Ben Casey

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Ben Casey was a medical drama series which ran on ABC from 1961 to 1966. The show was known for its iconic opening titles, which consisted of a hand drawing symbols on a chalkboard, as cast member Sam Jaffe intoned, "Man, woman, birth, death, infinity." Pioneering neurosurgeon Joseph Ransohoff was a medical consultant for the show and may have influenced the personality of the title character.

It starred Vince Edwards as medical Doctor Ben Casey, a young, idealistic surgeon. His mentor was Doctor David Zorba, played by Sam Jaffe. At the beginning of the 1965 season, Jaffe left the show and Franchot Tone came in as the new Chief of Surgery, Doctor Daniel Niles Freeland. The show began running multi-episode stories and Casey developed a romantic relationship with Jane Hancock (Stella Stevens), who had just emerged from a coma after thirteen years.

Ben Casey was seen as a rival to the contemporary medical series, Doctor Kildare.

In 1988, a television movie, The Return of Ben Casey, went on the air. Vince Edwards starred in this, as well.

There was both a comic strip and a comic book based on the television series. The strip was written and drawn by Neal Adams. The daily strip began on 26 November 1962 and the Sunday strip debuted on 20 September 1964. Both ended on the last day of July 31, 1966 (a Sunday). The half page format was regarded as the best Sunday format, and one effect by Neal Adams can only be appreciated in the half page -- a globe in one panel is a continuation of Ben Casey's head in a lower panel. The daily strip was reprinted in the Menomonee Falls Gazette.

The comic book was published by Dell Comics for 10 issues from 1962 to 1964. All had photocovers.

The show was directed by Irvin Kershner.

[edit] External link

• Ben Casey at the Internet Movie Database
• Ben Casey on TV Tome

Irvin Kershner
1950s	Stakeout on Dope Street | The Young Captives
1960s	Hoodlum Priest | Face in the Rain | The Luck of Ginger Coffey | A Fine Madness | The Flim-Flam Man
1970s	Loving | Up the Sandbox | S*P*Y*S | The Return of a Man Called Horse | Eyes of Laura Mars
1980s	Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back | Never Say Never Again
1990s	RoboCop 2
Productions	American Perfekt (1999)
Television	"Naked City" (1958–1963) | "The Rebel (1959–1961) | "Cain's Hundred" (1961–1962) | "Ben Casey" (1961–1966) | "Kraft Suspense Theatre" (1963–1965) | Raid on Entebbe (1977) | "Amazing Stories" (1985–1987) | SeaQuest DSV (1993)