FORGOTTEN TELEVISION: BANACEK (1972-1974)

BANACEK (1972-1974) – George Peppard starred as insurance investigator Thomas Banacek solving seemingly impossible thefts in this rotating series from NBC’s Wednesday Night Mystery Movie. NBC launched the Wednesday Night Mystery series in an attempt to duplicate the success of its Sunday Night Mystery Movie which had launched iconic detective shows like Columbo, McMillan and Wife & McCloud. 

After its 2-hour pilot movie, Banacek settled into rotating with other 90-minute Wednesday night NBC detectives like Tenafly, The Snoop Sisters and others. Thomas Banacek was a Polish American insurance investigator at the top of his profession. For newbies to the concept of insurance investigators, the independent detectives among them would work to recover stolen objects which the insurance companies hiring them were on the hook for.

An insurance detective recovering the stolen item would save the parent company from having to pay the entire insurance policy amount. They would only have to pay a certain percentage to the detective solving the theft and recovering the insured object.

Banacek had become so successful and wealthy that he could afford to take on only those cases where the stolen items were worth at least a million dollars, meaning his 10 percent recovery fee would be at least $100,000. A minor pet peeve of mine is the way some descriptions of Banacek claim his fee is always 100 grand, but that’s not so. If the stolen object was worth 2 million dollars his 10 percent fee was $200,000 and so on. 

At any rate, I’ve always found the solving of the well thought out thefts on Banacek to make a nice change of pace from the usual “murder, murder, murder” plots on the other __-day Night Mystery Movies. 

The lore around Thomas Banacek involved his mansion home in Boston, his wisecracking chauffer Jay Drury (Ralph Manza), his Polish Proverbs that he spouted almost as often as Charlie Chan spouted Chinese Proverbs, and his competition with other insurance investigators out to recover the same objects he was after. Other aspects were his fleet of vintage cars, his years in the Marine Corps, his beautiful love interests and his roster of high-class & low-class informants.

Banacek had the appeal of brilliant detective work combined with the exotic nature of the occasional priceless artworks or museum relics whose thefts he would solve and recover.

PILOT MOVIE: DETOUR TO NOWHERE (Mar 20th, 1972) – Thomas Banacek is hired to solve the seemingly impossible theft of $1,600,000 in gold from an armored car traveling under police escort from Texas to Oklahoma. Our detective competes with rival insurance investigator Arthur P. McKinney (Charles Robinson) and his subordinate Carlie Kirkland (Christine Belford). Also starring Ed Nelson. 

*** SEASON ONE – Banacek‘s 90-minute mystery movies rotated with the other Wednesday Night Mystery Movie detectives, meaning he got 8 episodes per season.

LET’S HEAR IT FOR A LIVING LEGEND (Sep 13th, 1972) – Banacek is hired when an NFL quarterback astonishingly disappears in the middle of a nationally broadcast game. Pro football players Deacon Jones and Gene Washington were among the guest cast. Also with Stefanie Powers, Madlyn Rhue, Robert Webber, Conrad Janis, Anitra Ford and Michael Lerner. 

PROJECT PHOENIX (Sep 27th) – Banacek’s latest case involves the theft of a prototype automobile from a moving train. Guest stars included Joanna Pettet, Bert Convy, William Windom, Herb Adelman, Peter Mark Richman and John Fiedler.

NO SIGN OF THE CROSS (Oct 11th) – One of the coolest mysteries in this story about a centuries-old gold and jewel encrusted cross which impossibly disappears during a handover at the U.S.-Mexican border. The Mafia are also involved. Broderick Crawford, Louise Sorel, Jack MacGowran from The Exorcist and Ahna Capri from Enter the Dragon guest star. 

A MILLION THE HARD WAY (Nov 1st) – Banacek is called in when a million dollars in thousand-dollar bills are stolen from a Las Vegas casino. Guest starring Margot Kidder, Don Porter, William Bryant, Russ Marin and Angela Greene.

TO STEAL A KING (Nov 15th) – Our detective must solve the theft of a rare coin collection worth 3 million dollars – meaning Banacek’s fee would be $300,000. The collection was stolen from the vault of a Boston hotel. Guest cast includes Brenda Vaccaro, Pernell Roberts, Kevin McCarthy, Roger Carmel, Janis Paige, David Spielberg, Tod Andrews and Hope Summers. 

TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS A PAGE (Jan 10th, 1973) – A priceless book is stolen from a museum and Banacek must figure out how the theft happened and recover the item. With David Wayne, Stella Stevens, David Doyle, Richard Schaal, George “Goober” Lindsay and Ted Cassidy.

THE GREATEST COLLECTION OF THEM ALL (Jan 24th) – 23 million dollars’ worth of Impressionist Art is stolen. Banacek stands to earn $2,300,000 for recovering the items. Mike Farrell, Penny Marshall, Barbara Stuart, Penny Fuller, John Hoyt and Garry Walberg guest star.

THE TWO MILLION CLAMS OF CAP’N JACK (Feb 7th) – Just as Cap’n Jack’s Seafood Restaurants are about to go public, 2 million dollars’ worth of stock certificates disappear from a non-stop elevator taking them between floors. And what about the Crabby Patty formula?! With Jessica Walter, Andrew Duggan, William Schallert, David White and Gregory Sierra.

*** SEASON TWO – Christine Belford’s character Carlie Kirkland was added to the supporting cast, but her only purpose was to be outdone by Banacek, kind of like Ellery Queen would show up Simon Brimmer and the reporter Flanagan.

NO STONE UNTURNED (Oct 3rd) – Banacek must solve the spectacular robbery of a three-ton statue. Guest stars Gary Lockwood, Don Stroud, Candy Clark and Scott Brady. 

IF MAX IS SO SMART, WHY DOESN’T HE TELL US WHERE HE IS? (Nov 7th) – A sprawling medical computer vanishes from the high-security room in which it is housed. With Anne Baxter, Jim Davis, Richard Jordan, Sabrina Scharf, William Sylvester and Alan Fudge.

THE THREE-MILLION-DOLLAR PIRACY (Nov 21st) – Banacek is hired to recover a $3,000,000 wedding coach stolen from a ship at sea. Guest stars Dick Gautier, Arlene Martell, Susan Damante and Byron Morrow.

THE VANISHING CHALICE (Jan 15th, 1974) – Our detective is called in when an ancient chalice is revealed to be missing at its unveiling. Also starring John Saxon, Cesar Romero, Eric Braeden and Sue Anne Langdon.

HORSE OF A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT COLOR (Jan 22nd) – A racehorse is somehow replaced with another horse during a practice lap. With Tim O’Connor, Ramon Bieri, Pamela Hensley and Allen Ludden.

ROCKET TO OBLIVION (Feb 12th) – The prototype of a rocket engine is stolen while on display. Guest stars Linda Evans, Dick Van Patten, Andrew Prine, Don Gordon, Philip Carey and Jayne Kennedy.

FLY ME IF YOU CAN FIND ME (Feb 19th) – An aircraft makes a forced landing, then disappears overnight. With Victoria Principal, Jack Kelly, Carlos Romero and Dick Durock. 

NOW YOU SEE ME, NOW YOU DON’T (Mar 12th) – This final episode finds Banacek solving the mystery of a stage magician who vanishes in the middle of his act. Also starring Pat Harrington, Peter Marshall, Gretchen Corbett, Lynnette Mettey and Kathie Browne.

*** Banacek was set to be renewed for a third season, but George Peppard refused to sign on in order to spite his soon-to-be-ex-wife Elizabeth Ashley, who stood to gain a huge amount of Peppard’s earnings for any third season he made.   

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