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China Smith
Written byRobert C. Dennis
Jack Laird
Directed byGene Fowler Jr.
Leslie Goodwins
StarringDan Duryea
Douglass Dumbrille
Myrna Dell
Clarence Lung
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
Running time30 minutes
Production companyNational Telefilm Associates
Original release
NetworkFirst-run syndication
ReleaseJune 1, 1952 (1952-06-01) –
January 1, 1955 (1955-01-01)

China Smith is a 30-minute American syndicated television adventure series starring Dan Duryea. It is set in Singapore.[1] It was released in the fall of 1952. The program's alternate title was The Affairs of China Smith, and the last 26 episodes were syndicated with the title The New Adventures of China Smith.[2]

Premise

The title character was a soldier of fortune,[3] "an opportunistic con artist and sometimes private eye" who sought adventure.[2] Episodes had Smith confronting characters who ranged from Communists to "bigger crooks than he was."[3] He often helped people who were innocent but somehow were entangled with villains.[4] The other regular characters were a madam who helped Smith and a chief of police who sometimes helped and sometimes interfered.[3]

The series's pilot was shown as an episode of Schlitz Playhouse of Stars.[5]

Cast

Much of the cast and crew also worked on the film World for Ransom, which is considered an extension of the television program.

Production

Bernard Tabakin was the producer.[6] Arthur Person was the director,[7] with Robert Aldrich directing two episodes.[3] Robert C. Dennis was the writer.[8]

The series was made with a two-year gap; the first 26 episodes being filmed in Mexico in 1952, the second 26 episodes were shot in 1954-1955[2] in San Francisco and Los Angeles. The change occurred after the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) complained that the productions in Mexico deprived AFTRA members of work.[6] Divisions of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) and the American Federation of Labor (AFL) also protested the Mexican filming. Roy Brewer, who was chair of the AFL's Hollywood Film Council and representative of the West Coast IATSE, complained to Thrifty Drug Stores, which sponsored the show on KECA-TV, resulting in the company's withdrawal of the six Mexican-filmed episodes from the station.[9] Tabakin was removed from the council's "'unfair' list" after he agreed to limit production of TV shows to the United States.[10]

Production of the show was stopped in April 1954 by the Screen Actors Guild's (SAG) cancellation of the contract that it had with producer Tableau Television, Limited (TT). SAG charged that TT had not met the contract's requirements for royalty payments to actors.[11]

China Smith was financed and distributed by Proktor Syndication International[8] (PSI-TV).[12]

Episode list

No.
overall 		Title Directed by Written by Original air date
1"The Bamboo Coffin"Arthur PiersonRobert C. Dennis ()
2"Celestial Pebbles"Arthur PiersonRobert C. Dennis ()
3"The Corpse With The Purple Ear"Arthur PiersonRobert C. Dennis ()
4"Cruise To Colombo"Arthur PiersonStory by : Lindsay Hardy
Teleplay by : Robert C. Dennis		 ()
5"Curse Of The River Gods"TBDTBD ()
6"Devil-In-The-Godown"Edward MannRobert C. Dennis1952 (1952)
7"Dynasty Of The Dead"TBDRobert C. Dennis1952 (1952)
8"Espionage Express"TBDTBD ()
9"High Sea"Arthur PiersonRobert C. Dennis ()
10"The Jade Trap"TBDTBD ()
11"Jungle Dragon"Arthur PiersonRobert C. Dennis ()
12"The Kaprielian Cipher"Arthur PiersonRobert C. Dennis ()
13"Killer In The Kampong"Arthur PiersonRobert C. Dennis ()
14"Kris Of Death"Edward MannRobert C. Dennis ()
15"Moon Flower"TBDRobert C. Dennis1952 (1952)
16"My Ship Has A Golden Keel"TBDRobert C. Dennis1952 (1952)
17"Pagoda In The Jungle"Arthur PiersonRobert C. Dennis1952 (1952)
18"The Phantom Sampan"Arthur PiersonRobert C. Dennis ()
19"Port Of Thieves"TBDRobert C. Dennis1952 (1952)
20"Shanghai Clipper"Robert AldrichRobert C. Dennis1952 (1952)
21"Straight Settlement"Robert AldrichStory by : Robert C. Dennis
Teleplay by : Lindsay Hardy		 ()
22"The Tanaka Archive"TBDRobert C. Dennis1952 (1952)
23"The Wondrous Funeral Of Sergeant Ko"TBDRobert C. Dennis1952 (1952)
24"Wreath Of Poppies"TBDRobert C. Dennis1952 (1952)
25"The Year Of The Phoenix"Arthur PiersonRobert C. Dennis1952 (1952)
26"Zorana The Destroyer"TBDRobert C. Dennis1952 (1952)

References

  1. ^ McNeil, Alex (1996). Total Television: the Comprehensive Guide to Programming from 1948 to the Present (4th ed.). New York, New York: Penguin Books USA, Inc. p. 162. ISBN 0-14-02-4916-8.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle F. (2009). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present. Random House Publishing Group. p. 251. ISBN 978-0-307-48320-1. Retrieved February 4, 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d Peros, Mike (2016). Dan Duryea: Heel with a Heart. University Press of Mississippi. p. 87. ISBN 978-1-4968-0995-7. Retrieved February 4, 2022.
  4. ^ Terrace, Vincent (2011). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010 (2nd ed.). Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. p. 19. ISBN 978-0-7864-6477-7.
  5. ^ "film report" (PDF). Broadcasting. July 28, 1952. p. 79. Retrieved February 5, 2022.
  6. ^ a b Erickson, Hal (1989). Syndicated Television: The First Forty Years, 1947-1987'. McFarland & Company, Inc. pp. 19–20. ISBN 0-7864-1198-8.
  7. ^ "film report" (PDF). Broadcasting. April 28, 1952. p. 76. Retrieved February 5, 2022.
  8. ^ a b "There's No Business Like TV Talent" (PDF). Broadcasting. May 12, 1952. p. 90. Retrieved February 5, 2022.
  9. ^ "West Coast AFL Protests Foreign-Made Films" (PDF). Broadcasting. February 9, 1953. p. 71. Retrieved February 5, 2022.
  10. ^ "Tabakin's Films Off 'List'" (PDF). Broadcasting. February 13, 1953. p. 39. Retrieved February 5, 2022.
  11. ^ Pryor, Thomas M. (April 20, 1954). "Film Guild ends TV concern's pact". The New York Times. p. 36. Retrieved February 4, 2022.
  12. ^ "film report" (PDF). Broadcasting. August 25, 1952. p. 70. Retrieved February 5, 2022.
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