This short-lived (one season, 1959/60) television detective series is without a doubt, the definitive example of what can now be termed TV Noir, riding high atop a list including such programs as Peter Gunn and 77 Sunset Strip. But JOHNNY STACCATO had much more going for it than those other shows, mainly the presence of the mighty John Cassavetes who starred as the jazz pianist turned Greenwich Village private detective.
Title character Johnny Staccato, played by John Cassavetes, is a jazz pianist/private detective. The setting for many episodes is a Greenwich Village jazz club belonging to his friend, Waldo, played by Eduardo Ciannelli. The show featured many musicians, such as Barney Kessel, Shelly Manne, Red Mitchell, Red Norvo, and Johnny Williams.(Ironically, given the show's New York setting, all of these men were closely identified with the West Coast jazz scene,as the show was filmed largely in Los Angeles.) Elmer Bernstein composed the main theme and Stanley Wilson was music supervisor. Cassavetes also directed some of the episodes

Leonard Hoffman is an insurance salesman struggling to make ends meet. The fact that he has triplet sons who all want to go to Yale isn't making things any easier. Blanche Rickey is also worried about money; her husband is a millionaire with a weak heart, and she worries that he'll blow through all his cash before he finally dies. When Blanche meets Leonard, she devises a murderous plan that she claims will fix both their problems.

《父母心》是獨立電影人約翰．卡薩維蒂於六十年代遇上荷里活製片之產物。故事講及精神科醫生畢蘭加士打聘請了來自音樂學院的朱迪．格蘭，於兒童精神病院利用嶄新手法教導外界認為無可救助的精神病兒童吉娜．羅蘭茲。片中兒童皆來自加州其中一間兒童精神中心，將這班被遺忘的一群真實地呈現在觀眾面前。

都市人面對種種生活壓力，大量社會問題備受關注。當面對社會的陰暗面時，主流社會最初會以迴避的態度面對，而經過大量之社會運動、媒體報導等以令社會更多元、開放，以積極的態度去面對。這種社會心態轉變可能用上半個世紀，甚至更長時間。其中兒童問題從來都是一個敏感議題，而卡薩維蒂早在六十年代已利用光影之間揭示社會鮮為人知的一面，廣泛引起主流社會討論。

卡薩維蒂是一位極具才華的獨立電影導演，游走於荷里活製作和獨立電影之間，利用偏鋒路線打破固有荷里活電影記事模式，注重強烈的演員性格去反映現實社會。本片被評為卡氏最為大膽作品之一，其寫實性令人嘆為觀止，創新起用精神病兒童在作品中表演。深刻地勾勒出這批非主流兒童的困境，打破大眾對他們的形象。而憑藉這齣先驅作品，我們更可以反思現時香港社會在這方面的缺失。

As a result of co-operation between Cassavetes and Hollywood's producers, A Child is Waiting was shown in the 1960s. Burt Lancaster, a psychiatrist, hires Judy Garland to work at a psychiatric facility for children. Garland uses an innovative method to teach a mentally retarded child, Gena Rowland, who the world has turned its back on. Patients in the film were from a real life psychiatric institution, where this group of forsaken children was being honestly presented to the audience.

City life is filled with all sorts of stress and problems. When facing the dark side of society, the mainstream community usually takes refuge in escapism. It is only after waves of social movements and media coverage that the people's attitudes about these problems would change and that they would take affirmative action about it. This process might take half century or longer. Children issue has always been a sensitive subject, yet Cassavetes has already chosen to show its untold stories in his film in the early sixties to arouse public discussion.

Cassavetes was a talented independent filmmaker who also engaged in Hollywood productions. His works emphasized on his actors, and through their characters, instead of traditional storytelling techniques, explored the realities of society. This film was hailed as the most daring piece of Cassavetes' works. Its realism was praised, especially of his inclusion of real life patients. The patients' difficulties were profoundly illustrated so as to eradicate the public's prejudice against them. From this avant-garde work, we can even reconsider the situation of these issues in Hong Kong.

source: Hong Kong Arts Centre

Ghost is an idealogical musician who would rather play his blues in the park to the birds than compromise himself. However, when he meets and falls in love with beautiful singer, Jess Polanski, she comes between him and his band members, and he leaves his dreams behind in search of fame.

Minnie and Moskowitz is a film by John Cassavetes, starring his wife, Gena Rowlands, and actor Seymour Cassel in the title roles of Minnie and Moskowitz, respectively.Following a www. aiyoutv.com break-up, Minnie Moore, a museum curator, becomes disillusioned by love and meaningful relationships. But after a seemingly chance encounter, she meets Seymour Moskowitz, a parking-lot attendant. After this event, Moskowitz falls in love with Minnie, trying desperately to get her to love him back.

1970 film by John Cassavetes

The relationship between Lelia, a light-skinned black woman, and Tony, a white man is put in jeopardy when Tony meets Lelia’s darker-skinned jazz singer brother, Hugh, and discovers that her racial heritage is not what he thought it was.

1968 film by John Cassavetes

Cosmo Vittelli, the proprietor of a sleazy, low-rent Hollywood cabaret, has a real affection for the women who strip in his peepshows and the staff who keep up his dingy establishment. He also has a major gambling problem that has gotten him in trouble before. When Cosmo loses big-time at an underground casino run by mobster Mort, he isn't able to pay up. Mort then offers Cosmo the chance to pay back his debt by knocking off a pesky, Mafia-protected bookie.

1984 film by John Cassavetes

Mabel Longhetti, desperate and lonely, is married to a Los Angeles municipal construction worker, Nick. Increasingly unstable, especially in the company of others, she craves happiness, but her extremely volatile behavior convinces Nick that she poses a danger to their family and decides to commit her to an institution for six months. Alone with a trio of kids to raise on his own, he awaits her return, which holds more than a few surprises.

1980 film directed by John Cassavetes

Actress Myrtle Gordon is a functioning alcoholic who is a few days from the opening night of her latest play, concerning a woman distraught about aging. One night a car kills one of Myrtle's fans who is chasing her limousine in an attempt to get the star's attention. Myrtle internalizes the accident and goes on a spiritual quest, but fails to finds the answers she is after. As opening night inches closer and closer, fragile Myrtle must find a way to make the show go on.