Burt Reynolds is a natural as a private investigator. His flippant manner and inquisitive nature had worked well in films like Fuzz, Gator and Shamus. During the middle of his career, he went weird pumping out too many films with Dom DeLuise. Luckily he was saved by the small screen with B.L. Stryker. He played an ex-New Orleans cop who had returned to the outskirts of Palm Beach, Florida. Nobody in the posh city’s cultural circles care know him until they have to stoop for his help in the face of a crime the local cops can’t crack. Burt enjoys playing up the uncultured hick amongst the stuffed shirts. He’s shines Hooters’ attitude amongst the wine and cheesers. B.L. Stryker: The Complete Series contains the previously released first season box set with the second season episodes.
“The Dancer’s Touch” is a very impressive TV movie. It’s better than the theatrical films Burt was cranking out at the time. A freak is attacking society women in Palm Beach. Before he sexually assaults them, the bound women are given full body oil massages. He also performs a modern dance routine. This intruder is a copycat of the criminal that made Stryker quit the New Orleans police force. While Stryker wants to remain retired, the local cops need his help. He remains on the fringe of the investigation until the maniac comes after him and his friends. Director William A. Fraker brings a creepy eye to the massage maniac. Fraker’s was the cinematographer on Rosemary’s Baby and Bullitt.
The pilot gets bonus points for casting Abe Vigoda in a mysterious role. Rita Moreno is introduced in the middle of a sensual massage. Who knew the star of The Electric Company had such great dorsal action? She plays Stryker’s ex-wife that’s married up the money tree since dumping him. Rita looks extra good giving Burt the business. Ozzie Davis is also in fine form as the pal stuck with constantly hearing Stryker’s old college football memories. He even looks convincing as he chases down the maniac. This TV-movie series got off on the right foot for a Burt Reynolds’ production.
The remaining four movies of the first season aren’t as creepy as the pilot. “Carolann” brings Stryker’s childhood gal pal (Deborah Raffin) back to the neighborhood. She’s now a Middle Eastern princess with a husband who deals arms. Such a marriage drags trouble to paradise with their various friends, enemies and business associates. Stryker is stuck in the middle of an international incident. “Auntie Sue” brings relative trouble to town. An elderly aunt and friends drag Stryker into a real estate deal. Ted McGinley pops up, but his appearance doesn’t lead to the show immediately jumping the shark. “Blues for Buder” lets a pre-Doogie Howser Neil Patrick Harris explode as a Marjoe Gortner-style child evangelist. His elite prep school isn’t happy with his fire and brimstone preaching on the campus. Stryker’s hired to get the preaching out of the boy so he can enroll in a proper school. Michael Chiklis is a sinister minister who wants control of the boy and tap his trust fund. The script was co-written by Robert B. Parker, the author of the novels adapted for Spencer: For Hire.
The second season’s episodes scared me since “Die Laughing” had Dom DeLuise guest starring. Burt has to protect Dom from a killer. Which is odd since Dom helped kill Burt’s image with his overacting in Smokey and the Bandit 2. Luckily this episode doesn’t completely devolve into the blooper credits of Cannonball Run 2. “Grand Theft Hotel” also contains a recipe for disaster with Burt sharing screen time with Charles Nelson Riley (Match Game). But Charles tones down his performance so Burt isn’t tempted to merely mug it up for the camera. This time Burt has to protect a necklace from a jewel thief. The second season is equal to the first season in quality.
The show didn’t hit creative fumes. It came to an end when Burt jumped over to the easy life of the Evening Shade sitcom. The sad part is that after staging a crime busting comeback as B.L. Stryker, Burt would once more embarrass his fans with Cop and a Half. For folks who enjoy seeing Burt cracking criminal skulls, B.L. Stryker: The Complete Series contains 12 feature length films that rival the best films in his oeuvre.
The picture is 1.33:1. B.L. Stryker was shot on film, but cut on video. This limits the sharpness and detail of the image. The transfers are clean.
The audio is Dolby Digital Mono. The levels are good.
Four Screenplays are presented in pdf. While they call them shooting scripts, these files only feature the dialogue from the movies.
The film career of Burt Reynolds is an inconsistent mess. For every great film such as Smokey and the Bandit and Boogie Nights, there’s three stinkers. B.L. Stryker: The Complete Series has a dozen TV films that could have elevated his cinematic career if they’d gone to the big screen instead of Stroker Ace.
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Arts Alliance America presents B.L. Stryker: The Complete Series. Starring Burt Reynolds, Ossie Davis and Rita Moreno. Boxset Contents: 12 episodes on 7 DVDs. Released on DVD: September 30, 2008. Available at Amazon.
