No luck yet in finding the elusive "Black Box"

While many "My Living Doll" episodes are still in a warehouse or a collector's basement, a few other Julie items are still missing. For example....

"The Black Box Murders." The episode was part of ABC's "Wide World Mystery" shows, made-for-TV items intended to compete with Johnny Carson's "Tonight Show." (ABC had tried bringing back Jack Paar, and also scheduled a lot of rock concerts for their 11:30pn late night slot.) 

It was broadcast January 13, 1975, well before the average TV fan could get an affordable VCR and record it for posterity. Why ABC didn't think to preserve all the shows in their "Wide World Mystery" series, for re-run use, is anyone's guess. At least half of those 90 minute mystery movies are missing.

Another frustrating item: Julie on "The Greatest Show on Earth." Arthur O'Connell guest-starred as Johnny Slates's (Jack Palance) debt-ridden father. Julie played Slate's girl friend. The episode DOES exist in 16mm. There are still collectors out there who love their 16mm projectors and search for things to play on them. The episode "Of Blood, Sawdust, and a Bucket of Tears" turned up on eBay a year or so ago, selling for around $100. To digitize it would probably be another $100 or more.  From what I've read, the conflict in the episode centers around Palance having to choose to help Arthur, even if it meant losing the girl friend he loves. 

Hopefully some day "Greatest Show" will either stream, get a DVD set treatment, or turn up on one of the nostalgia channels that currently run "I Dream of Jeannie" or "Gomer Pyle" five times a day.