Product Details

• Actors: Raymond Burr, Burgess Meredith, Jack Kruschen, Don Galloway, Barbara Anderson
• Directors: Abner Biberman, Allen Reisner, Anton Leader, Barry Shear, Charles S. Dubin
• Format: Box set, Color, Full Screen, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 7
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Shout Factory Theatr
• DVD Release Date: October 16, 2007
• Run Time: 1260 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000UAE7DQ
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #65,966 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• Learn more about "Ironside - Season 2" on IMDb

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The toughest cop on four wheels returns with this seven-disc set containing all 26 episodes from the second season (1968-69) of Ironside. Of course, that also means that Raymond Burr is back in the title role, portraying a former San Francisco chief of detectives who returned to the force as a consultant following the shooting that left him wheelchair-bound (also returning are his core team, including Don Galloway as Detective Sgt. Ed Brown, Barbara Anderson as Officer Eve Whitfield, and Don Mitchell as Mark Sanger, Ironside's bodyguard and driver). As ever, Burr's Robert Ironside is one of the more distinctive characters on the cop show landscape. Gruff, stubborn, impatient, and utterly unwilling to suffer fools, he commands respect with a combination of tough love and unwavering fairness. There's nothing touchy-feely about this guy. Take "Split Second to an Epitaph," a two-parter near the start of the season. When Ironside regains sensation in his feet, a doctor advises him to immediately undergo an operation that could heal him for good. But the chief refuses to go under the knife as long as the team's current case is unsolved. When he finally shows up at the hospital and another paraplegic asks him how to cope with his disability, Ironside replies, "It starts out as pure hell. Then it gets worse." And when the doc asks him what he'll do should he be able to walk again, the answer is classic Ironside: "Probably sit down." The second season's episodes run a fairly wide gamut, dealing with issues ranging from black militancy (in "Robert Phillips vs. the Man," Ironside refuses to submit either to Paul Winfield's hostile taunts or to the white racists eager to jail the black leader for murder) and professional sports (in "The Tormentor," a baseball player is threatened by an extortionist) to abortion ("A Matter of Love and Death" finds Eve posing as a pregnant young single in order to flush out a criminal abortionist--these were the days before Roe v. Wade) and boorish TV talk show demagogues (Milton Berle in a decidedly non-comic role in "I, The People"). There are also a few more personal stories than were found in Season One (Eve falls in love in one episode and hovers near death following a shooting in another, while Mark continues his quest to become a lawyer). That's all good, but like other series of its era, Ironside often seems rather dated; you'll find folks smoking in hospitals (and, in Ironside's case, having a couple of stiff drinks, with his doctor's approval, the night before his operation), star athletes struggling to put together a $100,000 payoff (a hundred grand is about what waterboys make these days), and gigantic American-made cars easily finding street parking spaces in downtown San Francisco. But while such details can be written off as mere anachronisms, the show's cheesy sets, slow-moving action and overall lack of genuine tension are more problematic. In the end, though, Ironside is mostly driven by its star power--not only Burr's, but also guests like Berle, Winfield, Broderick Crawford, Joseph Cotten, Clu Gulager, Diane Ladd, Ricardo Montalban, Anne Baxter, Ed Asner, Burgess Meredith, and Chad Everett. There are no bonus features in the box set. --Sam Graham

Product Description

In Season 2, Chief Ironside's crack team includes Sgt. Ed Brown, Don Galloway, ex con turned assistant Mark Sanger, Don Mitchell, and beautiful policewoman Eve Whitfield, Barbara Anderson, who won an Emmy for this role. With superb story lines dealing with socially important topics like racism, drugs, abortion, and terror on a college campus, Ironside’s second season continued the tradition of attracting special guest stars including Milton Berle, Anne Baxter, Bill Bixby, Ricardo Montalban, Burgess Meredith, Ed Asner and many more.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Officer Eve Whitfield is Mortally Wounded! September 8, 2007

By E. Hornaday

Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase

The wheelchair-bound San Francisco Chief Robert T. Ironside, paralyzed by a would-be assassin's bullet, is back for another season of exciting and thought-provoking episodes in this award winning Classic TV Detective series. Second season episodes, from 1968, continues the high quality writing and acting that was the hallmark of this show through its five year run. Stories run the gamut from racial strife, fortune telling to the shooting of one of Ironside's team members!

"Ironside" was one of the best detective shows of the 1960s and remains a classic of its genre. Memorable characters, brilliant acting, well-crafted stories and unforgettable theme music written by the legendary Quincy Jones, "Ironside" brought the beloved actor Raymond Burr back to series TV after a nine year Hall of Fame portrayal of the most famous lawyer in TV history: Perry Mason. The series was created by Collier Young. The decision to make Burr disabled was remarkable for the era, as few TV leads were ever depicted as anything but able bodied and still are not.

Determined not to be trapped in his wheelchair or give up his career, Ironside volunteers to work within the police department as a "special department consultant." Ironside drafts two young law enforcement officers, Detective Sgt. Ed Brown, portrayed by Don Galloway, and Officer Eve Whitfield, portrayed by Barbara Anderson. He also hired delinquent-turned-bodyguard Mark Sanger, portrayed by Don Mitchell, as his "legs." During the series, Sanger, an African-American with a chip on his shoulder and a hatred for the police, eventually went to law school and became an attorney. Ironside's consultant status was granted by Commissioner Dennis Randall, portrayed by Gene Lyons, who also frequently clashed with his long-time friend over Ironside's investigative methods and his willingness to break the rules to achieve true justice.

Whitfield, who was hugely popular, left the series in 1971. Elizabeth Baur joined the cast as Officer Fran Belding and remained until the series ended in 1975, but never found the fan base that Whitfield had enjoyed.

All 26 episodes remastered for DVD from the second season are included:

"Shell Game," pits a notorious jewel thief against Ironside; "Split Second to an Epitaph Part 1" and "Part II," Ironside is the only witness to a murder, but has to go into hospital for exploratory surgery. Joseph Cotton stars; "The Sacrifice," a cop friend of Ironside's is the prime suspect in a murder; "Robert Phillips vs the Man," a black rights activist is arrested for murder, prompting the Black community to threaten to take to the streets. Paul Winfield stars; "Desperate Encounter," a friend of the Chief's invites him to stay for a weekend visit then promptly disappears; "I, the People," an obnoxious talk show host begins to receive death threats. Written by Milton Berle who also stars; "Price Tag Death," the Chief learns of the murder of homeless man by an ex-cop now living on the streets; "An Obvious Case of Guilt," a friend of the Chief's is suspected of murdering her husband. Anne Baxter stars; "Reprise," Eve is shot and may die. The Chief questions encouraging her to join the force, while Ed wrestles with arresting Eve's shooter or killing him outright; "The Macabre Mr. Micawber," a talking Mynah bird may hold the key to murder. Burgess Meredith stars; "Side Pocket," a young pool hustler is coerced into a contract with a crooked promoter; "Sergeant Mike," an old woman is murdered, and the only witness appears to be a large dog. Bill Bixby stars; "In Search of an Artist," a painting turns up rendered by an old friend presumed dead after confessing to a murder. Broderick Crawford stars; "Up, Down and Even," Eve's niece is arrested for drugs; "Why the Tuesday Afternoon Bridge Club Met on Thursday," the Chief's elderly Aunt turns to him for help when a member of her bridge club goes missing; "Rundown on a Bum Rap," Mark battles to prove the innocence of his former boxing coach; "The Prophecy," a fortune teller makes wild predictions for Ironside and his team; "A World of Jackals," a friend of Mark's lead them into a case of kidnaping and murder; "And Be My Love," Eve falls in love with a robbery victim. Chad Everett stars; "Moonlight Means Money," Ed is suspended after he unwittingly discovers a drug operation during a night on the town with a friend; "A Drug on the Market," an elderly friend of Ironside's contacts him fearing she is losing her mind because she hears voices and has received threatening calls; "Puzzlelock," Ironside investigates an ex-cop whom he believes murdered his wife; "The Tormentor," a famous baseball player receives threats; "A Matter of Love and Death," a woman dies from an illegal abortion; "Not With a Whimper, But a Bang," a local college is plagued by false bomb threats.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Still plenty of meat left from Season 1 February 19, 2008

By Daniel Hayes

Format:DVD

I read a review somewhere that tells that the second season of "Ironside" was weak. I wholeheartedly disagree. Mind you it started off with "Shell Game" which was the weakest of all the second season. It makes up with the 2 part episode "Split Second To an Epitath", also "Desparate Encounter" which is downright intense, "I The People" is a terrific showcase which showcases Milton Berle in a drama, and he proves he can straddle comedy, and drama, and also can write a really good script, "Why The Tuesday Afternoon Bridge Club Met on Thursday" is a bit hokey with a bunch of elderly ladies helping Ironside, but creating a story line where the Dr. Crippen murder from 1910 was a stroke of genius, "Obvious Case of Guilt" is a mindbender where you don't know what's going to happen next, "A Drug On The Market" is probably the most intense episode on this collection I know that when I heard the voices I was a bit spooked, and finally on Disc 7 It ends with "Not With a Whimper, but With a Bang". I am now going to look over Season 1, and can't wait for Season 3 to come out on dvd.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Nostalgia Revisted November 23, 2007

By Chuck Strong

Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase

Ironside - Season 2

A great series that brings back memories of a better time and place.
I watched this show every week with my parents and siblings.
Families did things together back then. It was a fantastic time to be a kid.