Honey West: The Complete Series (4pc) (Full B&W)

From VCI Entertainment comes the complete Honey West television series. Honey West stars Anne Francis in the title role, as a young and versatile female private eye, along with John Ericson as her loyal sidekick, Sam Bolt. The two get into many adventures and uncover lots of interesting cases & mysteries. This 4 disc set comprises all 30 episodes of the series first and only season.

DISC ONE: (chapter stops placed after the opening theme song of each episode)

"The Swingin' Mrs. Jones" - written by Gwen Bagni & Paul Dubov, directed by Paul Wendkos: Honey goes undercover at a fancy singles resort to track down a rich woman's blackmailer. This, the first episode in the series, sets the tone, showcasing Honey West's sleuthing expertise, martial arts skills, and seductive prowess, as well as her professional (yet flirty) relationship with partner Sam Bolt. The episode features Honey's first use of her 2-way radio compact communicator device as well as a tear gas earrings gadget. (25:23 - includes a "Next Week" promo)

"The Owl and The Eye" - written by William Bast, directed by Paul Wendkos: Honey plays cat burglar in order to help safeguard a rare jade owl which winds up stolen. Check out Honey slip up a pack of dogs, in once scene, using a fire extinguisher. (25:26 - includes a "Next Week" promo)

"The Abominable Snowman" - written by Glen Bagni & Paul Dubov, directed by Paul Wendkos: Honey's client is killed in a car crash with only a snow globe and the word "Snowman" as the only clues. This episode marks the first appearance of Honey's car phone (and Honey taking a bubble bath). (25:26 - includes a "Next Week" promo)

"A Matter of Wife and Death" - written by Tony Barret, directed by John Florea: Honey must protect a female executive who has been targeted for assassination. But who is the killer dressed in a frogman diving suit? Watch for Honey's brief catfight sequence. (25:26)

"Live a Little, Kill a Little" - written by Tony Barrett, directed by Murray Golden: Honey is hired to find a missing girl who is running from a murderous boyfriend. (25:28)

"Whatever Lola Wants...." - written by William Bast, directed by John Peyser: Honey is unknowingly hired by a killer to stop an embezzler. Will she be his next victim? This episode features a gas pen gadget. (25:17)

"The Princess and The Paupers" - written by Leonard Stadd, directed by Virgil W. Vogel: The lead singer of a `Beatlesesque music band known as The Paupers, is kidnapped and held for ransom. It's up to Honey to track him down. Actor Michael J. Pollard (Bonnie and Clyde & Tango and Cash) guest stars. Honey looks great in a black bikini. (25:06)

"In The Bag" - written by Gwen Bagni & Paul Dubov, directed by Seymour Robbie: Honey stumbles onto a diamond smuggling scheme when a little girl, in her care, gets her bag switched with the crooks'. Maureen McCormick (TVs Marcia Brady from The Brady Bunch)) guest stars. This episode features a homing beacon pen gadget. (25:27)

Extra Features:
Glamour Shots Photo Gallery - Includes 18 images of Anne Francis & co-stars from the series. (2:26)
Vintage Commercials - Hunts Steakhouse Catsup, Wesson Cooking Oil, The FBI TV Series, Maybelline Eye makeup (X2), Intensified Tide Laundry Detergent, Wilkinson Sword Ltd. Razor Blades, U.S. Savings Bonds. 8 commercials total. (6:25)

Total Running Time Approximately 212 Min.

DISC TWO: (chapter stops placed after the opening theme song of each episode)

"The Flame and The Pussycat" - written by George Clayton Johnson, directed by James Goldstone: An arsonist is on the loose burning warehouses. Can Honey figure out his motives before she gets burned too? (25:27)

"A Neat Little Package" - written by Gwen Bagni & Paul Dubov, directed by Murray Golden: A newsstand owner suffering from memory loss hires Honey to help figure out the missing pieces of his past. This episode features a camera watch gadget. (25:18)

"A Stitch In Crime" - written by Gwen Bagni & Paul Dubov, directed by John Peyser: When $100,000 worth of designer eveningwear is stolen from Honey, will she be able to track them back down in time for the big fashion show in San Francisco? Catch a hilarious scene with Honey and Sam dressed as beatniks. (25:25)

"A Million Bucks In Anybody's Language" - written by Tony Barrett, directed by John Florea: Honey must discover who is responsible for the death of her latest client, who also happens to be another private investigator. Check out Honey in a sexy tiger skinned outfit. (25:25)

"The Gray Lady" - written by William Link & Richard Levinson, directed by Walter Grauman: A chameleon jewel thief (who only steals from celebrities) keeps Honey guessing when he steals from her latest client. This episode utilizes a special television monitoring device (as well as a memorable Honey fight sequence). Kevin McCarthy (Invasion of the Body Snatchers,UHF) guest stars. (25:27)

"Invitation To Limbo" - written by William Link & Richard Levinson, directed by Tom Gries: Honey must thwart a hypnotist from stealing valuable corporate files. Wayne Rogers (TV's Trapper John on M*A*S*H) guest stars. (25:27)

"Rockabye The Hard Way" - written by Gwen Bagni & Paul Dubov, directed by Bill Colleran: Honey travels to Mexico in order to recover a missing American with important military secrets. Joe Don Baker (Fletch, GoldenEye) has a small supporting role. (25:27)

"A Nice Little Till To Tap" - written by Tony Barrett, directed by Jerry Hopper: Honey goes undercover, as a teller, in order to nab a bank robber. (25:26)

Extra Features:
Behind The Scenes Photo Gallery - 21 images (2:49)
Vintage Commercials - Sucrets Throat Lozenges, Carnation Instant Breakfast, Coffe-mate, Cover Girl, Sylvania Blue Dot Flash Cubes, Pall Mall Cigarettes, Tareyton Cigarettes. 7 commercials total. (6:12)

Total Running Time Approximately 212 Min.

DISC THREE: (chapter stops placed after the opening theme song of each episode)

"How Brillig, O, Beamish Boy" - written by Don Ingalls, directed by Ida Lupino: Sam is kidnapped and held for ransom. Can Honey save him? This episode features an exploding pen gadget. (25:28)

"King of The Mountain" - written by Jay Simms, directed by Thomas Carr: Honey goes undercover as a private nurse for a rich, but possibly shady, recluse. A different type of camera watch is used in this episode. (25:18)

"It's Earlier Than You Think" - written by Marc Brandel, directed by James Brown: A dying man dressed up like Abraham Lincoln bursts into Honey's office with a very old newspaper. Who is after him and why? A hidden compartment ring gadget is featured in this episode. (25:28)

"The Perfect Un-Crime" - written by Ken Kolb, directed by Sidney Miller: A man with a good conscience hires Honey to put back the money he stole from the company he works for. (25:29)

"Like Visions and Omens and All That Jazz" - written by Tony Barrett, directed by John Florea: An heiress hires Honey to keep an eye on her daughter, who she believes has been targeted for murder. (25:28)

"Don't Look Now, But Isn't That Me" - written by Gwen Bagni & Paul Dubov, directed by James Brown: Honey's seeing double when an imposter, looking just like her, is stealing valuable furs. Anne Francis is a hoot in the dual role of Pandora Fox. A bolo belt gadget is used in this episode. (25:27)

"Come To Me, My Litigation Baby" - written by Gwen Bagni & Paul Dubov, directed by Thomas Carr: An insurance company hires Honey to run surveillance on a recently crippled man to see if he truly sustained his injuries or is in fact a fraud. This episode features the humorous "Honey West Walk" dance routine. (25:16)

Extra Features:
Vintage Commercials - Lucky Strike cigarettes, Pall Mall cigarettes, Traffic Safety, El Producto cigars, Prell shampoo, Chanel #5 perfume (X2), Vectra pantyhose, American Motors, Chiffon margarine, Crest toothpaste (X2), The UN in Action, Muriel cigars, Seven Seas salad dressing. 15 commercials total. (11:08)

Total Running Time Approximately 189 Min.

DISC FOUR: (chapter stops placed after the opening theme song of each episode)

"Slay, Gypsy, Slay" - written by Tony Barrett, directed by James Brown: A wealthy business man is kidnapped by a group of gypsies. Can Honey find him before its too late? John Ericson is hilarious in one scene disguised as an elderly man. There's also an amusing fight sequence with a gorilla. (25:27)

"The Fun-Fun Killer" - written by Art Weingarten, directed by Murray Golden: Things turn deadly at a toy factory when a metallic robot turns to murder. TRIVIA FACT: The same robot would later show up, that same year, in the Gilligan's Island Season Two episode: "Gilligan's Living Doll." (25:28)

"Pop Goes The Easel" - teleplay by Lila Garrett & Bernie Kahn, story by Gail Allen & Chris Christensen, directed by James Brown: Aunt Meg has her can of chicken gumbo soup stolen at a supermarket in what appears to be a huge publicity stunt involving an eccentric painter. (25:26)

"Little Green Robin Hood" - written by Ken Kolb, directed by Sidney Miller: A deluded jewel thief, who claims to be Robin Hood, preys on a rich woman...and charms Honey. Can she figure out this mystery? The episode features a homing beacon ring gadget. Eleanor Audley (the voice of Maleficent in Walt Disney's Sleeping Beauty) guest stars. (25:27)

"Just The Bear Facts, Ma'am" - written by Gwen Bagni & Paul Dubov, directed by James Brown: Honey and Sam go undercover as stunt doubles on a movie set in order to discover the truth behind a woman's death. The episode features an amusing Silent Movie dream sequence. (25:16)

"There's A Long, Long, Fuse a Burning" - written by Gwen Bagni & Paul Dubov, directed by Thomas Carr: An ex-con & bomb expert is the police's prime suspect when a recent tirade of explosions begins to occur all over town. Dick Clark (American Bandstand) guest stars. (25:28)

"An Eerie, Airy, Thing" - written by William Link & Richard Levinson, directed by James Brown: An old war buddy of Sam's threatens to jump to his death unless his wife takes him back. (25:26)

Extra Features:
Vintage Commercials - Sweeta Sweetener, Old Spice cologne (X2), El Producto cigars, PSA, High Sierra After Shave, Baby Magic Lotion, The United Way, Dippity-Do Setting Gel, White Rain Hairspray, Muriel cigars, Voyage To The Bottom of The Sea & The FBI (X2) TV promos, Twelve O'Clock High + The Legend of Jesse James & A Man Called Shenandoah, Breck Shampoo & Hairspray, ABC TV Schedule by Honey West, TV Guide. 17 commercials total.

Total Running Time Approximately 189 Min.


This series is a lot of fun and Anne Francis is great to watch. The remastered picture and sound quality are quite impressive for a series this old. Only a scant few shots are very grainy at times, but overall the episodes look very good. While the Photo Galleries and Vintage Commercials are a nice touch, it would have been even more fun to include interviews and/or commentary tracks with Anne Francis herself. She no doubt would have shared a lot of insightful stories that went on during the filming of this classic series. The show itself has a nice blend of action, drama, and tongue & cheek humor that's fun and exciting. In one scene, where the "bad guys" fall into an electrified pool of water, a man asks Honey, "Are they dead?" Honey slyly replies, "No, just stunned. Electrocution is illegal in California." Pick this series up and rediscover Honey West all over again.


Honey West - The Complete Series (1965-66)
4 Discs, 30 Episodes
B&W 802 Mins. Not Rated
Dolby Digital English Language Only (No Subtitles)
Original Fullframe Presentation (1.33:1)

This is a spectacular DVD set of 1960s television series Honey West, similar to Rockford Files but with a difference. The show stars Anne Francis as a private investigator who works with a male partner named "Sam" (John Ericson). She runs her late father's Los Angeles detective agency with such gadgets only to be seen in a James Bond movie; tear gas earrings, a radio transmitter disguised as a martini olive or a pendant necklace and many other forms of electronic devices. Honey is not only sexy and glamorous, but also proficient in karate and judo and not afraid to use a firearm to defend her-self. The first episode, "The Swingin' Mrs. Jones" establishes the show's cool vibe and cult appeal in which she goes undercover as a society matron to quash a blackmail ring that preys upon wealthy women. In the episode, "Whatever Lola Wants...." Honey is hired to escort a man to a charity ball; unaware that he is a murderer. She gets caught in a scam involving the horse racing. Ultimately with the help of her partner she manages to catch the bad guys. In the episode, "The Princess and the Paupers" Honey is called by the father of a kidnapped rock musician for help. First it appears as a publicity stunt, but turns into extortion and a murder mystery. In another episode, Honey saves young girl when she is lost at the airport ("In the Bag"). This cleverly plotted half hour black-and-white episodes feature witty dialogue, jazzy scores and great action. In 1965, when Honey West premiered, spies and detectives rivaled cowboys in popularity. Honey was the first female detective with her own series, the first season aired 30 great episodes and they are available in 4 DVDs (one set). Supporting role is greatly provided by Sam; he usually sits in the high-tech surveillance van talking to Honey via a radio. Their relationship was kept platonic, and professional, in spite of this the show gets better and better as you watch all the episodes from beginning to end. This DVD set is highly recommended to all fans of spies, detectives, and cop shows. The 30 episode descriptions (storylines) are as follows:
1. "The Swingin' Mrs. Jones"
Honey goes undercover as a society matron to quash a blackmail ring that preys upon wealthy women.
2. "The Owl and the Eye"
In order to test a museum's security system, an insurance company hires Honey to steal a jade carving that they have insured.
3. "The Abominable Snowman"
After agreeing to deliver a novelty salesman's sample case, Honey becomes marked for death.
4. "A Matter of Wife and Death"
Someone tries to sink a ship carrying Honey and a woman who hired her after receiving anonymous death threats.
5. "Live a Little, Kill a Little"
Honey and an assassin race to find the former girl friend of an underworld leader.
6. "Whatever Lola Wants...."
Honey is hired to escort a man to a charity ball; unaware that he is a murderer.
7. "The Princess and the Paupers"
Honey is called in when the kidnapping of a rock and roll star, first thought to be a publicity stunt, turns into a murder mystery.
8. "In the Bag"
A precocious young girl whom Honey was escorting between her divorced parents gets lost at the airport.
9. "The Flame and the Pussycat"
Honey and Sam must catch a warehouse arsonist in order to secure a contract with an insurance company.
10. "A Neat Little Package"
A news-dealer survives a car wreck with amnesia and a mysterious $175,000.
11. "A Stitch in Crime"
Honey is hired to recover a stolen dress collection valued at $100,000.
12. "A Million Bucks in Anybody's Language"
Honey investigates the death of a P.I. whose car exploded shortly after he called Honey for help, and she uncovers a plan to print fake British pounds.
13. "The Gray Lady"
Honey goes after a master thief who stole an actress's jewel collection while she was being interviewed on TV. NOTE: This was the actual pilot for the series, and has a different opening sequence and music.
14. "Invitation to Limbo"
An electronics firm hires Honey to find an industrial spy who has been leaking company secrets.
15. "Rockabye the Hard Way"
Honey and Sam journey to Mexico to investigate the drugging of a truck driver whose cargo of missile parts was stolen.
16. "A Nice Little Till to Tap"
A suave master thief starts dating Honey in the hopes of getting inside information needed to pull off a bank robbery.
17. How Brillig, O, Beamish Boy"
A man kidnaps Sam and is willing to exchange him for a parcel that Honey has been hired to guard.
18. "King of the Mountain"
Honey goes undercover as a nurse on the secluded estate of a missing company president she's been hired to find.
19. "It's Earlier Than You Think"
A mortally wounded man carrying an 1865 newspaper wanders into Honey's flat and with his dying breath tells her to warn President Lincoln of an assassination plot.
20. "The Perfect Un-Crime"
An embezzler who has had second thoughts hires Honey and Sam to return the money he had stolen to the company vault before his employer discovers it is missing.
21. "Like Visions and Omens and All That Jazz"
A psychic accurately predicts several attempts to kill an heiress.
22. "Don't Look Now, But Isn't That Me"
Honey gets in trouble when her lookalike steals some furs that she has been hired to guard.
23. Come to Me, My Litigation Baby"
An insurance company hires Honey to validate a cowboy's claim that he was paralyzed by falling down a flight of stairs.
24. "Slay, Gypsy, Slay"
Honey and Sam are led to a gypsy camp while on the trail of kidnappers.
25. "The Fun-Fun Killer"
Honey and Sam have three suspects for the murder of a toy manufacturer.
26. "Pop Goes the Easel"
When two men steal a can of soup from Aunt Peg at the supermarket, Honey and Sam get involved with a famous pop artist.
27. "Little Green Robin Hood"
Honey and Sam go after a modern day "Robin Hood" who has been victimizing the ritzy Sherwood Park area.
28. "Just the Bear Facts Ma'am"
When a stuntwoman is killed during a routine stunt, Honey is called in to discover if the death was really accidental.
29. "There's a Long, Long, Fuse A'Burning"
Honey comes to the aid of a recently released convict who gets into trouble when someone starts a series of thefts using his M.O.
30. "An Eerie, Airy, Thing"
A man who threatens to jump out of a window unless his wife is brought to him, is unaware that she is dead.

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3. Charlie's Angels - The Complete Second Season
4. The Greatest '70s Cop Shows (Charlie's Angels / Starsky and Hutch / S.W.A.T. / Police Woman / The Rookies)
5. The Rockford Files - Season One
6. The Rockford Files - Season Two
7. The Rockford Files - Season Three
8. Police Woman - The Complete First Season
9. Columbo - The Complete First Season
10. Starsky & Hutch - The Complete First Season

From VCI Classic TV comes the little-known and short-lived 1965 series, Honey West, starring Forbidden Planet's Anne Francis as the unflappable girl detective; John Ericson as her indispensable partner, Sam Bolt; Irene Hervey as Aunt Meg; and Bruce the beauty-cream-eating ocelot as himself. The set consists of 4 single-sided DVDs packed in one standard-size keepcase. The collection contains all 30 half-hour adventures (all of which are in black-and-white), but does not include the episode of Burke's Law that first introduced the Honey West character.

Honey West is sort of a female version of James Bond who deftly fights off blackmailers, counterfeiters, gorillas and giant robots with a devastating barrage of karate chops and judo flips before escaping in her slick AC Cobra sports car. She and her assistant, Sam (who's always monitoring the situation from the H.W. Bolt & Co. TV Repair spy van) utilize a limitless array of clever gizmos like walkie-talkie sunglasses, wristwatch cameras and smoke bomb earrings to gather evidence on the bad guys. Most of the adventures require Honey to work undercover as anything from a nurse to a Hollywood stuntwoman and there's always a surprising plot twist at the end. The shows are endlessly entertaining, even when some of the plots get a bit far-fetched toward the end of the series.

Throughout these fun-filled episodes, you'll see many noteworthy guest stars, such as: The Bad Seed's Henry Jones in "The Abominable Snowman;" Hazzard County sheriff, Roscoe P. Coltrane (James Best) in "A Matter of Wife and Death;" teen idol, Bobby Sherman, in "The Princess and the Paupers;" Marcia Brady (a.k.a. Maureen McCormick) in "In the Bag;" Invasion of the Body Snatchers star, Kevin McCarthy, in "The Gray Lady;" Mayberry's own Floyd the barber, Howard McNear, in "A Nice Little Till to Tap;" James Bond's steel-toothed nemesis, Jaws (Richard Kiel), in "King of the Mountain;" Alan Reed, better known as the voice of Fred Flintstone, in "Don't Look Now, But Isn't That Me;" a trampoline-jumping Grandma Walton (Ellen Corby) in "Come to Me, My Litigation Baby;" Marvin Kaplan (Henry from the popular 70'sTV series, Alice) in "The Fun-Fun Killer;" and TV icon, Dick Clark, in "There's a Long, Long Fuse A' Burning."

Aside from a couple of slideshow-style photo galleries, the chief extra in this collection is a nostalgic smorgasbord of vintage commercials that ran when the program originally aired. Isn't that wild?! I wish all classic TV DVD sets included this feature. Amid these classic ads are pitches for revolutionary products like Intensified Tide (dirt can't hide from it); Sylvania Blue Dot flashcubes; Sweeta artificial sweetener from Squib; and the first ever soft margarine from Chiffon--so soft, it comes in a tub. Other innovative items spotlighted include Hunts Steak House Catsup; a delicious lineup of creamy salad dressings from Seven Seas; NEW Carnation Instant Breakfast and Coffee Mate non-dairy creamer, the creamer that needs no refrigeration. You'll also learn about a new filtered formula of Breck hair set mist, as well as a hairspray from White Rain that claims to be "the holdingest" due to the little umbrellas in the spray...of course if all else fails you could try the Dippity-Do setting gel. Men are reminded to put a sword in their razors with Wilkinson before using the High Sierra Ice aftershave by Mennen...and don't forget the Old Spice deodorant stick, it goes on fast and it's never sticky. Non-smokers may cringe at the sight of a cold sufferer eating a Sucrets to soothe his sore throat so he can smoke yet another cigarette (maybe he should try a naturally mild El Producto cigar, endorsed by the legendary George Burns). There's also a plethora of promos for TV shows like The FBI (starring Ephram Zimbalist, Jr.); Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea; 12 O'clock High; The Legend of Jesse James; and A Man Called Shenandoah. All these commercials are enough to put you under a spell not unlike the spell of Chanel.

If you're particular about classic TV detective shows this is a show worth fighting for. You'll flip for Honey West!

I wasn't sure how a show like this would hold up, especially knowing that it aired almost two decades before I would be born. Honey West is a whole lot of fun, with the lovely Anne Francis busting the mold of with women on TV could do. The episodes are quick and entertaining. Nothing too deep to be found here, but you will find yourself coming back for more. Even if you don't like a particular episode, Anne Francis is always fun to watch, if you know what I mean.

I turned 11 in 1965, the year of Honey West's broadcast premier. I was, at the time, intensely conscious of being on the cusp of puberty and was therefore very interested in the appearance of those popular young-adult female celebrities of the time whose appearance I hoped to emulate. And at that time, we had some kickin' ladies to look up to--much cooler, if I may say so, than what's out there now.
In addition to the "dolly birds" of The British Invasion (Jean Shrimpton, Jane Asher, Patti Boyd, et al.), we had the formidable home-grown talent I came to think of collectively as "The Adorables," whose ranks included the likes of Lee Remick, Yvette Mimieux, Donna Douglas, and, of course, Anne Francis. None of these non-anorexics were megastars (Miss Remick came closest), nor did they measure up to the almost frighteningly gorgeous likes of, say, Elizabeth Taylor and Ava Garder. But in a way, The Adorables had something better going for them because not only were they...well...adorable (and sexy), but they seemed accessible and human as well--so much so that I managed to not grow up with too much of a complex, even though I didn't have a hope in hell of ever looking that good. In fact, they were so pleasant to watch that you couldn't even begrudge them their adorableness, plus they conducted themselves like ladies rather than witless, drugged-out sluts with toilet mouths. Ah, the good old days...
Always a sucker for nostalgia, I was happy for the chance to view and review this short-lived (one season) blast from my past which, research discloses, was based on a series of novels written in the late 50's and early 60's. I remember watching Honey West in the sixth grade on Channel 7 in Detroit (ABC), including at a sleep-over party with classmates, which indicates that it must have run on Friday evenings. Not only was it an exciting show with neat plots, but Honey had a PET OCELOT named BRUCE!!! How cool was that?!
Anywho, back to the show. The 30 half-hour episodes (not all of which I've watched at the time of this writing) are clever, stylish, and loads of fun, spread out over four DVD's and looking and sounding terrific in this restoration. This is before color TV really took off, so it's in black & white. Extras include some really nice stills of Miss Francis (who I always thought should lose the mole) and quite a few vintage commercials in which no one seems on the verge of engaging in sex. My few complaints include one I have a tendency to beat to death: no hard-copy chapter index. In addition, every once in awhile, the sound and visuals seem very slightly out of synch and finally, the mispronunciation of the surname "Mainwaring" in the first episode is a tad irritating. Other than that, it's not only a sweet trip down Memory Lane for us B-Boomers, but younger viewers might enjoy it as well--viewing a sexy show with class is certainly a worthwhile alternative to video games.
A beautiful, single, independent, heterosexual lady P.I. who practiced judo and karate, had a successful career, a hot partner, AND a pet ocelot--between Emma Peel and Honey, is it any wonder that I ended up ranked in four martial arts (including two black belts) and the owner of an early-generation Bengal? Television provided some worthwhile inspiration in those days and I think this puts to paid the nonsense that positive female role models in entertainment didn't exist prior to the women's movement. Pop some popcorn, hunker down on the sofa with your kids, and watch Honey do her stuff--maybe your daughters will end up inspired to acquire a black belt or two of their own as they make their way through life.