TENAFLY (1973-1974) – The same television season that Richard Roundtree’s Shaft was adapted as a small-screen series, another black detective show titled Tenafly debuted.
James McEachin starred as Harry Tenafly, a private detective with the high-end detective agency Hightower Investigations, Inc. Harry was a former Los Angeles police detective who left the force for a higher salary with Hightower.
Richard Levinson and William Link, the creators of Columbo, also created Tenafly and like Columbo, Tenafly was one of the 90-minute detective shows that rotated appearances on NBC’s Mystery Movies series.
Harry Tenafly was a devoted husband to his wife Ruth (Lillian Lehman) and loving father to their two sons. His regulation contact on the police force was Lt. Sam Church, played by the ubiquitous David Huddleston.
THE EPISODES:
TENAFLY: PILOT MOVIE (Feb 12th, 1973) – Private detective Harry Tenafly must juggle two mysteries, one professional and the other personal. For Hightower Investigations he investigates the murder of the wife of an edgy, intentionally controversial talk radio host Ted Harris (Ed Nelson). On the personal side, his Aunt Gertrude (Lillian Phillips) wants him to find her missing husband, Harry’s Uncle Walter (Bill Walker). Also with Mel Ferrer, Rosanna Huffman and Don Bexley of Sanford and Son. This Pilot Movie filled a two-hour slot with commercials.
JOYRIDE TO NOWHERE (Oct 10th) – Tenafly is assigned to find out who is behind a rash of robberies and harassment of a taxi company’s drivers when one of them gets murdered. Harry vents when the case evolves into as much danger as he used to face as a cop. Tom Bosley, Tina Andrews, Henry Brown, Ross Martin and Larry Storch guest star.
THE CASH AND CARRY CAPER (Oct 31st) – Harry’s latest case involves handling security for the public display of priceless jewels which might get stolen by a ring of thieves on a spree. A bit of a Banacek feel in this episode when the gems get grabbed and a murder is committed. Also with Morris Buchanan, Melissa Gilbert, Jessica Walter, Luciana Paluzzi, William Windom and Sid Melton.
THE WINDOW THAT WASN’T (Dec 5th) – It’s up to Tenafly to determine if a young woman of questionable honesty (Sharon Jackson) really did witness a murder or if it’s a self-aggrandizing tall tale. Also starring THE Ruby Dee, Ramon Bieri and Robert Webber.
MAN RUNNING (Jan 2nd, 1974) – Harry does more security work and probes a series of high-end burglaries which he feels are being committed by a parking attendant who covertly makes copies of the keys provided by drivers. Joseph Campanella, Bob Crane, Sal Mineo, Dolores Dorn and Clyde Kusatsu guest star.
*** Unfortunately, that was the last episode of Tenafly. Like several other detective shows which were introduced as potential hits in the mold of McMillan & Wife and McCloud, it failed to catch on with viewers. Ironically, I’d like to watch a series called McEachin, covering the remarkable real life of Tenafly‘s star.
James McEachin joined the army in 1948, served with distinction in the Korean War (1950-1953), then went on to work as a cop, a firefighter and a record industry figure before a long career as an actor. He became an award-winning author in later life. McEachin passed away just last year at age 94.
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