The film would not be shown theatrically in the USA but would appear as the first episode of the series. Secondly, ABC wanted Edd Byrnes as a series regular. In the film Byrnes played vicious killer Kenneth Smiley, who compulsively combs his hair. When the youth audience reacted favorably to his performance, Byrnes was offered the role of a new recurring character in the television series. In 77 Sunset Strip, Byrnes became Kookie, a comical carhop who also compulsively combs his hair. Byrne's appearance in Girl on the Run was addressed directly in the series. At the beginning of the episode that followed Girl on the Run, Zimbalist broke the fourth wall with the announcement:We previewed this show, and because Edd Byrnes was such a hit, we decided that Kookie and his comb had to be in our series. So this week, we'll just forget that in the pilot he went off to prison to be executed. References Citations Sources External links Roy Huggins' Archive of American Television Interview Girl on the Run at the Internet Movie Database Stuart Bailey at Thrilling Detective 1958 television films 1958 films 1958 drama films American black-and-white films American detective films Films directed by Richard L. Bare Films set in Los Angeles Television films as pilots Warner Bros. films American drama television films 1950s English-language films 1950s American films