Ben Casey
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Ben Casey was a medical drama series which ran on ABC from 1961 to 1966. The show was known for its iconic opening titles, which consisted of a hand drawing symbols on a chalkboard, as cast member Sam Jaffe intoned, "Man, woman, birth, death, infinity." Pioneering neurosurgeon Joseph Ransohoff was a medical consultant for the show, and may have influenced the personality of the title character.
It starred Vince Edwards as Doctor Ben Casey, a young, idealistic surgeon. His mentor was Doctor David Zorba, played by Sam Jaffe. At the beginning of the 1965 season, Zorba left the show, and Franchot Tone came in as the new Chief of Surgery, Doctor Daniel Niles Freeland. The show began running multi-episode stories, and Casey developed a romantic relationship with Jane Hancock (Stella Stevens), who had just emerged from a coma after thirteen years.
Ben Casey was seen as a rival to the contemporary medical series, Doctor Kildare.
In 1988, a television movie, The Return of Ben Casey aired, also starring Vince Edwards.
There was both a comic strip and a comic book based on the tv series. The strip was written and drawn by Neal Adams. The daily strip began on 26 November 1962, the Sunday strip on 20 September 1964, and both ended on the last day of July, 1966 (a Sunday). The half page format was the best Sunday format, and one effect by Neal Adams can only be appreciated in the half page -- a globe in one panel is a continuation of Ben Casey's head in a lower panel. The daily strip was reprinted in Menomonee Falls Gazette.
The comic book was published by Dell Comics for 10 issues from 1962-1964. All had photocovers.
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| Irvin Kershner | |
|---|---|
| 1950s | Stakeout on Dope Street | The Young Captives |
| 1960s | Hoodlum Priest | Face in the Rain | The Luck of Ginger Coffey | A Fine Madness | The Flim-Flam Man |
| 1970s | Loving | Up the Sandbox | S*P*Y*S | The Return of a Man Called Horse | Eyes of Laura Mars |
| 1980s | | Never Say Never Again |
| 1990s | RoboCop 2 |
| Productions | American Perfekt (1999) |
| Television | "Naked City" (1958 - 1963) | "The Rebel (1959-1961) | "Cain's Hundred" (1961-1962) | "Ben Casey" (1961-1966) | "Kraft Suspense Theatre" (1963 - 1965) | Raid on Entebbe (1977) | "Amazing Stories" (1985 - 1987) | SeaQuest DSV (1993) |
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