The Red Hand Gang facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Red Hand Gang |
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|---|---|
| Genre | Adventure Children's |
| Directed by | Charles R. Rondeau |
| Starring | Matthew Laborteaux J.R. Miller Jolie Newman Johnny Brogna James Bond III |
| Country of origin | USA |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 12 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | R.S. Allen Harvey Bullock William P. D'Angelo |
| Camera setup | Single-camera |
| Running time | 22–24 minutes |
| Production company(s) | D'Angelo-Bullock-Allen Productions |
| Release | |
| Original network | NBC |
| Audio format | Monaural |
| Original release | September 10 – November 26, 1977 |
The Red Hand Gang was an exciting American TV show. It aired on NBC on Saturday mornings in 1977. The show was about five young detectives and their dog, Boomer. They lived in a big city and loved solving mysteries! They called themselves "The Red Hand Gang" because they left red handprints on fences to show where they had been.
Contents
Meet the Red Hand Gang
The show featured a group of five brave kids and their loyal dog. Here are the main characters:
- Frankie, played by Matthew Laborteaux
- Doc, played by James Bond III
- Joanne, played by Jolie Newman
- Lil' Bill, played by Johnny Brogna
- J.R., played by J.R. Miller
- Boomer, their smart dog, who was also a star in the TV show Here's Boomer
Unlike many other Saturday morning shows, The Red Hand Gang told its stories in several parts. There was one story with five parts, another with four, and a final one with three. Each episode ended with a cliffhanger, meaning you had to watch the next one to find out what happened!
Adventures of the Gang
The Red Hand Gang went on three big adventures. Each adventure was a mystery they had to solve.
The Kidnapped Boy Mystery
The first adventure lasted for five episodes. The gang had to find a young boy named Johnny, who was kidnapped. He was being held for money in an old house. The Red Hand Gang followed one of the kidnappers to their secret hideout. The gang set up clever traps to scare the bad guys. But the kidnappers moved Johnny to a new place, and the gang had to chase after them!
The Stolen Jewel Mystery
The second story was told over four episodes. The gang went to a fancy hotel to meet their hero, a famous football player named O.K. Oakins. He was there for a charity event where a very valuable jewel was going to be sold. While at the hotel, the gang discovered a sneaky plan! Two thieves wanted to steal the jewel. They planned to replace O.K. Oakins with someone who looked just like him. Then, they would swap the real jewel for a fake one. The gang had to stop them!
The Museum Robbery Mystery
The final adventure had three parts. The gang visited an animal sanctuary with their friend Holly, who was deaf. At the sanctuary, they met a chimpanzee named Maxwell. Maxwell was very smart and could understand sign language! What the gang didn't know was that two crooks planned to use Maxwell to help them rob a museum. The gang had to figure out the plan and stop the robbery.
Show's Music
The show had special opening and closing songs. The opening song was light and fun. It showed the actors jumping and flying around. The ending song was more exciting. This was perfect because every episode ended with a cliffhanger, leaving you wanting more!
Where They Filmed the Show
The show was filmed in and around Los Angeles, California.
Opening Scenes
Some scenes in the opening credits were filmed in San Pedro. You can see the gang running along a pier. This pier is part of Terminal Island in the Port of Los Angeles. This same pier was used in the first adventure. It was where the kidnappers held the boy on a boat. The pier is near the Southern California Marine Institute. 33°44′9.22″N 118°16′13.79″W / 33.7358944°N 118.2704972°W.
Venice Filming
Some outdoor scenes for the first adventure were filmed in Venice, Los Angeles. In one scene, Frankie follows a kidnapper down Windward Avenue. He stops outside a shop that is now a cafe called Cafe Collage. 33°59′16.29″N 118°28′19.98″W / 33.9878583°N 118.4722167°W.
Hotel Scenes
For the jewel heist story, the hotel used for filming is now the Ritz-Carlton Huntington Hotel in Pasadena. When the show was filmed, it was called the Wentworth Hotel. In the show, it was called "The Park Hotel." 34°7′7.77″N 118°8′1.67″W / 34.1188250°N 118.1337972°W.
Museum Scenes
In the museum robbery story, some street scenes were filmed on Clinton Street and North Norton Avenue in Hollywood. The back of Raleigh Studios looked like the entrance to the museum. This spot is close to Melrose Avenue. 34°4′53.98″N 118°19′2.97″W / 34.0816611°N 118.3174917°W.
Why the Show Ended
The Red Hand Gang stopped airing in November 1977. This was even before the TV season was halfway over. One reason was its time slot. Many local TV stations would show their own programs instead of NBC's at 12:30 PM, especially if there was college football playing.
Episode Guide
Here is a list of all the episodes of The Red Hand Gang:
| Episode No. | No. in story | Title | First aired (US) | First aired (UK) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1/5 | The Face at the Window | 10 September 1977 | 9 May 1980 |
| The gang finds where a kidnapped boy, Johnny Roberts, is being held. | ||||
| 2 | 2/5 | The Spooky Hideout | 17 September 1977 | 16 May 1980 |
| The gang follows a kidnapper to a new hideout: a haunted mansion! | ||||
| 3 | 3/5 | The Search | 24 September 1977 | 23 May 1980 |
| The gang is in danger as they search for Johnny in the old mansion. | ||||
| 4 | 4/5 | Beware the Red Hand Gang | 1 October 1977 | 30 May 1980 |
| The gang pretends to be ghosts to scare the kidnappers away. | ||||
| 5 | 5/5 | The Mystery Boat | 8 October 1977 | 6 June 1980 |
| The gang sends out a signal for help. | ||||
| 6 | 1/4 | The Man in the Mask | 15 October 1977 | 13 June 1980 |
| The gang faces a jewel thief who is pretending to be a football star. | ||||
| 7 | 2/4 | The Missing Jewels | 22 October 1977 | 20 June 1980 |
| The gang plans to reveal the fake football star at a jewel auction. | ||||
| 8 | 3/4 | Search and Rescue | 29 October 1977 | 27 June 1980 |
| The gang races to stop the criminals before the valuable jewel is destroyed. | ||||
| 9 | 4/4 | Doc's Big Idea | 5 November 1977 | 4 July 1980 |
| The gang finds the real sportsman and helps him escape. | ||||
| 10 | 1/3 | The Photo Clue | 12 November 1977 | 7 September 1979 |
| The gang visits an animal park and starts to uncover a plot involving a chimpanzee. | ||||
| 11 | 2/3 | Monkey Business | 19 November 1977 | 14 September 1979 |
| The gang discovers a plan to train a chimpanzee to steal a valuable carving. | ||||
| 12 | 3/3 | Devil's Canyon | 26 November 1977 | 21 September 1979 |
| The crooks are ready to steal the valuable jade, and the gang plans to stop them. | ||||
Note: In the United Kingdom, episodes 10-12 were first shown in 1979.
Where Else the Show Aired
The Red Hand Gang was shown many times in the United Kingdom. It is actually more well-known there than in its home country, the USA! In the early 1980s, the show also aired in Italy. There, it was called La Gang della Mano Rossa.
Watching the Show at Home
You can watch The Red Hand Gang at home! It was first released on DVD in the U.K. on September 30, 2008. A two-disc DVD set was later released in the U.S. on July 28, 2009.
