Adventures of Dante

A word of explanation may be helpful, here: technically speaking, a series entitled THE ADVENTURES OF DANTE never actually ran on network television. Instead, actor Dick Powell portrayed the character of Willie Dante, a restaurant-owning card shark who lingers at the edge of the criminal underworld and battles unsavory characters, in eight episodes of the 1950s anthology series FOUR STAR PLAYHOUSE, that were scripted by none other than a young Blake Edwards. Four of those original episodes appear in this box set. These include: HIGH STAKES - where Dante shoots a drunk in self-defense and winds up framed for attempted homicide; THE STACKED DECK, where Dante gets lured into a blackmail scheme; THE SQUEEZE, where Dante ends up holding rubber checks demanded by a kingpin; and THE HOUSE ALWAYS WINS, where Dante's ex-lover wanders into his restaurant, as an accomplice to several burglars who plan to rob the place.