What did you watch this week in classic TV on DVD(or Blu)?

Based on the novel The Case of the Vagabond Virgin. If I Love Lucy couldn't use the word pregnant, I supposed Perry Mason couldn't use the word virgin. The novel was once again adapted for the series in the final season episode "The Case of the Golden Girls."

Of course, for reruns the episode was edited down to an hour. Caren Kaye's part is almost completely edited out.
This episode served as the pilot for Jerry Orbach's series The Law and Harry McGraw.

Bob Newhart did a Christmas episode for every season of every series except Newhart, where they only did one for the first season. There were six for The Bob Newhart Show, two for Bob and one for George & Leo. He even did a Christmas episode for his 1961 variety show.

 

Fun write-up on Peter Gunn, Russ, and you're not incorrect in pointing out the formulaic nature of many of the episodes.

But the style! The swagger! The music! The cool!

I do happen to think Craig Stevens is a little flat and buttoned-down as Gunn, but the more I watch, the more it seems to work in the confines of the show. And you're definitely right on the money about the heat generated between him and Lola Albright. Must've been pretty sexy stuff at the time. Plus, the direction, lighting and cinematography are generally top-notch and add to the seedy atmosphere and slick, jazzy style.

 

I am often critical of Barbara Bain's wooden work in Space: 1999 (I think the Thunderbird puppets were more animated than see was), but that's mostly because I was taken aback after seeing how good she often was in Mission: Impossible. I'm guessing the fault probably lies more with Gerry Anderson there, as even Martin Landau and Barry Morse are muted and dull in Space: 1999.

Thanks for all the neat info on various series above, Erich!

 

RAWHIDE SEASON 8

Episode #3
“Six Weeks to Bent Fork”
written by Mort R. Lewis
directed by Thomas Carr
music composed by Hugo Friedhoffer
guests: James Gregory, R.G. Armstrong, L.Q. Jones, Vaughn Taylor

Yates arrives late at a business meeting with owner Fletcher who offers him to lead his beeves with a deadline to Bent Fork and with a special condition: to use his ramrod named Lash Whitcomb (actor James Gregory), a real tough loud-mouth. Despite the fact Yates doesn’t get well with the new ramrod and the intrusion of Indians wanting some beeves, he must accomplish his assignment. In the process, Yates hurts himself and lets Lash lead the herd and the outfit. Things turn bad when sheriff Keeley (actor R.G. Armstrong) orders to put the herd into a 60 days quarantine or paying $5,000.

It’s a solid episode because of actor James Gregory playing a two-faced ramrod that Yates calls ‘segundo’ and it was handled by former prolific season 5/6 director Thomas Carr. Besides, it’s a conflict of personalities type of story between two heads. John Ireland is absent. It’s another entry with the hip character of Ian Cabot singing the British Grenadiers and converting the outfit to the English way of life: see the funny ending with Wish and Quince dressing as traditional Englishmen. The score is superb and powerful but the CD * release omits some cues. The best cue (“Rowdy’s Move”) is heard for Yates’ arrival into town and as well as the cue (“Rowdy Goes to Town”) for the departure of the sheriff posse punctuated with the ominous martial beat. The music was so good that it was tracked in two season 1 episodes of The Wild Wild West: see “The Night of the Red-Eyed Madman” and “The Night of the Freebooters”.

Actor James Gregory returns from the season 6 “Incident of the Peyote Cup” and the season 5 “Incident at Crooked Hat”, actor R.G. Armstrong from the season 5 “Incident of the Lost Woman”, actor L.Q. Jones returns from the season 7 “The Race”. For the anecdote, both actors R.G. Armstrong and L.Q. Jones appear in Sam Peckinpah’s films more than once.

Recommended!

* Music from CBS Westerns (label: Film Music Society)
Hugo Friedhofer’s “Six Weeks to Bent Fork”, conducted by Morton Stevens in August 24, 1965.
It’s a 12:24 score that has five cues:
“The Big Push”
“Meet Sheriff Keeley”
“Rowdy’s Move”
“A Mean Motha”
“Rowdy Goes to Town”
“Lash Quits”

http://www.filmmusicsociety.org/merchandise/cds/cbswesterns.html

 

You are spot-on with all the show's positives, Jeff. I still do enjoy watching the series for those very reasons.

As you are well aware--I tend to espouse a more humorous viewpoint in my commentaries, sometimes at the expense of intent or accuracy.

 

Why would Bob Newhart's 1982-90 comedy have only one Christmas show?

 

CLASSIC TV
Actor's Portrait
Lola Albright (1924-2017)



After she appeared in her first major role as Kirk Douglas’ love interest in Champion (1949), Lola Albright said she went home and cried after seeing the screening.
“I look so awful and act worse,” she complained at the time.
This was a rare personal tidbit shared by someone who fervently protected her privacy. It was her first interview and she spilled more than she cared to. Lola would not make that mistake again.

The sultry singer, best known for her role as Edie Hart in the Peter Gunn series, was married three times--her last to Bill Chadney. Bill appeared as her pianist at Mother's in Peter Gunn. When asked to a friend what Lola was really like, “Feisty, very giving, generous. Full of stories. Very private. Very humble. She was one of the funniest people I ever met.”

In her final newspaper interview, Ms. Albright offered up this thought:
“Your 40s are your best time, honestly. If I had my druthers about when to live a whole life, I would say in the 40s. Just stay there. Because you’ve learned a few things by then.”

The talented and beautiful lady left us at age 92 in 2017.

 

They didn't want to copy the earlier 1972-1978 series beat-for-beat.

 

Of course, we found out later that there was zero risk of him getting her pregnant......

 

Gomer Pyle USMC Season 2 Gomer Untrains a Dog

 

RAWHIDE SEASON 8

Episode #4
“Walk Into Terror”
written by Joanna Thompson and Jerry Adelman
story by Jerry Adelman
directed by Thomas Carr
music composed and conducted by Harry Geller
guests: Claude Akins, Bruce Dern, Roy Barcroft

Yates orders Quince and Blake to scout the inside of a coal mine to warn workers of the crossing of the canyon by the herd when a bear attacks Quince and therefore Blake guns the animal down and provokes the collapse of the mine. Yates summons his outfit to rescue both drovers before they suffocate. Ed Ranking (actor Bruce Dern), one of the two new lousy recruits, provides a solution: blowing up the blocked entrance. While traveling with the explosive, newbie drover Jerry (actor Claude Akins) and Yates feud over.

It’s a ‘laborious’ and old-fashioned survival intrigue about mine imprisonment. As in future episodes (“Nitro”, “Terror”) of Mission: Impossible, there is some nitro involved that rises up the suspense during a long and perilous journey. Even tough, the story has no potential because of the fixed scene of the drama, guest actor Bruce Dern’s mean trouble-maker performance is a good asset. This budget-less entry features a man wearing a bear suit. Character Jed Colby returns and not Ian Cabot.

Actor Claude Akins returns from the season 6 “Incident of the Rusty Shotgun” and this marks his last appearence on the series after a total of seven guest parts.

 

Because they didn't make any more.
Seriously - many programs don't run Christmas episodes because it controls episode release dates (hampers their ability move episodes to other dates for scheduling or competition - now a days many programs take the Christmas season off and return after the holidays). Don't know if that was the case for Newhart.

 

Never thought of it like that, until now!

 

Episode Commentary
"Bud, The Executive"
Father Knows Best (S4Ep4)

One thing about this series that seemed perpetually odd to me was its theme song. The opening notes are so darkly ominous--as if indicating some pending suspense before finally breaking into a happy family-like tune. Actually entitled “Waiting”, the music was written by Don Ferris, a staff pianist for several studios.

Bud (Billy Gray) is invited to be on the school picnic committee, but is highly reluctant. Dad (Robert Young) advises Bud that this is his chance to assimilate "executive" capabilities. Bud is more inclined to spend time cleaning the spark plugs on his car--a burning focus in his life.


Cast: Jane Wyatt, Billy Gray, Lauren Chapin, Robert Young, Elinor Donahue

Initially reticent in participation, Bud throws out a few simple suggestions in the meeting and is instantly elected chairman. Sis (Elinor Dohahue), usually the over-functioning unit of the family, scoffs at his promotion and foretells of sure failure.
After too many compliments goes to his head, Bud takes the role to heart and becomes the arrogant Boss Tweed of high school picnics. As could be predicted, all his minions fail in their assignments leaving him to hold the bag, or basket in this case.

The moral--and this series must always have a moral: He who acts like an ass gets kicked in the same. Bud learns enough humility for his pants to finally fit again. All ends in smiles and success. You could see it coming a mile down the neatly trimmed block.

RANDOM ASIDE:
When I was a young commercial artist in Chicago in the early 70's, my recently-divorced roommate at the time was an advertising executive for a large agency. Often flying to Los Angeles to oversee commercials, he began dating Elinor Donahue (in her mid-30's at the time). On her trips to Chicago, she would stay with us.
Elinor was particularly fond of my boeuf bourguignon, which I would pretentiously whip up at the slightest request. After many, many cocktails, she would entertain us with surprising and sometimes ribald stories of Robert Young, Andy Griffith and other celebrities she knew and worked with. Not even close her prudish television character, Elinor could drop 'F' bombs faster than an East LA rapper.

 

Just got S1 of High Chaparral watched disk 1 tonight

 

RAWHIDE SEASON 8

Episode #5
“Escort to Doom”
written by Walter Black
directed by Alan Crosland
edited by Robert Sparr
music composed and conducted by Richard Shores
guests: Rip Torn, Christopher Dark, Tom Reese

Jim Quince and Ian Cabot notice that a band of Chiricahua warriors trail them and Yates decides to negotiate some beeves with the half breed leader: Jacob Yellow-Sun (actor Rip Torn). Later on, both men agree to work side by side to lead the herd when Pawnee warriors ambush them. Quadero (actor Christopher Dark), Yellow Sun’s second-in-command, calls into question his leader. At first, the Chiricahuas refuse to participate in a fight against a rival tribe and Yellow-Sun changes his mind and helps the cowboys to win. Unfortunately Quadero kills his leader because of his treason. Yates retaliates.

It’s a peculiar Indian tribe working with Yates’ outfit and we witness the tense relations between two sides: see the veiled reference to John Ford’s The Searchers throughout the behaviors of Yates’ outfit, especially from Wishbone. Featuring Ian Cabot who recites Shakespeare’s The Two Gentlemen of Verona. Actor Clint Eastwood plays as dry and laconic as in the future The Outlaw Josey Wales.

Shores’ score foreshadows a Wild Wild West score entitled “The Night of the Firebrand” (season 3) in the final battle scene. When Shores met Morton Stevens in 1965 at CBS, his music took a new turn that bred his dynamic output for The Wild Wild West and Hawaii Five-O but also The Man from UNCLE at NBC. And ‘that’ Rawhide score is the key to that transformation. Notice both Sparr and Shores on the credits!

 

The funniest thing about "Escort to Doom" is Rip Torn's virtual inability to stifle a smile as he's reciting his Native American dialogue. You can easily see a grin on his face in the closeups. I would love to see outtakes from this episode.

 

So true.

 

Murder She Wrote Season 1 The Murder of Sherlock Holmes
Perry Mason Movies The Case of the Poisoned Pen