"Starsky and Hutch"
Pilot (1975)

Director:

Barry Shear

Writer:

William Blinn (writer)

TV Series:

"Starsky and Hutch" (1975)

Original Air Date:

30 April 1975 (Season 1, Episode 0)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama

Plot:

The two detectives investigating a double homicide, discover that the man and women who died were mistakenly murdered - it was the detectives themselves who were the intended targets. |

Plot Keywords:

Assassination | Murder | Detective | Police | TV Series Pilot

Cast

Paul Michael Glaser	...	Det. Dave Starsky
David Soul	...	Ken 'Hutch' Hutchinson
Michael Lerner	...	Fat Rolly
Antonio Fargas	...	Huggy Bear
Richard Ward	...	Captain Dobey
Gilbert Green	...	Frank Tallman
Albert Morgenstern	...	D.A. Mark Henderson
Richard Lynch	...	Zane
Michael Conrad	...	Cannell
Buddy Lester	...	Coley
Carole Ita White	...	Mrs. Gretchen Knebel
Don Billett	...	Steele
Karen Lamm	...	Patty
Douglas Fowley	...	Lijah
James Brodhead	...	Tourist
Larry Manetti	...	Stan
Simone Griffeth	...	Secretary
Bill Smillie	...	Apartment Manager
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Gordon Jump	...	Vinnie

Directed by
Barry Shear

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
William Blinn		writer

Produced by
J. Bret Garwood	....	associate producer
Leonard Goldberg	....	executive producer
Joseph T. Naar	....	producer
Aaron Spelling	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Lalo Schifrin

Cinematography by
Archie R. Dalzell		(as Arch Dalzell)

Film Editing by
John Woodcock

Art Direction by
Archie J. Bacon		(as Archie Bacon)

Set Decoration by
Bob Signorelli		(as Robert Signorelli)

Costume Design by
Robert Harris Jr.		(as Robert Harris)
Sylvia Liggett
Jack Sandeen

Makeup Department
John Enzarella	....	makeup artist
Jim Gillespie	....	key makeup artist

Production Management
Norman Henry	....	executive production manager
Ric Rondell	....	production manager
Russel Wiles	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Barry Stern	....	assistant director
Charles Norton	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Anthony Bavero	....	property master
Claudia Gilligan Ivanjack	....	painter (as Claudia Gilligan)
Gordon Kirschbaum	....	construction coordinator

Sound Department
Stan Gordon	....	sound mixer
Joseph Holsen	....	sound editor
Richard LeGrand Jr.	....	sound editor
David M. Ronne	....	sound engineer (as David Ronne)

Special Effects by
Dutch Van Derbyl	....	special effects

Stunts
Charlie Picerni	....	stunt double: Paul Michael Glaser

Camera and Electrical Department
Scott Hamilton	....	still photographer
Jeffrey W. Petersen	....	electrician

Casting Department
Linda Otto	....	casting supervisor (as Linda Otto Associates)

Music Department
Rocky Moriana	....	music supervisor

Transportation Department
Chris Haynes	....	driver (uncredited)
Chris Haynes	....	production driver (uncredited)
Jim Martell	....	transportation coordinator (uncredited)

Other crew
June Samson	....	script supervisor

Directed by
George W. Brooks
Rick Edelstein
Peter Levin
Arthur Marks
Ivan Nagy
Leo Penn
Nicholas Sgarro
Paul Michael Glaser		(episodes "Bloodbath (1977)", "Class in Crime (1978)", "Partners (1978)", "Ballad for a Blue Lady (1979)", "Sweet Revenge (1979)")

Writing credits
Robert Earll		(writer) (episode)
William Blinn		creator
Robert Dellinger		staff writer
Rick Edelstein		writer
Michael Grais		writer
Jeff Kanter		writer

Produced by
Michael Hiatt	....	associate producer

Original Music by
J.A.C. Redford		(1977, 1979)

Cinematography by
Ted D. Landon
Eduardo Ricci		(as Eduardo J. Ricci)
Keith C. Smith

Film Editing by
Asa Boyd Clark
Jodie Copelan
Jerry Dronsky

Casting by
Joel Thurm

Art Direction by
James J. Agazzi
Paul Sylos

Makeup Department
Andrea Mizu	....	hair stylist
Walter Schenk	....	makeup artist (as Walter Schenck)

Production Management
Wilbur D'Arcy	....	production manager
Al Kraus	....	supervising production manager
G. Warren Smith	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Wilbur D'Arcy	....	first assistant director
Gary LaPoten	....	assistant director
Carl Olsen	....	first assistant director
Kathy Slakey	....	second assistant director (as Kathleen Slakey)
Lou Watt	....	assistant director

Art Department
Bob Henderson	....	property master
John Hollis	....	construction coordinator

Sound Department
Armond Ghzanian	....	sound editor
Greg P. Russell	....	sound recordist
Blake Wilcox	....	sound engineer

Stunts
Denny Arnold	....	stunts
May Boss	....	stunts
Eldon Burke	....	stunts
David S. Cass Sr.	....	stunts
Gary Epper	....	stunt double: David Soul
Gary Epper	....	stunt driver
Ted Grossman	....	stunts
Chuck Hicks	....	stunts
Gene LeBell	....	stunts
Bob Minor	....	stunts
Frank Orsatti	....	stunts
Ronnie Rondell Jr.	....	stunt coordinator
Steve Vandeman	....	stunts
Glenn R. Wilder	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Rolf Mendez	....	assistant camera

Casting Department
Joel Thurm	....	casting supervisor

Music Department
Tom Scott	....	composer: theme music (1976-1978)
Mark Snow	....	composer: theme music (1978-1979)

Other crew
Doris DeHerdt	....	script supervisor
Amanda J. Green	....	assistant to producer
Harry Harvey Jr.	....	script supervisor

Production Companies

• Spelling-Goldberg Productions

Distributors

• American Broadcasting Company (ABC)

Runtime:

90 min (including commercials)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Company:

Spelling-Goldberg Productions

Goofs:

Continuity: When Starsky jumps into the swimming pool after the hitman, he is wearing his trademark white cardigan. As he climbs out, however, he is wearing a blue shirt. A moment later, he is wearing the cardigan.

Movie Connections:

Remade as Starsky & Hutch (2004)

The pilot to the greatest buddy show ever on television!

Although, the pilot isn't quite what the show would evolve into, once it was a series, it does demonstrate the remarkable chemistry between the two stars, David Soul and Paul Michael Glaser, which is probably the most memorable legacy about the show itself. The two portrayed an incredible friendship on-screen, shared a unique friendship off-screen, one that remains to this day. The pilot shows the two young police officers, working together, trusting in only each other...the beginning of a portrayal of friendship that has yet to be matched or surpass onscreen.