Rescue 8 (1958–1960) User Reviews (16)

Saw them all...

[ikcamar · 8/10 · 11 December 2016]

This was pretty much the original "rescue" drama. The scene I remember most was the team rescuing an oil field worker who was stuck in the track of a gas tank that was slowly coming down in its supporting frame. Stopping the flow of gas did not help as the lag time for the gas to compress enough to stop the tank shell from lowering was not quick enough. Very exciting stuff for the late 50's.

("Spoiler Alert") Yes, they got him out. Just in time before the guide roller got to him... and for the last commercial.

This type of suspense and close calls is pretty much standard in the series.

A series that will never be forgotten

[doodie · 26 May 1999]

It may surprise you as I played the daughter of Skip and Patty Johnson in the films Rescue 8. I played Susan , the show was to let people understand the Rescue and Police force in L A and to help people respect what they do. It honored them. The first was called The Ferris Wheel it aired in1958.It syndicated in75 markets it was a Screen Gems Inc. ( television subsidiary of Columbia Pictures Corp.) It was described as an dramatic action packed human interest series.' In the future I will give you more information as I get all my scrap books together. I am glad that Rescue 8 will not be forgotten as it was a great memory for me. We were like a family in filming it and I miss them Jim Davis and Lang Jeffries were wonderful people.Hi again ! Well Jim Davis and Lang Jefferies were in 73 of the Rescue 8's and Nancy Rennick at least 30 . I was in 30 myself . I found my scripts in a closet and thought I would let you know. They have other sites that you can go to to get titles and crew names. I typed in Rescue 8 TV series and then looked at the ones that were a part of the series . It was fun . TV archive's has a site that has the whole listings of the series. and their is also a site that has the music that was at the beginning and end of the series.Try it and have fun . Later Mary K. ( Played Susan Johnson in the series!!!

I remember an episode of a plane crash

[lifecomp-782-540114 · 10/10 · 3 July 2010]

I too recall watching Rescue 8. One episode is very vivid in my mind was a rescue involving a private plane (was it "The Birdman"). The dramatic music score that played while the squad truck was en-route on call, I recall hearing in other TV shows and some cartoons. My memory played tricks on me, for a while I thought Rory Calhoun played the part of Wes Cameron but it was actually Jim Davis. Guess in my mind they looked alike. Like others in this blog, I too was very influenced by this show. I later became a firefighter, a National Registered EMT, Army Medic Instructor, and a founding member of the National Assoication of EMTs. We should be ever mindful of the powerful nature of television that can influence young minds for good or bad.

Rescue 8, TV Air Date, Title, Plot Summary, Episodes 61 TO 73

[softballfan26 · 10/10 · 7 June 2007]

61. 2/17/1960: The Square Triangle..A man falls during a fight over his fiancée and is precariously suspended on a rotted pier. Wes: Jim Davis. Newcomb: Les Tremayne. Vince: William Kendis. Lucy: Marian Wright

62.2/24/1960: Ti-Ling... A Chinese girl is buried under rubble after an explosion in her father's restaurant. Wes: Jim Davis. Jimmy: James Hong. Skip: Lang Jeffries. Kim: Judy Dan.

63. 3/3/1960: Lifeline... Wes and Skip race through a storm to repair a lighthouse and rescue its keeper. Evan: Tom Middleton. Wes: Jim Davis. Skip: Lang Jeffries. Cappy: Charles Irwin.

64. 3/10/1960: High Lonely... A watchman is left dangling at the top of an airplane-warning tower. Wes: Jim Davis. Ernie: Johnny Seven. Dan: Syd Saylor.

65. 3/17/1960: Comeback... A retired actor is trapped on the tottering top floor of his mansion. Woodward: Robert Warwick. Wes: Jim Davis. Skip: Lang Jeffries.

66.3/24/1960: Quicksand... While fleeing gunmen, a man (Dabbs Greer) is buried in a landslide. Wes: Jim Davis. Skip: Lang Jeffries.

67.3/31/1960: Breakdown...Emotionally disturbed Danny Tilford (Robert Redford) causes his garage to collapse---on himself. Wes: Jim Davis. Skip: Lang Jeffries. Mrs. Tilford: Sara Selby.

68. 4/7/1960: School for Violence... A high-school principal is attacked by a gang of young hoodlums. Wes: Jim Davis. Justin: Bill Erwin. Jess: George Brenlin.

69. 4/14/1960: The Devil's Cavern... A man falls into a cavern---and the only available help is his dog. Wes: Jim Davis. Skip: Lang Jeffries. Woodruff: William Fawcett.

70. 4/21/1960: 13 Stories... Up Workers are trapped between floors in an elevator in a burning building. Wes: Jim Davis. Norris: Walter Coy. Skip: Lang Jeffries

71. 4/28/1960: Deep Danger,Running from a burglar,a woman falls into an old well left by an oil-drilling team.Wes: Jim Davis.Helen: Constance Dane. Skip: Lang Jeffries. Mike: William Phipps. Reed: Leo Needham.

72. 5/5/1960: I Don't Remember... A cornered robber falls from a catwalk and is left dangling 50 feet above the ground. Wes: Jim Davis. Hal: Don Devlin. Skip: Lang Jeffries. Hawkins: Dick Ryan.

73. 5/12/1960: Second Team... Skip (Lang Jeffries) rebels when a new man replaces Wes as his chief. Wes: Jim Davis. Leeds: Robert Karnes. Foreman: Len Hendry.

Great Show!

[firedoge1 · 10/10 · 18 January 2007]

I remembered this show from when I was a small child. Today I am a Battalion Chief with a Fire Department in Florida. Who says TV doesn't influence kids? I would like to find out if any of the series is available on VHS or DVD. I can still see that van they drove with the "bubblegum machine" red light. While rescue in the fire service has become much more technical; specialized teams, paramedics, modern equipment, the equipment and techniques used in this show are still the basis for what we do today. I would also like to find out what kind of van was used in this show and are there any photos available from any scenes of the show.

Inspired me big time

[bigdukesix101 · 10/10 · 10 January 2021]

Kind of a silly show but as a six year old it had a huge impact on me. I actually became a para worked in an ER and later a firefighter because of R8!

Jim Davis Rules!!!!

[LomzaLady · 13 January 2006]

I can't really remember the details of the show, since I was just a little girl (sirens wailing; people being lowered down mountain cliffs on stretchers), but I do remember watching it faithfully. I believe that shows like Rescue 8 and Emergency! were instrumental in building public interest for the emergency rescue systems we now take for granted, but which were new at the time these programs aired.

My fondest memory of the show is the wonderful Jim Davis. I well recall his dry, drawling, understated, but pleasant speaking voice, and his authoritative and easy way of moving around as he rescued those in trouble. He was the kind of actor who made you feel safe as you watched him. He was, and remains, my idea of a man.

Rescue 8, TV Air Date, Plot Summary, Episodes 1 -To - 30

[dbartusiak · 7 June 2007]

1. 9/23/1958: Ferris Wheel..A woman and child are trapped in the top seat of a ferris wheel. Wes: Jim Davis. Skip: Lang Jeffries. Patty: Nancy Rennick.

2. 9/30/1958: 102 to Bakersfield..A robber hijacks a bus and takes it into an area being dynamited. Wes: Jim Davis. Nick: Douglas Dick. Terry: Toni Gerry.

3. 10/7/1958: The Cliff..The rescue men try to save a young boy who fell to the ledge of a cliff. Wes: Jim Davis. Tom: Rand Brooks. Skip: Lang Jeffries.

4. 10/14/1958: The Subterranean City..Wes and Skip search for a child lost in a storm-sewer system. Wes: Jim Davis. Skip: Lang Jeffries. Patty: Nancy Rennick. Pete: Warren Oates. Whitey: Ralph Votrian.

5. 10/21/1958: The Cage..Wes tries to save a crazed killer trapped in a bear pit. Wes: Jim Davis. Ann: Ruta Lee. Walt: Jack Weston. Skip: Lang Jeffries.

6. 10/28/1958: The Crackup..Wes realizes he will not be able to free a pregnant woman from a plane wreck before her baby is born. Wes: Jim Davis. Riley: Bruce Bennett. Joan: Gloria Henry. Skip: Lang Jeffries. Patty: Nancy Rennick.

7. 11/4/1958: The Ammonia Trap..An earthquake traps three men in an ice vault with a broken ammonia pipe line. Wes: Jim Davis. Skip: Lang Jeffries.

8. 11/11/1958: The Chasm..The rescue team must save a man and his son-in-law from the side of a dam. Ollie: Ralph Moody. Jim: William Phipps. Wes: Jim Davis.

9. 11/18/1958: Steel Mountain..Searching for stolen loot, a man gets trapped between two trolley cars. Wes: Jim Davis. Skip: Lang Jeffries. Mickey: Michael Dante

10. 11/25/1958: Find That Bomb..The team makes a frantic search for a time bomb left aboard a yacht. Joe: Mike Connors. Kit: Barbara Hayden. Wes: Jim Davis.

11. 12/2/1958: The Cavein..A man is buried waist deep in a dirt pit with the soil level rising each minute. Ezra: Will Wright. Wes: Jim Davis. Lucy: Grace Field.

12. 12/9/1958: The Bells of Fear..On Christmas Eve, a clockmaker gets caught in the bell mechanism of a church clock. Ben Kopak: Eduardo Ciannelli. Wes Cameron: Jim Davis. Skip Johnson: Lang Jeffries.

13. 12/16/1958: Danger! 20,000 Volts..A derailed train is trapped under exposed high voltage wires so that any passenger trying to leave will be electrocuted. Wes: Jim Davis. Martha: Anne Gwynne. Fred: John Pickard. Skip: Lang Jeffries.

14. 12/23/1958: The Scrap-Iron Jungle..Fleeing police, two girls hide in a junked auto, not knowing it's about to be dropped into a hot press. Wes: Jim Davis. Candy: Sue George. Skip: Lang Jeffries. Madge: Rebecca Welles. Salesman: Ray Walker.

15. 12/30/1958: Calamity Coach..A young actor is uncooperative when Wes tries to rescue him from the side of a cliff. Ric: Robert Lowery. Wes: Jim Davis. Linda: Jolene Brand. Skip: Lang Jeffries.

16. 1/6/1959: Secret of the Mission..A young thief is trapped at the scene of his crime when a church ceiling collapses. Wes: Jim Davis. Carlos: Rafael Campos. Father Flynn: J. Pat O'Malley.

17. 1/13/1959: Trial by Fire..Skip makes a deadly enemy of another rescue man. Then the two meet at a factory fire. Wes: Jim Davis. Skip: Lang Jeffries. Chad: James Best. Patty: Nancy Rennick.

18. 1/20/1959: High Hazard..A man's life is endangered when his nephew's wife switches medical records. Stanton: Howard Wendell. Wes: Jim Davis. Skip: Lang Jeffries. Sandra: Regina Gleason.

19. 1/27/1959: Rubber Gold..In a tire plant, Wes and Skip must find a wounded man who is half blind. Rocky: Mike Mazurki. Kolb: Roy Barcroft. Wes: Jim Davis. Skip: Lang Jeffries.

20. 2/3/1959: Flash Flood..Threatened by a flood, a demented man (John Carradine) sets a series of traps to discourage his rescue. Wes: Jim Davis. Skip: Lang Jeffries. Millie: Virginia Christine.

21. 2/10/1959: Initiation to Danger.. A freshman hazing ends in disaster: a boy is locked in a water tank with the water running. Wes: Jim Davis. Rocklin: James Beck. Paul: Tommy Ivo. Skip: Lang Jeffries.

22. 2/17/1959: Disaster Town..While searching for her son in a ghost town, a woman falls through a rotting floor. Wes: Jim Davis. Ellen: Gail Kobe. Jimmy: Jay North.

23. 2/24/1959: A Handful of Vengeance.. A madman locks a family and the rescue team in a burning house. Stephano: Peter Brocco. Wes: Jim Davis. Mary: Anne Bellamy.

24. 3/3/1959: Forty-Five Fathoms, Dead or Alive..A man is trapped on the ocean floor when his brother accidentally jams the winch that could save him. Wes: Jim Davis. Skip: Lang Jeffries. Fred: John Archer. Janet: Ann McCrea. Norris: Don Durant.

25. 3/10/1959: Children of the Sun..Skip's mother-in-law must be rescued from an earthquake area. Wes: Jim Davis. Skip: Lang Jeffries. Mrs. Curtis: Louise Lorimer.

26. 3/17/1959: International Incident..A prince's life is endangered by assassins who tampered with his car's brakes. Wes: Jim Davis. Prince: Roberto Cabal. Skip: Lang Jeffries. Panda Lal: Lou Krugman.

27. 3/24/1959: Nine Minutes to Live..An engineer is trapped in a mine with a time bomb set to go off. Wes: Jim Davis. Skip: Lang Jeffries. Barston: Frank Ferguson.

28. 3/31/1959: No Trespassing.. Wes is forced to operate on an appendicitis victim while a doctor instructs him by phone. Wes: Jim Davis. Clem: Jason Johnson. Skip: Lang Jeffries. Jane: Patricia Blair. Ronald: Richard Rust.

29. 4/7/1959: Three Men in a Vault..Trying to thwart a robbery, a man locks himself and the crooks in an airtight vault. Wes: Jim Davis. Crotty: John Alvin. Skip: Lang Jeffries. Trig: James Anderson.

30. 4/14/2007: The Walking Death..An AWOL sailor is suspected of having typhoid fever. Wes: Jim Davis. Skip: Lang Jeffries. Ralph: Johnny Seven.

My favorite show

[melvin6925 · 30 March 2004]

I guess this show was a major factor in my becoming a vol. firefighter & EMT-CC.

It was the only show that I would get upset about if I missed it.

I even remember part of the introduction: "Rescue 8, one of the 27 such teams attached to the LA County Fire Department".

Many people familiar with Emergency! don't believe this actually was it's predecessor. I still contend Rescue 8 was much more realistic than any Rescue 8 or Squad 51 shows.

I sure do miss it. :(

I've been searching the internet, albeit in vain, for actual videos from the show. If anyone can point me in the right direction, I'd sure appreciate it.

First of its Kind

[rkmars · 13 November 2004]

I was a rabid fan of Rescue 8 when I was, oh, 4 or so. I can only imagine, today, what the show must actually have been like. But to a small kid, it was just thrilling, and the two stars were my heroes. These guys worked in a fire department, but they weren't firemen; they were rescue experts, specialists who were constantly plucking hapless souls off 1,000-foot cliffs after whipping up impossibly-complex safety and climbing harnesses out of spit and rope.

Insofar as I can tell, this was almost the very first of what eventually became a staple feature of American TV: the rescue drama centered around police, fire, or medical personnel. Now, in 2004, we see such shows as ER (a show that jumped the shark a long time ago, yet still plugs on) and Third Watch containing elements first seen in 30-minute bites on Rescue 8 back in 1958.

loved this TV show

[aquarian_boy_102 · 21 January 2003]

I loved watching "Rescue 8" on TV as a child in the early 1960s on Australian Television in Sydney. I use to enjoy watching it on week day afternoons after school. I recall seeing actors such as Robert Redford in guest starring roles. Jim Davis and Lang Jeffreys were my heros.

Lang Jeffries history

[tojczyk · 23 December 2005]

When I was a kid in the 1950's Lang Jeffries' parents lived in my neighborhood in Port Huron, Michigan. His real name was Bill Lappin before his Hollywood days. I watched Rescue 8 all the time. It was a great realistic emergency program.

Then I remember he made a lot of Itallian westerns (Spagetti Westerns).It was a big deal in my neighborhood when we heard he married Rhonda Fleming.

I have never been able to find any biographical information on his youth days. If anyone knows any more before his Hollywood days, please post.

Rescue 8, TV Air Date, Plot Summary, Episodes 31 To 60

[ratherberat · 7 June 2007]

31. 4/21/1959: Tower of Hate.. The rescue team must save a wounded man who is clinging to a girder 400 feet above water. Wes: Jim Davis. Bill: Ross Elliott. Heinrich: Jack Kruschen.

32. 4/28/1959: Danger in Paradise.. A night watchman at a movie studio chases a pair of intruders onto a shaky catwalk high above the stage. Wes: Jim Davis. Marge: Suzanne Lloyd. Pete: William Swan.

33. 5/5/1959: Hour of Rage.. A man swears revenge when Wes and Skip fail to revive his dead wife. Johnny: Harry Landers. Wes: Jim Davis. Skip: Lang Jeffries.

34. 5/12/1959: If the Bough Breaks..A huge branch crushes a man against the trunk of a tree he's sawing. Dora: Hope Summers. Wes: Jim Davis. Dot: Sally Fraser. Charles: Emerson Treacy. Skip: Lang Jeffries.

35. 5/19/1959: High Pressure.. Two men trapped in a chasm are menaced by oncoming flood waters. Wes: Jim Davis. John: Paul Langton. Foley: Morris Ankrum.

36. 5/26/1959: One More Step.. An actress falls from a catwalk into a network of hoist ropes. Wes: Jim Davis. Melinda: Kaye Elhardt. Skip: Lang Jeffries.

37. 6/2/1959: Left Hook to Hades.. A boxer refuses to throw a fight and is attacked by gangsters. Lou: Walter Duke. Wes: Jim Davis. Skip: Lang Jeffries. Thompson: Walter Burke. Terry: Lester Maxwell.

38. 6/9/1959: The Trap.. A man is trapped in a fire with enough nitroglycerin to level the entire area. Wes: Jim Davis. Skip: Lang Jeffries. Fred: Terry Becker.

39. 6/16/1959: Death for Hire.. A fisherman gets pinned under the boat he was launching. Wes: Jim Davis. Skip: Lang Jeffries. Rocha: Joe Vitale.

40. 9/23/1959: Suitcase Fireman.. Chased by a gunman, a man falls onto a steel girder next to a roaring furnace. Wes: Jim Davis. Skip: Lang Jeffries. Jackson: Brett King. Gander: Richard Benedict.

41. 9/30/1959: The Rock Prison.. While exploring a cave, a boy falls into a shaft too narrow for rescuers to enter. Rusty: William Bakewell. Will: Robert Crosson. Wes: Jim Davis. Skip: Lang Jeffries

42.10/7/1959: Fool's Gold.. Robbers drop an unconscious watchman into a maze of pipes leading to a grain elevator. Wes: Jim Davis. Manuel: Peter Brocco. Skip: Lang Jeffries. Freddy: Marc Cavell.

43.10/14/1959: Paid in Full..Barney Carter pushes blackmailers off a cliff onto a narrow ledge. Barney: Tom Brown. Wes: Jim Davis. Guzik: Joseph Ruskin.

44.10/21/1959: Dangerous Salvage..A seaman battles to save his son's life after a shipboard explosion. Wes: Jim Davis. Skip: Lang Jeffries. Jake: Rusty Lane.

45.10/28/1959: 3 Mile Bomb.. Wes and Skip work to free a driver from his overturned truck which is leaking deadly gas. Wes: Jim Davis. Skip: Lang Jeffries. Joe: Walter Sande.

46.11/4/1959: Not for Glory.. Wes is injured in a fall when a rope holding him slips from Skip's hands. Wes: Jim Davis. Skip: Lang Jeffries. Captain: Bruce Bennett.

47.11/11/1959: Forced Landing.. A tyrannical father is bitten by a rattler and the only one who can help is his son. Wes: Jim Davis. Skip: Lang Jeffries. Jerry: Ralph Dumke. Steve: Ralph Votrian

48.11/18/1959: Smashout.. A convict escapes from prison with Wes and Skip as hostages. Wes: Jim Davis. Landers: Dean Stanton. Skip: Lang Jeffries.

49.11/25/1959: Runaway.. A runaway boy retreats to the woods where he meets an escaped lion. Grandpa: Ralph Moody. Wes: Jim Davis. Billy: Lee Aaker.

50.12/2/1959: The Third Strike.. Hit by a baseball, a player suffers amnesia and frightening personality changes. Wes: Jim Davis. Skip: Lang Jeffries.

51.12/9/1959: Pitfall.. A teenager gets his leg caught in a gas tank's giant rollers. Wes: Jim Davis. Skip: Lang Jeffries. Mary: Linda Rand. Wayne: Joel Crothers. Patty: Nancy Rennick.

52.12/16/1959: Heat Wave.. Two men are trapped above a vat of acid that's about to explode. Wes: Jim Davis. Skip: Lang Jeffries. Carbo: Barry Cahill.

53.12/23/1959: The Birdman.. Suffering from a broken jaw, an air-crash victim can't tell Wes about a second victim left dangling on a cliff. Wes: Jim Davis. Professor: Robert Cornthwaite.

54.12/30/1959: The Collision.. After a collision, a young woman is left crushed behind the steering wheel. Wes: Jim Davis. Ron: Jack Hilton. Ann: Nancy Marshall.

55. 1/6/1960: Leap for Life.. Wes and Skip help Indian fire fighters battle a forest blaze. Charlie: Jay Silverheels. Wes: Jim Davis. Skip: Lang Jeffries.

56. 1/13/1960: The Squatters.. Rescuers search for a madman setting traps in the woods for human beings. Wes: Jim Davis. Skip: Lang Jefferies.

57. 1/20/1960: Backfire.. A publicity man's risky scheme leaves him trapped in a car teetering above a deep precipice. Wes: Jim Davis. Skip: Lang Jeffries. Larry: Dan Tobin. Marty: Roy Engel.

58. 1/27/1960: High Explosive.. Wes rescues a spoiled rich boy (Richard Chamberlain) whose escape from police ended in a crack-up. Wes: Jim Davis. Randolph: John Hubbard. Skip: Lang Jeffries.

59. 2/3/1960: Add a Pinch of Death.. Although a second blast is expected,Wes goes in after two men trapped in a lab explosion. Wes: Jim Davis. Skip: Lang Jeffries. Max: Robert Boon.

60. 2/10/1960: Ten Minutes to Doomsday.. A construction site is rocked by a series of mysterious explosions. Wes: Jim Davis. Skip: Lang Jeffries. Gomez: Ken Mayer.

DVDs or VHS of Rescue 8

[hah60 · 23 June 2009]

Does anybody know if VHS tapes or DVDs of the episodes of Rescue 8 are available? I've looked and looked, but no luck so far! There is one site that claims to have it, but it appears to be a scam. I tried contacting them via email several times, but received no answer. And there's no phone number. I'd like to get all 73 episodes. I can remember watching the show as a child, and I looked forward to it every week. It probably influenced me to be a volunteer fireman in my community most of my adult life. Any help on locating copies of the show would be appreciated.

Tom

Rescue 8 - What a great show!

[TexasMike · 27 November 2005]

Rescue 8! What a great show! This is another of those little-known shows from the past that have stuck in my memory and influenced my childhood imagination. I too remember the intricate ropes and harnesses used to rescue people out of danger, and spent many hours recreating the situations with string and plastic army men. Rescue 8 was realistic and exciting, well-made and memorable, unlike the cheap imitation, 'Emergency' (no offense to Emergency fans). Where is the secret vault where these episodes are stored? Or are they lost? Perish the thought! Many other old shows have found their way back to TV or DVD, why not these? Any surviving episodes would be welcome. My eleven-year-old would enjoy them as much as I would. Hopefully the lady who commented earlier who was actually on the show could share some more of her memories with us (please).

Rescue 8

[searchanddestroy-1 · 10 September 2014]

A very pleasant little TV series that was not released in France, at east, as far as I know. Each story, another case. And the most interesting is the way the rescue team has to meet the people they finally happen to help. In the beginning of each episode, you Watch some people with seemingly no connection with the lead characters - Davis and Jeffries - ordinary people, or not such as criminals, and you Wonder HOW they will have to need help...

You Watch some characters study in the first half of the episode, and in the second part, you Watch the rescue sequence climax. Some funny introductions too, such as this one, where the two have to help a guy who have his hand chocked up in a street bars, to get twenty cents coin that fell here, and the rescue team has to get some soap to help the poor Citizen. And after they have helped him they say that this rescue mission cost two hundred buck for the taxpayer. Two hundred bucks for twenty five cents...

I found that very funny.