In the opening minutes of the pilot episode of Coronet Blue, a handsome young man is grabbed by a group of thugs and tossed overboard from a luxury liner. He survives but awakens with no memory of who he is, and his only clue is the words he whispers when he comes to: "coronet blue." Frank Converse plays the mystery man, who takes the name Michael Alden and leaves the protection of the hospital to go in search of his identity, and Joe Silver is the Greenwich Village coffee shop/dance club owner who gives him a job and helps him out. Coronet Blue opens like The Bourne Identity but the conspiracy and spy movie paranoia of the first few episodes give way to the familiar anthology TV format of Route 66 or The Fugitive, with Michael becoming involved in the lives of people he meets while tracking down clues. The show features an impressive cast of guest stars, including Candice Bergen, David Carradine, and Jon Voight as college students in the episode “The Rebels," and Alan Alda as a fellow subject in a deprivation experiment in "Six Months to Mars." Coronet Blue is reasonably well-written and directed, but it was cancelled after the initial 1967 run of 13 episodes and has been largely forgotten, so interest may be limited. Extras include an interview with series creator Larry Cohen. A strong optional purchase. (S. Axmaker)
Coronet Blue: The Complete Series
Kino Lorber, 4 discs, 650 min., not rated, DVD: $49.99 January 8, 2018
Coronet Blue: The Complete Series
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