Hawk

"Hawk" (1966) had a brilliant core idea of filming a detective series on location in New York City at night. Making the central character an American Indian and casting 30-year old Burt Reynolds as Lt. John Hawk were also extremely smart moves. (David Carradine was also considered for the role of Hawk.) This show had enormous promise.

"Hawk" was created by Emmy winner Allan Sloane ("Teacher, Teacher", "East Side, West Side", "The Breaking Point"). Sloane also wrote several strong episodes. The executive producer was Hubbell Robinson ("Boris Karloff's Thriller", "87th Precint"), who always strove for quality.

The stories were literate and intriguing (coming from the same people who were doing "The Defenders" and the other top dramatic shows of the day.) The casting of guests was impeccable, often drawing from the fine pool of actors working out of New York City. Some of the guest stars were Gene Hackman, Robert Duvall, Martin Sheen, Frank Converse, Philip Bosco, Scott Glenn, Diana Muldaur, Diane Baker, Louise Sorel, Bradford Dillman, Carol Rossen, James Best, Emily Prager and Beverlee McKinsey.

The main problem with the series was that the character of John Hawk was an arrogant jerk, apparently modeled after Ben Casey with a little Marlon Brando thrown in. Hawk had a big chip on his shoulder. It was impossible to like him. Burt Reynolds was never more appealing than as "half-breed" blacksmith Quint Asper on "Gunsmoke" for two years in the early 60's. The writers and producers should have let Reynolds play Hawk more like Quint Asper.

Another weakness was that Hawk always had to be right and always had to perform the heroics solo. This made Hawk even more insufferable. The producers should have given Hawk a partner who was an equal rather than an eager beaver trainee. Gerald S. O'Loughlin, Ossie Davis or Frank Converse could have been good choices for Hawk's partner. Reynolds could have easily developed a humorous, easy rapport with any of those actors. The partner could have shared some of the heroics and might even have made fun of John Hawk's preening self-importance.

Even with its weaknesses, "Hawk" was an excellent effort, and I wish it had lasted longer. With just a little tweaking of the main character, this could have been one of the finest TV cop shows in history. Indeed, th premise of "Hawk" was so good, it could be remade as a series today.

It's not often that a television series attempts to push the envelope on a social issue, but this program was one that tried to do it, even as it presented itself as a standard cop show.

Lieutenant John Hawk, as played by Burt Reynolds, was an NYPD detective working with the DA's office on various cases. But Hawk wasn't just a detective, he was a full blooded Iroquois tribesman. Elements of the show had Hawk battling not just the "bad guys," but also fellow officers whose racism and prejudice had them challenging and attempting to diminish his accomplishments.

Notably Mr. Reynolds did have some Native American blood on his father's side of the family. He was part Cherokee and was playing an Indian on the CBS western, "Gunsmoke" before he got this role, his first lead in any TV or film production.

Hawk had a partner, Detective Dan Carter, played by Wayne Grice. Just in case the issues of racism weren't obvious enough for you, Hawk's partner was a Black American, which may have been an attempt to capitalize on another popular series of the day, "I Spy." Carter was what we would call today, a nerd: a by the book, stay out of trouble, high intelligence level cop just out to do the job. He was the opposite of Hawk, low-key, avoid the confrontation and keep the peace kind of fellow.

The way they handled the story of Hawk's history was an interesting choice. There were some episodes of the series where it didn't come into play at all, while others where it was a major part of the storyline. It's clear that they were really trying to have the issue of Hawk's heritage be a part of the plot in organic ways, rather than it being a requisite element of every week's episode.

Also important was that Burt Reynolds did just about all of his own stunts in the show. If a fight scene needed to be a part of that week's episode, it was Burt throwing the punches, which added a level of gritty realism to the process. And, of course, there were a lot of fight scenes to be done.

New York played a part in that Hawk was typically a "Second Shifter," so he was working nights and overnights. The bright lights of the Big City came into play, as Hawk drove around town in his blue 1966 Pontiac Bonneville with the siren light on the dashboard. So stylish!

Burt even got to direct an episode or two of the series as it ran, which gave him more opportunities to slug the bad guys and show off the sights and sounds of New York, as the series was filmed on location.

Thanks to Reynolds' eventual success in acting, this show has has managed to remain on the pop culture scene, though the elements of his ancestry might bring the question of cultural appropriation, nowadays. After all, his Native roots were barely acknowledged in any of his roles that followed.

The fatal problem for the program was the schedule. "Hawk" ran opposite the hugely popular "The Dean Martin Show" on NBC, and even a straight-shooting cop like Hawk couldn't outrun a Rat Packer.

Burt Reynolds was at his surliest and angriest in Screen Gems' production, Hawk, a series by Allen Sloane, writer of TV shows with a socially relevant point of view. Unfortunately, Hawk was cancelled with only 17 episodes broadcast, unable to compete with Dean Martin and a movie of the week.

Hawk was gritty and was filmed that way. It didn't have the overall natural feel of the groundbreaking Naked City but its night scenes of a shabby, grungy, sleazy 1966 Manhattan filmed in color have an eerie quality enhanced by the spooky music of the great Kenyon Hopkins. (Nelson Riddle's one episode has riffs too similar to the Batman series.) This is the dangerous Manhattan that was the backdrop for Death Wish in 1974. Hawk's New York is a city populated by psycho-killers, mobsters, maniacs, mental cases, punks, nightcrawlers and assorted career criminals.

Reynolds generally had two expressions in Hawk, angry and angrier, with a soft spot for some ladies but he was never given a steady girlfriend. His father was a high iron worker who fell to his death and this propels Hawk, especially in one episode when he goes after a corrupt contractor. Hawk was blunt and direct, not concerned about offending anyone including his superiors, suspects and potential sources of information. He had an African-American coworker and sidekick played well by Wayne Grice who saved him from death a few times, including getting crushed in an industrial size compactor.

When it came to the action scenes, common sense and proper procedure was usually neglected. Faced with gun-totting thugs, Hawk would fling himself bodily at them like a bull and get into wild, furniture smashing brawls. In most episodes he would take brutal beatings that would put anyone in the hospital, unlike most TV detectives who'd win every fight. Mannix was hit over the head once a week but Hawk took a far worse beating in almost every show. Reynolds did his own stunts and as he grew older the effects of these stunts took its toll. He could barely walk near the end of life.

Many guest stars went on to great fame or solid careers. Tony LoBianco is a thief who steals heroin, predating the French Connection. Frank Converse, fresh off Coronet Blue and a year from N.Y.P.D., is a crooked cop working for the mob. Gene Hackman is a frightening religious fanatic who murders strangers. Robert Duval is a killer after negotiable bonds. Many of the female guest stars went on to prolific New York soap opera careers.

The directors were an accomplished lot including Sam Wanamaker, Alexander Singer and Paul Henreid. Reynolds directed one episode, Blind Man's Bluff that starred his close friend James Best as a psychopathic killer targeting cabbies.

One of the best episodes was Wall of Silence featuring Emily Prager as a very pretty autistic teen who witnesses the shooting of a policeman by punk Scott Glenn but doesn't understand what she's seen, can't speak and is Hawk's only witness. It was one of the early shows (besides Breaking Point starring Paul Richards) that explored the relatively unknown condition of autism. Her character is something of a "baby doll," a behavioral trait that would probably not be permitted in a modern script.

After Reynolds passed away. Get TV programmed post-midnight episodes of Hawk for two weeks. The slicker California-based Dan August was shown during the day. Less angry than Hawk, August was not too far removed in temperament. Since Coronet Blue was released on DVD last year, there's still hope for Hawk getting a release one day.

Hawk retains the grittiness of an earlier Screen Gems series, Naked City, but has a nice touch with it's use of color film in mostly night shots. One of the best aspects is the sound by Don Kirshner, and the very eerie nocturnal theme music by Kenyon Hopkins played while Hawk drives his 1966 Pontiac Bonneville up 7th Avenue at 11:52:59 pm (according to a digital clock).

"HAWK" was a crime drama/police series with a twist that made it difference from all other cop shows that were around during the 1960's. The series,starring Burt Reynolds came around after his stint as Quint Asper,the "half-breed" blacksmith/assistant deputy ended during his tenture on "Gunsmoke" from 1962-1965 whom he starred in 50 episodes.

His new status in this series would be totally different,and it would be known that "HAWK" was the first detective series to feature an Native-American in a positive role. And this short-lived series would be some four years before he would star in another detective series "Dan August". Of the 17 episodes that this series produced,it was filmed on location in New York City and in color and it ran on ABC-TV from September 8,1966 until December 29,1966. It was one of the shortest shows that premiered on the ABC fall line-up for the 1966-1967 season. "HAWK" lasted no more than four months on the air but it had a great premise. When it premiered it had some strong competition opposite on the network's Thursday night line-up where it went up against "The Dean Martin Show",the situation comedy series "My Three Sons",not to mention "The CBS Thursday Night Movie" which clobbered it in the ratings. Burt Reynolds character of Lt. John Hawk was a full-blooded Iroquois Indian assigned to the District Attorney's Office in New York City. He works the nightbeat(or graveyard shift)with his partner Detective Dan Carter(Wayne Grice)and is assigned cases under the Assistant District Attorney Murray Slaken(Bruce Glover)and the Assistant District Attorney Ed Gorton(Leon Janney). The cases where he was involved with sent him from the rich and the poor from the exclusive penthouses along Park Avenue,to the run down tenaments of the West Side. Some of the stories from this series were literate and intriguing not to mention brilliant(coming from the same producers who were behind "The Defenders","East Side/West Side",and "Naked City" with other dramatic shows that exploded during that era)writing from this series coming from the talents of Edward Adler,Donald Mankiewicz and Albert Ruben. Not to mention some excellent directing from Paul Henreid, Alexander Singer,Leonard Horn,Richard Benedict,Tom Donavan,and one episode that put Burt Reynolds behind the camera in a emotional episode titled "Blind Man's Buff".

Some of the episodes that this series produced were excellent in their own right which included not only "Blind Man's Buff",but also "Wall of Silence","The Hands of Corbin Claybrooke","Some Devil Whispered in his Ear",and "H Is A Dirty Letter". The guest stars that came onboard were some of the finest and it featured an array of talent that consisted of Gene Hackman, Robert Duvall,Martin Sheen, Frank Converse,Diana Muldaur, Diane Baker,Ossie Davis,Bradford Dillman,and Louise Sorel. However,the star of this series of Burt Reynolds himself who was half-Indian. Originally aired on ABC from 9/8/1966 thru 12/29/1966 and was cancelled after 17 episodes. However,ABC found a replacement for this series in January of 1967. However,ten years later after it was cancelled in 1966 and hoping to capitalize on Burt Reynolds' later development into a huge celebrity not to mention box office star,NBC-TV aired repeated episodes during April of 1976 thru August of 1976 in prime-time