Thriller (1962)

 

As it shambled toward its inevitable death at the hands of that other master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock, as documented in our post on the 1961 episodes, Thriller continued its obsession with inheritance-motivated murder and marital infidelity plots with an occasional foray into gothic horror or contemporary true crime. The diversity of themes is not so much the series' biggest problem as it is the recycling of well-known stories that had already been rendered more effectively elsewhere. One of the prime offenders is "Waxworks" (January 8, 1962), which bears too close a resemblance to the 1953 Vincent Price classic feature film House of Wax even if the Thriller episode is based loosely on screenwriter Robert Bloch's earlier 1939 story for the pulp magazine Weird Tales. Besides the by-then shop-worn story, the explanations for the weird happenings provided at the end of the episode simply don't make sense, as wryly discussed by the authors of the blog A Thriller a Day..., which is recommended reading for anyone who wants to dig very deep into the series. Also borrowing heavily from familiar horror and suspense plots is "A Wig for Miss Devore" (January 29, 1962), which mashes up "The Picture of Dorian Gray," Sunset Boulevard, and an 18th-century witch hanging with predictable results. "The Bride Who Died Twice" (March 19, 1962) borrows from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet in having Consuelo de la Varra fake her own death on the night of her forced marriage to evil military commander Col. Sangriento in order to escape his clutches and later be reunited with her true love, the dashing young Captain Bartolomeo Antonio Fernandez. But as with Shakespeare's tragedy, all does not end well as the reunited lovers are discovered and captured by Sangriento, who executes Fernandez only to discover that the young captain has slipped a deadly poison to Consuelo before expiring, allowing her to follow him in death and elude Sangriento once again.

The inheritance murder episodes include "An Attractive Family" (January 1, 1962) chronicling the New England Farrington brood whose children marry wealthy marks and then fabricate accidental deaths to inherit their estates and thus continue to fund their own leisurely lifestyle. This is another episode where the explanations at the end don't quite add up--we have Farrington sister-in-law Virginia Wells dreaming that she is being driven to hang herself in a supposedly haunted mansion whose previous owner also did away with himself, then having that nightmare play out in real life, only the voices driving her to kill herself are the Farringtons, since she has inherited half of her late sister's estate, but Virginia, it turns out, has been on to them all along and entraps them after they confess to killing her sister. So the nightmares didn't really happen? It's confusing to say the least. "Cousin Tundifer" (February 19, 1962) pulls off the inheritance murder scheme with a bit more creativity as the excellent Edward Andrews returns to the series to play avaricious nephew Miles Tundifer, who bears a striking resemblance to a distant relative hanged for murder in the 19th century. Miles discovers a time portal in an old house his rich uncle is having restored, and after reading a book on how to get away with murder, decides to knock off his uncle in the 19th century part of the house, stash his body there, and live scot free on the inheritance after leaving the house in the present. And it almost works except for a meddling couple of prior residents in the 19th century part of the house who think he is his notorious ancestor, call the cops on him, and have him taken away in a 19th-century paddy wagon. The first of the two stories in "The Lethal Ladies" (April 16, 1962) features a philandering husband whose wife has all the money, prompting him to plot her demise so that he can be financially independent and allowed to canoodle with his mistress openly, only his wife is also on to him and survives being pushed off a cliff into a body of water weighed down by a harness full of rocks. But this episode has one of those tacked-on reversals when the wife is outraged that her husband dies from fright before she has a chance to push him off the same cliff and then slips off the cliff herself when she loses her balance. The second half of this two-part episode has another tacked on ending with a long-suffering library employee able to successfully trap her mean-spirited new boss in the rare book vault on the last day of the semester, guaranteeing that he will suffocate before anyone can find him three months later, only to have Boris Karloff narrate at the end of the episode that she, too, slipped off a cliff and was killed while on summer vacation. We are supposed to be amused by the irony of two different characters played by the same actress in the same episode meeting the same ending, but the latter demise is forced and disconnected from anything depicted on screen.

Speaking of disconnected, the final episode of the series, "The Specialists" (April 30, 1962), was, according to commentary on imdb.com, a pilot for a new series that was never picked up. It plays more like an episode of The Avengers without the nonchalance and witty interplay of Steed and Mrs. Peel. U.S. Government agent Peter Duncan chases murderous jewel smugglers in Canada and England and almost gets blown up a couple of times, including a final scene reminiscent of a Hitchcock thriller, before finally nabbing the smuggler/bomber in a fight on a staircase. There is very little to get attached to in this one as Duncan is played with Robert Stack-like stoicism by Lin McCarthy, and his one scene with his wife fails to provide him with the warmth we are supposed to feel about him being just a regular family man. After the case is cracked and Duncan is invited to take some time off with a vacation in England, he glibly tells his British counterpart that he needs to get back to Washington for a picnic with his son, whom we have never seen. Duncan's family priorities may be a step above those of Elliot Ness but are less than convincing.

Despite these disappointing episodes, Thriller continued to excel at its specialty--gothic horror. Perhaps the best of the final 16 episodes from Season 2 is "The Incredible Doctor Markesan" (February 26, 1962) which stars Karloff in the title role and allows him to somewhat reprise his most famous film appearance, though this time he is the mad doctor who finds a way to reanimate the dead. The creepy, southern-decay atmospherics are top notch in the depiction of Markesan's dilapidated Oakmoor estate, and Karloff himself is brilliant as the tight-lipped and foreboding former college professor. This episode also benefits by avoiding the urge to provide some sort of happy ending or tacked-on cute plot twist--the denouement is just as grim as the rest of the narrative. "The Hollow Watcher" (February 12, 1962) likewise uses a southern location to create an air of superstition-driven horror, though this time we are sent to Appalachia in rural Black Hollow, North Carolina rather than the deep south. The set-up leads us to believe the legend of the hollow watcher, an otherwordly avenger who sees all and exacts retribution on murderers, is just the creation of local ignorant superstition. This is the view taken by Irishman Sean O'Danagh when he arrives to complete an inheritance murder plot already begun by his "sister" Meg, who has married Hugo Wheeler and killed his father while Hugo was unconscious in order to steal the $5000 the father reportedly had hidden somewhere on his property. While Sean is snooping around for the fortune one night and is attacked by the scarecrow usually guarding the road in town--the same scarecrow in which Meg tells him she hid the father's dead body--he believes Hugo has dressed himself up as a scarecrow to try to frighten him off, and later Sean assumes that some of the village folk intercepted a letter he had sent Meg before his arrival which may have been a little too loose in discussing their plan. But when Sean again thinks that Hugo will try donning the scarecrow outfit to frighten him after excusing himself early from dinner one evening, he follows him into the barn and finds him dead, then turns around to be attacked by the scarecrow, which clearly now is not a living person in disguise. The scarecrow dispatches Sean and then turns to take care of his accomplice Meg, hiding in the house while watching through the window at the terrible happenings in the barn. The scarecrow is able to break into the house and chase her upstairs, and while she is able to stop the demon by setting fire to his body made of hay, she sees the father's skeleton emerge after the hay is burned away, then crumple to the ground, after which she crumples in a heap laughing madly. Again, no winking irony or forced plot twist makes this one of the better episodes in the series. The same accolades can be given to the episode "La Strega" (January 15, 1962) set in the superstitious distant past of small-town Italy and involving accusations of witchcraft. Is the title character really a witch who holds a supernatural hold over her fearful granddaughter, or is her power only a figment of the backward townspeople's imagination? The plot bounces back and forth between logical explanations for unusual happenings and events that seem to defy logical explanation, prompting the viewer to try to decide whether La Strega is really the witch she is accused of being. However, this episode suffers a little because of a silly modern-dance Black Mass scene in the woods orchestrated by La Strega and a somewhat predictable final plot twist when poor Spanish painter Tonio Bellini thinks that he has killed the witch but instead finds out a curse she placed on him has come true.

Still, churning out 30 or more episodes per season of first-rate horror and suspense is no easy task, and we should not be too harsh if Thriller failed to hit the jackpot on every episode. Rather, the series deserves its well-earned respect for hitting the heights on the few occasions that it did. Not many other dramatic series from the era ever did so.

 

The Actors

For the biography of Boris Karloff, see the 1960 post of Thriller.

Notable Guest Stars

Season 2, Episode 15, "An Attractive Family": Richard Long (starred in The Stranger, Criss Cross, All I Desire, and as Tom Kettle in 4 Ma and Pa Kettle features, and played Red Randolph on Bourbon Street Beat and 77 Sunset Strip, Jarrod Barkley on The Big Valley, Professor Everett on Nanny and the Professor, and Ernie Paine on Thicker Than Water) plays New England murderous family member Richard Farrington. Joan Tetzel (appeared in Duel in the Sun, The Paradine Case, The File on Thelma Jordan, The Red Dress, and Joy in the Morning) plays his sister Marian. Otto Kruger (appeared in Treasure Island, Dracula's Daughter, Saboteur, Murder, My Sweet, and High Noon) plays their uncle Bert. Joyce Bulifant (shown on the left, played Mary Gentry on Tom, Dick and Mary, Mrs. Marsha Patterson on The Bill Cosby Show, Peggy Wilson on Love Thy Neighbor, Marjorie Martin on Big John, Little John, Marie Slaughter on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Miriam Willoughby on Flo, and Emily Wallace on Weird Science) plays Richard's sister-in-law Virginia Wells. Leo G. Carroll (appeared in Clive of India, A Christmas Carol (1938), Wuthering Heights, Rebecca, Spellbound, Father of the Bride, The Bad and the Beautiful, North by Northwest, and The Parent Trap and played Cosmo Topper on Topper, Father Fitzgibbon on Going My Way, and Alexander Waverly on The Man From U.N.C.L.E., The Girl From U.N.C.L.E., and in 4 Man From U.N.C.L.E. feature films) plays bird watcher Major Downey. William Mims (see the biography section for the 1960 post on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp) plays Iowa corn farmer George Drake. Paul Barselou (played various bartenders in 9 episodes of Bewitched) plays canoe renter Mr. Lamb. Will Wright (Ben Weaver on The Andy Griffith Show and Mr. Merrivale on Dennis the Menace) plays constable Tom Walker.

Season 2, Episode 16, "Waxworks": Oscar Homolka (starred in The Dreyfus Case, Anna Lucasta, The Seven Year Itch, War and Peace, and A Farewell to Arms) plays wax museum proprietor Pierre Jacquelin. Antoinette Bower (Fox Devlin on Neon Rider) plays his "niece" Annette. Booth Colman (Zaius on Planet of the Apes, Prof. Hector Jerrold on General Hospital, and Dr. Felix Burke on The Young and the Restless) plays police detective Lt. Bailey. Alan Baxter (appeared in Saboteur, Close-Up, Judgment at Nuremberg, and Paint Your Wagon) plays his partner Sgt. Dane. Ron Ely (shown on the right, starred in The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker, Night of the Grizzly, and Doc Savage: Man of Bronze and played Mike Madison on The Aquanauts and Tarzan on Tarzan) plays young policeman Lt. Mike Hudson. Martin Kosleck (appeared in Confessions of a Nazi Spy, The Mad Doctor, Nazi Agent, The Hitler Gang, The Mummy's Curse, House of Horrors, Hitler, and The Flesh Eaters) plays visiting French gendarme Col. Andre Bertroux. J. Pat O'Malley (see the biography section for the 1961 post on Frontier Circus) plays a morgue attendant. Amy Fields (Jean on The F.B.I.) plays art student Irene Coulter.

Season 2, Episode 17, "La Strega": Alejandro Rey (Carlos Ramirez on The Flying Nun and Capt. Luis Rueda on Dallas)  plays poor Spanish painter Tonio Bellini. Jeannette Nolan (starred in Macbeth (1948), The Big Heat, Tribute to a Bad Man, and The Reluctant Astronaut, did voicework for Psycho, The Rescuers, and The Fox and the Hound, and played Annette Devereaux on Hotel de Paree and Holly Grainger on The Virginian) plays alleged Italian witch La Strega. Ursula Andress (shown on the left, starred in Dr. No, Fun in Acapulco, She, What's New Pussycat, Casino Royale, The Sensuous Nurse, and Clash of the Titans) plays her granddaughter Luana. Ramon Novarro (appeared in The Prisoner of Zenda, Scaramouche, Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (1925), The Road to Romance, Mata Hari, The Big Steal, and Heller in Pink Tights) plays Tonio's teacher Maestro Guiliano. Frank DeKova (Chief Wild Eagle on F Troop and Louis Campagna on The Untouchables) plays policeman Lt. Vincoli.

Season 2, Episode 18, "The Storm": Nancy Kelly (shonw on the right, Oscar nominee, sister of Jack Kelly, and once married to Edmond O'Brien, starred  in Tail Spin, Jesse James, Tarzan's Desert Mystery, Show Business, and The Bad Seed) plays homeowner Janet Willsom. David McLean (see the biography section for the 1960 post on Tate) plays her husband Ben. James Griffith (Deputy Tom Ferguson on U.S. Marshal) plays taxi driver Ed Brandies.

Season 2, Episode 19, "A Wig for Miss Devore": Patricia Barry (shown on the left, played Kate Harris on Harris Against the World, Lydia McGuire on Dr. Kildare, Adelaide Horton Williams on Days of Our Lives, Peg English on All My Children, and Sally Gleason on Guiding Light) plays washed-up actress Sheila Devore. John Fiedler (appeared in 12 Angry Men, That Touch of Mink, The World of Henry Orient, Kiss Me, Stupid, Girl Happy, The Odd Couple, True Grit and played Emil Peterson on The Bob Newhart Show and Woody on Buffalo Bill) plays movie studio bookkeeper Herbert Bleake. Herbert Rudley (Sam Brennan on The Californians, Lt. Will Gentry on Michael Shayne, General Crone on Mona McCluskey, and Herb Hubbard on The Mothers-in-Law) plays movie studio head Max Quinke. John Baragrey (appeared in The Creeper, Pardners, and The Fugitive Kind and played Arthur Rysdale on The Secret Storm and James Blair on Dark Shadows) plays director George Machik. Linda Watkins (Robin Crosley on One Life to Live) plays gossip columnist Arabella Foote. Bernard Fein (Pvt. Gomez on The Phil Silvers Show) plays Sheila's bodyguard Lester Clyne. Pamela Searle (Miss England and 3rd runner-up in the 1959 Miss Universe contest) plays 18th-century woman hanged as a witch Meg Payton. Maurice Dallimore (Willie Shorthouse on Fair Exchange) plays one of her hangmen.

Season 2, Episode 20, "The Hollow Watcher": Denver Pyle (Ben Thompson on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp, Grandpa Tarleton on Tammy, Briscoe Darling on The Andy Griffith Show, Buck Webb on The Doris Day Show, Mad Jack on The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams, and Uncle Jesse on The Dukes of Hazzard) plays rural North Carolina store owner Ortho Wheeler. Warren Oates (shown on the far right, see the biography section for the 1962 post on Stoney Burke) plays his son Hugo. Audrey Dalton (shown on the near right, appeared in Titanic (1953), Separate Tables, and Kitten With a Whip) plays Hugo's mail-order bride Meg O'Danagh Wheeler. Sean McClory (Jack McGivern on The Californians and Myles Delaney on Bring 'Em Back Alive) plays her "brother" Sean. Sandy Kenyon (Des Smith on Crunch and Des, Shep Baggott on The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters, and Reverend Kathrun on Knots Landing) plays store clerk Mason. 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 store customer Croxton. Norman Leavitt (Ralph on Trackdown) plays checker player Hendricks. Eve McVeagh (starred in High Noon, The Glass Web, and Tight Spot and played Frances Moseby on The Clear Horizon and Miss Hammond on Petticoat Junction) plays store customer Mrs. Curtis. Mary Grace Canfield (Amanda Allison on The Hathaways, Harriet Kravitz on Bewitched, and Ralph Monroe on Green Acres) plays store customer Ally Rose.

Season 2, Episode 21, "Cousin Tundifer": Edward Andrews (shown on the left, appeared in The Harder They Fall, Elmer Gantry, The Absent-Minded Professor, Son of Flubber, Advise and Consent, and The Glass Bottom Boat and played Cmdr. Rogers Adrian on Broadside and Col. Fairburn on The Doris Day Show) plays avaricious nephew Miles Tundifer.  Vaughn Taylor (starred in Jailhouse Rock, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Psycho, and In Cold Blood and played Ernest P. Duckweather on Johnny Jupiter) plays his rich old uncle Pontifex. Sue Ane Langdon (Kitty Marsh on Bachelor Father, Lillian Nuvo on Arnie, Rosie on Grandpa Goes to Washington, Darlene on When the Whistle Blows, and Marge Pulaski on General Hospital) plays exotic dancer Queenie De Lyte. Dayton Lummis (appeared in Man in the Dark, The View From Pompey's Head, and Elmer Gantry and played Marshal Andy Morrison on Law of the Plainsman) plays Miles' lawyer Millard Braystone. Howard McNear (see the biography section for the 1961 post on The Andy Griffith Show) plays building contractor Jack Passasstroy. Bart Patton (see the biography section for the 1960 post on Riverboat) plays his assistant Joe. Cyril Delevanti (Lucious Coin on Jefferson Drum) plays a ghost from 1890. Clem Bevans (appeared in Sergeant York, Saboteur, The Yearling, Mourning Becomes Electra, and Harvey) plays a bookseller. Jim Bannon (Red Ryder in 4 feature films and the TV series Red Ryder, Sandy North on The Adventures of Champion, Sheriff Tom Tynes on Casey Jones, and was the announcer on Ethel and Albert) plays a police lieutenant.

Season 2, Episode 22, "The Incredible Doctor Markesan": Boris Karloff (see the biography section for the 1960 post on Thriller) plays former college researcher Dr. Konrad Markesan. Dick York (shown on the right, played Tom Colwell on Going My Way and Darrin Stephens on Bewitched) plays his nephew Fred Bancroft. Carolyn Kearney (appeared in Hot Rod Girl, Young and Wild, and The Thing That Wouldn't Die and played Ellen Holt on Lassie) plays Fred's wife Molly. Richard Hale (starred in Abilene Town, Kim, San Antone, Red Garters, and To Kill a Mockingbird) plays dead college Prof. Everett Latimore. Henry Hunter (Doctor Summerfield on Hazel) plays college dean Prof. Angus Holden. Billy Beck (Lt. Trask on Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, the photo editor on Lou Grant, Charles on Falcon Crest, and Nick Pappasmearos on Son of the Beach) plays dead college Prof. Grant.

Season 2, Episode 23, "Flowers of Evil": Luciana Paluzzi (shown on the left, starred in My Seven Little Sins, Sea Fury, Return to Peyton Place, Muscle Beach Party, To Trap a Spy, Thunderball, The Venetian Affair, and The Green Slime and played Simone Genet on Five Fingers) plays lawyer's widow Madalena. Kevin Hagen (John Colton on Yancy Derringer, Inspector Dobbs Kobick on Land of the Giants, Dr. Hiram Baker on Little House on the Prairie, and Toughie Richards on General Hospital) plays medical school secretary Arno Lunt. Jack Weston (appeared in Imitation of Life, The Incredible Mr. Limpet, The Cincinnati Kid, The Thomas Crown Affair, The Four Seasons, and Dirty Dancing and played 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 medical school director Maurice Reynard. Gregory Gaye (appeared in Dodsworth, Tovarich, Ninotchka, and Creature With the Atom Brain and played The Ruler on Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe and Andre the Maitre D' on The Roaring 20's) plays the medical school president.

Season 2, Episode 24, "Til Death Do Us Part": Henry Jones (shown on the right, played Dean Fred Baker on Channing, Owen Metcalf on The Girl With Something Extra, Judge Jonathan Dexter on Phyllis, Josh Alden on Mrs. Columbo, Homer McCoy on Gun Shy, B. Riley Wicker on Falcon Crest, and Hughes Whitney Lennox on I Married Dora) plays undertaker Carl Somers. Reta Shaw (Flora McCauley on The Ann Sothern Show, Thelma on The Tab Hunter Show, Mrs. Stanfield on Oh, Those Bells, and Martha Grant on The Ghost and Mrs. Muir) plays wealthy family spinster Celia Hooper. Philip Ober (one-time husband of Vivian Vance, appeared in From Here to Eternity, North by Northwest, and Elmer Gantry) plays Celia's brother Elmer.  Jocelyn Brando (Marlon Brando's sister, appeared in The Big Heat, The Ugly American, The Chase, and Mommie Dearest and played Mrs. Reeves on Dallas) plays Elmer's wife Myrtle. Walker Edmiston (Enik on Land of the Lost and voiced Dr. Blinkey and Orson Vulture on H.R. Pufnstuf, Admiral Scuttlebutt, Bela, and Big Chief Sitting Duck on Lidsville, Sebastian on Dumbo's Circus, and Sir Thornberry on Adventures of the Gummi Bears) plays Somers' assistant Jerry Flagg. Jim Davis (Matt Clark on Stories of the Century, Wes Cameron on Rescue 8, Marshal Bill Winter on The Cowboys, and Jock Ewing on Dallas) plays the Prunedale marshal. Eve McVeagh (see "The Hollow Watcher" above) plays saloon hostess Bonnie. Edgar Buchanan (Uncle Joe Carson on The Beverly Hillbillies, Green Acres, and Petticoat Junction, Red Connors on Hopalong Cassidy, Judge Roy Bean on Judge Roy Bean, Doc Burrage on The Rifleman, and J.J. Jackson on Cade's County) plays Prunedale new physician Doc O'Connor. Phil Arnold (vaudeville actor, appeared in Little Miss Broadway, Deadline, G.I. Jane, The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell, and Robin and the 7 Hoods and played Dr. Zerbo on Cowboy G-Men) plays saloon worker Curly.

Season 2, Episode 25, "The Bride Who Died Twice": Eduardo Ciannelli (see the biography section for the 1960 post on Johnny Staccato) plays South American country figurehead president Gen. de la Varra. Mala Powers (shown on the left, starred in Cyrano de Bergerac, Rose of Cimarron, and Tammy and the Bachelor and played Rebecca Boone on Walt Disney's Daniel Boone and Mona on Hazel) an his daughter Consuelo. Joe De Santis (appeared in Deadline - U.S.A., I Want to Live!, Al Capone, and Madame X) plays military commander Col. Sangriento. Robert Colbert (see the biography section for the 1961 post on Maverick) plays Consuelo's betrothed Capt. Bartolomeo Antonio Fernandez. Roberto Contreras (Pedro on The High Chapparal) plays one of Sangriento's men. Peter Brocco (appeared in The Prisoner of Zenda, Spartacus, Our Man Flint, and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and played Peter the waiter on The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show and Mr. Spencer on The Young Marrieds) plays local priest Padre Herrera. Alex Montoya (Miguel Morales on The High Chaparral) plays the cemetery custodian. Natividad Vacio (Fronk on Father Knows Best) plays a cantina owner.

Season 2, Episode 26, "Kill My Love": Richard Carlson (shown on the right, starred in No, No Nanette, The Little Foxes, King Solomon's Mines, It Came From Outer Space, Creature From the Black Lagoon, and The Power and played Herbert A. Philbrick on I Led 3 Lives and Col. Ranald S. Mackenzie on Mackenzie's Raiders) plays traveling businessman Guy Guthrie. K.T. Stevens (Vanessa Prentiss on The Young and the Restless) plays his wife Olive. David Kent (Bill Scott on Leave It to Beaver) plays his son Julian. Kasey Rogers (Julie Anderson on Peyton Place and Louise Tate on Bewitched) plays San Diego model Anthea Jason. Patricia Breslin (Amanda Peoples Miller on The People's Choice, Laura Brooks on Peyton Place, and Meg Bentley on General Hospital) plays lounge pianist Dinah Duffay. Larry J. Blake (played the unnamed jailer on Yancy Derringer and Tom Parnell on Saints and Sinners) plays lounge bartender Larry.

Season 2, Episode 27, "Man of Mystery": John Van Dreelen (starred in The Leech Woman, 13 Ghosts, and Topaz) plays reclusive international financier Joel Stone. Walter Burke (see "The Hollow Watcher" above) plays his assistant Lucas. Mary Tyler Moore (shown on the left, see the biography section for the 1961 post on The Dick Van Dyke Show) plays nightclub singer Sherry Smith. William Windom (appeared in To Kill a Mockingbird, The Americanization of Emily, and Escape From the Planet of the Apes and played Congressman Glen Morley on The Farmer's Daughter, John Monroe on My World and Welcome to It, Larry Krandall on Brothers and Sisters, Frank Buckman on Parenthood, and Dr. Seth Hazlitt on Murder, She Wrote) plays stand-up comedian Lou Waters. Ken Lynch (see the biography section for the 1961 post on Checkmate) plays nightclub manager Rudy. Robert Sampson (Sgt. Walsh on Steve Canyon, Father Mike Fitzgerald on Bridget Love Bernie, and Sheriff Turk Tobias on Falcon Crest) plays a newspaper reporter. William Phipps (see the biography section for the 1960 post on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp) plays Stone's former public relations agent Harry Laxer. Willis Bouchey (Mayor Terwilliger on The Great Gildersleeve, Springer on Pete and Gladys, and the judge 23 times on Perry Mason) plays police detective Lt. Farnham. Ralph Clanton (William Collins on Search for Tomorrow) plays psychiatrist Dr. John Grail. Yuki Shomoda (Aki on Johnny Midnight) plays Stone's servant Koto.

Season 2, Episode 28, "The Innocent Bystanders": John Anderson (see the biography section for the 1960 post on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp) plays body-snatcher Jacob Grant. George Kennedy (starred in Charade, The Sons of Katie Elder, The Dirty Dozen, Cool Hand Luke, and The Naked Gun and played MP Sgt. Kennedy on The Phil Silvers Show, Father Samuel Cavanaugh on Sarge, Bumper Morgan on The Blue Knight, and Carter McKay on Dallas) plays his partner John Paterson. Gale Robbins (shown on the right, singer who appeared in The Barkleys of Broadway, Three Little Words, and Calamity Jane) plays his sister-in-law Mary Jerold. Jean Engstrom (mother of actor Jena Engstrom) plays his wife Anne. Carl Benton Reid (starred in The Little Foxes, In a Lonely Place, Lorna Doone, and The Left Hand of God and played The Man on Burke's Law) plays medical researcher and lecturer Dr. Marcus Graham. Than Wyenn (Licenciado Piña on Zorro) plays his assistant Vane. Steven Terrell (Tom on The Pride of the Family) plays Grant's lodger Bruce Evans. Clegg Hoyt (Mac on Dr. Kildare) plays competing body-snatcher Kyle.

Season 2, Episode 29, "The Lethal Ladies": Howard Morris (shown on the left, appeared in Boys' Night Out, The Nutty Professor, and High Anxiety, played Ernest T. Bass on The Andy Griffith Show, and voiced Beetle Bailey, Gen. Halftrack, Otto, and Rocky on Beetle Bailey, Breezly Bruin on The Peter Potamus Show, Mr. Peebles on The Magilla Gorilla Show, Atom Ant on The Atom Ant Show, Jughead Jones, Big Moose, and Dilton Doiley on The Archie Show and Archie's Funhouse, Frankie, Wolfie, and Dr. Jekyll on Sabrina and the Groovie Goulies, Cousin Ambrose on Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, and The Hamburglar on McDonaldland) plays poor investor Myron Sills and head librarian Dr. Wilfred Bliss. Rosemary Murphy (appeared in The Young Doctors, To Kill a Mockingbird, Ben, and Walking Tall and played Nola Hollister on The Secret Storm and Margaret Blumenthal on Lucas Tanner) plays Sills' wife Lavinia and longtime library employee Alice Quimby. Marjorie Bennett (see the biography section for the 1960 post on The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis) plays switchboard operator Mercedes. Robert Carson (Mr. Maddis on The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show) plays stockbroker Albert White. Hank Brandt (Leonard Waggedorn on Julia, Morgan Hess on Dynasty, and Dr. Aaron Kranzler on Santa Barbara) plays library employee Richard Sutter. Jackie Russell (Peggy Connolly on The Joey Bishop Show) plays library employee Martha Foster. Ralph Moody (see the biography section for the 1961 post on The Rifleman) plays library custodian Mr. Jacobson. Jackie Joseph (wife of Ken Berry, starred in Little Shop of Horrors, Who's Minding the Mint?, The Cheyenne Social Club, and Gremlins, played Jackie Parker on The Doris Day Show, and voiced Melody on Josie and the Pussycats and Josie and the Pussy Cats in Outer Space and Sandy on Dinky Dog) plays Bliss' new hire Miss Martin.

Season 2, Episode 30, "The Specialists": Lin McCarthy (starred in Yellowneck, The D.I., and Face of a Fugitive and played Bill Talbot on Modern Romances) plays government agent Peter Duncan. David Frankham (appeared in Return of the Fly, Master of the World, and King Rat and played Reverend Daniels on The Bold and the Beautiful) plays his partner Joe Carter. Ronald Howard (shown on the far right, played Sherlock Holmes on Sherlock Holmes, Stephen Britten on Mary Britten, M.D., Wing Commander Hayes on Cowboy in Africa, and Dr. John Dartington on The Lotus Eaters) plays jewel smuggler Martin Gresham. Robert Douglas (appeared in The Fountainhead, Kim, Ivanhoe, and The Prisoner of Zenda and directed multiple episodes of 77 Sunset Strip, 12 O'Clock High, The F.B.I., and Baretta amongst many others) plays Gresham's boss Anthony Hugh Swinburne. Ray Montgomery (Prof. Howard Ogden on Ramar of the Jungle) plays smuggling ring member Ray Coleman. Suzanne Lloyd (shown on the near right, played Raquel Toledano on Zorro) plays Coleman's sister Helen. Lauren Gilbert (appeared in X-15, The Unsinkable Molly Brown, and The Fortune Cookie and played John Olcott on Fairmeadows, U.S.A., Tom Craythorne on Love of Life, Harry Lane on The Edge of Night, and Harry Noll on Hazel) plays Duncan's boss Tracy. Sean McClory (see "The Hollow Watcher" above) plays Duncan's British contact Galt. Alan Caillou (Jason Flood on Tarzan and The Head on Quark) plays the London police superintendent. Doris Lloyd (starred in Waterloo Bridge, Tarzan the Ape Man, Oliver Twist, and The Time Machine) plays Helen Coleman's landlady. Paddi Edwards (Doris on The Trouble With Harry and voiced Gorda on Phantom 2040, Atropos on Hercules, and Vera Groober-Schwartz on Pepper Ann) plays a nurse pushing a baby stroller. Richard Peel (Inspector Keith Barker on Bold Venture and Mr. Withers on Family Affair) plays a London policeman.

 

The Dick Van Dyke Show (1962)

Given that today it is still considered one of the best situation comedies in television history, it's hard to believe that The Dick Van Dyke Show was virtually canceled after its first season due to dismal ratings, finishing 80th and nearly dead last at season's end. As author Vince Waldron notes in The Official Dick Van Dyke Show Book, producer Sheldon Leonard, who had already found success in the sit-com format with The Danny Thomas Show and The Andy Griffith Show, believed that the program's initial CBS time slot on Tuesday evening at 8:00 Eastern worked against it, as this was a time favored for family-friendly fare, whereas The Dick Van Dyke Show was aimed at a more adult audience. So with Leonard's maneuvering, the network moved the show, beginning on January 3, 1962, to the more adult-friendly spot on Wednesday at 9:30 Eastern, but to Leonard's dismay the change did not improve the show's viewership. The situation was probably not helped by some of the episodes themselves, which included the least favorite in the series for both producer Carl Reiner and titular star Dick Van Dyke. Reiner comments in Waldron's book that he did not care for "The Curious Thing About Women" (January 10, 1962) in which Laura cannot resist the temptation of opening Rob's mail or his packages, one of the few episodes Reiner did not write himself, because Laura's insatiable snoopiness was at odds with his own personal experience with his wife Estelle. He felt that the episode made Laura's character look uncharacteristically silly for the sake of a cheap laugh. Reiner was equally dissatisfied with "The Twizzle" (February 28, 1962), an episode he wrote at someone's suggestion as a favor to 50s pop singer Roberta Sherwood as a vehicle for her son Jerry Lanning. Unsurprisingly, neither Lanning's career nor his song and dance The Twizzle took off as a result of the TV exposure. Van Dyke's least favorite was "The Bad Old Days" (April 4, 1962), which recycled an already worn-out premise that modern man has become emasculated by the rising empowerment of women and included a dream sequence in which Rob and Laura are depicted in a silent-movie style sequence. Van Dyke was thankful that they did not film the dream sequence in front of their usual live audience: "It didn't work and we all knew it."

Late in the first season the actors themselves began to hear rumors of the show's impending demise, and by the wrap party after the 30th and final episode of Season 1, everyone assumed the show would not be renewed. And they were right, as CBS had already hammered out the fall 1962 schedule without The Dick Van Dyke Show about a week earlier but did not publicly announce their decision at the time. Sheldon Leonard felt that the network could be strong-armed to change their mind as long as he had the show's sponsor, Proctor & Gamble, in his corner. But even that was in doubt when Leonard learned from advertising executive Lee Rich that the sponsor planned to drop the show as well. So Leonard boldly got Rich to invite him to a Proctor & Gamble board meeting in Cincinnati where he gave an impassioned speech about the show's potential that convinced the board to reconsider and agree to continue to sponsor the show. But when he returned to Los Angeles, Rich phoned him to inform him that P&G backtracked to agreeing to sponsor only half the show, forcing Leonard to find another sponsor to cover the other half, which he was able to do by giving another impassioned speech to the Lorillard Tobacco Company. Even with two heavyweight sponsors in tow, CBS still planned to cancel the series until P&G threatened to pull their support of CBS' daytime programming, which suddenly forced the network to see the light.

Season 2 proved to be the exact opposite of Season 1 in terms of ratings, as the series vaulted into the top 10 early in the year and finished solidly as the #9 program in the Nielsen chart. While Waldron quotes Van Dyke as believing that the sudden surge in viewership was due to gaining fans from summer reruns, the more likely explanation is that the program road the coat-tails of the 1962 breakout show that aired immediately before it--The Beverly Hillbillies­--which took only 5 weeks to shoot to the #1 spot in the ratings. Reiner also tried to spur more interest by filming a new opening sequence in which Van Dyke uses his slapstick skills to trip over a living room ottoman, and to keep things interesting filmed a second version in which he sidesteps the same ottoman, just to keep viewers guessing.

Despite the big boost from its Beverly Hills neighbors, The Dick Van Dyke Show would eventually develop its own distinctly loyal following and be critically deemed superior to the low-brow humor of The Beverly Hillbillies. Author Joanne Morreale in her Wayne State University Press TV Milestones Series monograph The Dick Van Dyke Show cites the program's embodiment of New Frontier-era liberalism, its argument that TV can represent high culture just like films and other art forms, and its treatment of race, ethnicity, and gender as examples of how the series was a trailblazer in the sit-com format. One can find examples of other programs who dabbled in all of these themes, if not quite as cleverly or successfully, just as one can find plenty of fore-runners for Morreale's other observation that The Dick Van Dyke Show bridged the transition from the variety show format to the situation comedy. Certainly earlier sit-coms such as I Love Lucy, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, and The Danny Thomas Show revolved around entertainment professionals and afforded opportunities for the stars and their guests to occasionally demonstrate their real-life talents shoe-horned into otherwise flimsy plots. While Morreale also cites The Jack Benny Program as an antecedent, its brand of self-deprecating, fourth-wall-shattering deconstruction of television and entertainment fabrications is unlike anything on The Dick Van Dyke Show, which always maintains its artifice. 

But as the show continued, Reiner and his writers seemed to find more excuses to showcase his stars' and guest stars' talents. "Who Owes Who What?" (January 24, 1962) is built around an old vaudeville skit about borrowing money that Rob proposes as a possible sketch for The Alan Brady Show. Though Sally and Buddy don't think it's funny, and when they act it out for Mel he agrees, the larger plot for the episode is a similar scheme in which Rob thinks Buddy owes him money when he actually owes money to Buddy. In "The Secret Life of Buddy and Sally" (November 28, 1962) the aforementioned writers are secretly performing at a woodsy resort upstate while Rob begins to suspect they are actually having an affair and sneaks up to the resort with Laura only to catch their song-and-dance routine rather than any hanky panky. And in "Somebody Has to Play Cleopatra" (December 26, 1962) Rob is recruited to direct the neighborhood association fund-raising gala, a variety program in which Laura sings and dances a calypso number written in real life by Morey Amsterdam.

Guest stars get to exhibit their wares in the aforementioned clunker "The Twizzle," the two-part Jerry Van Dyke vehicle "I Am My Brother's Keeper" (March 21, 1962) and "The Sleeping Brother" (March 28, 1962), the Vic Damone showcase "Like a Sister" (November 21, 1962), and the child flamenco exhibit in "The Talented Neighborhood" (January 31, 1962), which also includes appearances by Dick Van Dyke's sons Christian and Barry. The Jerry Van Dyke episodes are notable in that, as on Ozzie and Harriet, Dick Van Dyke's real brother plays his fictional brother and that Reiner wrote the episodes before ever meeting Jerry, which, as Waldron relates, almost backfired when Jerry seemed completely overwhelmed by the role until a weekend talk with his older brother loosened him up.

And then there are several episodes built solely around Dick Van Dyke's slapstick and pantomime talents, such as "Father of the Week" (February 21, 1962) wherein Rob has to visit Ritchie's class at school to tell the students what he does for a living. Initially he fumbles nervously about and bores the students until he discovers that he can make them laugh by pretending to trip over things and hurt himself. "My Husband Is Not a Drunk" (October 31, 1962) makes use of Van Dyke's trademark drunk routine, first seen on the program pilot, but rather than actually have him inebriated he only believes he is drunk under posthypnotic suggestion. And Reiner wrote "Gesundheit, Darling" (December 12, 1962) after witnessing Van Dyke's feigned sneezing routine on-set, then wove a story about Rob thinking he may be allergic to his family, not realizing that Ritchie and Freddie Helper have been taking care of a pet kitten, to which he is actually allergic. Each of these episodes builds an entire 30-minute episode around a gag that would have lasted no more than a few minutes on an earlier variety program and can hardly be said to have advanced the state of the sit-com.

More consequential than the gags and pratfalls, The Dick Van Dyke Show in these early episodes made significant strides in the development of character through the mechanisms of flashbacks, family members, and old friends. With the exception of The Andy Griffith Show, most sit-coms of the era had somewhat one-dimensional characters who each week deal with isolated situations, whereas The Dick Van Dyke Show dedicated certain episodes to fleshing out the back story or motivations of the principal characters. "Where Did I Come From?" (January 3, 1962) has Rob retelling the story of the day that Ritchie was born, a tale full of slapstick gags such as Rob going to bed fully dressed and literally being caught with his pants down when he gets the call at the office from Laura that she is ready to go to the hospital, but it also shows Rob as a nervous first-time father who takes his role very seriously, perhaps a bit too seriously. "The Attempted Marriage" (October 10, 1962) flashes back to Rob's army days to recount how he and Laura failed to get married on the first try due to first Rob's insecurity and bad luck and then illness, but ultimately the story proves Rob's willingness to go through any obstacle to marry the woman he loves. And "What's in a Middle Name?" (November 7, 1962) recounts how Ritchie came to have an unusual middle name while also introducing Rob's and Laura's parents. When no one can agree on what Ritchie should be named, Rob and Laura come up with a middle name that is a compromise of all their suggestions, typical of Rob's nonconfrontational character.

Family members dominate the aforementioned two-part story "I Am My Brother's Keeper" and "The Sleeping Brother" in which we meet Rob's brother Stacey and the just cited "What's in a Middle Name?" in which we meet both Rob's and Laura's parents. Though he is probably the least developed of the principal characters, we meet Buddy's black-sheep brother Blackie in "Hustling the Hustler" (October 24, 1962) when Blackie drops by to try to convince Buddy that he has changed his ways and has gone into legitimate business. But when Buddy is still suspicious that Blackie is looking for his next hustle, Blackie decides to play along and lure Rob into a game of pool in which Rob, who again has trouble saying "no," ends up losing $300 only to have Blackie make a show of giving it back to him once Buddy shows up trying to catch him in the act. Blackie is finally able to convince Buddy that he has gone straight, all because his fiance insisted on it.

As with a pair of 1961 episodes, Rob's old buddies show up to fill in part of his back story. Sol Pomeroy returns in "Sol and the Sponsor" (April 11, 1962) to demonstrate that Rob is somewhat ashamed of his low-brow past with the decidedly working class Sol unexpectedly arriving the same day that Rob and Laura are scheduled to entertain wealthy sponsor Henry Bermont and his wife at their home. Rob tries to gently give Sol the hint that he doesn't want him there for dinner with the Bermonts, but Sol is slow on the uptake and shows up anyway with a brassy Bronx-accented blonde. Despite Rob's fear of disaster, Sol and Bermont are able to break through their class differences over a shared enthusiasm for fine automobiles. Rob doesn't come off too well in this episode in that he is willing to ditch an old friend in pursuit of social elevation. But Rob bends over backwards in the other direction in the next episode, "The Return of Happy Spangler" (April 18, 1962) when he goes to bat for and encourages his original comedy-writing mentor Happy Spangler to return to the profession as a member of Rob's writing team, only this time things don't work out so well as Happy only seems capable of reliving his glory years in radio rather than turning out anything new. Spangler can see the writing on the wall and resigns to return to his clothing business even after giving Rob the inspiration for a successful sketch that makes fun of so-called sophisticated audiences who look down on slapstick humor. These two episodes serve as bookends that perhaps show Rob learning to balance his humble origins with his contemporary success while also illustrating Joanne Morreale's point about The Dick Van Dyke Show synthesizing low-brow and high-brow culture.

But the most fully realized character on the show is Sally Rogers, who gets laughs in her desperate attempts to snag a man but in the 1962 episodes is also shown as a pathetic character, a clown who cries in her solitude. In "Where Have You Been, Fassbinder?" (March 14, 1962) she assumes that when she gets a call from old high school chum Leo Fassbinder that he is interested in her, only to learn when he shows up that he is an insurance salesman who was given her name by his company as a prospective client. She angrily throws him out, but he runs into the Petries and the Sorrells who make up an excuse to drop by and see how things are going and discovers that she had cooked dinner for him, so he returns to apologize and stays for dinner. When Rob and Buddy ask her the next day if she thinks she will see him again, she says she is sure of it because she stole his watch. She gets her hopes a bit too high again in "Like a Sister" (November 14, 1962) when she swoons over singer and Alan Brady Show guest star Ric Vallone. Rob senses that she is way more serious about Ric than he is about her, even though he goes out with her almost every night after they first meet, and comes up with a plan to let her down easily by having Ric pretend to be a mean drunk at a dinner party at the Petrie's. But even after Ric insults Sally she insists on driving him home rather than sending him off in a cab, and the next day Buddy says that Rob's plan backfired because all it did is awaken Sally's maternal instincts. However, when he talks to Ric that same day, Sally's caring for him opens his eyes and makes him want to continue to see her, perhaps seriously. Neither of these turnarounds results in a lasting relationship for Sally--she will continue to be a conventional man-chaser throughout the duration of the series, but they provide her character with new levels of depth beyond a one-joke stereotype. Developing multi-dimensional characters with flaws as well as positive qualities is one reason The Dick Van Dyke Show remains one of the best sit-coms not just of its era but in all of television.

The Actors

For the biographies of Dick Van Dyke, Mary Tyler Moore, Rose Marie, Morey Amsterdam, Richard Deacon, Larry Mathews, and Ann Morgan Guilbert, see the 1961 post on The Dick Van Dyke Show. For the biography of Jerry Paris, see the 1960 post on The Untouchables.

Carl Reiner

Carl Reiner was born in the Bronx, New York on March 20, 1922. His father was a watchmaker, and Reiner initially worked as a sewing machine repairman until his older brother Charlie told him about an acting workshop being hosted by the Works Progress Administration when Reiner was 16. During World War II he served as a radio operator in the Army Air Forces until contracting pneumonia, after which he was assigned as a French interpreter at Georgetown University, where he staged a theatrical version of a Moliere play, and was then stationed in Hawaii, where he attended a production of Hamlet and met Maurice Evans, who auditioned him and got him assigned to the Special Services for the duration of the war.  His TV debut came in 1948 on The Fashion Story, and he made his Broadway debut the following year in Inside U.S.A. His next play, Alive and Kicking, introduced him to producer and director Max Liebman, who would move over to television to produce and direct Sid Caesar's Your Show of Shows, Liebman hired Reiner as an actor on the program midway through its first season in 1950. During his tenure on the program, Reiner was nominated for an Emmy and often sat in on the writing team meetings. When the show was spun off into Caesar's Hour in 1954, Reiner actually got to contribute as a writer as well as a performer. Reiner won two Emmys and was nominated for a third while performing on Caesar's Hour. In 1959 he wrote a pilot titled Head of the Family in which he starred as television comedy writer Rob Petrie who tries to balance the demands of work and family while working for a boss, Alan Brady, who was based on Caesar. CBS declined to pick up the series until it was recast with the less New Yorkish and less Jewish Dick Van Dyke, then fresh off his Tony Award-winning performance in Bye Bye Birdie, as The Dick Van Dyke Show with Reiner writing, directing, and producing in the fall of 1961.

Reiner began appearing as the egotistical comedy show host Alan Brady in the late Season 1 episode "The Sleeping Brother" (March 28, 1962), though he had voiced Brady without appearing on screen in 4 previous episodes. He would continue appearing as Brady sporadically through the remainder of the series. But he landed a higher profile role when he teamed with Mel Brooks in the skit "The 2000 Year Old Man" on The Steve Allen Show, which proved so popular that it spawned a series of comedy albums, a 1975 animated TV special, and finally a Grammy Award for the last album in 1998. Reiner won four Emmys for writing on The Dick Van Dyke Show, and the program won the Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series in its final season. After the show ended, Reiner branched out into feature film directing, beginning with Enter Laughing, based on a stage play that was based on his own 1958 novel. He would direct Van Dyke in the unsuccessful feature The Comic in 1969 and direct the equally unsuccessful but cult favorite Where's Poppa? in 1970 before finally hitting it big in the 1970s with George Burns in Oh, God! in 1977 and Steve Martin in The Jerk in 1979. He would work with Martin again co-writing and directing Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid, The Man With Two Brains, and All of Me. Nor were his acting days over: besides small cameos and bit parts in a number of features and TV programs, he played Mr. Angel in the 1976 TV series Good Heavens, played Marty Pepper 4 times on Two and a Half Men, and played Max on Hot in Cleveland between 2010-2014. He also appeared as Saul Bloom in the Steven Soderbergh features Ocean's 11, Ocean's Twelve, and Ocean's Thirteen. He has done voicework on animated series such as Father of the Pride and The Cleveland Show. He was elected to the Television Hall of Fame in 1999 and received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2000.

Notable Guest Stars

Season 1, Episode 15, "Where Did I Come From?": Herbie Faye  (shown on the left, played Cpl. Sam Fender on The Phil Silvers Show, Waluska on The New Phil Silvers Show, and Ben Goldman on Doc) plays office coffee man Willie. Jerry Hausner (see the biography section for the 1960 post on The Mr. Magoo Show) plays the Petrie's cleaning pickup man. Frank Adamo (Dick Van Dyke's personal assistant) plays the office dry cleaning pickup man.

Season 1, Episode 17, "Punch Thy Neighbor": Peter Leeds (Tenner Smith on Trackdown and George Colton on Pete and Gladys) plays police Officer Jack Bain. Jerry Hausner (see "Where Did I Come From?" above) plays milkman Vinnie. Frank Adamo (see "Where Did I Come From?" above) plays a singing messenger.

Season 1, Episode 19, "The Talented Neighborhood": Doris Singleton (Caroline Appleby on I Love Lucy, Susie on Angel, and Margaret Williams on My Three Sons) plays the Petries' neighbor Mrs. Kendall. Ken Lynch (see the biography section for the 1961 post on Checkmate) plays new neighbor George Mathias. Barry Livingston (shown on the right, see the biography section for the 1961 post on The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet) plays his son Philip. Christian Van Dyke (son of Dick Van Dyke) plays auditioner Frankie. Barry Van Dyke (son of Dick Van Dyke, played Stuart Stafford on The Harvey Korman Show, Lt. Dillon on Galactica 1980, Russell Donovan on Gun Shy, St. John Hawke on Airwolf, Matt Burgess on The Van Dyke Show, and Steve Sloan on Diagnosis Murder) plays child violinist Florian.

Season 1, Episode 20, "A Word a Day": William Schallert (shown on the near left, see the biography section for the 1960 post on The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis) plays neighbor Mr. Kirk. Leah Waggner (shown on the far left, wife of William Schallert) plays his wife.

Season 1, Episode 22, "Father of the Week": Isabel Randolph (Mrs. Boone on Meet Millie, Ruth Nestor on Our Miss Brooks, and later played Clara Petrie on The Dick Van Dyke Show) plays Ritchie's teacher Mrs. Givens. Pat Thompson (Pat on The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet) plays airline pilot Mr. Harper.

Season 1, Episode 23, "The Twizzle": Jerry Lanning (son of singer Roberta Sherwood, played Nick D'Antoni on Search for Tomorrow, Justin Marshall on Texas, and Cain Harris on Guiding Light) plays singing sensation Randy Twizzle. Jack Albertson (starred in Days of Wine and Roses, Kissin' Cousins, The Flim-Flam Man, and Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and played Lt. Harry Evans on The Thin Man, Walter Burton on Room for One More, Lt. Cmdr. Virgil Stoner on Ensign O'Toole, Paul Fenton on Mister Ed, and Ed Brown on Chico and the Man) plays his agent Mr. Eisenbauer. Fred Blassie (shown on the right, legendary hated professional wrestler, appeared in My Breakfast With Blassie and When Nature Calls) plays himself.

Season 1, Episode 24, "One Angry Man": Sue Ane Langdon (shown on the left, played Kitty Marsh on Bachelor Father, Lillian Nuvo on Arnie, Rosie on Grandpa Goes to Washington, and Darlene on When the Whistle Blows) plays defendant Marla Hendrix. Dabbs Greer (see the biography section for the 1960 post on Gunsmoke) plays her lawyer Mr. Burger. Lee Begere (George on Hot L Baltimore and Joseph Anders on Dynasty) plays prosecutor Mr. Mason. Herbie Faye (see "Where Did I Come From?" above) plays a juror. Patsy Kelley (Brigid Murphy on The Cop and the Kid) plays another juror. Herb Vigran (Judge Brooker on Gunsmoke) plays a juror. Doodles Weaver (narrated Spike Jones' horse-racing songs and hosted A Day With Doodles) plays the court bailiff.

Season 1, Episode 25, "Where Have You Been, Fassbinder?": George N. Neise (Capitan Felipe Arrellanos on Zorro, Dr. Nat Wyndham on Wichita Town, and Colonel Thornton on McKeever & the Colonel) plays Sally's former high school classmate Leo Fassbinder. Barbara Perry (Thelma Brockwood on The Hathaways) plays Buddy's wife Pickles. Sally's cat Mr. Henderson is played by Orangey (appeared in The Diary of Anne Frank, Breakfast at Tiffany's, and The Comedy of Terrors and played Minerva on Our Miss Brooks and Rusty on The Beverly Hillbillies).

Season 1, Episode 26, "I Am My Brother's Keeper": Jerry Van Dyke (shown on the right, Dick Van Dyke's brother, appeared in The Courtship of Eddie's Father, Palm Springs Weekend, and McClintock! and played Dave Crabtree on My Mother the Car, Jerry Webster on Accidental Family, Jerry Brownell on Headmaster, Steven Winters on 13 Queens Boulevard, Luther Horatio Van Dam on Coach, Grandpa Jerry Beauchamp on Teen Angel, Grandpa Max on You Wish, Big Jimmy Hughes on Yes, Dear, and Tag Spence on The Middle) plays Rob's brother Stacey. 

Season 1, Episode 27, "The Sleeping Brother": Jerry Van Dyke (see "I Am My Brother's Keeper" above) returns as Rob's brother Stacey. 

Season 1, Episode 29, "Sol and the Sponsor": Marty Ingels (shown on the left, played Arch Fenster on I'm Dickens, He's Fenster, Norman Krump on The Phyllis Diller Show, and was the voice of Pac-Man on Pac-Man) plays Rob's old army buddy Sol Pomeroy. Roy Roberts (Capt. Simon P. Huxley on The Gale Storm Show, Admiral Rogers on McHale's Navy, John Cushing on The Beverly Hillbillies, Mr. Cheever on The Lucy Show, Frank Stephens on Bewitched, Norman Curtis on Petticoat Junction, and Mr. Botkin/Bodkin on Gunsmoke) plays show sponsor Mr. Bermont. Isabel Randolph (see "Father of the Week" above) plays his wife Martha.

Season 1, Episode 30, "The Return of Happy Spangler": Jay C. Flippen (shown on the right, appeared in Winchester '73, The Wild One, Oklahoma!, Kismet, The Killing, and Cat Ballou and played CPO Homer Nelson on Ensign O'Toole) plays former radio comedy writer Happy Spangler. 

Season 2, Episode 1, "Never Name a Duck": Jane Dulo (Liz Murray on Hey, Jeannie!, WAC Pvt. Mildred Lukens on The Phil Silvers Show, Molly Turner on McHale's Navy, Agent 99's mother on Get Smart, Nurse Murphy on Medical Center, and Grandma Mildred Kanisky on Gimme a Break!) plays dog owner Miss Singleton. Jerry Hausner (see "Where Did I Come From?" above) plays pet owner Mr. Fletcher. Frank Adamo (see "Where Did I Come From?" above) plays the vet's assistant.

Season 2, Episode 2, "The Two Faces of Rob": Herbie Faye (see "Where Did I Come From?" above) plays deli delivery man Willie. 

Season 2, Episode 3, "The Attempted Marriage": Sandy Kenyon (Des Smith on Crunch and Des, Shep Baggott on The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters, and Reverend Kathrun on Knots Landing) plays the army doctor. Dabbs Greer (shown on the left, see "One Angry Man" above) plays army Chaplain Berger.

Season 2, Episode 5, "Hustling the Hustler": Phil Leeds (appeared in Rosemary's Baby, Don't Drink the Water, and Beaches and played The Kid on Double Rush, Uncle Mel on Everybody Loves Raymond, and Judge Dennis "Happy" Boyle on Ally McBeal) plays Buddy's brother Blackie. 

Season 2, Episode 6, "My Husband Is Not a Drunk": Charles Aidman (narrator on the 1985-87 version of The Twilight Zone) plays hypnotist Glen Jameson. Roy Roberts (see "Sol and the Sponsor" above) plays show sponsor Mr. Boland.

Season 2, Episode 7, "What's in a Middle Name?": J. Pat O'Malley (shown on the right, see the biographical section for the 1961 post on Frontier Circus) plays Rob's father Sam. Isabel Randolph (see "Father of the Week" above) plays Rob's mother Clara. Carl Benton Reid (starred in The Little Foxes, In a Lonely Place, Lorna Doone, and The Left Hand of God and played The Man on Burke's Law) plays Laura's father Mr. Meehan. Cyril Delevanti (Lucious Coin on Jefferson Drum) plays Rob's grandfather.

Season 2, Episode 8, "Like a Sister": Vic Damone (popular singer once married to Diahann Carroll, starred in Rich, Young and Pretty, Hit the Deck, and Hell to Eternity) plays singer Ric Vallone. 

Season 2, Episode 10, "The Secret Life of Buddy and Sally": Phil Arnold (vaudeville actor , appeared in Little Miss Broadway, Deadline, G.I. Jane, The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell, and Robin and the 7 Hoods and played Dr. Zerbo on Cowboy G-Men) plays a resort waiter.

Season 2, Episode 11, "A Bird in the Head Hurts": Cliff Norton (shown on the left, appeared in McHale's Navy Joins the Air Force, The Ghost and Mr. Chicken, and The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming! and played Boss on It's About Time and Isaac Meyer on General Hospital) plays a game warden.

Season 2, Episode 12, "Gesundheit, Darling": Sandy Kenyon (see "The Attempted Marriage" above) plays Rob's doctor.

Season 2, Episode 14, "Somebody Has to Play Cleopatra": Eleanor Audley (Mother Eunice Douglas on Green Acres and Mrs. Vincent on My Three Sons) plays neighborhood association chairwoman Mrs. Billings. Bob Crane (shown on the right, played Dr. Dave Kelsey on The Donna Reed Show, Col. Robert E. Hogan on Hogan's Heroes, and Bob Wilcox on The Bob Crane Show) plays neighbor Harry Rogers. Shirley Mitchell (Yvonne Sharp on Sixpenny Corner, Kitty Devereaux on Bachelor Father, Janet Colton on Pete and Gladys, Marge on Please Don't Eat the Daisies, and Clara Appleby on The Red Skelton Hour) plays Harry's wife Shirley.