The Walter Winchell File (1957–1959)

TV ShowEndedABC2 seasons, 38 episodes
The Walter Winchell File poster
Trailers & clips

Plot

The Walter Winchell File is the title of a television crime drama series that initially aired from 1957 to 1958, dramatizing cases from the New York City Police Department that were covered in the New York Daily Mirror. The series featured columnist and announcer Walter Winchell, John Larch, George Cisar, Robert Anderson, Robert Brubaker, Dolores Donlon, and Gene Barry, a year before he was cast in the lead of NBC's Bat Masterson. Thirty-nine episodes were produced; the first twenty-six aired on ABC during the 1957-1958 season, and the final thirteen were seen in syndication in 1959. Among the guest stars was the child actor Dennis Holmes, who played 7-year-old Allie Marisch in the 1957 episode "Thou Shalt Not Kill."

Email me if The Walter Winchell File returns or gets revived

Highest-rated episodes all ranked

  1. 01Fight NightS02E06 · 10.0An ex-con, straight out of prison, wants back into the action, and proceeds to rob two bookies.

Episodes by season

Season0126Episodes1957–58Aired—Season avg
  1. S01E01Country BoyOctober 2, 1957—
  2. S01E02Thou Shalt Not KillOctober 9, 1957—
  3. S01E03A Day in the SunOctober 16, 1957—
  4. S01E04Where is Louise Melk?October 23, 1957—
  5. S01E05The Boy from Mason CityOctober 30, 1957—There's no place like home---sometimes. A young woman (Maureen Leeds) is held hostage in her apartment by a hunted killer. Tom: Manning Ross
  6. S01E06The DecisionNovember 6, 1957—
  7. S01E07The CandlestickNovember 13, 1957—
  8. S01E08The Fallen IdolNovember 20, 1957—
  9. S01E09The Semi-WindupNovember 27, 1957—
  10. S01E10The CupcakeDecember 4, 1957—A 10-year-old girl falsely accuses a neighborhood baker of trying to molest her.
  11. S01E11The Law and Aaron BenjaminDecember 11, 1957—
  12. S01E12Act of FollyDecember 18, 1957—
  13. S01E13The Steep HillDecember 25, 1957—
  14. S01E14TerrorJanuary 3, 1958—
  15. S01E15A Good AddressJanuary 10, 1958—
  16. S01E16The High WindowJanuary 17, 1958—
  17. S01E17Night PeopleJanuary 24, 1958—
  18. S01E18David and GoliathJanuary 31, 1958—
  19. S01E19The BargainFebruary 7, 1958—
  20. S01E20Hot Night in ManhattanFebruary 14, 1958—
  21. S01E21Stay Away From GunsFebruary 21, 1958—
  22. S01E22The WalkoutFebruary 28, 1958—
  23. S01E23Silent CityMarch 7, 1958—
  24. S01E24Frame-UpMarch 14, 1958—
  25. S01E25The ReporterMarch 21, 1958—
  26. S01E26The Stop-OverMarch 28, 1958—

Season 1 ranked & reviewed

Season0212Episodes1958Aired 10.0Season avg
  1. S02E01Portrait of a Cop—
  2. S02E02Dice of Fortune—
  3. S02E03Too Many Clues—
  4. S02E04Exclusive Story—
  5. S02E05A Short Run to Broadway—
  6. S02E06Fight NightJuly 2, 1958 10.0An ex-con, straight out of prison, wants back into the action, and proceeds to rob two bookies.
  7. S02E07The Night Prowlers—
  8. S02E08A Thing of Beauty—
  9. S02E09Death Comes in a Small PackageJuly 27, 1959—A thief steals a metal pellet, unaware that it contains radium.
  10. S02E10The Box Men—
  11. S02E11Muggy Night on Times SquareAugust 1, 1958—Johnny Hansel, wanted for robbery, chances capture to visit his hospitalized wife.
  12. S02E12Enemy Agent—

Season 2 ranked & reviewed

Cast

Walter WinchellWalter Winchell

Photos

View all
1 / 1

The Walter Winchell File

Poster · 1 of 1

Shows like The Walter Winchell File all similar shows

The closest matches on shared genres, ranked by match strength and popularity.

  1. 01Crime·Drama·MysteryBarnaby Jones1973Barnaby Jones is a television detective series starring Buddy Ebsen and Lee Meriwether as father- and daughter-in-law who run a private detective firm in Los Angeles.Compare
  2. 02Drama·Family·ComedyRemington Steele1982Laura Holt, a licensed private detective, opens a detective agency but finds that potential clients refuse to hire a woman, however qualified.7.1Compare
  3. 03Crime·Drama·MysteryBaretta1975Baretta is an American detective television series which ran on ABC from 1975 to 1978.Compare
  4. 04Drama·MysteryThe Rainmaker2025Fresh out of law school, Rudy Baylor goes head to head with courtroom lion Leo Drummond as well as his law school girlfriend, Sarah.Compare
  5. 05Drama·CrimeThe Witness2026With their 2-year-old as the sole witness to her murder, Rachel Nickell's partner fights to protect him amid a flawed investigation.Compare
  6. 06Mystery·ActionThe Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew Mysteries1977The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries is a television series which aired for three seasons on ABC.Compare

Head-to-head pick any opponent

Stack The Walter Winchell File's full episode-rating history against a rival, on one chart.

The Walter Winchell File vs Barnaby JonesFull episode chartThe Walter Winchell File vs Remington SteeleFull episode chartThe Walter Winchell File vs BarettaFull episode chart

Keep exploring top shows

ShortcutThe essential episodes

Short on time? The pilot-to-finale shortcut, only the episodes that matter.

MatchupCompare with another show

Two shows' episode ratings on one chart — settle it.

NetworkBest ABC shows

More from the same network, ranked by rating.