Tuesday, November 12, 2019

What Might've Been: Collector's Item (1958)

Here's an obscure, unsold pilot that was produced for CBS by 20th Century Fox in 1958.

Collector's Item was the first TV series vehicle for movie legend and art collector Vincent Price, had it actually gone to series. Price plays Henry Prentiss, who appraises rare works of art.

However, the plot of the pilot plays out like a compacted B-movie. Prentiss and his associate, Muncey (Peter Lorre), have to thwart a weasel (Thomas Gomez) who covets "The Left Fist of David". Whitney Blake, later of Hazel, co-stars.



It would be 20-odd years before Price would finally land a series of his own, co-starring with wife Coral Browne in Time Express, also for CBS. Lorre, as we know, would settle into television, landing a co-starring role opposite Gertrude Berg in Mrs. G. Goes to College, and otherwise would make a few guest appearances (i.e. Checkmate) toward the end of his career.

Rating: B.

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