Bachelor Father (1960)

The synopsis of this series is based on viewing only nine episodes. As of this writing, no plans for DVD release have been announced, but should the series be released to DVD, or if additional episodes are posted online, this synopsis will be updated with the additional information.

Bachelor Father was a situation comedy that ran for five seasons on all three major networks with John Forsythe in the title role as Beverly Hills attorney Bentley Gregg, Noreen Corcoran playing his niece Kelly whose parents were killed in an auto accident, and veteran Chinese-American actor Sammee Tong in the role of Gregg's houseboy Peter Tong. A June 11, 1960 cover story in TV Guide marveled at the show's success despite its clichéd premise--claiming that the show set the clock of progress back to at least My Little Margie--and that apparent staleness no doubt was a factor in the original script being rejected by all three networks. But the producers at G.E. Theater did an about turn when they saw the test film, and the pilot proved surprisingly popular when it appeared on that anthology series on May 26, 1957. American Tobacco bought the series and it took its regular spot on CBS in the fall of 1957, alternating every other week with The Jack Benny Show. Benny at first disapproved of the show, fearing that it would drive away his audience, but when its ratings improved, he had no complaint. Still, the show never cracked the top 30 and in June 1959 it moved to NBC, with old reruns showing that summer and new episodes appearing with the new season in the fall. It continued on NBC for two seasons before moving to ABC for its final season in 1961-62. Even in the summer of 1960, Forsythe and the producers were not anticipating that the show would run much longer because Corcoran, then 17, was reaching an age when the show's premise would begin to fall apart.

That premise was based on the humor of having a dedicated bachelor in the role of a parent, but equally key to the show's success was the character of Peter Tong, in part because of the then-acceptable stereotypical mangling of the English language by a Chinese character (American-born actor Sammee Tong spoke excellent English in real life) and also because Tong refused to be a stereotypically submissive servant. He frequently talks back to Gregg and just as often threatens to quit unless Gregg shapes up. 

Gregg's character is also interesting, not because he is a pseudo-parent out of his element but because he is equally inept at just about everything, a stark contrast to other serious and impossibly competent TV attorneys like Perry Mason. When Gregg tries to rein in the family's finances in "Bentley Cracks the Whip" (November 24, 1960), he unwittingly gets himself in hot water with a waiter at a restaurant and then unleashes Tong's Grandpa Ling, who devises a dubious raffle scheme. When he tries to negotiate an arranged marriage for Peter in "Bentley and the Bartered Bride" (January 21, 1960), he gets taken in by a bait-and-switch hoax run by an old Chinese woman. When Kelly begins writing a successful advice column in her school's newspaper in "Dear Bentley" (December 15, 1960), Gregg deems her advice unsound and begins telling her what to put in the column, with disastrous results. And in "Bentley and the Big Board" (December 1, 1960) Gregg advises Kelly and Peter to invest in the stock of a company he is doing work for only to see that company's stock take an immediate dip. Even his own affairs are bungled: he gets himself in a bind allowing a pretty efficiency expert to overturn his household in "Bentley Meets the Perfect Woman" (April 21, 1960), and when he finds what he believes to be the woman he wants to marry, he drives her into a jealous frenzy trying to juggle her needs with his business responsibilities in "The Very Friendly Witness" (May 5, 1960).

However, to be fair, Gregg does occasionally succeed in his efforts--he solves the mystery of who stole a contested will in "Where There's a Will" (June 2, 1960) and he reunites an estranged couple while fending off advances from their daughter in "A Crush on Bentley" (October 13, 1960). But these successes are far outnumbered by his failures. Still, considering that in the final season Gregg has successfully steered Kelly through adolescence and toward an impending marriage, one could view the entire series as having reached its intended goal. And for Forsythe, according to that TV Guide cover story, the payoff by the end of the series was a cool $1 million, not bad for a clichéd concept that no one wanted initially. And despite the supposed staleness of the show's premise, similar single-fathered sitcoms continued to appear throughout the 1960s, from My Three Sons to Family Affair.

The original instrumental theme song for the series was written by the prolific but often uncredited David Kahn, who also wrote the spritely theme for Leave It to Beaver and provided the arrangement of Charles Gounod's "Funeral March of a Marionette" used as the theme music for Alfred Hitchcock Presents. The scores for individual episodes in 1960 were composed by longtime MGM musical composer and arranger Conrad Salinger (Meet Me in St. Louis, Singin' in the Rain, An American in Paris, Kiss Me Kate, and many more) and Johnny Williams, better known today as multiple Oscar-winning composer John Williams (Star Wars, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and E.T., the Extra-Terrestrial, amongst many others). Williams had previously worked with Henry Mancini on Peter Gunn and had provided scores for M Squad. He would also be given his first lead assignment for a TV show when Checkmate debuted in the fall of 1960.

At this time, nine episodes from 1960 are available on youtube.com, in addition to several episodes from other years. As expected, the video quality ranges from acceptable to substandard.

The Actors

John Forsythe

Born Jacob Lincoln Freund in Penns Grove, NJ, Forsythe's parents' anniversary was on Abraham Lincoln's birthday, their nickname for him was Link, and he attended Abraham Lincoln high school in Brooklyn. After attending the University of North Carolina, Forsythe was hired at age 18 as the public address announcer for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Unlike many other actors whose parents did not approve of their theatrical ambitions, Forsythe was lukewarm about an acting career but finally succumbed to the encouragement of his father to enter the profession. After some work on Broadway and radio soap operas, he signed a film contract with Warner Brothers and began appearing in movies in 1943, most notably Destination Tokyo. That year he also divorced his first wife Parker McCormick, met and married his second wife Julie Warren, and left Hollywood to join the military. He resumed his acting career in 1948, working on a variety of television drama anthology series but also resumed movie roles in the early 50s, including It Happens Every Thursday, Escape From Fort Bravo, and Alfred Hitchcock's The Trouble With Harry in 1955. But unlike his Bachelor Father character, the now-married father Forsythe wanted to settle down in one city and thus moved his family to California and pursued a regular role in a TV series.

After Bachelor Father ended, Forsythe appeared in an occasional film (Ann-Margaret's Kitten With a Whip) until landing his own The John Forsythe Show, which co-starred Elsa Lanchester and Ann B. Davis but lasted only a single season in 1965-66. He appeared in the film In Cold Blood in 1967, then returned to TV for the series To Rome With Love, which ran for two seasons in 1969-71. After a string of TV movies through the first half of the 1970s and serving as host for the nature series The World of Survival, he was cast as the voice of Charles Townsend on Charlie' Angels, which ran from 1976-81. As soon as Charlie's Angels ended, he was cast as devious millionaire Blake Carrington on Dynasty, a role he also played on its spin-off The Colbys. In the early 90s he played the lead role in The Powers That Be, which ran for two seasons in 1992-93. After that, he confined himself primarily to voice-work, including reprising his role as Charles Townsend on the feature-length films Charlie's Angels and Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle. Having survived quadruple bypass surgery in 1979 and colorectal cancer in 2006, Forsythe finally succumbed to pneumonia and died at the age of 92 on April 1, 2010. Throughout his life Forsythe was actively involved in thoroughbred horse racing, both as an owner of various horses and serving as a board member for the Hollywood Park Racetrack.

Noreen Corcoran

Corcoran came from a large family with show business connections. Her father was the head of maintenance at MGM Studios and several of her siblings also became actors, most notably her brother Kevin co-starred with Tim Considine (who played Mike on My Three Sons) on the Walt Disney show The Adventures of Spin and Marty. Another brother became dean of students at California State University Fresno. She began appearing in films at age 8 in 1951 and had single appearances on TV shows like The Adventures of Kit Carson, The Loretta Young Show, and Circus Boy before being recommended for the part of Kelly on Bachelor Father by Ronald Reagan.

After Bachelor Father ended, Corcoran continued making occasional appearances on shows like Dr. Kildare, Gunsmoke, and The Big Valley and appeared in the films Gidget Goes to Rome and The Girls on the Beach but retired from acting in 1965. She also released a few singles in the manner of Shelley Fabares, most notably "Love Kitten" in 1963, a song originally recorded by April Stevens, though she failed to attain the chart success of Fabares. Instead, she decided to work in the dance world, principally through an 11-year association with the Lewitzky Dance Company. She currently lives in the San Fernando Valley with her brother Hugh and has never married.

Sammee Tong

Born in San Francisco's Chinatown, Tong was first a singer and performed a revue with chorus girls in the early 1930s until discovered by Hollywood director Mervyn LeRoy and cast in the 1934 Dick Powell musical Happiness Ahead. From there, he played many of the usual Chinese roles in films such as Charlie Chan in Shanghai and Think Fast, Mr. Moto but he also played a Bing Crosby imitator in Stowaway and an orchestra leader in Youth on Parole. He then made occasional TV appearances in the 1950s on shows like Sky King, Judge Roy Bean, and Bonanza before landing his career-defining role on Bachelor Father.

After the series ended, he appeared in the films It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World and For Those Who Think Young before landing another regular role as Sammy Ling on his friend Mickey Rooney's mid-60s show Mickey. However, Tong was reputedly a heavy gambler and deeply in debt when the show was canceled in 1965. With no income and in dire straits, he committed suicide by drug overdose at the age of 63 on October 27, 1964.

Notable Guest Stars

Season 3, Episode 19, "Bentley and the Bartered Bride": Whitney Blake (Dorothy Baxter on Hazel) plays Gregg's girlfriend Iris Schuster. Nora Marlowe (Martha Commager on Law of the Plainsman, Sara Andrews on The Governor and J.J., and Mrs. Flossie Brimmer on The Waltons) plays her mother.

Season 3, Episode 30, "Bentley Meets the Perfect Woman": Patricia Barry (shown on the right, played Kate Harris on Harris Against the World) plays efficiency expert Melissa Trent. Sue Ann Langdon (Lillian Nuvo on Arnie, Rosie on Grandpa Goes to Washington, and Darlene on When the Whistle Blows) plays Gregg's secretary Kitty. Lester Matthews (Sir Dennis Nayland Smith on The Adventures of Dr. Fu Manchu and Fleming Pendleton on The Beverly Hillbillies) plays businessman Mr. Harcourt.

Season 3, Episode 32, "The Very Friendly Witness": Addison Richards (shown on the left, starred in Boys Town, They Made Her a Spy, Flying Tigers, and The Deerslayer and played Doc Calhoun on Trackdown and Doc Landy on The Deputy) plays Gregg's client Mr. Granger. Patricia Huston (Addy Olson on Days of Our Lives and Hilda Brunschwager on L.A. Law) plays Gregg's girlfriend Elena del Castillo.

Season 3, Episode 36, "Where There's a Will": Kelton Garwood (Beauregard O'Hanlon on Bourbon Street Beat and Percy Crump on Gunsmoke) plays potential will beneficiary Simon Bacula. Kip King (Ronald Sandler on Charlie & Co.) plays potential will beneficiary Ansel Crabtree.

Season 4, Episode 5, "A Crush on Bentley": Linda Evans (credited as Linda Evenstad, shown on the right, played Audra Barkley on The Big Valley, Marty Shaw on Hunter, and Krystle Carrington on Dynasty) plays precocious teen Liz McGavin. Frank Wilcox (Mr. Brewster on The Beverly Hillbillies and Petticoat Junction and Beecher Asbury on The Untouchables) plays her father Ben. Angela Greene (Tess Trueheart on Dick Tracy(1950)) plays her mother Phyllis.

Season 4, Episode 9, "How to Catch a Man": Milton Frome (starred in Pardners, The Delicate Delinquent, and The Swinger and played Lawrence Chapman on The Beverly Hillbillies) plays Gregg's golfing buddy Phil Demling. Jimmy Hawkins (Tagg Oakley on Annie Oakley, Jonathon Baylor on Ichabod and Me, Jimmy on The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, and Scotty on The Donna Reed Show) plays Kelly's suitor Dennis. Cheryl Holdridge (Julie Foster on Leave It to Beaver) plays Kelly's classmate Lila Meredith.

Season 4, Episode 11, "Bentley Cracks the Whip": Sid Melton (shown on the left, played Ichabod Mudd on Captain Midnight, Uncle Charley Halper on The Danny Thomas Show and Make Room for Granddaddy, Alf Monroe on Green Acres, and Salvadore Petrillo on The Golden Girls) plays grocery delivery man Harry. Peter Leeds (Tenner Smith on Trackdown) plays an unnamed waiter.

Season 4, Episode 12, "Bentley and the Big Board": Mary Tyler Moore (shown on the right, played Laura Petrie on The Dick Van Dyke Show, Mary Richards on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Mary Brenner on Mary, and Annie McGuire on Annie McGuire) plays Gregg's girlfriend Joanne Sutton. Neil Hamilton (Commissioner Gordon on Batman) plays her father Ronald. Cheryl Holdridge (see "How to Catch a Man" above) reappears as Kelly's classmate Lila Meredith.

Season 4, Episode 13, "Dear Bentley ": Joan O'Brien (starred in The Alamo and It'$ Only Money) plays Kelly's algebra teacher Janice McCleery. Del Moore (starred in The Nutty Professor, The Patsy, and The Big Mouth and played Alvin on Life With Elizabeth) plays Gregg's golfing buddy Cal Mitchell. Francis de Sales (Lt. Bill Weigand on Mr. & Mrs. North, Sheriff Maddox on Two Faces West, and Rusty Lincoln on Days of Our Lives) plays Mitchell's friend Ollie. Barbara Heller (Christine Clam on Jackie Gleason: American Scene Magazine) plays Ollie's sister-in-law Judy Morrison.

The Twilight Zone (1960)

Like Star Trek, The Twilight Zone is one of a handful of television shows that have developed a larger following after their demise than they had when they originally aired. Rod Serling's drama anthology, which mixed in elements of science fiction, suspense, psychological thriller, and the macabre, was an instant critical success but never cracked the top 30 in the ratings during its initial 5-year run. Despite being an Emmy- and Peabody-winning writer, Serling had great difficulty in bringing The Twilight Zone to the air. He originally wrote an episode titled "The Time Element" as a pilot for the series in 1957, but the show was shelved until producer Bert Granet discovered it in the CBS archives and decided to put it into production for the Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse on November 24, 1958. Due to strong response from viewers and critics, CBS resumed talks with Serling and agreed to launch The Twilight Zone in the fall 1959 season. With Serling serving as the show's host and narrator (he reportedly had hoped to recruit actor Richard Egan for the role but was stymied by contractual restrictions), the show first aired on October 2, 1959 to rave reviews from The Chicago Daily News, Daily Variety, and The New York Herald Tribune. Even TV Guide's hard-to-please reviewer Frank DeBlois gushed in his February 27, 1960 review, "It is a pleasure to report that 'The Twilight Zone'...is the most refreshing new anthology series in some time." However, despite the critical enthusiasm for the program, it took a while to accumulate enough viewers to guarantee that it would be extended for a full first season.

During the show's second season, James Aubrey came in as an executive at CBS and made life difficult for Serling by insisting that the budget be trimmed. One effect of his cutting was that the second season had 7 fewer episodes than the first, and 6 episodes were shot on videotape rather than film. Serling also occasionally ran into trouble with sponsors, who at that time wielded enormous influence over each show's content. In a November 12 story in TV Guide he recalls writing an episode for an earlier series that was sponsored by a cigarette company that objected to the use of the words "American" and "lucky" in the script because they called to mind competing tobacco companies. 

A decorated World War II veteran, Serling held anti-establishment positions on issues such as government, war, and prejudice, but by staging his dramas in the mythical twilight zone, he was able to address these concerns without veering too closely to reality and thereby upsetting more conservative viewers and sponsors. However, despite his left-of-mainstream point of view, the episodes written by Serling himself (he also used well-respected authors such as Charles Beaumont and Richard Matheson) tend to be more sentimental and didactic than the more dystopian visions of Beaumont and Matheson. Serling authored the sweet Christmas tale "Night of the Meek" (December 23, 1960) in which Art Carney plays an alcoholic department-store Santa Claus who is granted his wish to become a real-life version of the character he plays. He also wrote the baseball yarn "The Mighty Casey" (June 17, 1960) in which a robot pitcher with unhittable stuff must be given a heart to comply with league rules and thereafter is too sympathetic with the plight of the hitters he faces and cannot bring himself to get them out. Or there's the case of the highly eccentric "Mr. Bevis" (June 3, 1960) who rejects the offer of a guardian angel to make him successful in the eyes of the world because it would make him less likable.

All of these sentimental episodes deal in a gentle way with the issue of identity. On the flip side of this theme, the most terrifying episodes tend to be those in which a character learns that they are not who they thought they were. In one of the show's more famous episodes, "The Hitch-Hiker" (January 22, 1960), a woman who believes that she had only a near-fatal automobile accident sees the same ominous hitch-hiker at numerous spots along her cross-country journey only to find out that the accident she had was not near-fatal. The three astronauts in "Elegy" (February 19, 1960) have a similar revelation when they land on what they believe is an uncharted asteroid that looks exactly like earth. And in "A World of Difference" (March 11, 1960) businessman Arthur Curtis is shocked to discover that what he thought was his real-life identity is merely a character in a movie.

As with the drama "The Time Element" that spawned The Twilight Zone, time travel is a frequent theme in the episodes that aired in 1960. In "The Last Flight" (February 5, 1960), British World War I pilot Lt. William Terrance Decker lands at a 1960 United States air base in France and is assumed to be a jokester. "Execution" (April 1, 1960) has convicted murderer Joe Caswell transported from his own hanging in 1880 Montana to 1960 New York City and then unleashed on the unsuspecting metropolis. And in "The Trouble With Templeton" (December 9, 1960) veteran stage actor Booth Templeton has to be sent back to 1927 to realize that his fond memories of his first wife Laura don't quite match reality. In the first and last of these time travels, the traveler has an epiphany about who they are and how past events have shaped the present.

There are also several episodes that deal with prejudice or accepted belief systems that perhaps should be questioned. In "The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street" (March 4, 1960), citizens of a small town quickly become hysterical and paranoid after witnessing a UFO and resort to condemning each other (not unlike the McCarthy era Communist witch hunts), eventually leading to violence, all based on a young boy's description of similar sightings depicted in fantasy literature. In "People Are Alike All Over" (March 25, 1960) scientist Sam Conrad lands on another planet where the residents seem friendly but wind up treating him the way humans treat animals on earth. And "Eye of the Beholder" (November 11, 1960) challenges accepted beliefs about what is beautiful and normal and how those who diverge from the norm should be treated. Due to the unsettling nature of the topics covered in these episodes, they are set in a world rather different from our own, but not so different that we cannot recognize that the lessons shown are equally applicable to ourselves.

Yet as a counterbalance to the episodes who question who we are, several others argue in favor of acceptance, as in the aforementioned "The Trouble With Templeton" in which the protagonist must let go of an idealized past and live in the present. In "A Passage for Trumpet" (May 20, 1960), washed-up trumpeter Joey Crowne must endure a near-death experience to learn not to squander his musical gift. And in "The Man in the Bottle" (October 7, 1960), curio shop owners Arthur and Edna Castle are given four wishes by a genie from a bottle, but as each fulfilled wish produces unintended consequences, they return to their poor but familiar life glad to be rid of their good fortune. Serling apparently felt that while it is good to probe the boundaries of identity and human existence, doing so also requires good judgment to recognize when those boundaries should not be crossed.

The original theme music for the first season was composed by longtime Alfred Hitchcock soundtrack composer Bernard Herrmann, who also contributed the entire score for two episodes that aired in 1960. Besides contributing the scores for Hitchcock favorites Psycho, Vertigo, The Man Who Knew Too Much, and North by Northwest, Herrmann provided the score for Orson Welles' Citizen Kane and The Magnificent Ambersons after conducting the music included in Welles' radio presentation of The War of the Worlds. He also composed for The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, Cape Fear, and Taxi Driver and worked on Have Gun--Will Travel in addition to The Twilight Zone. He and Hitchcock had a falling out during the making of Torn Curtain in 1966. Hitchcock, under pressure from Universal, wanted more of a jazz & pop score, but Herrmann refused and was replaced with John Addison. The two would never work together again. Herrmann died at the age of 64 in 1975. 

For the second season, the opening theme was changed to a compilation of pieces by French avant-garde composer Marius Constant. This is the guitar-and-bongo theme that most associate with the show. Besides Herrmann, the episodes aired during 1960 contained music from a number of other composers, most notably prolific soundtrack composer Jerry Goldsmith, who contributed the score for 3 episodes.

The complete series has been released on DVD and Blu Ray by Image Entertainment.

The Actors

Rod Serling

It may be considered a stretch to call Serling an actor on The Twilight Zone, but his famously clipped, winking delivery of each show's introduction and conclusion are key elements in the show's overall ambience, much like Jack Webb's narration on Dragnet. Added to this is the fact that Serling did play himself in Season 1's final episode "A World of His Own" (July 1, 1960) in which playwright Gregory West objects to Serling's description of the episode's ridiculous events and makes him disappear.

Born in Syracuse on Christmas day in 1924, Serling from an early age delighted in staging his own dramatic performances and would act out scenes from pulp magazines and movies but struggled academically until receiving encouragement from seventh-grade English teacher Helen Foley (whom he commemorated in "Nightmare as a Child" described below). With World War II underway when he graduated from high school, he immediately enlisted in the Army in 1943. He was eventually station in the Philippines where he encountered death constantly, both from combat and the occasional freak accident. He was wounded but returned to action and was awarded the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star for his service. However, besides the physical injuries, he suffered from nightmares and flashbacks and says that he turned to writing after being discharged to get things off his chest. He attended Antioch College in Ohio, majoring in English, and also worked at the campus radio station. Upon graduation he found work writing for Cincinnati radio station WLW and eventually moved over to TV at WKRC. He quit in 1952 and moved to Connecticut, then eventually to New York City. He eked out a living selling scripts to the live drama anthology shows then in vogue and had a breakout hit with "Patterns," which aired on Kraft Television Theater in 1955. This led to numerous offers but he did not find much repeat success until he struck with "Requiem for a Heavyweight," which appeared the next year on Playhouse 90. It took another three years, as described above, for him to finally convince a major network to give him his own series. The rest, as they say, is history.

After The Twilight Zone, Serling wrote and produced a short-lived western series called The Loner, which the network canceled because it didn't have enough action. But he found success again starting in 1969 with his horror/occult series Night Gallery, which featured three stories during each episode. The series ran for three seasons, ending in 1973. He was also host of the game show The Liars Club in its original incarnation in 1969. A lifelong smoker, Serling suffered a series of heart attacks, the last of which occurred during a risky operation, killing him at the age of 50 on June 28, 1975.

Notable Guest Stars

Season 1, Episode 13, "The Four of Us Are Dying": Beverly Garland (shown on the right, played Casey Jones on Decoy, Ellis Collins on The Bing Crosby Show, Barbara Harper Douglas on My Three Sons, Dorothy "Dotty" West on Scarecrow and Mrs. King, Ellen Lane on Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, and Ginger on 7th Heaven) plays lounge singer Maggie. Ross Martin (Andamo on Mr. Lucky, Artemus Gordon on The Wild Wild West, and Tony Alika on Hawaii 5-O) plays resurrected musician Johnny Foster. Bernard Fine (Pvt. Gomez on The Phil Silvers Show) plays mobster Mr. Penell. Don Gordon (Lt. Hank Bertelli on The Blue Angels and Richard Jensen on Peyton Place) plays boxer Andy Marshak. Peter Brocco (Peter the waiter on The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show) plays Marshak's father. Milton Frome (starred in Pardners, The Delicate Delinquent, and The Swinger and played Lawrence Chapman on The Beverly Hillbillies) plays an unnamed detective.

Season 1, Episode 14, "Third From the Sun": Edward Andrews (starred in The Absent-Minded Professor, Son of Flubber, and The Glass Bottom Boat and played Cmdr. Rogers Adrian on Broadside) plays menacing defense worker Carling. Fritz Weaver (starred in Fail-Safe, The Maltese Bippy, and A Walk in the Spring Rain) plays escaping defense worker William Sturka. Joe Maross (Fred Russell on Peyton Place, Capt. Mike Benton on Code Red, and Dr. Blakely on Dallas) plays his colleague Jerry Riden. Denise Alexander (Sister Beatrice on Sunset Beach, Dr. Lesley Webber on General Hospital, and Louise Fitzpatrick on Pretty the Series) plays Sturka's daughter Jody.

Season 1, Episode 15, "I Shot an Arrow Into the Air": Edward Binns (shown on the left, starred in 12 Angry Men, North by Northwest, Heller in Pink Tights, and Judgment at Nuremberg and played Roy Brenner on Brenner and Wally Powers on It Takes a Thief) plays rocket commander Col. Bob Donlin. Dewey Martin (starred in The Thing From Another World, Land of the Pharoahs, and The Desperate Hours and played Daniel Boone on Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color) plays crew member Corey. Leslie Barrett (Judge Hanley on Dark Shadows) plays mission control contact Brandt.

Season 1, Episode 16, "The Hitch-Hiker": Inger Stevens (starred in The Buccaneer, A Guide for the Married Man, Madigan, and Hang 'Em High and played Katy Holstrum on The Farmer's Daughter) plays cross-country driver Nan Adams. Leonard Strong (starred in Blood on the Sun, Back to Bataan, and The Atomic City and played The Claw on Get Smart) plays the hitch-hiker. Lew Gallo (Major Joseph Cobb on 12 O'Clock High) plays an unnamed mechanic. 

Season 1, Episode 17, "The Fever": Everett Sloane (starred in Citizen Kane, The Lady From Shanghai, and Lust for Life and provided the voice for Dick Tracy on The Dick Tracy Show) plays moralistic prize winner Franklin Gibbs. Vivi Janiss (Myrtle Davis on Father Knows Best) plays his wife Flora. Arthur Peterson (The Major on Soap) plays an unnamed sheriff. 

Season 1, Episode 18, "The Last Flight": Kenneth Haigh (starred in Teenage Bad Girl, Cleopatra, and Hard Day's Night and played Joe Lampton in the British series Man at the Top) plays British World War I pilot Lt. William Terrance Decker. Simon Scott (John Riggs on Markham, Gen. Bronson on McHale's Navy, Chief Barney Metcalf on Mod Squad, and Arnold Slocum on Trapper John, M.D.) plays U.S. Air Force Maj. Wilson. Alex Scourby (starred in The Big Heat, The Silver Chalice, Giant, and The Shaggy Dog) plays U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. George Harper. 

Season 1, Episode 19, "The Purple Testament": Dick York (shown on the right, played Darrin Stephens on Bewitched and Tom Colwell on Going My Way) plays Army Capt. Phil Riker. William Reynolds (starred in All That Heaven Allows, The Big Beat, and The Thing That Couldn't Die and played Pete Kelly on Pete Kelly's Blues, Sandy Wade on The Islanders, Capt. Jim Benedict on The Gallant Men, and Special Agent Tom Colby on The F.B.I.) plays clairvoyant Lt. Fitzgerald. William Phipps (Curley Bill Brocius on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp, Uncle Link on Boone, and Jake Dodge on Santa Barbara) plays an unnamed sergeant. Paul Mazursky (starred in Blackboard Jungle, A Star Is Born(1976), and Scenes From a Mall and played Phil Brooks on Once and Again and Norm on Curb Your Enthusiasm) plays an unnamed hospital orderly. Barney Phillips (Sgt. Ed Jacobs on the original Dragnet, Lt. Sam Geller on Johnny Midnight, Lt. Avery on The Brothers Brannagan, Doc Kaiser on 12 O'Clock High, Mike Golden on Dan August, and Fletcher Huff on The Betty White Show) plays hospital head Dr. E.L. Gunther. Marc Cavell (Gray Hawk on Pistols 'n' Petticoats) plays an unnamed nervous soldier. S. John Launer (Marshall Houts on The Court of Last Resort and the judge 33 times on Perry Mason) plays an unnamed lieutenant colonel. Warren Oates (starred in In the Heat of the Night, The Wild Bunch, and Stripes and played Ves Painter on Stoney Burke) plays an unnamed jeep driver. Ron Masak (Sheriff Mort Metzger on Murder, She Wrote) plays an unnamed harmonica-playing soldier.

Season 1, Episode 20, "Elegy": Kevin Hagen (John Colton on Yancy Derringer, Inspector Dobbs Kobick on Land of the Giants, and Dr. Hiram Baker on Little House on the Prairie) plays astronaut Capt. James Webber. Jeff Morrow (starred in Sign of the Pagan, This Island Earth, Pardners, and The Giant Claw and played Dr. Lloyd Axton on The New Temperatures Rising Show) plays astronaut Kurt Meyers. Cecil Kalloway (starred in Wuthering Heights, Mexican Spitfire, The Postman Always Rings Twice, Harvey, Kim, and The Shaggy Dog) plays caretaker Jeremy Wickwire. 

Season 1, Episode 21, "Mirror Image": Vera Miles (starred in Wichita, The Searchers, The Wrong Man, and Psycho) plays bus rider Millicent Barnes. Martin Milner (shown on the left, played Tod Stiles on Route 66, Officer Pete Malloy on Adam-12, Dragnet 1967, and Emergency!, Karl Robinson on Swiss Family Robinson, and Harris Cassidy on Life Goes On) played fellow traveler Paul Grinstead. Naomi Stevens (Juanita on The Doris Day Show, Mama Rossini on My Three Sons, Rose Montefusco on The Montefuscos, and Sgt. Bella Archer on Vega$) plays an unnamed cleaning woman.

Season 1, Episode 22, "The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street": Jack Weston (Wilbur "Wormsey" Wormser on Red Brown of the Rocket Rangers, Chick Adams on My Sister Eileen, Walter Hathaway on The Hathaways, and Danny Zimmer on The Four Seasons) plays accusatory citizen Charlie Farnsworth. Claude Akins (Sonny Pruett on Movin' On and Sheriff Elroy P. Lobo on B.J and the Bear and on Lobo) plays neighbor Steve Brand. Amzie Strickland (Julia Mobey on Carter Country) plays an unnamed accusatory neighbor. Burt Metcalfe (Buckley Dunston on Father of the Bride) plays neighbor Don Martin. Mary Gregory (starred in Sleeper and Coming Home and played Dr. Stanwich on Knots Landing and Judge Pendelton on L.A. Law) plays an unnamed mother. Sheldon Allman (Norm Miller on Harris Against the World) plays an alien. Robert McCord (Capt. Amos Fry on Yancy Derringer) plays an ice cream vendor.

Season 1, Episode 23, "A World of Difference": David White (shown on the right, played Larry Tate on Bewitched) plays film company executive Brinkley. Howard Duff (Howard Adams on Mr. Adams and Eve, Willie Dante on Dante, Det. Sgt. Sam Stone on Felony Squad, Sheriff Titus Semple on Flamingo Road, and Paul Galveston on Knots Landing) plays businessman Arthur Curtis. Gail Kobe (Penny Adams on Trackdown and Doris Schuster on Peyton Place) plays his secretary Sally. Frank Maxwell (Duncan MacRoberts on Our Man Higgins and Col. Garraway on The Second Hundred Years) plays movie director Marty Fisher. 

Season 1, Episode 24, " Long Live Walter Jameson": Kevin McCarthy (starred in Death of a Salesman, Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956 & 1978), The Misfits, and Hotel and played Claude Weldon on Flamingo Road, Zach Cartwright on Amanda's, George Hayward on Bay City Blues, and Lucas Carter on The Colbys) plays history professor Walter Jameson. Estelle Winwood (starred in Quality Street, This Happy Feeling, The Notorious Landlady, and Dead Ringer and played Aunt Hilda on Batman) plays his abandoned wife Laurette. 

Season 1, Episode 25, "People Are Alike All Over": Roddy McDowell (shown on the left, starred in Man Hunt, How Green Was My Valley, My Friend Flicka, Lassie Come Home, Thunderhead - Son of Flicka, Macbeth, Cleopatra, The Greatest Story Ever Told, and Planet of the Apes and played The Bookworm on Batman, Galen on Planet of the Apes, Dr. Jonathan Willoway on The Fantastic Journey, and Bon Chance Louie on Tales of the Gold Monkey) plays scientist Sam Conrad. Paul Comi (Deputy Johnny Evans on Two Faces West, Chuck Lambert on Ripcord, and Yo Yo on Rawhide) plays astronaut Mark Marcusson. Susan Oliver (Ann Howard on Peyton Place) plays a Martian. Byron Morrow (Pearce Newberry on Executive Suite) plays a Martian. Vic Perrin (narrator on Sergeant Preston of the Yukon and voicework on The Outer Limits, Johnny Quest, Scooby Doo, Where Are You?, Mission: Impossible!, The Fantastic Four, and The Incredible Hulk) plays a Martian. 

Season 1, Episode 26, "Execution": Russell Johnson (shown on the right, starred in It Came From Outer Space, This Island Earth, and Johnny Dark and played Marshal Gib Scott on Black Saddle, Professor Roy Hinkley on Gilligan's Island, and Assistant D.A. Brenton Grant on Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law) plays scientist Dr. Manion. Albert Sami (Yadkin on Daniel Boone and Pete Ritter on Petrocelli) plays convicted murderer Joe Caswell. Than Wyenn (Licenciado Piña on Zorro) plays crook Paul Johnson. 

Season 1, Episode 27, "The Big Tall Wish": Ivan Dixon (starred in A Raisin in the Sun, Nothing But a Man, and A Patch of Blue and played Sgt. James Kinchloe on Hogan's Heroes) plays boxer Bolie Jackson. Walter Burke (starred in All the King's Men, Jack the Giant Killer, and Support Your Local Sheriff! and played Tim Potter on Black Saddle) plays his trainer Joe Mizell. 

Season 1, Episode 28, "A Nice Place to Visit": Sebastian Cabot (shown on the left, played Dr. Carl Hyatt on Checkmate, Commissioner Andrew Crippen on The Beachcomber, Mr. Giles French on A Family Affair, and Winston Essex on Circle of Fear) plays otherworldly guide Pip. Larry Blyden (Harry Burns on Harry's Girls) plays two-bit crook Rocky Valentine. Sandy Warner (Pat Smith on Mr. Smith Goes to Washington) plays an unnamed female prop. Robert McCord (see "The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street" above) plays an unnamed waiter. 

Season 1, Episode 29, "Nightmare as a Child": Janice Rule (starred in The Subterraneans, The Chase, Alvarez Kelly, and The Ambushers) plays school-teacher Helen Foley. Morgan Brittany (Kate Simpson on Glitter and Katherine Wentworth on Dallas) plays an unnamed little girl.  

Season 1, Episode 30, "A Stop at Willoughby": James Daly (Michael Powers on Foreign Intrigue and Dr. Paul Lochner on Medical Center) plays ad executive Gart Williams. Howard Smith (starred in Call Northside 777, The Street With No Name, and Death of a Salesman and played Harvey Griffin on Hazel) plays his boss Mr. Misrell. Patricia Donahue (Hazel on The Thin Man and Lucy Hamilton on Michael Shayne) plays his wife Janie. Jason Wingreen (Dr. Aaron Clark on The Long, Hot Summer, Harry Snowden on All in the Family and Archie Bunker's Place, and Judge Arthur Beaumont on Matlock) plays a train conductor. James Maloney (Jim on 21 Beacon Street) plays a train conductor in 1888. Billy Booth (Tommy Anderson on Dennis the Menace) plays an unnamed boy in Willoughby. 

Season 1, Episode 31, "The Chaser": George Grizzard (starred in Advise & Consent, Comes a Horseman, and Bachelor Party and who played Arthur Gold on Law & Order) plays love-struck Roger Shackleforth. Patricia Barry (Kate Harris on Harris Against the World) plays the object of his affection Leila. J. Pat O'Malley (Judge Caleb Marsh on Black Saddle, Duffy on Frontier Circus, Harry Burns on My Favorite Martian, Mr. Bundy on Wendy and Me, Herbert Morrison on A Touch of Grace, and Bert Beasley on Maude) plays a man who needs to use the phone. Barbara Perry (Thelma Brockwood on The Hathaways) plays a woman waiting to use the phone. Rusty Wescoatt (Joe the bartender on Trackdown) plays an older man waiting to use the phone. Marjorie Bennett (Birdie Brockway on Lassie and Mrs. Kenny on The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis) plays an older woman waiting to use the phone.

Season 1, Episode 32, "A Passage for Trumpet": Jack Klugman (shown on the right, starred in 12 Angry Men, Days of Wine and Roses, and I Could Go on Singing and played Alan Harris on Harris Against the World, Oscar Madison on The Odd Couple, Dr. Quincy, M.E. on Quincy, M.E., and Henry Willows on You Again?) plays washed-up trumpeter Joey Crowne. John Anderson (Virgil Earp on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp, Dr. Herbert Styles on Dallas, and Harry Jackson on MacGyver) plays otherworldly trumpeter Gabriel. Ned Glass (Uncle Moe Plotnick on Bridget Loves Bernie) plays a pawnshop owner. James Flavin (Lt. Donovan on Man With a Camera and Robert Howard on The Roaring 20's) plays an unnamed truck driver. Mary Webster (Rachel Verinder on The Moonstone, Jill Reed on Emergency-Ward 10, Anna on Circus, and Sarah Onedin on The Onedin Line) plays New York newcomer Nan.

Season 1, Episode 33, "Mr. Bevis": Orson Bean (starred in How to Be Very, Very Popular, Anatomy of a Murder, and Lola and played Loren Bray on Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, Bill Gamble, Sr. on Normal, Ohio, and Roy Bender on Desperate Housewives) plays eccentric James B.W. Bevis. Charles Lane (shown on the left, played Mr. Fosdick on Dear Phoebe, Mr. Finch on Dennis the Menace, Homer Bedloe on Petticoat Junction, Foster Phinney on The Beverly Hillbillies, Dale Busch on Karen, and Judge Anthony Petrillo on Soap) plays his boss Mr. Peckinpaugh. Florence McMichael (Winnie Kirkwood on Mister Ed) plays co-worker Margaret. William Schallert (Justinian Tebbs on The Adventures of Jim Bowie, Mr. Leander Pomfritt on The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, Martin Lane on The Patty Duke Show, Admiral Hargrade on Get Smart, Teddy Futterman on The Nancy Walker Show, Carson Drew on The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries, Russ Lawrence on The New Gidget, and Wesley Hodges on The Torkelsons) plays a traffic cop. Horace McMahon (Capt. Willis on Martin Kane, Lt. Mike Parker on Naked City, and Hank McClure on Mr. Broadway) plays a bartender. Henry Jones (Dean Fred Baker on Channing, Judge Jonathan Dexter on Phyllis, Josh Alden on Mrs. Columbo, and B. Riley Wicker on Falcon Crest) plays Bevis' guardian angel J. Hardy Hempstead. Vito Scotti (Jose on The Deputy, Capt. Gaspar Fomento on The Flying Nun, Gino on To Rome With Love, and Mr. Velasquez on Barefoot in the Park ) plays an unnamed street peddler.

Season 1, Episode 34, "The After Hours": Anne Francis (shown on the right, starred in Bad Day at Black Rock, Forbidden Planet, Don't Go Near the Water, and The Love God? and played Honey West on Honey West and Arliss Cooper on Dallas) plays shopper Marsha White. Elizabeth Allen (Laura Deane on Bracken's World, Martha Simms on The Paul Lynde Show, Capt. Quilan on C.P.O. Sharkey, and Victoria Bellman on Texas) plays a saleswoman. Patrick Whyte (Colonel Standish on Tales of the 77th Bengal Lancers and Theodore Dowell on Peyton Place) plays complaints manager Mr. Sloan. Nancy Rennick (Patty Johnson on Rescue 8) plays saleswoman Ms. Keevers.

Season 1, Episode 35, "The Mighty Casey": Jack Warden (starred in From Here to Eternity, 12 Angry Men, and Run Silent, Run Deep and played Major Simon Butcher on The Wackiest Ship in the Army, Lt. Mike Haines on N.Y.P.D., Morris Buttermaker on The Bad News Bears, and Harry Fox, Sr. on Crazy Like a Fox) plays Hoboken Zephyrs manager Mouth McGarry. Alan Dexter (Frank Ferguson on Days of Our Lives) plays general manager Beasley. Robert Sorrells (Seaman Claude White on Ensign O'Toole) plays robot pitcher Casey. Frank De Kova (Chief Wild Eagle on F Troop and Louis Campagna on The Untouchables)  plays a New York Giants batter.

Season 1 Episode 36, "A World of His Own": Keenan Wynn (shown on the left, starred in Annie Get Your Gun, Royal Wedding, Angels in the Outfield, The Absent-Minded Professor, Son of Flubber, Dr. Strangelove, The Great Race, and Point Blank and played Kodiak on Troubleshooters, Williard "Digger" Barnes on Dallas, Carl Sarnac on Call to Glory, and Butch on The Last Precinct) plays playwright Gregory West. Mary LaRoche (starred in Run Silent, Run Deep, Gidget, Bye Bye Birdie, and The Swinger and played Barbara Scott on Karen) plays his girlfriend Mary. Phyllis Kirk (starred in House of Wax, Johnny Concho, and The Sad Sack and played Nora Charles on The Thin Man) plays his wife Victoria. Rod Serling plays himself.

Season 2, Episode 1, "King Nine Will Not Return": Bob Cummings (shown on the right, starred in Moon Over Miami, Kings Row, You Came Along, Sleep, My Love, and Dial M for Murder and played Bob Beanblossom on My Hero, Bob Collins on The Bob Cummings Show (1955-59), and Bob Carson on The Bob Cummings Show(1961-62)) plays World War II pilot Capt. James Embry. Paul Lambert (Tom Dalessio on Executive Suite) plays an unnamed doctor. Gene Lyons (Commander Dennis Randall on Ironside) plays an unnamed psychiatrist. Jenna McMahon (writer for The Carol Burnett Show, Soap, The Facts of Life, and Mama's Family) plays an unnamed nurse.

Season 2, Episode 2, "The Man in the Bottle": Luther Adler (starred in The Loves of Carmen, D.O.A., M (1951), and Absence of Malice) plays curio shop owner Arthur Castle. Vivi Janiss (see "the Fever" above) plays his wife Edna. Olan Soule (Aristotle "Tut" Jones on Captain Midnight, Ray Pinker on Dragnet (1952-59), and Fred Springer on Arnie) plays an IRS agent.

Season 2, Episode 3, "Nervous Man in a Four Dollar Room": Joe Mantell (starred in Marty, The Sad Sack, and Chinatown and played Ernie Briggs on Pete and Gladys) plays two-bit crook Jackie Rhoades. William D. Gordon (Joe Travis on Riverboat) plays his criminal boss George.

Season 2, Episode 4, "A Thing About Machines": Richard Haydn (starred in The Emperor Waltz, The Lost World, The Sound of Music, The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin, and Young Frankenstein) plays malcontent Bartlett Finchley. Barbara Stuart (shown on the left, played Bessie on The Great Gildersleeve, Alice on Pete and Gladys, Bunny on Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., Peggy Ferguson on The McLean Stevenson Show, Marianne Danzig on Our Family Honor, and Alice on Huff) plays his secretary Miss Rogers. Barney Phillips (see "The Purple Testament" above) plays a TV repairman. Henry Beckman (Commander Paul Richards on Flash Gordon, Mulligan on I'm Dickens, He's Fenster, George Anderson on Peyton Place, Colonel Harrigan on McHale's Navy, Capt. Roland Frances Clancey on Here Come the Brides, Pat Harwell on Funny Face, Harry Mark on Bronk, and Alf Scully on Check It Out) plays a policeman. Margarita Cordova (Rosa Andrade on Santa Barbara and Carmen Torres on Sunset Beach) plays a flamenco dancer.

Season 2, Episode 5, "The Howling Man": John Carradine (starred in Stagecoach, The Grapes of Wrath, House of Frankenstein, House of Dracula, The Ten Commandments, and Sex Kittens Go to College and played Gen. Joshua McCord on Branded) plays monastery leader Brother Jerome. H.M. Wynant (Frosty on Batman and Ed Chapman on Dallas) plays devil-chaser David Ellington.

Season 2, Episode 6, "Eye of the Beholder": Donna Douglas (shown on the right, played Barbara Simmons on Checkmate and Elly Mae Clampett on The Beverly Hillbillies) plays the unbandaged Janet Tyler. Maxine Stuart (Maureen on Norby, Ruth Burton on Room for One More, Mrs. Hewitt on Peyton Place, Marge Newberry on Executive Suite, Amanda Earp on The Rousters, and Eleanor "Gram" Rutledge on The Pursuit of Happiness) plays the bandaged Janet Tyler. William D. Gordon (see "Nervous Man in a Four Dollar Room" above) plays Janet's doctor. Edson Stroll (Virgil Edwards on McHale's Navy) plays ugly colony representative Mr. Smith.

  

Season 2, Episode 7, "Nick of Time": William Shatner (shown on the left, starred in The Brothers Karamazov, Judgment at Nuremberg, Kingdom of the Spiders, and The Kidnapping of the President and played David Koster on For the People, Dr. Carl Noyes on Dr, Kildare, Capt. James T. Kirk on Star Trek, Jeff Cable on Barbary Coast, Sgt. T.J. Hooker on T.J. Hooker, Walter H. Bascom on TekWar, Denny Crane on The Practice and Boston Legal, and Dr. Edison Milford Goodson III on $#*! My Dad Says) plays newlywed Don Carter. Patricia Breslin (Mandy Peoples Miller on The People's Choice and Laura Brooks on Peyton Place) plays his wife Pat. Stafford Repp (Chief O'Hara on Batman) plays a garage mechanic. Guy Wilkerson (Panhandle Perkins in 22 westerns) plays a diner counterman.

Season 2, Episode 8, "The Lateness of the Hour": John Hoyt (starred in My Favorite Brunette, The Lady Gambles, and Blackboard Jungle and played Grandpa Stanley Kanisky on Gimme a Break!) plays inventor Dr. William Loren. Irene Tedrow (Mrs. Elkins on Dennis the Menace) plays his wife. Inger Stevens (see "The Hitch-Hiker" above) plays their daughter Jana. Mary Gregory (see "The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street" above) plays their maid Nelda. Tom Palmer (Dr. Stewart on Lawman) plays their butler Robert.

Season 2, Episode 9, "The Trouble With Templeton": Brian Aherne (starred in The Song of Songs, What Every Woman Knows, The Great Garrick, Merrily We Live, Smilin' Through, My Sister Eileen, I Confess, Titanic (1953), and Prince Valiant) plays aging stage actor Booth Templeton. Dave Willock (starred in Let's Face It, Pin Up Girl, and The Fabulous Dorseys and played Lt. Binning on Boots and Saddles, Harvey Clayton on Margie, and was the narrator on the animated Wacky Races) plays his valet Marty. King Calder (Lt. Gray on Martin Kane) plays theater backer Sid Sperry. Sydney Pollack (shown on the right, directed They Shoot Horses, Don't They?, The Way We Were, Absence of Malice, Tootsie, and Out of Africa) plays director Arthur Hillis. Pippa Scott (Maggie Shank-Rutherford on Mr. Lucky, Molly Wood on The Virginian, and Maggie Hearn on Jigsaw John) plays Templeton's first wife Laura.

Season 2, Episode 10, "A Most Unusual Camera": Fred Clark (Harry Morton on The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show and Dr. Roy Clyburn on The Beverly Hillbillies) plays small-time crook Chester Dietrich. Jean Carson (Rosemary on The Betty Hutton Show) plays his wife Paula. Marcel Hillaire (Inspector Bouchard on Adventures in Paradise) plays waiter Pierre.

Season 2, Episode 11, "Night of the Meek": Art Carney (shown on the left, starred in The Yellow Rolls Royce, Harry and Tonto, and Firestarter and played Newton the waiter on The Morey Amsterdam Show, Ed Norton on The Honeymooners, Cavalcade of Stars, The Jackie Gleason Show, and Jackie Gleason: American Scene Magazine, The Archer on Batman, and Police Chief Paul Lanigan on Lanigan's Rabbi) plays department store Santa Henry Corwin. John Fiedler (starred in 12 Angry Men, Fitzwilly, The Odd Couple, and True Grit and played Emil Peterson on The Bob Newhart Show, Woody on Buffalo Bill, and the voice of Piglet in numerous Winnie the Pooh shows and films) plays store manager Mr. Dundee. Meg Wyllie (Mrs. Kissel on The Travels of Jamie McPheeters and Aunt Lolly Stemple on Mad About You) plays mission leader Sister Florence. Burt Mustin (Foley on The Great Gildersleeve, Mr. Finley on Date With the Angels, Gus the fireman on Leave It to Beaver, Jud Fletcher on The Andy Griffith Show, and Justin Quigley on All in the Family) plays Corwin's friend Burt. Robert P. Lieb (Harry Thompson on Hazel) plays policeman Officer Flaherty.