Lost Laughs of ’50s and ’60s Television

Originally broadcast on American television between 1952 and 1969, the 30 situation comedies in this work are seldom seen today and receive only brief and often incomplete and inaccurate mentions in most reference sources. Yet these sitcoms (including Angel, The Governor and J.J., It’s a Great Life, I’m Dickens … He’s Fenster and Wendy and Me), and the stories of the talented people who made them, are an integral part of television history. With a complete list of production credits and rare publicity stills, this volume, based on multiple screenings of episodes, corrects other sources and expand our knowledge of television history.

David C. Tucker is the author of numerous books about classic film and television history. A retired public library administrator, he lives just outside Atlanta, Georgia.

David C. Tucker
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 248
Bibliographic Info: 33 photos, appendix, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2010
pISBN: 978-0-7864-4466-3
eISBN: 978-0-7864-5582-9
Imprint: McFarland

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS      vi

INTRODUCTION      1

Angel      5

The Bill Dana Show      12

The Governor and J.J      20

The Great Gildersleeve      27

Grindl      33

Happy      40

Hennesey      47

Hey, Jeannie! / The Jeannie Carson Show      54

How to Marry a Millionaire      61

Ichabod and Me      67

I’m Dickens … He’s Fenster      74

It’s a Great Life      80

It’s About Time      87

The Jim Backus Show: Hot Off the Wire      94

Love on a Rooftop      100

Margie      107

McKeever and the Colonel      113

Meet Mr. McNutley / The Ray Milland Show      120

The Mickey Rooney Show: Hey Mulligan      128

Mr. Adams and Eve      136

Mr. Terrific      143

Mrs. G. Goes to College / The Gertrude Berg Show      149

My Hero      157

O.K. Crackerby!      164

Occasional Wife      171

The People’s Choice      178

Pete and Gladys      186

Peter Loves Mary      194

The Tom Ewell Show      202

Wendy and Me      208

APPENDIX: CHRONOLOGICAL LIST OF SHOWS      215

CHAPTER NOTES      217

BIBLIOGRAPHY      225

INDEX      227

“Tucker is blessed with a writing style that is very distinct, informative, clean-cut, to the point, and easy to understand. I learned a lot from this book…Tucker is one of McFarland’s very best authors. Not only does he write well, his research skills are impeccable.”—Classic Images; “great new classic tv book…well-written, meticulously researched, collection of fascinating stories that sizzle with fresh insight and untold anecdotes. This is absolutely the best book I’ve read on classic television shows in I can’t remember when, it may be my favorite of all time. I was constantly amazed at the historical and relational parallels that interlace David C. Tucker’s thoroughly enjoyable romp through TV’s gawky adolescence…a bright, breezy package with photos from all of the shows…I can’t recommend this book highly enough, what a great summer read this is!”—TVParty.