Lee Gordon
Created by Douglas Heyes
(1919-1993)

Early P.I. renaissance man Douglas Heyes (he's written, directed, produced, and even acted) created private eye LEE GORDON who's hired to look into the murder of the mistress of one of the world's wealthiest men, a shipping tycoon. It was an attempt to depict a no-nonsense view of real-life P.I. work.

The novel, The Twelfth of Never, was eventually adapted for television, by Heyes himself, and released as The Lonely Profession, as a two-hour pilot. Despite a pretty impressive cast for a TV movie, full of, at the time, pretty big names, and generally favorable reviews, a series never materialized. Go figure...

Heyes has been involved in all sorts of P.I. things over the years, from books to radio, film and television, writing, directing, acting and Lord knows what else. He created P.I's Steve Mallory and Ray Ripley, and was involved in telling some other great crime P.I. tales on television and film.

UNDER OATH

• "Good results by any medium's standards. Above average."
  (Leonard Maltin in his TV Movies and Video Guide)

NOVEL

• The Twelfth of Never (1963)

TELEVISION

• THE LONELY PROFESSION
  (Working title: The Savarona Syndrome)
  (1969, Universal)
  Original broadcast October 21, 1969)
  96 minutes
  Written by Douglas Heyes, based on his novel The Twelfth of Never
  Directed by Douglas Heyes
  Producer: Jo Swerling, Jr.
  Executive Producer: Roy Huggins
  Original music by Pete Rugolo
  Starring Harry Guardino as LEE GORDON
  Also starring Ina Balin, Jack Carter, Joseph Cotten, Troy Donahue, Dean Jagger, Fernando Lamas, Barbara McNair, Stephen McNally, Dina Merrill

Associate Member