Life Changes in the Blink of an Eye: The Career of Barbara Eden

April 24, 2017April 24, 2017 / thewritelife61 / 2 Comments

Many baby boomers equate Barbara Eden with I Dream of Jeannie. While she never escaped her iconic role as Jeannie, she has had a long and full career.

Barbara Jean Morehead was born in Tucson, Arizona in August of 1931. Her parents divorced when she was three, and she then took her stepfather’s last name of Huff. Moving to California, she went to high school in San Francisco and then studied at the San Francisco City College, the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and the Elizabeth Holloway School of Theatre. In 1951, she was crowned Miss San Francisco.

She began working in television in 1956, and her career has been going strong ever since. In 1958, she married actor Michael Ansara. They had a son in 1965 who passed away from a drug overdose. Eden said of his struggle, “He won a lot of battles, but he lost his personal war.” She and Ansara divorced in 1974. From 1977-1983 she was married to Charles Donald Fegert. In 1991, she married her current husband, Jon Eicholtz, and they live in Beverly Hills.

In addition to her screen and television career, she performed in Lake Tahoe, Las Vegas, and Atlantic City. She had an album produced in 1967 and performed on many variety shows. She traveled with Bob Hope and starred in many musicals and plays.

She received a Walk of Fame star in 1998.

In 2011, she wrote her autobiography, Jeanne Out of the Bottle.

She has used her celebrity status to help many nonprofits, raising money for The Trail of the Painted Ponies Breast Cancer Research, the American Cancer Society, the Wellness Community, Make-A-Wish Foundation, the March of Dimes, the American Heart Association, Save the Children, and Childhelp, USA.

Her television career can be divided into three phases, each including a major series.

She began her acting career making appearances in many shows from 1956-1958 including West Point, Highway Patrol, I Love Lucy, The Millionaire, Crossroads, Perry Mason, Gunsmoke, Bachelor Father, December Bride, Father Knows Best, and The Lineup.

In 1957, she received her first starring role in a sitcom, 52 episodes of How to Marry a Millionaire. Based on a movie (starring Marilyn Monroe, Lauren Bacall, and Betty Grable), she starred as Loco Jones, a model. Her friends were Michele Page (Merry Anders), a secretary, and Greta Lindquist (Lori Nelson), a quiz host. The three women lived together in Manhattan, all sharing the goal of finding a wealthy husband.

In the 1960s, she made appearances in many more well-known shows including Adventures in Paradise, The Andy Griffith Show, Target: The Corruptors, Cain’s Hundred, Saints and Sinners, Dr. Kildare, Route 66, The Virginian, Rawhide, Burke’s Law, Slattery’s People, The Rogues, and Off to See the Wizard.

In 1965, she took on her role of Jeannie in I Dream of Jeannie. The show lasted five years, filming 139 episodes. Captain Tony Nelson (Larry Hagman) finds a bottle when he crash lands on a deserted island in the South Pacific. When he opens it, Jeannie emerges. He brings her home and tries to keep her a secret from NASA. His best friend Roger (Bill Daily) finds out, and he and Tony perform a lot of stunts to avoid anyone else figuring it out. In the final year of the show, Jeannie and Tony get married, exposing her to the rest of the crew at NASA who know something is different but never figure out what it is. Personally, I like the Jeannie in the first year who is mischievous and intelligent. While the show was only on for five years, certainly not one of the longest-running shows, it defined Eden because since it debuted, it has been on television continually in reruns.

After I Dream of Jeannie, her television career continued as she appeared on NBC Special Treat, Condominium, A Brand New Life, Dallas, Team Supremo, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, George Lopez, and Army Wives.

Based on the song by Jeannie C. Riley and a movie also starring Eden, she took on the role of Stella Johnson in Harper Valley PTA from 1981-82 with costar Fannie Flagg. The show lasted for 30 episodes. Stella is a widow who moves to Harper Valley with her 13-year-old daughter which is a town filled with hypocrites. The other women severely criticize her for wearing miniskirts, and not acting like they thought a mother should. Meanwhile, the board members were always trying to find ways to discredit her. Fannie Flagg was the beauty shop owner Cassie Bowman. The show never really caught on with the public. Maybe Stella was too drastic of a role change from Jeannie.

Along with her range of television acting jobs, Eden also was in 26 movies, including Flaming Star in 1960 with Elvis Presley, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea in 1961, The Brass Bottle in 1964 which led to the idea for the sitcom I Dream of Jeannie, and Harper Valley PTA in 1978 which led to her third series.

In The Brass Bottle, Tony Randall plays Harold Ventimore, an architect who buys an antique urn that houses a djinn played by Burl Ives. Grateful for being released, the djinn tries to help Harold to show his gratitude. However, being unfamiliar with contemporary times, he causes a lot of trouble for Harold, especially with his girlfriend Sylvia, played by Eden.

She also starred in 28 made-for-tv movies. My favorite was The Feminist and the Fuzz which you never see aired on television anymore.

The Feminist and the Fuzz aired in 1971. I remember watching this movie when it originally aired. The story was about a scientist played by Eden and a cop played by David Hartman. They both end up at an apartment at the same time and have lost so many apartments that they decide to share it until one of them can find somewhere else to live. She is a feminist, and he dates a playboy bunny played by Farrah Fawcett. One night, the women’s libbers raid the bunny club, and while most of them are being arrested, Hartman carries Eden to a waiting police car and tells him to get her home. Fawcett, watching this, realizes they have feelings for each other, even though they don’t acknowledge it themselves yet. The movie had a great cast with Joann Worley, Herb Edelman, Julie Newmar, John McGiver, and Harry Morgan.

If her television show jobs and movie roles were not enough, Barbara appeared as herself on 177 different television variety and game shows from 1961-2016.

At 85, Eden continues her career with credit in Shimmer and Shine in 2016. She has also been to the Mayberry Conventions to meet her fans. She continued her friendship with Larry Hagman up to his death.

One might assume that Eden would want to distance herself from Jeannie and rely on her other body of work, but that is not the case. Some actors develop a dislike for the character they are unable to shake off, but Eden’s advice to actors is: “I would embrace the character, because it won’t do any good if you don’t. And another thing: Don’t whine or talk trash about it. I don’t think you ever demean to your public what you’ve done. You’re insulting them if you demean your work.”

While Jeannie certainly provided Barbara Eden with a lot of fame, future work opportunities, and money (although probably not so much from the tv show directly), taking a survey of her career proves just how versatile of an actress she was. No one-hit wonder here. She accumulated a wealth of roles both on television and in the movies. She traveled around the country appearing in musicals and plays. She sang and danced, performing at some of the top clubs in the country. She appreciated her fans and never demeaned Jeannie in their eyes. She used her celebrity to raise money for great causes. She had a full career any actress could be proud of.

Remembering William Christopher

January 16, 2017January 17, 2017 / thewritelife61 / 2 Comments

I wanted to pay a tribute to William Christopher, who passed away December 31, 2016, exactly one year after Wayne Rogers, one of his co-workers on the show M*A*S*H.

Christopher was born in Evanston, Illinois October 20, 1932. Growing up in that area, he attended New Trier High School in Winnetka, the same high school as Rock Hudson. His family’s genealogy apparently included Paul Revere. Ironically, his grandmother hoped he would go into the ministry like his grandfather who was the founder of the First Methodist Church in Chicago, and in some ways, he did. Christopher went to college at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut, graduating with a BA in Drama, focusing on Greek Literature. (In the last episode of M*A*S*H, Father Mulcahy wears a Wesleyan sweatshirt.) He participated in fencing, soccer, and the glee club in college. Connecticut was also where he met his wife Barbara on a blind date. They married in 1957 and later adopted twin boys, John and Ned.

Building on his theater experience which began with him playing a groundhog in the third grade, he moved to New York. Eventually he made his Broadway debut in Beyond the Fringe where he worked with Peter Cook and Dudley Moore. Not long after, he moved to California to continue acting.

He began his work in television in 1965 appearing in 12 O’Clock High. For the next seven years, he worked regularly appearing in Hank in 1965, The Patty Duke Show in 1966, 2 appearances in The Andy Griffith Show in 1965 and 1966, Death Valley Days in 1966, four separate episodes of Hogan’s Heroes from 1965-68, Gomer Pyle where he was in 16 episodes from 1965-8, That Girl in two episodes as Chippy Dolan, The Virginian in 1971, Alias Smith and Jones in 1971, Insight in 1972, and 4 shows of Nichols from 1971-2.

Along with his television roles, he appeared on the big screen during this period. His first movie was Fortune Cookie in 1966 where he played an intern, The Perils of Pauline in 1967 as a doctor, The Private Navy of Sargent O’ Farrell in 1968 as Private Jake Schultz, The Shakiest Gun in the West in 1968 as a hotel manager, and With Six You Get Egg Roll in 1968. With Six You Get Egg Roll was Doris Day’s last movie before she moved into television and then retired. After playing so many military and religious roles, this one was out of character as he played a hippie Zip Cloud along with future M*A*S*H member Jamie Farr.

In 1972 he got his big break, being cast as Father Mulcahy in the television version of M*A*S*H. George Morgan, who was cast in the pilot, was replaced and Christopher received the role. Morgan appeared in four series and three movies before the pilot, but only two other series after. M*A*S*H was on the air from 1972-1983, and Christopher was in 213 of the 251 episodes. Fans loved the goodness Father Mulcahy displayed, along with his humanness when the inhumanity of war tried his patience and frustrated him. Some of his best lines from the show included:

“This isn’t one of my sermons; I expect you to listen.”

“Klinger, how’d you like the last rites…and a few lefts!”

“I think the world of Colonel Potter. He’s a good Christian – yet hardly dull at all.”

“Remember what the good book says: Love thy neighbor, or I’ll punch your lights out!”

While he was part of the M*A*S*H cast, he appeared on other series including Columbo and Movin’ On in 1974, Lucas Tanner, Karen, and Good Times in 1975. Like so many of the stars we meet in this blog, he was on The Love Boat in four episodes from 1981-4. He appeared again on the big screen in the movie Hearts of the West in 1975 as a bank teller. He also made a TV movie, For the Love of It in 1980.

In 1983, the series After MASH debuted, and Christopher reprised his role of Father Mulcahy along with Harry Morgan as Dr. Sherman Potter, Jamie Farr as Klinger and Gary Burghoff as Radar. The show was not a great success and ended after 30 episodes.

Christopher never had another recurring role in a television show, but he continued to work in the business appearing in Murder She Wrote in 1985, CBS Summer Playhouse in 1987, The Smurfs 6 times from 1984-88, The New WKRP in Cincinnati in 1993, Lois and Clark: Adventures of Superman in 1997, Diagnosis Murder, Team Knight Rider, and Mad About You in 1998. His last television role was in 11 episodes of Days of Our Lives where he played a priest. In 1987 he made his second TV movie, The Little Troll Prince.

During the years of 1975-2011 he also appeared on several game shows, talk shows, and M*A*S*H-related specials and reunions. In 1994 he made his last movie, Heaven Sent.

He continued his love of theater touring the country with Jamie Farr in The Odd Couple in the mid-1990s. He also toured with the Church Basement Ladies in 2008-9.

Christopher was generous with his time, helping to raise money for the National Autistic Society (NAS). The organization was near and dear to his heart because his son Ned suffers from autism. He and his wife wrote a book in 1985, Mixed Blessings, about their experience with their son.

William Christopher is revealed to be a very nice man liked by everyone who worked with him. He was married to Barbara for the rest of his life, was a good family man, generous in working with the NAS, and had a full career.

After Christopher died, Alan Alda tweeted “His pals from #MASH miss Bill powerfully. His kind strength, his grace and gentle humor weren’t acted. They were Bill.”

Jamie Farr summed it up best in his tribute to his friend and co-worker:

We are all devastated by our beloved Bill’s passing. I have known him for over 50 years. During the 1960s we lived in the same neighborhood in Studio City. My Joy and I would see him and his wife Barbara going for walks as we were going for walks. Bill and I did the very last Doris Day movie together, “With Six You Get Egg Roll.” We were both cast in the tv series “M*A*SH” at almost the same time. He was a gentle soul and in my opinion probably the most underrated actor of all of us on the show. He was wonderful. During between set ups for camera angles Bill would read his Homeric book in Homeric Greek. He was a real egg head. He and his Barbara traveled the world and he would try to learn the language of the countries they were going to visit. He went to Egypt one year and tried his Arabic on me. He was better than I was. We used to imitate Bill on the set using his high pitched voice. One time he came down with hepatitis and when he returned to the series we had his actor’s chair painted yellow. Bill and I did a National Tour of the play “The Odd Couple” with Bill portraying Felix and me doing Oscar, Bill was at one time on the Board of the Devereaux Foundation for Autistic Children. It was a real honor to have had him and Barbara as friends and a great honor to have shared the tv screen with this gracious, talented and charming soul. May his memory be eternal. Rest in Peace Father Mulcahy.

Let’s Get Connected

December 26, 2016February 20, 2018 / thewritelife61 / 2 Comments

Now that Christmas has come and gone, is your brain a bit overloaded? To help you clear the cobwebs and start thinking again, today’s blog is all about making connections. Once you have answered all the questions, check out the answers at the end of the blog.

Part I. Try to guess which star was on each of the following shows. For example, if I said Bachelor Father, To Rome with Love, Dynasty, Charlie’s Angels – the answer would be John Forsythe.

Easy – One Man’s Family, Mr. Peepers, The Odd Couple, Love Sidney
Easier – Leave It to Beaver, The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Mothers-in-Law, BJ and the Bear
Harder – The Bob Cummings Show, Petticoat Junction, That Girl, The Partridge Family
Challenge – Hint: This person only appeared on only one episode of each of these series – I Love Lucy, Bachelor Father, The Andy Griffith Show, George Lopez

Part II. Try to figure out how to get from the first show listed to the second show. Each of the stars above is part of one of the links below. For example, if I said Peter Tong on Bachelor Father to Kyle Chandler on Bloodline, the answer would be Peter Tong on Bachelor Father with John Forsythe who was in Dynasty with Heather Locklear who starred in Spin City with Connie Britton who starred in Friday Night Lights with Kyle Chandler who was in Bloodline.

Easier– Tony Dow on Leave it to Beaver to Ed O’Neill on Modern Family
Harder – Wally Cox on Mr. Peepers to Natascha McElhone on Designated Survivor
Challenge – Bob Cummings on Love That Bob to Eddie Cahill on Conviction
Most Challenging – Janis Paige on It’s Always Jan to AnnaLynne McCord on The Night Shift
For a bonus, for each of the four stars in Part I, which two of them were on The Love Boat?
For extra credit, the two stars not in The Love Boat were in a show with “Love” in the title. What were the other two shows?

Answers

Rosemary Decamp
Richard Deacon
Tony Randall
Barbara Eden
Tony Dow (Wally) on Leave it to Beaver with Richard Deacon (Fred Rutherford) on The Dick Van Dyke Show (Mel Cooley) with Mary Tyler Moore (Laura Petrie) on The Mary Tyler Moore Show (Mary Richards) with Gavin MacLeod (Murray Slaughter) on The Love Boat (Captain Stubing) with Ted McGinley (Ace Evans) on Married with Children (Jefferson D’Arcy) with Ed O’Neill (Al Bundy) on Modern Family
Wally Cox on Mr. Peepers (Robinson Peepers) with Tony Randall (Harvey Weskit) on The Odd Couple (Felix Unger) with Penny Marshall (Myrna) on Laverne and Shirley (Laverne DeFazio) with Michael McKean (Lenny) on The X-Files (Morris Fletcher) with David Duchovny (Fox Muldar) on Californication (Hank Moody) with Natascha McElhone (Karen) on Designated Survivor (Alex Kirkman)
Bob Cummings on Love That Bob (Bob Collins) with Rosemary DeCamp (Margaret MacDonald) on That Girl (Helen Marie) with Ted Bessell (Donald Hollinger) on Good Time Harry (Harry Jenkins) with Marcia Strassman (Carol Younger) on Providence (Meredith) with Melina Kanakaredes (Dr. Sydney Hanson) on CSI: NY (Stella Bonasera) with Eddie Cahill (Don Flack) on Conviction (Conner Wallace)
Janis Paige (Jan Stewart) on It’s Always Jan with Merry Anders (Val Marlowe) on How to Marry a Millionaire (Mike McCall) with Barbara Eden (Loco Jones) on I Dream of Jeannie (Jeannie) with Bill Daily (Major Roger Healey) on The Bob Newhart Show (Howard Borden) with Marcia Wallace (Carol Kester) on Full House (Mrs. Carruthers) with Lori Loughlin (Rebecca Katsopolis) on 90210 (Debbie Wilson) with AnnaLynne McCord (Naomi Clark) on The Night Shift (Jessica Sanders)
Rosemary DeCamp and Richard Deacon
Tony Randall appeared on Love American Style and Barbara Eden was on Loco Love.

When First You Don’t Succeed, Just Redo an Old Show

December 12, 2016February 20, 2018 / thewritelife61 / 2 Comments

If you have been watching television the past few years, you’ve noticed a trend of rebooting old shows and giving them a new spin or writing a sequel. While this has happened before in the history of television—think After M*A*S*H and Trapper John MD or Dragnet—there has now been an influx of remade shows. Just the past few years we have two that seem to have done well in Fuller House and Hawaii 50. However, some didn’t last as long such as The Muppets, which I happened to enjoy. How many of you remember watching the reboots of Ironside, Charlie’s Angels, Get Smart, Dallas, or Wonder Woman? And for extra credit, who can name all the sequels of Star Trek over the past few decades? I’m not sure if this fad is playing on the nostalgia of the baby boomers or just a lack of creativity in Hollywood.

I thought it might be fun to consider what the sequel or reboot of some of my favorite shows from the past might look like.

thirtysomething—In this sequel, sixtysomething, Janie, Leo, Brittany, and Ethan try to deal with their parents who still act like they are 30. Ellen has had to fight for her job due to city cuts, Melissa is now the wealthiest friend after getting into photography for the internet, Elliott and Nancy are separated, again, and she is an artist while he is doing advertising for the Philadelphia Eagles and trying to date the cheerleaders. Hope and Michael are still married. Michael has replaced Miles Drentell upon retirement, and Hope is still trying to figure out what she wants to do with her life.

That Girl – In the reboot, That Guy, Ann Marie would be Donald’s boss, a high powered CEO, and he is the reporter trying to get the scoop and stand up for his important stories like global warming when the magazine wants him to write about famous stars and the latest catfights.

My Three Sons—In the sequel, My Twelve Granddaughters, Steve has become a reality star talking about life with 12 granddaughters in the house and the lack of bathrooms and privacy.

Happy Days—the sequel, Hippy Days, explores the life of Richie and Lori Beth’s kids as they grow up in the late sixties and early seventies.

Gray’s Anatomy—the reboot, Gray’s Monotony looks at the life of a hospital where the nurses spend 75% of their time updating computer files and doctors rush around seeing patients and work part-time jobs to pay for their malpractice insurance. No one has time for affairs or personal relationships.

The Brady Bunch—the sequel combines The Brady Bunch and Alice and stars Ann B. Davis who became a restaurant owner once the Brady kids grew up. They and their kids still stop in to get advice from Alice. Alice is single but engaged to Sam the Butcher.

The Andy Griffith Show—the network started making new episodes of the iconic series but realized that life in small town America has not really changed so, part way through the year, they begin showing reruns and no one notices.

Take some time and think about what your favorite shows might look like. And if you see any of the above shows in the next few years, remember you read about them here first.

Decorate With Style

November 28, 2016February 20, 2018 / thewritelife61 / 2 Comments

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.

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.

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.

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.

A Bachelor Party For Everyone

November 14, 2016February 20, 2018 / thewritelife61 / 1 Comment

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

Season 2

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

Season 3

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

Season 4

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

Season 5

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

Why That Girl Was That Great

September 26, 2016February 19, 2018 / thewritelife61 / 2 Comments

This fall marks the 50^th anniversary of That Girl. What is it about a show filmed in 1966 that allows it to remain fresh and fun in 2016? That’s what I was thinking about this week. As I’ve mentioned before, nostalgia certainly plays into movies and television shows from that era, but there are many more shows forgotten than remembered. The series that remain in syndication must have something more to them that continues to lure new viewers and retain fans who watched the show live on television when it was first written.

That Girl was on the air five seasons, cancelled not because of bad ratings but at the request of the actors involved in the production. Five characters stayed the course of the show: Ann Marie (Marlo Thomas), Don Hollinger (Ted Bessell), Lou Marie (Lew Parker), Helen Marie (Rosemary DeCamp), and Jerry Bauman (Bernie Kopell). Hundreds of characters made an appearance on one or two, or even ten, shows throughout the years. The five major characters were the glue that kept the show together – they were real characters who had flaws and made some bad choices, but we truly cared about each of them and liked them for who they were.

UNITED STATES – JULY 21: THAT GIRL – “Rattle of a Single Girl” 6/8/70 Marlo Thomas, Ted Bessell (Photo by ABC Photo Archives/ABC via Getty Images)

The shows were filmed at Desilu-Cahuenga Studios, started by Desi and Lucille Ball. Many early classic shows were produced there including I Spy, Hogan’s Heroes, The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Danny Thomas Show, and The Andy Griffith Show, which began as an episode on The Danny Thomas Show.

Ann Marie was based somewhat on Marlo Thomas who purposely searched for a vehicle to star in. Marlo went to school to become a teacher and then pursued her acting dream. When she got her first apartment, against her father’s wishes, she called home to complain about ants, and her father yelled to her mother, “Miss Independence has ants.” Her life became the germination for That Girl. Two great writers, Bill Persky and Sam Denoff, agreed to write for the first year. Bill’s parents were always referring to his sister as “that girl” which gave the series its name and the opening feature where someone referred to Ann as “that girl” to begin every episode.

One of the reasons this show remains watchable today can be seen in Marlo Thomas’s take on the series: “It was not a fall-down funny show. It was a relationship show.” I think all great shows have that at the core. Funny shows go in and out of fashion, but relationships stay valid throughout the decades.

Ann is a sweet, warm, smart young woman just starting out on her career, full of hope. Don is a kind, funny, well-read guy who truly loves her. Her parents worry about her, their only child, and want her to be happy. That is the premise of the show. We get to watch Ann as she grows as an actress and a person, experiencing joy and disappointment at the way life works.

Another reason the show is so good is that they knew when to end it. Marlo wanted the show to end before the wedding even though Don and Ann were engaged the final season. Neither Marlo nor Ted thought the marriage would have taken place. Ted guessed Don would have married someone else and Ann would have a successful acting career, and maybe after his wife died they would have gotten back together again. But the show was about that time when a young woman is exploring her world and herself and full of hope about her future. Marlo felt once Ann became a successful actress or married, the show’s concept was gone.

I just wanted to share some of my favorite episodes with you:

What’s In a Name? Debuting in November the first year, this episode is a reworking of the pilot. Ann’s agent thinks having two first names is confusing and wants her to change her name. When she comes up with Marie Brewster, she thinks it’s great but her father is hurt. Despite his unhappiness about the choice, he watches the show on television with her that will show her new name in the credits, only to learn she kept her real name because it was so important to him.

Rain, Snow, and Rice. In February of 1967 Don’s friend Jerry marries Margie; Don and Ann go along as witnesses. Bad weather forces them to stay at a hotel with one available room for Don and Ann. They are obviously awkward and uncomfortable. When her parents call the front desk and realize they are in the same room, they travel to Connecticut to force a marriage, only to find they spent most of the night playing cards fully dressed.

Paper Hats and Everything. The very next show was one where Ann thought her friends were planning a surprise birthday party while her dad took her out to dinner. There was no party but when they realize she thinks she’s getting one, they quickly plan it and comically inform her father. Lou and Ann have a very beautiful moment when she asks him if he was disappointed she was not a boy and his answer is sweet and loving, and there is no doubt he was never disappointed.

A Muggy Day in Central Park. In this show from 1968, Ann is mugged. When Don comes to the police station to get her, he learns that there is a task force where the men dress as women to try to catch muggers. In order to write about it for his magazine, he dresses as a woman and accompanies another officer posing as his boyfriend. Ann’s dad sees Don in drag and assumes the worst, trying to keep Ann from learning the truth. Ann, knowing exactly where Don was, cannot figure out what is wrong with her father.

My Sister’s Keeper. This show from 1969 is fun because all of Ann’s siblings and her father are cast. Ann cannot sing but gets a commercial for her looks, while another singer’s voice is dubbed in. Ann thinks this is wrong and tries to get the singer to do the commercial, only to realize the singer is a nun and does not want to be in the public eye but loves to sing. The nun is Marlo’s real sister, her brother plays an agent on the show, and at one point at the convent a priest brushes by Ann, and she says “Excuse me father,” and we realize that priest is Danny Thomas.

So why do we continue to watch? Young girls still long to move to the big city to find their careers, young men still fall in love with those girls, and parents still worry about their kids and want them to be happy. That is quite simply the reason we still love That Girl.