Here's Steve Canyon (Dean Fredericks) on the T-33's ladder and helmeted guest star Lamont Johnson (who also directed 10 episodes of the series) in OPERATION NOSE WHEEL, from The Complete Steve Canyon on TV Volume 2 DVD set. Note the shadow of the camera crew in lower left!
While we're hard at work on THE COMPLETE STEVE CANYON ON TV VOLUME 3 (due out by Xmas 2009)...here are a few "letters of comment" that have been sent to us since our Volume 2 release:
John!
I cannot thank you enough for the "Steve Canyon" Collection! I haven't seen these since they aired, and you know what? They are terrific! How cool to find out that it wasn't just nostalgia!
Good grief! The hardware on display is awesome.. and the picture is so crisp and clear that the beauty of the technology is breathtaking. There was a sequence in a B-29 cockpit that had my eyes popping out of my head!
Seriously though, you have done a magnificent job. The transfers are amazing. No one has ever seen these shows like this before. It a whole new experience, as during the shows first run, we were all watching it over fishbone\coathangar rooftop antennae! My wife and I are going through them one by one, and I am on to the 2nd disk. I wish that 12 O'Clock High would get this treatment.
This show must have had the complete and total cooperation of the Air Force. What do you know about the background on the making of the show? How did it happen. Who had the magic touch to get the Air Force behind it? I'm dying to know more!
Doug Drexler
California
USA
(Note that Mr. Drexler toils by day as an amazingly talented designing artist on such shows as Battlestar Galactica and most of the recent Star Trek TV series')
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Hi John!
I was delighted to find Volume 2 in my mail when I returned yesterday from a two-week business trip. Guess how I spent my time last evening? You’ve done a wonderful job with Volume 2 and I hope your work can continue through the rest of the episodes.
As a 12 year-old kid, I looked forward to EVERY episode of “Steve Canyon” and was crushed when I discovered it didn’t return in ’59-’60.
My boyhood best friend is a retired USAF colonel and I went to work on him recently. He’s a pilot who has restored 6 aircraft in recent years. I reminded him that he and I used to hook up at each other’s homes to watch “Steve Canyon”. I’m sending him the link to your website.
Warm regards,
Woody (Linwood C. Wiley, Jr.)
New Jersey
USA
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Dear John,
I got my DVDs in Monday. I have finished one disc so far. I am still enjoying the series, and I am glad I read about this project on my friend Tom Floyd's site. At least this treasure of the 50's is being restored and released. I like to thank you and all involved in this project, for all of your work on getting this great series out to us.
For your next project, you can colorize the series. Won't that be fun! LOL!!
Take care,
Lloyd Collins II
Alabama
USA
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My set arrived today, John!
That's super fast delivery to get from California to Florida.
Volume 2 is just as beautiful, if not more so, than Volume 1. Great dvd casing and wonderful artwork on the two discs in this second set. The audio and video is clean and crisp, just like the first volume.
John will probably be able to guess which episode I jumped to first in this set. "The Gift", which was the wonderful Christmas episode from this series. And can you imagine my surprise, while listening to the audio commentary from John Ellis and James Farmer, that I hear my own name mentioned!! My kids and wife just looked over at me with pleasantly shocked expressions and we all just grinned from ear to ear. I do appreciate that, John, and want you to know just how much we appreciated that early Christmas gift last year. This episode will always hold a special place in our hearts thanks to your generosity and kindness. Oh, and the commentary track had plenty of great information, as all of them I'm sure do.
Anyone on the fence with this release need not hesitate. This is a top rate dvd set in all ways. And as with V. 1, an added bonus is the original commercials and sponsor spots found on these discs.
I highly recommend this set!!!
Gary "thanks again John - you're the best, my friend" Osborne
Florida
USA
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Happiness is......Setting down in front of the TV with a full box of Tagalong Girl Scout cookies and my new set of Steve Canyon DVDs!
What a great job you guys have done, John......can't hardly wait to see volume 3.
Roger Jackson
Arizona
USA
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Dear friends
I have received Volume 2 in yesterday´s mail. Big THANK YOU.
I enjoy watching the films a great deal.
Good luck to your efforts and I am looking forward to Volume 3
Best regards
Jozef Maly
Bratislava
Slovakia
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Hi,
I remember rushing home from school in those days to watch the show.
My DVD Volume 2 Steve Canyon arrived today, looking forward to the 3rd one down the track
Cheers
Greg Long
New South Wales
Australia
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Dear John,
Yersterday my sample of Vol.Two arrived, ending a long long wait. It's really worth it!!
Congratulations again for all your effort in bringing us these valuable images, so magificiently restored!
Well, now I can only expect for you schedule for Vol.3!
Thanks again.
Yours sincerely,
Flavio Azevedo Estrella
Porto Alegre
BRAZIL
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Dear John,
The package just arrived today, and everything is ok!! This volume 2 is even better than 1. Magnificent!! .. but I have to make a few remarks about “Operation Crash Landing”.. Brazil`s did much to look like the real thing, even back in late 50s! Rio de janeiro, in that time was already a big city, and spanish was never spoken here... all Brazil speaks portuguese... the boy on the jeep, looks like a mexican kid!! But it`s OK!! It`s funny... and Steve Canyon is a true gem!! God bless you, and keep in touch.
See` ya in Steve Canyon Volume 3
Best Regards
Victor Kuster Tavares
Porto Alegre
Brazil
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Dear John: Got my Volume 2 in Kansas on Monday. Am enjoying the heck out of it. Can't wait for Volume 3. All the best and thanks for a GREAT product!
Joe Grasela
Kansas
USA
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Hi John,
I received the DVDs on saturday and started watching them last night, they look great (so far)! The flickering arrows had me alarmed until I realised that was so the broadcaster would no where to place the commercials. I've watched the first two episodes, very much looking forward to episodes directed by Lamont Johnson. I used to house sit for the Johnsons (Toni & Lamont) back in the 1980s when Lamont was working on location. At the time, big Milton Caniff fan that I was, I had no idea he had directed episodes of this wonderful and unnoticed show.
Anyroad, the DVDs have all kicked butt, so thanks for them! I'm still dithering about the cap...
Your pal,
John Dacey
California
USA
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The latest Volume of Steve Canyon arrived here yesterday and its everything that I expected from your wonderful project
Keep up the good work - and here's hoping for the final Volume in the not-too-distant future
Trevor Scott
New South Wales
Australia
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John,
The DVDs are fantastic. We're watching it slowly (only one a week) just to savor it. We are very lucky to have what we have and I'm very grateful. One thing I can't figure out is why I don't remember the show. Maybe it wasn't on up here? I remember some of the commercials from other shows but the show is a blank. It would have been my favorite show!
Rex Dean
California
USA
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John,
I have watched all the episodes on Volume 2 now (without commentary tracks),
and I have to admit, they were great. I was especially surprised by the sea
change from individual missions to Steve becoming the base commander. It
turned into a more traditional TV series, but I was surprised by the
excellence of the writing. I look forward to watching all the episodes
again with commentary tracks.
Hope to see you soon.
Tom Swyden
California
USA
(Tom has written episodes of Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Xena: Warrior Princess (among others) and is also on the Writer's Guild of America Education Commitee.
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I also want to point out that we have begun posting high quality promos of various Steve Canyon episodes on YouTube to help promote our restoration of the series to a wider audience. Here is the promo for PROJECT UFO which starts off with a brief look at our restoration effort:
