Month: November 2016

Decorate With Style

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With the Christmas shopping season fully in swing, I thought it would be fun to look at ways to decorate with movie and television collectibles. If you are looking for a unique gift for someone on your list or trying to come up with ideas to share with others, think about personalizing home décor with items that showcase pop culture favorites.

Whether you want to sprinkle a few items in around your house or devote an entire room to a theme, there are a lot of fun ideas to display your passions.

If you are shopping for children, think about purchasing a movie poster from the first movie they ever went to.  Our oldest son’s first movie at 3 was supposed to be an animated Christmas feature, but they had a problem with the film and showed Home Alone instead.  I thought he would be bored (or scared), but he loved it, and we commemorated that memory with a framed movie poster for his room. Maybe your child is older but has a movie she watches over and over.

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Our middle son collected old board games.  We still have a lot of those and play them a lot. You can find games about shows from the 1950s up through the present. Here are just a few of the ones I’ve seen out there:  The Lone Ranger, Happy Days, McHales’s Navy, The Partridge Family, The Patty Duke Show, The Big Bang Theory, Modern Family, The Honeymooners, The Office, and hundreds more.

If you have an avid sports fan to buy for, think about decorating with movies and tv shows about sports. How about the lobby cards for Remember the Titans, a basketball signed by Gene Hackman from Hoosiers, or a Happy Gilmore script signed by the entire cast.

Decorating with western items can also be a fun theme. Consider redoing your guest room with a western flare.  What would you put in it?  How about Clint Eastwood’s hat from The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.  I’ve seen a Roy Rogers bedspread, a John Wayne figurine, a Lone Ranger poster for the wall, and on the night stand place a couple of Bonanza tin cups for morning coffee and a CD player with a collection of Old West radio episodes.

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Maybe you have a family member who loves Christmas.  You can find a variety of Christmas photos from classic television shows.  Or buy a small fake Christmas tree and decorate it with Hallmark ornaments from pop culture.

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Perhaps you have someone who loves fashion.  There are a variety of items you can search for in that category. Many movies had photos taken when they tested their costumes. You can also find clothing, accessories, and jewelry worn on television shows or movies to wear or frame. I have a thirtysomething jacket that was made for the crew and cast and it’s a fun item to hang on the wall.

Someone who likes old advertising can use a variety of collectibles scattered throughout the house.  You can find stars promoting everything from cold cream to coffee.  We have an ad of Ozzie and Harriet Nelson in our laundry room for a Hot Point washing machine.

Do you have a doll collector on your list ?  There are hundreds of dolls out there from television series. I’ve seen I Love Lucy, George Burns, Maxwell Smart from Get Smart, That Girl, and Laverne and Shirley. In movie collectibles, you can find Gone with the Wind dolls, Wizard of Oz figures, and even Rock Hudson and Doris Day from Pillow Talk.

Coffee bars are becoming common in new homes.  If you have someone who loves entertaining that way, you’re in luck.  You can find coffee mugs, serving bowls, and tea sets to display.

Last, but not least, if you know someone who has one show they are drawn to use that as your theme.   The iconic show is The Andy Griffith Show.  You can find blankets, villages, cups, signs, clocks, and even canned food and muffin packages. However, any show whether it be The Donna Reed Show from the 1950s or Last Man Standing currently on television will have a lot of items to choose from. If you are looking for single show themes, consider advertising items–My Three Sons had a wood block invitation made for the press; props –a typewriter used on Will and Grace; tv guides; music boxes; paper dolls and coloring books; lunch boxes; or even light switch plates.

If you can’t find exactly what you’re looking for, make your own.  For example, you could enlarge the sheet music from the theme song and frame it. Or make a shadow box with a few treasured items. You can even make pillows or magnets.

With a little imagination, you can come up with that perfect gift for everyone on your list.  The bonus?  You get to stay cozy and warm inside when the winds are blowing and the snow is falling and watch your favorite shows while you shop for everyone on your gift list.

 

Thanksgiving With My Friends

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When Thanksgiving episodes are being considered, Friends has to top the list.  Every year for a decade, the crew got together for the fall holiday. Watching these ten episodes provides a fun overview of what was happening in the show during its entire run. Let’s face it, with a decade of holiday shows to write, not everyone can be velvety pumpkin pie with real whipped cream.  I’d say a few were turkeys, but who doesn’t think turkey is the best at Thanksgiving, so instead let’s say a couple of them rank up there with Aunt Harriet’s fruit cake. Let’s take a look at the Thanksgiving treats.

Season 1: The One When Underdog Gets Away

Monica and Ross’s parents are in Puerto Rico, so Monica decides to cook for Ross and invites Phoebe and Chandler. The friends chipped in to pay for Rachel’s ticket to Vail so she could spend the holiday with her family. Joey posed for a free clinic ad which painted him as the face of venereal disease, so his family asked him to bypass Thanksgiving this year and ends up at Monica’s as well. Ross leaves for his ex-wife’s saying he will be back for dinner. Before Rachel leaves, they head up to the roof to see the Underdog float that got away from the Macy’s parade and get locked out of the apartment. By the time they get in, Rachel has missed her flight and the dinner is ruined.

 

Season 2: The One with the List

After Ross kissed Rachel, he has to decide between dating her and Julie. He makes a pro/con list to help him choose, but Rachel sees it on his computer. She locks him out of the apartment.  He desperately tries to see her and tell her all the pros he has for her, but the episode ends with both of them looking out their apartment window alone. While this was a Thanksgiving episode, there is very little holiday cheer written into the script.

 

Season 3: The One with the Football

All the friends are having a holiday dinner and decide to play a football game. Monica and Ross tell how competitive they were at football as kids; in fact, their mom banned football from Thanksgiving. Now that they’re adults they are ready to try it again. Rachel scores the winning touchdown but misses touching the end zone, so Monica and Ross both go for the ball.  Neither one of them will let go until dark when they finally declare it a tie. One of Joey’s best lines in the series “There must be a special place in heaven for people that hung out with you two in high school.”

 

Season 4: The One with Chandler in a Box

Joey refuses to talk to Chandler who kissed his girlfriend. Monica gets ice in her eye preparing the meal but doesn’t want to go to the eye doctor because it’s her ex-boyfriend Richard.  Finally, Phoebe calls to make an appointment anyway and finds out Richard is out of town. Monica is treated by his son. Monica flirts with him and invites him to dinner.  He reminds her of Richard, and she reminds him of his mother, so their relationship is over before it begins.  The friends have a traditional holiday watching football, talking about the past, and drawing Secret Santa names. Eventually Kathy breaks up with Chandler and Joey makes him run off after her.

 

Season 5: The One with All the Thanksgivings

After eating a big meal where they talked about what they were thankful for, the friends reminisce about the worst Thanksgivings they remember. Ross talks about his marital situation, Phoebe remembers being in the Revolutionary War in a prior life, Chandler talks about his parents’ divorce, Joey describes a holiday before they all knew each other when he stuck his head in the turkey to scare Chandler and got it stuck. Monica says when she met Chandler he told Ross she was fat. The next year, he drools over a slim Monica and to get even she pretends to lure him so he will undress and be left alone.  However, she accidently drops a knife on his foot and he loses part of his toe. When he hears the story he is furious but then Monica puts the turkey on her head and dances around.  Not only does he lose his anger, but he tells her he loves her.

 

Season 6: The One Where Ross Got High

Monica and Ross’s parents are coming for Thanksgiving. Chandler is trying to impress them since he and Monica are engaged, but they don’t seem to like him. It turns out one weekend when Ross was home from college, they caught him getting high in his room and he blamed it on Chandler. Monica tells Ross he has to come clean. He doesn’t so she begins airing his dirty laundry. He in turn says Monica and Chandler have been living together and she retaliates that he and Rachel have been married and divorced. The Gellars leave liking Chandler better than their own children.

 

Season 7: The One Where Chandler Doesn’t Like Dogs

Phoebe is dog-sitting. Chandler doesn’t want to admit he hates dogs so he pretends to be allergic. The girls take the dog to Ross’s apartment but later sneak him back in. Rachel’s coworker Tag joins the group because his girlfriend broke up with him. He and Rachel realize they have feelings for each other.

 

Season 8:  The One with the Rumor

Ross’s old friend Will comes for Thanksgiving. He lost 150 pounds since high school. He reveals that he and Ross had an “I Hate Rachel Green” Club because she was so mean in high school. Rachel is mad but especially at Ross because she declares that she never did anything mean to him till Monica reminds her she told everyone in school that Ross made out with the school librarian. Joey turns Phoebe’s old maternity pants into his new Thanksgiving pants.

 

Season 9: The One with Rachel’s Sister

Rachel’s older sister comes for the meal. She manages to offend everyone, and no one likes her. Joey remembers he was supposed to be in the Macy’s parade with his Days of Our Lives cast members but it’s now over. The other running gag is Monica wants everyone to be especially careful with their new wedding china, and Joey is given an old plate because they can’t trust him. Not one of the better episodes.

 

Season 10: The One with the Late Thanksgiving

Monica decides she needs a break from hosting Thanksgivings. Phoebe talks her into competing with her prior meals and she talks Rachel into entering Emma into a baby beauty pageant. Ross and Joey are almost an hour late because they were at a Rangers hockey game.  When Monica overhears the excuses they are thinking of using she locks them out of the apartment.  Eventually she lets them in. After the meal, Chandler and Monica get a call that a birth mother is considering them as a candidate to adopt her baby.

FRIENDS, David Schwimmer, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Courteney Cox, Matthew Perry, Jennifer Aniston, ‘The One With The Late Thanksgiving’, (Season 10, epis. #226), 1994-2004, © Warner Bros. / Courtesy: Everett Collection

As you reviewed these episodes, I hope you remembered your favorites or were intrigued by several you want to watch.  Pick one for an appetizer, one for the main entrée and your favorite for the pumpkin pie this Thanksgiving weekend. When you consider everything you are thankful for this holiday, remember creative writing and amazing casts because they really don’t all come together very often.

Happy Thanksgiving.

A Bachelor Party For Everyone

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Each month I would like to take a look at one of my favorite sitcoms.  November’s show is Bachelor Father which ran from 1957-1962. Bachelor Father is one of my all-time favorite shows. With its sophisticated writing, realistic relationships, and elegant lifestyle, I can find something new each time a re-watch an episode. Before Steve Douglas (My Three Sons), Andy Taylor (The Andy Griffith Show), Bill Davis (Family Affair), Phil Drummond (Different Strokes), and Danny Tanner (Full House), Bentley Gregg took on the responsibility of raising his niece after her parents were killed in a car accident. Somehow he was a lucrative lawyer in Beverly Hills, raised a respectful and intelligent niece, participated in civic affairs, and never let any of it cramp his dating life, well rarely. Part of his success can be attributed to Peter, his houseboy who was the “Mother” of the family and kept the household running smoothly.

Starring John Forsythe as Bentley Gregg, Noreen Corcoran as Kelly, and Sammee Tong as Peter, the series debuted on CBS in September 1957, airing alternate weeks with The Jack Benny Show.  In 1959, the show moved to NBC, and the final season in 1962 it aired on ABC. The program was based on a radio episode, “A New Girl in His Life,” which was heard on General Electric Theater in May of 1957. During the show’s run, 157 episodes were filmed, all in black and white. While there was a revolving cast of beautiful women on the show, the other regulars were Kelly’s best friend Ginger played by Bernadette Withers, Kelly’s boyfriend Howard Meecham played by Jimmy Boyd, and their dog Jasper.

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The character of Bentley Gregg was based on two well-known Beverly Hills bachelors.  Their names were combined for this character. No serious thoughts were given to creating a steady relationship for Bentley by the writers because he had an aversion to marriage, so Kelly was the only permanent woman in his life.

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John Forsythe was born Jacob Lincoln Freund in Penns Grove, NJ the son of a Wall Street businessman.   He later moved to Brooklyn and went on to school at the University of North Carolina. After college he was hired as the announcer for the Brooklyn Dodgers. He signed a contract with Warner Brothers in 1943. Eventually he moved his family to California in order to give them a stable home life. He starred in two other sitcoms in the 60s, The John Forsythe Show in 1965-66 and To Rome with Love in 1969-71. He is best known as the voice of Charlie on Charlie’s Angels and the role of Blake Carrington on Dynasty. He died April 1, 2010 of pneumonia at 92.

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Noreen Corcoran was suggested by Ronald Reagan for the character of Kelly, because he felt she was believable as a typical 13-year-old. She began appearing in films in 1951 and was on various television episodes before getting the role of Kelly. After the show ended, she made a few appearances on shows including Dr. Kildare, Gunsmoke, and The Big Valley and appeared in the movie Gidget Goes to Rome. In 1963 she released the musical single “Love Kitten.” In 1966 she began an 11-year association with the Lewitzky Dance Company. She passed away January 15, 2016 of cardiopulmonary disease at 72.

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Sammee Tong had been a stand-up comedian. Forsythe insisted that Tong be a major character on the show, and the banter between Bentley and Peter was similar to that of Steve Douglas and Uncle Charlie or Bills Davis and Mr. French. Although “Peter” spoke broken English, Sammee Tong spoke excellent English. Tong’s first film was Happiness Ahead in 1934. He appeared in more than 30 films and 40 television programs between 1935 and 1965. He was a good friend of Mickey Rooney’s and played his friend on the sitcom Mickey which was cancelled in 1965. By that time Tong was deeply in debt due to a gambling problem, and he committed suicide October 27, 1964 at age 63. His last appearance was posthumously as Cook in the 1965 film Fluffy.

Some of Bentley’s women were played by actresses who would go on to become famous including Whitney Blake, Donna Douglas, Barbara Eden, Sally Kellerman, Sue Ane Langdon, Joyce Meadows, and Mary Tyler Moore.

Male guest stars included Jack Albertson, Parley Baer, Jack Benny, Edgar Bergen, Bill Bixby, Ronnie Burns, Richard Deacon, Joe Flynn, Howard McNear, Sid Melton, Ryan O’Neal and Harry Von Zell.

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Harry Ackerman produced the first season and was replaced by Everett Freeman for the rest of the series’ life when Ackerman went on to work for other sitcoms, including Bewitched and I Dream of Jeannie. The show was sponsored by American Tobacco which made Tareyton cigarettes and American Home Products which marketed Anacin, Dristan, and the Chef Boyardee line.

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The show was filmed at Revue Studios and produced by Forsythe’s Bachelor Productions. The episodes were filmed at 4024 Radford Avenue in Studio City and the exteriors were shot at 120 Colonial Street, Backlot at Universal Studios. The end of Colonial Street was also known as New England Street. In the photo below, the house at the right was the Bachelor Father house.  The Cleaver house from Leave It to Beaver was across the street. The Gregg family lived at 113 Rexford Drive in Beverly Hills.  Bentley’s office was Room 106 in the Crescent Building on Crescent Drive in Los Angeles.

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The theme song, “Bachelor Father” was written by David Kahn and Johnny Williams, today known as John Williams, the famous movie composer.

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Vincent Dee was the costume supervisor, Florence Bush was the hair stylist, and Leo Lotito Jr. was the make-up artist.

Dialogue From Bachelor Father

Season 2 / Episode 1: – Bentley and the Finishing School

Kelly Gregg: Peter, I cleaned my room.
Peter Tong: What you tryin’ to do – ruin your reputation?

Season 5 / Episode 36: – Bentley Takes it Easy

Bentley Gregg: [regarding his upcoming home vacation] First and foremost, I’m going to do absolutely nothing.
Peter Tong: If you get tired doing nothing, I’ll be glad to help out.
Bentley Gregg: It’ll be nice to have an expert around.

Season 4 / Episode 33: – Kelly’s Charge Account

Kelly Gregg: I’ll have you know I walked right through Kessler’s this afternoon, and all I bought was a hair net. I just wanted the thrill of signing for something.
Peter Tong: You be careful. Remember, charge account like ocean. One step too far – you go under.

Season 4 / Episode 2: – Kelly Learns to Drive

Bentley Gregg: Don’t you think that you’ve been vacillating enough?
Peter Tong: That depend.
Bentley Gregg: On what?
Peter Tong: What vacillating mean.

Season 3 / Episode 5: – Kelly’s Idol

Peter Tong: Hello, Mr. Gregg. You’re home early.
Bentley Gregg: Peter, I’ve just spent eight of the most miserable boring hours of my life with one the most beautiful girls in this town.
Peter Tong: Sometime even Mickey Mantle don’t get to first base.

Fun Facts

Jimmie Boyd (Howard) recorded the 1952 Christmas song “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus.”

Ginger’s last name changed three times during the run of the show.  She was referred to as Ginger Farrrell, Loomis, and Mitchell.

Ginger was played by Bernadette Withers. Jane Withers was her aunt, and Jane was best known as Josephine the Plumber.

In Episode 5 of Season 4, Linda Evans (then Linda Evenstad) played one of Kelly’s girlfriends who had a big crush on Bentley. She would later play his wife on Dynasty.

During the five years of the show, Bentley had five different secretaries: Vickie, Kitty 1, Kitty 2, Suzanne, and Connie; could he have been related to Murphy Brown?

Some of the episodes can be seen on youtube.com. Antenna TV had Bachelor Father on its schedule but it was replaced in 2015. We can only hope they will bring it back soon and that the show will finally be given its due and released on DVD so we can once again enjoy the Gregg family and friends.

Below is the list of episodes by season.

Season 1

  1. Bentley And The P.T.A. (9/29/1957)
  2. Bentley versus The Girl Scouts (10/6/1957)
  3. Bentley And The lady Doctor (10/13/1957)
  4. Date With Kelly (10/20/1957)
  5. Uncle Bentley keeps His Promise (10/27/1957)
  6. Bentley And The Baby Sitter (11/3/1957)
  7. Uncle Bentley And The Aunts (11/10/1957)
  8. Bentley And The Revolving Housekeeper (11/24/1957)
  9. Bentley And The Talent Contest (1/5/1958)
  10. Bentley, The Homemaker (1/19/1958)
  11. Bentley And His Junior Image (2/2/1958)
  12. Uncle Bentley Loans Out Peter (2/16/1958)
  13. Bentley And The Social Worker (3/2/1958)
  14. A Sister For Kelly (3/16/1958)
  15. Waiting Up For Kelly (3/30/1958)
  16. Woman Of The house (4/13/1958)
  17. Peter falls In love (4/27/1958)
  18. Bentley’s Prospective Son-In-Law (5/11/1958)
  19. Bentley’s Clubhouse (5/25/1958)
  20. Uncle Bentley And The Matchmaker (6/8/1958)

Season 2

  1. Bentley And The Finishing School (9/14/1958)
  2. Parent’s Night (9/28/1958)
  3. Bentley Leads A Dog’s Life (10/12/1958)
  4. Bentley & the Teenage Siren (10/26/1958)
  5. Bentley & Peter’s Teacher (11/9/1958)
  6. Bentley And The Wedding Bells (11/23/1958)
  7. Kelly’s Mad Crush (11/7/1958)
  8. Bentley’s Big Case (12/21/1958)
  9. Bentley’s Economy Wave (1/4/1959)
  10. Decisions, Decisions (1/18/1959)
  11. Bentley And The Kleptomaniac (2/1/1959)
  12. A Phone For Kelly (2/15/1959)
  13. Bentley, The Proud Father (3/15/1959)
  14. Bentley’s Aunt Caroline (3/29/1959)
  15. Bentley, Man Of Steel (4/12/1959)
  16. Bentley And The Motorcycle (4/26/1959)
  17. Bentley The Star Maker (5/1/1959)
  18. Bentley, The Organizer (5/10/1959)
  19. Bentley And The beauty Contest (5/24/1959)
  20. Bentley, The Hero (6/7/1959)

Season 3

  1. Peter Meets His Match (9/17/1959)
  2. Bentley & the dog Trainer (9/24/1959)
  3. The Case Against Gisele (10/1/1959)
  4. Bentley And The Gullible Guitarist (10/8/1959)
  5. Kelly’s Idol (10/15/1959)
  6. East Meets West (10/22/1959)
  7. Bentley And Grandpa Ling (10/29/1959)
  8. Kelly, The Golddigger (11/5/1959)
  9. The Rescue Of Rufus (11/12/1959)
  10. A Key For Kelly (11/19/1959)
  11. Bentley’s Double Play (11/26/1959)
  12. Bentley And The Brainy Beauty (12/3/1959)
  13. Bentley Plays Cupid (12/10/1959)
  14. Kelly’s Secret (12/17/1959)
  15. Bentley Goes To Washington (12/24/1959)
  16. Kelly, The Politician (12/31/1959)
  17. Bentley, The Gentleman Farmer (1/7/1960)
  18. Bentley And The Combo (1/14/1960)
  19. Bentley And The Bartered Bride (1/21/1960)
  20. The Blonde Issue (1/28/1960)
  21. Bentley And The Majorette (2/4/1960)
  22. Bentley, The Model Citizen (2/18/1960)
  23. The Fishing Trip (2/25/1960)
  24. The Fortune Cookie Caper (3/3/1960)
  25. Kelly And The College Man (3/10/1960)
  26. Kelly, The Career Woman (3/17/1960)
  27. Bentley’s New House (3/24/1960)
  28. Bentley, The Stage Mother (4/7/1960)
  29. The Woman’s Angle (4/14/1960)
  30. Bentley Meets The Perfect Woman (4/21/1960)
  31. Bentley And The Travel Agent (4/28/1960)
  32. The Very Friendly Witness (5/5/1960)
  33. Bentley And The Blood Bank (5/12/1960)
  34. A Man Of Importance (5/19/1960)
  35. Bentley And The Beach Bum (5/26/1960)
  36. Where There’s A Will (6/2/1960)
  37. Bentley’s Birthday Gift (6/9/1960)

Season 4

  1. Kelly, The Matchmaker (8/26/1960)
  2. It Happens In November (9/7/1960)
  3. Jasper The Second (9/15/1960)
  4. Kelly Learns To Drive (9/22/1960)
  5. Trail Separation (9/29/1960)
  6. Mystery Witness (10/6/1960)
  7. A Crush On Bentley (10/13/1960)
  8. Peter Gets Jury Notice (10/20/1960)
  9. Hilda The Jewel (10/27/1960)
  10. How To Catch A Man(11/10/1960)
  11. Bentley Cracks The Whip (11/24/1960)
  12. Bentley And The Big Board (12/1/1960)
  13. Dear Bentley (12/15/1960)
  14. Bentley And The Lost Chord (12/22/1960)
  15. Ginger’s Big Romance (12/29/1960)
  16. Bentley The Angel (1/5/1961)
  17. Bentley Goes To Europe (1/19/1961)
  18. Bentley And The Woodpecker (1/21/1961)
  19. The Greggs In Rome (1/26/1961)
  20. The Greggs In London (2/2/1961)
  21. The Greggs In Paris (2/16/1961)
  22. Encore In Paris (2/23/1961)
  23. There’s No Place Like Home (3/2/1961)
  24. Bentley Swims Upstream (3/9/1961)
  25. A Man Among Men (3/16/1961)
  26. Peter’s China Doll (3/23/1961)
  27. Bentley And The Counterspy (3/30/1961)
  28. Peter Plays Cupid (4/6/1961)
  29. Bentley And The Great Debate (4/13/1961)
  30. Bentley And The Nature Girl (4/20/1961)
  31. Bentley’s Mad Friends (4/27/1961)
  32. Hilda Rides Again (5/4/1961)
  33. Kelly’s Charge Account (5/11/1961)
  34. Bentley Builds A Pool (5/18/1961)
  35. Bentley Slays A dragon (5/25/1961)
  36. A Favor For Bentley (6/1/1961)
  37. Kelly Gets A Job (6/8/1961)
  38. Kelly’s Tangled Web (6/15/1961)
  39. Bentley’s Barbecue (6/22/1961)
  40. Drop That Calorie (7/6/1961)

Season 5

  1. Kelly’s Graduation (9/21/1961)
  2. King’s English (10/3/1961)
  3. Rush Week (10/10/1961)
  4. Kelly And The Free Thinker (10/17/1961)
  5. A Party For Peter (10/24/1961)
  6. Never Steal An Owl (10/31/1961)
  7. Bentley’s Catered Affair (11/7/1961)
  8. House At Smuggler’s Cove (11/14/1961)
  9. Peter’s Punctured Wedding (11/21/1961)
  10. Star Light, Star Not So Bright (11/28/1961)
  11. Bentley And The Time Clock (12/5/1961)
  12. Birth Of A Song (12/12/1961)
  13. Deck The halls (12/19/1961)
  14. The Law And Kelly Gregg (12/26/1961)
  15. How To Throw Your Voice (1/2/1962)
  16. Kelly, The Yes Man (1/9/1962)
  17. Gold In Them Hills (1/16/1962)
  18. How Howard Won His “C” (1/23/1962)
  19. Pinch That Penny (1/30/1962)
  20. Blossom Comes To Visit (2/6/1962)
  21. Bentley And The Homebody (2/13/1962)
  22. Summer Romance (2/20/1962)
  23. Hong Kong Suit
  24. Will Success Spoil Jasper? (3/6/1962)
  25. The Twain Shall Meet (3/9/1962)
  26. Strictly Business (3/13/1962)
  27. On The Old Camp Ground (3/20/1962)
  28. A Visit To The Bergens (3/27/1962)
  29. The Richest Cat (4/3/1962)
  30. Bentley Goes To Bat (4/17/1962)
  31. Kelly’s Engagement (4/24/1962)
  32. Kelly, The Home Executive (5/1/1962)
  33. Blossom Time At The Greggs (5/8/1962)
  34. What Men Don’t Know (5/15/1962)
  35. Marry Thy Neighbor (5/22/1962)
  36. Bentley Takes It Easy (5/29/1962)
  37. Boys Will Be Boys (6/5/1962)
  38. Divided House (6/12/1962)
  39. Peter, The Medicine Man (6/19/1962)
  40. Curfew Shall Not Ring Tonight (6/26/1962)

Tonight’s Partridge Family Episode Features . . .

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The Partridge Family (ABC) later seasons (1971 – 1974) Shown from left: (top) Brian Forster, Danny Bonaduce, Suzanne Crough; (front) David Cassidy, Shirley Jones, Susan Dey

Ask any girl who grew up in the late sixties and early seventies and they will tell you their favorite night of television was Friday.  We looked forward to watching The Brady Bunch, The Partridge Family, Room 222, The Odd Couple, and Love American Style, but the first hour of the night was the only “can’t miss” one. Boys coming of age in that era might have a tough time deciding between Samantha Stevens and Jeannie, but almost every girl will tell you Keith Partridge beat out Greg Brady hands down. Like most nine-year-olds in 1970, I had a huge crush on Keith Partridge. Watching the episodes today takes me right back to that time, and I feel like a kid on Friday night again.

The Partridge Family aired from 1970-1974, and the concept was based on the Cowsills.  The Cowsill family grew up in Rhode Island, and by 1967 the band consisted of siblings ages 8-19 and their mother. Although the group no longer includes all the siblings, they still tour and record.

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I still enjoy watching the episodes today.  Even though the show is filled with nostalgia as far as clothing and interior décor, the problems faced by the Partridge Family were primarily the same problems faced by all families with kids and many of the shows have a timeless appeal. I’m not sure that anyone not growing up during that time period realizes the impact of the Partridge Family.  I still have the Partridge Family game, we had trading cards that were collected and the back of the cards put together formed a puzzle.  I had paperback books featuring the Partridge Family and lots of kids had albums, lunch boxes and other collectible memorabilia. Danny is often referred to as a brat, but I like the character of Danny Partridge.  Then again, I liked all the Partridge Family members.

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However, what I wanted to talk about in this blog is the unbelievable guest stars that the show was able to attract.  Of course, Shirley Jones was a well-liked and famous movie star and she had a lot of connections in the industry.  However, the names of the people who appeared on an episode of The Partridge Family during those four short years is incredible. I counted more than 50 looking at various shows over the years.  Let’s look at some of those guest stars.

Ray Bolger, the Scarecrow, and Margaret Hamilton, the wicked witch, from the Wizard of Oz both made appearances.  Ray Bolger played Shirley Partridge’s father on several shows. Margaret Hamilton is Rueben’s mother.

Two Dick Van Dyke Show cast members were featured:  Morey Amsterdam, Buddy Sorrel and Ann Morgan Guilbert, Milly Helper. Amsterdam provided Danny with some bad comedy material in the first season. Guilbert is married to Norman Fell in the show and they visit Shirley when their son Keith’s age develops a crush on Shirley which he mistakenly thinks is reciprocated.

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In addition to Ann and Morey, there were a lot of previous sitcom stars on the show.  John Astin from the Addams Family, plays an eccentric millionaire. Edgar Buchanan, Uncle Joe from Petticoat Junction, plays a judge which he also portrayed in the movie, Move Over Darling, starring Doris Day and James Garner. Rosemary DeCamp played Shirley’s mother.  Rosemary had been featured on lots of tv shows.  She was on Love That Bob and was Ann Marie’s mother on That Girl. Arte Johnson from Laugh-In was in two episodes, one as an artist who paints a nude on the family garage when they are out of town.  Harry Morgan, a sitcom veteran, played, a man faking whiplash in the first season and appeared again in 1972 as another character. William Schallert who was Patty Lane’s father on The Patty Duke Show stars as a folk musician whose career has taken a nose dive. Ronne Troup who played Polly on My Three Sons was on the show as the fourth season began as their neighbor complains about their music.

Not only were the past tv stars featured but a lot of up and coming stars showed up. Meredith Baxter gifts a million dollars to the Partridges and they find they don’t enjoy being wealthy. Bert Convy played one of Shirley’s serious boyfriends on three shows. Norman Fell is the father of a young man who gets a crush on Shirley when she goes back to school using her maiden name. He later married Helen and was Stanley Roper on Three’s Company. Pat Harrington Jr. appeared the first season and came back as someone else three years later. While he was in hundreds of tv episodes, he is probably most often recognized as Schneider from One Day at a Time.  The Partridges try to set up Ann Jillian with their delivery boy to build up his confidence.  If she had dated him, she might not have ended up a waitress on It’s a Living. Gordon Jump who was a veteran tv guest star, best known as Arthur Carlson from WKRP in Cincinnati, was on seven episodes as different characters. Richard Mulligan appeared in one show as Shirley’s boyfriend but also came back for another episode two years later; we know him as Burt on Soap and Dr. Westin on Empty Nest. Annette O’Toole plays Keith’s girlfriend in the second season; later her marriage with Nash doesn’t work out on Nash Bridges. Rob Reiner, who will soon be “Meathead” on All in The Family, appears as Snake, a rough biker with a heart of gold who likes Laurie.  Vic Tayback who we know best as Mel on Alice appeared as three different characters on three different shows, Nancy Walker is the mother of Shirley’s date before she was Rhoda’s mom in later years.

Three of the five Charlie’s Angels showed up on different shows:  Farrah Fawcett was a “pretty girl” the kids hire to try to get Harry Morgan to reveal that his whiplash is not real. Cheryl Ladd is the popular girl Keith wants to take to the dance after promising to take Laurie’s friend. Jaclyn Smith plays the niece of Shirley’s boyfriend.  When he buys her a ring for graduation, the kids assume she is his fiancé and take matters into their own hands.

We had big stars from different genres including Johnny Cash playing himself and introducing the first concert the family is performing in Vegas. Richard Pryor talks the Partridges into playing for his charity event, and Bobby Sherman plays a singer, Bobby Conway. This episode actually turned into a spinoff for a short time.

Many famous or soon-to-be-famous movie stars can be spied on episodes including Jackie Coogan who replaced Ray Bolger as Shirley’s father on two later shows. Jodie Foster and Danny have a love/hate relationship when their parents are dating. Lou Gosset Jr., producing a charity event with Richard Pryor, asks the Partridges to fill in when a group cancels. Mark Hamill is Laurie’s boyfriend before he even knew Princess Leia. Charlotte Rae, a bit out of her typical character, plays a doctor.

I could continue, but every blog has to end sometime. It is amazing how many famous people were willing to appear in a new sitcom not only once but up to seven times as seven different characters. It says a lot about the reputation of the show. Let’s finish up with some fun facts about the show.

  1. Shirley Jones was recruited to be Carol Brady but passed and took The Partridge Family
  2. Partridge had passed away in the first episode, but his first name is never mentioned on the show.
  3. Rueben Kincaid’s middle name is Clarence.
  4. When the Partridges are asked to replace another musical act for a charity event put on by Richard Pryor and Lou Gossett Jr., the group that cancelled is the Temptations.
  5. When Laurie gets braces, she can hear radio signals in her mouth, and it interferes with her performing. The music she “hears” in her mouth is The Rolling Stones.