Except for the latex-mask guys, most of these clever disguises consisted of fright wigs, bushy beards and outlandish facial hair -- plus big hats, and an occasional scar and eye-patch. Arrrrh!

When I was a kid during this Golden age of Television, people walked around conservatively dressed, clean-shaven with neat, close-cropped hair -- crew cuts, even. So it always seemed preposterous for a detective to whip up a disguise using all the above-mentioned devices in order to move about "unnoticed" while gathering information.

I can remember noting in the late '60s that when the styles went clear over in the other direction, it was much easier to cover up one's true identity again.