 06:34:00 PM
Hi MacGyver!

As I still cannot send personal messages, this is how I have to get a hold of you! I received your message that you sent me with the link to the pilot... unfortunately adrive.com tells me that the file is no longer public but the file details say that it is! Acck! I even tried a couple of different times too :[ I am so sorry for being a pest especially after you went out of your way to help me. Please let me know what I can do! Again, thank you sooooooooo much!
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: MacGyver on October 25, 2011, 10:12:55 PM
Okay- I'll send you another PM...
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: Lessers08 on October 31, 2011, 09:43:49 PM
Hi MacGyver!

I just wanted to let you know that I got the chance to watch the pilot and I LOVED it :) Thank you again for going the extra mile so I could see it! I tell ya... I've seen a couple of the episode from the Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys TV series that was on in the 70's and it's got nothing on this pilot episode! Of course, I could be biased cause I enjoy Tim Matheson so much! Thanks so much :)
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: SDLagent on November 01, 2011, 12:02:10 AM
I've got to agree with you, man. The pilot if my favourite adaptation I've seen. The most Hardy Boys ever.
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: MacGyver on November 01, 2011, 06:13:38 AM
You're welcome. And Cool! Glad you got a chance to see it, Lessers08 and glad you liked it so much. I'm still a big fan of the '70s show, but I agree that the Chinese Junk pilot was one of the best adaptations of The Hardy Boys I've seen. :) 8)
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: mikeschr on November 01, 2011, 08:35:00 PM
Quote from: MacGyver on September 24, 2011, 10:45:52 PM
Yeah- glad you had a chance to check it out. PM me if you (or anyone else) still want it though.

I hope it isn't too late to add my voice to the chorus.
I've been wanting to see this pilot for years and years - today I found this great forum, and I see that the link is dead.  I just joined, but I don't think I can send PMs yet.  I'd be so grateful if you could send me the link as well, MacGyver.   Thanks.
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: MacGyver on November 02, 2011, 10:10:55 AM
Hi mikeschr,
             Yeah- no problem. I sent you a PM. And welcome to the forum. :)
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: mikeschr on November 02, 2011, 03:31:07 PM
Thanks for the link, MacGyver.  You're very generous.  I've downloaded and watched the pilot, and was very impressed.  I think it was more similar to the books than any of the other film versions were.
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: MacGyver on November 02, 2011, 04:14:14 PM
Cool! Glad you got a chance to see it already and and glad you like it and glad I could help. I agree- it is definitely one of the best of The Hardy Boys adaptations out there. :) 8)
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: Olivia on November 11, 2011, 10:15:34 PM
Quote from: SDLagent on August 23, 2011, 02:50:35 AM
Finally watched it.

First off, I really wish this had been picked-up and turned into a series. I really liked this show's vibe. The overall feel of the show was just good and, in my opinion, very authentic Hardy Boys. At first I went, "Oh, actors that actually look like Frank and Joe for once!" Then I realized that the tall dark one was Joe and the shorter blond one was Frank. Seems like a pointless switch to me and a bit disappointing but I got over it and it barely diminished from the Hardy Boyness of the story. As I mentioned it just felt very Hardy Boys to me, and, in fact, I think it captured the spirit of the books better than any of adaptation I've seen. From analysing evidence in the crime lab to the chum to the references to Hardy Boys continuity I was again and again reminded of the original books which I haven't read in ages. Actually it made me want to read them again.

I really liked the style of the show, too. The hot rods, the beach parties, the Hardy's fashion sense. Very chill. Made me wish I could chill with the Hardys and their chums.

The story itself wasn't that great but it was still fun and exciting. Good entertainment. Likewise, the acting was the best but it wasn't horrible, either. The fight scenes were well done. Even though I thought the story could have been better, as you may have been able to guess by now, I really liked it! In fact I kind of loved it! Like I keep saying I just really liked the feel of the show. The vibe. The style. I can't quite put my finger on it.

Now I finally watched it. And I agree with you 100%.

A couple of times, the '60's music was a bit distracting. Same with Frank and Joe being switched physically. But everything else felt very authentic and very "Hardy Boys".

Really a shame they didn't continue.
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: MacGyver on November 29, 2011, 08:40:48 PM
One thing I was thinking about this pilot- The Mystery of the Chinese Junk, #39 in The Hardy Boys Mystery Stories, was the first book published in the series that did not get revised. The first 38 books got revisions, but by the time of this book, the revisions were finished and the series moved forward from that time period being up to date (at the time of course). Perhaps it was for this reason that the producers decided to do a pilot based on this book, rather than say The Tower Treasure or something. (Perhaps also because The Mickey Mouse Club had already done a popular and successful adaptation of the first book that was pretty good- even with some things altered for the show.)
   The Mystery of the Chinese Junk book was published in 1960. The Hardy Boys: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk pilot was aired in 1967. I think this is a key factor that helped- the pilot captures the look and feel of the book so well since they were both written and set in the same decade. So rather than having to try to recreate the late '20s or '30s- the producers were able to authentically create the feel of the '60s.
       Overall, I think we've said many of the things that made this pilot good. They kept true to the book itself as well as to the spirit of The Hardy Boys in general and maintained an authentic feel for the time period. The script was good, the music was good, the acting was good, the action was good and the casting was good. Yes, there is a quibble with Frank and Joe having their hair colors switched for no apparent reason, but other than that- the actors really seemed to look the parts. And it was great to see Chet Morton, Iola Morton, Callie Shaw, Tony Prito and Biff Hooper all make appearances! To date, this is the only media appearance for Tony and Biff that I know of. And Aunt Gertrude and Fenton Hardy were well cast too. But what I don't get is- and we've had this really in every Hardy Boys TV appearance to date (except for possibly the cartoon series- I haven't seen enough of that to be able to say for sure) - but what is the deal with Laura Hardy not showing up? I don't know if it's ever explicitly stated on any of the shows (this pilot, the MMC serials, the '70s and '90s series), but I get the impression that Laura is supposed to have died when the boys were young or something. Not that The Hardys' mom has ever typically played a huge role in the books or anything, but still- she's an important supporting character- it would be nice for her to have some kind of media representation...
           Anyway- I really enjoyed this pilot- particularly liked the Chinese junk's appearance- that scene was well done and the junk was pretty neat. It's only a shame that nothing more was done with this. I would really love to see this pilot get cleaned up and given an on-demand DVD release. It's definitely deserving of it. :) 8)
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: SDLagent on November 30, 2011, 02:02:20 AM
Good point about the time period. They didn't have to recreate, they were in it. I hadn't really thought of that before.

On Laura not appearing in TV adaptations, I think it's mostly to do with budgeting.  In the books, the Hardys essentially have two mother figures in their life and in TV adaptations similar characters are usually cut or combined.
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: MacGyver on November 30, 2011, 08:29:32 AM
QuoteOn Laura not appearing in TV adaptations, I think it's mostly to do with budgeting.  In the books, the Hardys essentially have two mother figures in their life and in TV adaptations similar characters are usually cut or combined.
Sigh... yeah, that makes sense- it's still a bit annoying to not have her in there though. Oh well...
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: SDLagent on November 30, 2011, 07:45:20 PM
I know what you mean. I guess the people making the TV shows just liked Gertrude better. She is a very colourful character.
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: tomswift2002 on December 04, 2011, 09:05:09 PM
Well, with Laura you have to remember that it wasn't until the Undercover Brothers series came out that her character received a lot more detail, whereas in the Original Continuity and the Casefiles Laura was more there to be Fenton's wife and the boy's mother and was more or less the typical 1920's/1950's wife/mother (even going into the 1980's Casefiles while having some aspects updated to that era, but not really being "fleshed-out").
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: MacGyver on December 05, 2011, 07:35:34 AM
Was it only in the graphic novels/Undercover Brothers that Laura is said to be a librarian? It seems like that was mentioned in the Original Continuity as well...
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: tomswift2002 on December 05, 2011, 11:38:15 AM
No, she only became a Librarian in the Undercover Brothers continuity.  In the 1944 version of The Melted Coins she was the Treasurer of a local ladies club, but not a librarian.

But you might be thinking of Laura being a librarian while the boys solved The Tower Treasure since in the books she was not, but in the Video game The Hidden Theft (based on The Tower Treasure but set in the Undercover Brothers universe) she is a librarian.
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: MacGyver on December 05, 2011, 02:18:32 PM
okay- thanks for the info. I suppose in the original continuity, Laura is primarily a housewife, (outside of any other activities she might do- like being treasurer of a local ladies club) which makes sense and that's fine.
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: SDLagent on December 05, 2011, 05:41:55 PM
I think she did volunteer work in the community. At least this is an element often used in fan fiction.
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: Baskingshark on January 27, 2012, 06:07:32 PM
Hi, is there any possibility you still have a link for this? I have scoured every rare TV torrent site on the web for it for years and just stumbled across this forum - I can't believe I didn't find it before! If I could get a download, I would be eternally grateful!
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: SDLagent on January 27, 2012, 09:16:11 PM
I think MacGyver still has it. Ask him and he'll should be able to send it to you.
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: MacGyver on January 27, 2012, 09:55:48 PM
Look for a PM, Baskingshark. :)
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: Baskingshark on January 28, 2012, 04:21:43 AM
Hi, thanks so much for the link (I can't send PM's on here) - I'll make sure and keep it under wraps.
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: MacGyver on January 28, 2012, 11:26:03 AM
You're welcome. :) -and thanks.
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: Baskingshark on January 28, 2012, 01:01:50 PM
Just watched it - many thanks again, it was fascinating, and fun! Regarding the sound issues, I'm not sure if people are aware, but it's in mono, not stereo, which makes it seem extra quiet.

Wondering why it never made it to series, I think it may have been because it didn't seem too sure of who it was aimed at. I don't know what slot this aired in, but assume it was made for an 8pm (IMDB doesn't give a time, just that it aired for the first - and apparently the only time - on September 8th 1967)

The characters are definitely the closest to the books out of any of the shows I've seen, and they come across as a little flat, and probably better suited to a show aimed at a younger audience, but with an hour runtime, younger kids might start getting restless. The story was also pretty much pitched at the same level as the books, so if you consider that teenagers at the time would have been watching stuff like The Man From UNCLE which moved at a faster, higher-octane pace, they might have found it slow in comparison, even with the addition of the high-tech in-house crime lab and the dog-alerting belt buckle. Also, this was likely shot in early summer 1967, by which point the clean-cut beach party & hot rods type of thing was going out in favour of more mod fashions and psychedelia. There were some nice witty little touches like where they kept telling Biff to get them stuff, repeating to Chet that he was out of shape and Joe telling Frank to do stuff he'd already done, not to mention the boat "winking" at the end, but it feels like it was actually made a few years earlier than '67. Tim Matheson would have been something of a catch for them at the time, as he'd already been the voice of Jonny Quest and done a few movies. I guess they wanted to keep him recognisable and that was why they switched their hair colours round, since Rick Gates had never done anything before.

Ironic that they got a great dane when the cartoon show that became the hit of 1969 (beating the animated Hardy cartoon into a cocked hat) was focused entirely around a great dane! Also, obviously this dates from an era where Paul Lynde was considered the height of snark, but the line "The boat's not gonna sink, nobody's gonna drown, the dock is right there!" was great even by modern standards!

Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: Baskingshark on January 28, 2012, 01:35:19 PM
I can't seem to edit previous posts, but I just wanted to add another interesting tidbit about this I just noticed - Frank is obviously older than Joe, and Rick Gates was older than Tim Matheson, but only by seven days!
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: MacGyver on January 28, 2012, 02:25:32 PM
Good observations- lack of an audience base may well have been a contributing factor to the show not getting picked up. It's a shame really because it does seem to be a very well done version of Hardy Boys story. From what I've read, I think this aired on a Friday night, which traditionally is never a good airing time for television shows (especially those aimed at teenagers or kids)- mainly because so many people tend to go out on the weekend.
   
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: Baskingshark on January 28, 2012, 04:06:45 PM
That seems right - I checked and September 8th 1967 (the release date given on imdb) was a Friday; I guess this was before they thought about scheduling in as much depth as they do nowadays! I really enjoyed it too and I wish it had been picked up, I'd love to see how a series might have been played out. According to one of the other Hardy sites, shooting dates were actually January 9-27 1967, so it was shot about six-seven months before it aired and I think tastes changed quite rapidly during that period; by way of example, the last AIP beach party film, The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini came out in April 1966 and by August 1967 AIP released their first LSD movie The Trip and were filming stuff like Wild in the Streets and biker movies. This is TV, so obviously it never got quite to those extremes, but I think maybe if this had come out a year or two earlier, it might have had a better chance of getting picked up. (I think they also could have come up with a slicker title theme and opening credits, that might have helped!)

It's actually ahead of its time in a way though, since there weren't really any hour-long shows about teenagers for teenagers at the time (Oddly, it has that in common with the cartoon series - that also was the first to have elements that became popular a few years later.); the only teen-targeted scripted programs around in 1967 were half-hour comedy shows like The Monkees and all the teen shows that had gone before like Dobie Gillis, The Patty Duke Show or the unsold Archie pilot were half hour too. One of the things I liked most about Chinese Junk was that they all had a great sense of camaraderie in their gang of friends - and with Aunt Gertrude; I really liked the scene where she was trying to feed them while they figured out what kind of typewriter the fortune cookie message had been written on. 

I think this copy is B&W, but I also wonder if it was filmed in colour - and I wonder what other copies exist. The copyright holder details on the end titles are Twentieth Century Fox Television and it aired on NBC, so I assume that some department of Fox will still hold the copyright and that this actually isn't in the public domain, although I could be wrong about that. Have you considered posting just a clip from it on YouTube? It might jog interest in it among vintage TV collectors and either unearth more copies from the TV-collecting community or maybe catch someone's attention at Fox.
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: SDLagent on January 28, 2012, 04:14:08 PM
Quote from: Baskingshark on January 28, 2012, 04:06:45 PMIt's actually ahead of its time in a way though, since there weren't really any hour-long shows about teenagers for teenagers at the time (Oddly, it has that in common with the cartoon series - that also was the first to have elements that became popular a few years later.); the only teen-targeted scripted programs around in 1967 were half-hour comedy shows like The Monkees and all the teen shows that had gone before like Dobie Gillis, The Patty Duke Show or the unsold Archie pilot were half hour too. One of the things I liked most about Chinese Junk was that they all had a great sense of camaraderie in their gang of friends - and with Aunt Gertrude; I really liked the scene where she was trying to feed them while they figured out what kind of typewriter the fortune cookie message had been written on. 

Good point. And I agree about the "sense of camaraderie". That's one of things I really liked about the episode. Even though it's over 40 years old, it really felt like real kids hanging out.
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: Baskingshark on January 28, 2012, 06:37:40 PM
OK, well here's a twist - it's actually already on YouTube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWQwujKM-sk only whoever uploaded it doesn't seem to believe in using vowels! And it is in colour (although I think this was uploaded from the same file, for some reason the colour seems to come through a little better on YouTube)

Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: MacGyver on January 29, 2012, 02:00:00 AM
QuoteGood point. And I agree about the "sense of camaraderie". That's one of things I really liked about the episode. Even though it's over 40 years old, it really felt like real kids hanging out.
I definitely agree on this too- I like camaraderie (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfZlC0B7_M4&feature=related). :)
And cool find on the Youtube link- well, there you have it. I guess someone has put it out there now- and the colour does come up a lot better on that link.
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: MacGyver on February 28, 2012, 08:51:55 PM
In light of Skywarp's recent post here (http://www.hardyboyscasefiles.com/forums/index.php?topic=2348.msg64378#msg64378), I'm just going to say that I agree. I don't know if there would be as much concern over an unsold pilot from years ago, but nonetheless, we must keep that in mind here too. In any case, if anyone else is wanting to see The Mystery of the Chinese Junk pilot, as you can see in the post above, someone has apparently put it on Youtube, so I would say to enjoy it there while it's there because that is the place I would direct people to if looking for this. Assuming this thread remains open still- and I'm not trying to speak for Skywarp or anything here- but I just wanted to humbly suggest that we keep further comments relegated only to reviews of the pilot itself and any news of a possible official DVD release or further information about the original airing and people involved and such like that.
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: TheTm on October 29, 2013, 07:34:46 PM
Hello

I am trying to find a copy of THE MYSTERY OF THE CHINESE JUNK pilot for my brother's birthday. Can anyone please help me find a way to get a copy, please?
Thanks!
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: MacGyver on October 30, 2013, 12:44:44 PM
See this post (http://www.hardyboyscasefiles.com/forums/index.php?topic=2237.msg63632#msg63632) above. Someone has put it on Youtube.
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: Oakvale on December 30, 2016, 02:03:33 PM
I've been trying to hunt this down for a while, as I have a relative who appeared in it for what appears to be the bit part of Mr. Pan as listed on IMDB. I can't seem to find where he is in the actual video, however. Could someone narrow it down for me when he appears in the pilot? Many thanks.  :)

Also, is the version on YouTube in "colour" different from the previously discussed B/W version that was found on here?
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: tomswift2002 on December 30, 2016, 09:45:10 PM
As far as I'm aware the pilot was shot in black & white, which was a lot cheaper to shoot in during the time.  The color version that I've seen look like it came from someone's cheap transfer of a 8mm or 16mm copy to video by using a video chain, where the projector would be aimed at a wall and then the VHS/Betamax/Hi8 camcorder would be aimed at the wall as well and the video copy would be made that way.  And if the wall wasn't completely white, then you could get color in the video.  Cheap digital editor programs can change video to true b&w quite easily.
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: MacGyver on December 31, 2016, 12:43:47 PM
You may like to peruse the screen captures I've uploaded onto my Flickr (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65324234@N02/page1) page (among a few other random things. :)) :)  It's been a while since I've seen this, so I don't remember the Mr. Pan character offhand; I'm thinking he's probably toward the latter end of the pilot though.
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: Oakvale on December 31, 2016, 06:23:19 PM
Quote from: MacGyver on December 31, 2016, 12:43:47 PM
You may like to peruse the screen captures I've uploaded onto my Flickr (https://www.flickr.com/photos/65324234@N02/page1) page (among a few other random things. :)) :)  It's been a while since I've seen this, so I don't remember the Mr. Pan character offhand; I'm thinking he's probably toward the latter end of the pilot though.

Ah yes, thank you. They're very nice.

I agree with your above theory, I'm sure a better print must exist somehow, but it's doubtful that it will be released in any other than showing up on Ebay or the like.

And after rewatching it, I believe Mr. Pan is the guy standing watch on the cave from 44:54 - 44:58, when he is tackled and not seen again (nor do I believe he is seen prior). It's too hard to tell because of the quality, but if I had to venture a guess, that is Mr. Pan.
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: MacGyver on December 31, 2016, 06:32:05 PM
You're welcome. Glad you enjoyed them and glad you hopefully found what you were looking for. Happy New Year! :) 8)
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: tomswift2002 on January 01, 2017, 03:16:50 PM
Quote from: Oakvale on December 31, 2016, 06:23:19 PM
Ah yes, thank you. They're very nice.

I agree with your above theory, I'm sure a better print must exist somehow, but it's doubtful that it will be released in any other than showing up on Ebay or the like.

And after rewatching it, I believe Mr. Pan is the guy standing watch on the cave from 44:54 - 44:58, when he is tackled and not seen again (nor do I believe he is seen prior). It's too hard to tell because of the quality, but if I had to venture a guess, that is Mr. Pan.

It would be nice if Fox would release this through Amazon's create-a-space program, that is if the episode survives on anything (there's the remote possibility that aside from any work prints and off-air kinescope copies, the original master was destroyed in the 60's or 70's. 
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: MacGyver on January 02, 2017, 06:35:05 PM
I would LOVE to see an official DVD release if possible. And yes- a on-demand DVD release would work well for this one.
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: tomswift2002 on January 03, 2017, 07:09:30 AM
Or on-demand Blu-Ray could always work.  Since it's a pilot the show could almost be considered a short-film.
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: Oakvale on January 15, 2017, 09:33:21 PM
Quote from: tomswift2002 on January 01, 2017, 03:16:50 PM
It would be nice if Fox would release this through Amazon's create-a-space program, that is if the episode survives on anything (there's the remote possibility that aside from any work prints and off-air kinescope copies, the original master was destroyed in the 60's or 70's.

I'm fairly certain that the original high quality masters probably exists somewhere, if not in a Fox archive, in a private collector's archive. A better version might show up on E-Bay at some point, you never know. Hope springs eternal.
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: Riggs429 on April 25, 2017, 11:13:34 AM
Hi, where can I download or get a copy of this episode?
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: MacGyver on April 26, 2017, 06:57:31 AM
See this post (http://www.hardyboyscasefiles.com/forums/index.php?topic=2237.msg63632#msg63632) earlier in the thread. Someone has put it on Youtube.
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: MacGyver on April 26, 2017, 06:58:10 AM
And welcome to the forums, Riggs429! Enjoy your time here in the Hardy Boys world! :) 8)
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: MacGyver on April 28, 2017, 10:04:53 AM
I just ran across this pretty cool and rare promotional picture  (https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSSaV-Ng3M1uyA5WlvOOCLJw7Pc126BZKW-U4X7iWpmR_0odB3-)from this pilot online! :) 8)
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: Molly-Blue on August 08, 2017, 07:41:55 PM
Hi, Newbie here.  I couldn't seem to reply directly to some of the posts, but thanks so much I've been search for a good day for "The Mystery of the Chinese Junk" 1967. I didn't think to check for abbreviated titles. Good call. Even a poor print is better than no print IMHO.  ;D
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: cathsparks on March 03, 2019, 07:45:51 AM
I'd love to see the 1967 pilot, if anyone has a copy. It came out 3 years prior to my birth. Thank you!  :)
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: MacGyver on March 04, 2019, 07:51:54 AM
Check through this thread. Someone uploaded it to YouTube a while back; I believe the link's posted within the thread.
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: Raven on March 12, 2019, 07:48:31 PM
Sadly, Jan-Michael Vincent, who reportedly died in February 2019, played the role as Tony Prito (IMDB (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0202490/?ref_=fn_al_tt_3)) in this show. I remember him most as Stringfellow Hawke in Airwolf.
Title: Re: The Mystery of the Chinese Junk-1967 pilot
Post by: MacGyver on March 13, 2019, 06:37:15 PM
Yes, that was sad to hear.  :(
I know he portrayed Tony Prito in one of his earliest roles, but yeah- I mainly know Jan-Michael Vincent for Airwolf. (Great show!)
May God comfort his family in this sad time.