role of John F. Kennedy in PT 109, but President Kennedy preferred Cliff Robertson.; instead of making that movie, he guest starred on Lawman. Byrnes made a cameo as Kookie in Surfside Six and Hawaiian Eye, a 77 Sunset Strip spin-off. He bought a story for Warners, Make Mine Vanilla, but it was not made. He threatened to punch a photographer who was trying to take a photo of him getting a marriage license. He did some summer stock in 1962 with his wife. Although Byrnes was a popular celebrity, typecasting led him to ultimately buy out his television contract with Warner Brothers to clear his way for films—but it was too late for Byrnes to capitalize on feature-length cinema projects based upon his established television-series fame. Post-Warner Bros. In August 1963 Byrnes bought up the remaining ten months of his contract with Warner Bros. and left Sunset Strip. "No more hipster image for me", said Byrnes. "From now on I'd like to establish myself as a movie star." Byrnes appeared in episodes of The Alfred Hitchcock Hour; Burke's Law and Kraft Suspense Theatre. He travelled to Yugoslavia where he was one of several names in Roger Corman's ensemble war film The Secret Invasion (1964). While in Europe he signed to do a TV show in Munich. Back in the United States, he made a pilot for a TV series, Kissin' Cousins, based on the Elvis Presley film Kissin' Cousins (1964), with Byrnes taking the part of the lieutenant played by Presley in the film; it did not go to series. Byrnes starred in a beach party movie financed by Corman, Beach Ball (1965). While working on Beach Ball with Byrnes, Chris Noel complained about his behavior. He was in episodes of Mister Roberts; Honey West and Theatre of Stars, and did Picnic; Bus Stop; Sunday in New York; Sweet Bird of Youth and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof on stage in stock. The shadow of Kookie hung over him. "People think that's the only role you can play", he said in 1966. "Producers and directors still think of me as the kid I played on the Strip. I've been offered other series but they've still wanted to cast me as the same kid." Byrnes returned to Europe for several Spaghetti Westerns, which included the 1967 films Renegade Riders; Any Gun Can Play and Red Blood, Yellow Gold. In