The Real McCoys (1962)

The year 1962 was the one that finally toppled the once top-5 rated rural comedy The Real McCoys.  After peaking at #5 in the ratings for 1960-61, it slipped to #14 the following season, as its competition on Thursday at 8:30 stiffened from the unrated Bat Masterson and Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre to the suddenly popular new program Dr. Kildare on NBC. At the end of its fifth season, ABC sold the series to CBS, which slotted it against even tougher competition on Sunday evening at 9:00 opposite the #4 rated program in all of television, Bonanza. In announcing the network switch in its March 17, 1962 issue, TV Guide noted that while agreeing to continue doing the show, Walter Brennan would appear in only a dozen episodes, while co-stars Richard Crenna and Kathy Nolan would carry the bulk of the rest. Neither of those conditions ended up playing out--Nolan left the cast before the season began due to contract demands that weren't met, which is probably why Brennan wound up appearing in 23 of the 39 episodes.

It was perhaps inevitable that Nolan and Brennan would eventually split. In an April 7, 1962 feature story in TV Guide, Nolan describes the camaraderie of the group, "We're a pretty dull group for stories because we all like each other and get along beautifully." But the same article describes Nolan's character as being quick-minded and "its inherent trouble-making capacity for any unwary male who might happen along, whether personally or professionally." As a sign of her determination and capability, she would go on to serve as the first female President of the Screen Actors Guild in 1975. Given the show's success over its first 5 seasons, it is not surprising that Nolan would have wanted a bigger share of the profits after becoming a household name. In the May 12, 1962 issue of TV Guide, a news item reports that Nolan's contract negotiations had grown difficult. After producer Irving Pincus reported a few months earlier that the two parties had agreed to double her salary and give her a percentage of the show, her attorney was reported to have added another 17 demands, including a bigger and better dressing room, car service with a chauffeur, script approval, and the opportunity to direct some episodes (something co-star Richard Crenna also sought and received). Nolan is quoted in the news item as saying the chauffeur demand was false and that she only sought concept approval, not script approval. But the upshot was that she said she would not be doing the series in its final season, which reportedly prompted Brennan to quip, "The tail ain't goin' to wag the dog." But the show was not better off without her, as it limped through the final season into obscurity.

When Nolan, Crenna, and Tony Martinez, who played farmhand Pepino, reunited to talk about the series long after Brennan had died, they all spoke warmly about the series with no mention of how Nolan's departure signaled its death knell. They even went so far as to suggest that Nolan's character Kate injected a proto-feminist perspective into the series by standing up to Brennan's Amos character. Granted, Kate McCoy is often the only one to call out Amos' often deceptive or vindictive behavior, but The Real McCoys advanced the feminist perspective about as much as The Flintstones. The very first episode of 1962, "The Washing Machine" (January 11, 1962), is a case in point. The story begins with Amos and Luke returning home crowing about getting a better price on a produce sale than they expected. Kate, who has been toiling with the laundry in their absence, reminds them that they had promised to buy her a washing machine the next time they got any extra money, and it just so happens there is an affordable used model at the local appliance store. But in typical fashion Amos and Luke hem and haw before admitting they have already spent the extra money on farm equipment that will benefit their workload. Fed up with their empty promises, Kate rounds up other neighbor women without washing machines to pool their money and buy the used machine, which they agree can reside at the McCoy home since Kate came up with the idea. Amos objects to Kate "going behind his back" to make a family decision, since he says he is the head of the household and therefore gets to make all the decisions. But Kate has used her own money, not the family's, and besides the machine is delivered before Amos can do anything about it. If the story had stopped here, one could argue that Kate was a shining example of women's rights, but of course the whole arrangement backfires because the other women in the deal take advantage of Kate, hanging out at her house playing cards, eating her out of house and home, and even barging over to do their laundry on the day that is supposed to be reserved for her. Meanwhile, Amos keeps needling Luke about being a woman because his wife has overruled him, so Luke marches in to tell Kate that he is going to assert his male privilege and tell her that the washing machine arrangement has got to end. She is already worn down by the debacle and agrees with him that she should just follow orders from the men, but she tells him that it means he will have to tell the other women the deal is over, which he is unable to do because they just ignore him. So the task falls to Amos, who decides to tell the women that he is going to charge them for all the food they have eaten at his house over the last several weeks, just as if they had gone to a diner or coffee shop. Since the bill he arrives at is more than their original investment in the washing machine, the other women are happy to walk away and leave the washing machine with Kate. When she later tries to ask Luke how he was able to strike such a good deal, he reminds her of her earlier agreement to just let the men of the house handle all the financial matters. So the moral offered to viewers of this episode is that a woman is not sophisticated enough to work out a business deal without suffering unintended consequences and that only a man like Amos can work out a deal that is to the family's advantage--hardly a victory for the cause of women's rights.

The only other 1962 episode from Season 5 to focus on Kate, "Who's Margie?" (March 1, 1962), has her jump to a jealous conclusion when she hears Luke utter the name "Margie" in his sleep one night just before their wedding anniversary. Rather than asking him directly about who Margie is, Kate tries to surreptitiously identify the mystery woman, asking Amos if Luke had any such named girlfriends before he met her, looking through old photo albums in hopes of finding a Margie, and getting advice from one of her seamstress clients about how to question Luke in his sleep to reveal the woman's identity. When none of these attempts produces results, she then assumes that Luke is having an affair with her client after he is inexplicably delayed when giving the woman a ride home after her car breaks down in front of their house. As with "The Washing Machine" episode, Amos rides Luke for being less than a man for suffering Kate's bad temper over what she thinks is his infidelity, again suggesting that a husband should have complete control over his wife and be able to command her not to be angry, even though he has no idea what she is angry about. As it turns out, "Margie" is merely the name of the song that was playing when Luke and Kate shared their first dance early in their courtship, something that he has remembered through the years but she has forgotten, making her appear foolish when he finally reminds her of the song after buying her a record of it for their anniversary. With plots like this one, no wonder Kathy Nolan wanted concept approval before agreeing to appear in Season 6.

We've documented in our previous posts on The Real McCoys the show's chauvinistic presentation of almost all women outside the McCoy household. While such stories appear rarely in the latter Season 5 episodes in 1962, they return with a vengeance in the final season with Nolan out of the picture. Nolan's absence is explained by merely mentioning that Luke is now a widower about 18 months after Kate's unexplained death in the first episode of Season 6, "Grandpa Pygmalion" (September 30, 1962). Since the men of the McCoy household are inept and uninterested in housekeeping, Amos sends for a distant relative from West Virginia, Tilda Hicks (played by a pre-Gilligan's Island Tina Louise), to work as their housekeeper. Tilda is almost a carbon copy of Elly Mae Clampett--stronger than the men but also an excellent cook of a Beverly Hillbillies favorite, hog jowels--though it is virtually impossible that she was modeled on the Donna Douglas character because The Beverly Hillbillies debuted only 4 days before this episode aired. But that doesn't prevent the McCoys brain trust from trying to cash in on another newly popular sit-com by also using Norma Varden as a helpless socialite keen on hiring Tilda away after her maid abandons her, very reminiscent of Varden's character on Hazel. However, though Tilda proves to be an excellent housekeeper at first, Amos makes the mistake of forcing Luke to take her to a dance when he notices Tilda has taken a liking to the widower, where she is courted heavily by all the other young bachelors in town, and the attention turns her into a worthless movie magazine reader and TV exercise program watcher to make herself more alluring to her new beaus. When she proves uninterested in doing any more housework for the McCoys, Amos pawns her off on Varden's socialite and wheedles a fee out of her to compensate for her travel expenses coming out to California as well as her "training." When he realizes that he has made a profit on the exchange, Amos then sees this as a lucrative side business and immediately sends another letter back home to recruit another housekeeping "trainee" from his relations. Taking advantage of people at both ends of the transaction captures the essence of Amos' character--greed and ego--which is the main reason why this series fails to hold its appeal today.

The next episode, "Three Strikes and Out" (October 7, 1962), has Amos pretend he is romantically attracted to three elderly women so that he con them into doing his housework. And if that isn't bad enough, when the three women find out about his duplicity, they actually thank him because he has made them feel useful doing his housework for free. So much for the show's proto-feminism. Luke falls for the come-on from sexy scammer Sally Burton in "The Roofing Salesman" (October 21, 1962), then nearly gets hooked into an unfortunate marriage by "The New Housekeeper" (November 18, 1962), an older matron who is an efficient homemaker herself but cons the McCoys in allowing her to bring her attractive but worthless daughter to live with them in the hopes that she can nab Luke and thereby ensure their future financial security. Luke gets duped once again into signing a long-term contract by attractive dance instructor Adele Bishop in "The Farmer and Adele" (December 31, 1962) requiring Amos to come to the rescue posing as a new pupil who blabs all the dance studio's underhanded schemes to other prospective victims. Pepino is also frequently the victim of gold-digging girlfriends, such as in "Pepino's Inheritance" (November 26, 1962) in which he thinks he has inherited a valuable parcel of Arizona ranch land that brings back girlfriend Angela who had jilted him for a richer boyfriend. When the inherited land proves to be worthless, Angela bolts before he can even say a word to her. A similar story plays out in "The Love Bug Bites Pepino" (December 16, 1962): after Pepino's work suffers because he has been dumped by latest girlfriend Chiquita for George's new handsome farm hand, Amos wins her back by telling her he is about to make Pepino wealthy by giving him all his back pay. But once George gets wind of Amos' lie when his farm hand mopes after losing Chiquita, George tells her that he is going to make his farmhand an equal partner. Finally Amos and George realize that Chiquita isn't good for either of their farm hands in the long run, so they cook up a ruse to make her think the owner of the restaurant where she works is about to come into some money. The McCoys also run up against scamming "health farm" proprietor Miss Simpson in "The Health Addict" (December 9, 1962), who refuses to buy their produce because her clients are only allowed to eat her own specially grown fruits and vegetables. Inexplicably, Miss Simpson thinks that hiring Luke will attract her bored rich socialite clients to stick with her longer, and when Luke says he is no health and exercise expert, she confesses that her whole set-up is bogus. When Luke becomes brainwashed after working for her only a few days, Amos infiltrates and offers the clients the freedom to eat whatever they want and to get the exercise they need to keep trim--by doing housework at his house, again, striking a blow for women's empowerment everywhere.

However, there are a couple of respectable women in Season 6 episodes. Runaway Swedish Hollywood star Taina Engstrom shows up at the McCoys' home one day trying to get away from her hectic movie-star life, and when she learns they are looking for a housekeeper, pretends that she is answering their advertisement, though why she picked their house for her escape is never really explained adequately. It is quickly clear that she is not a great housekeeper, but Luke falls in love with her and wants to marry her, even after learning she is an actress, until Amos paints for him a picture of an emasculated man who walks her dog rather than working for a living. Taina lets Luke think that he is dropping her even after telling Amos that she has realized she belongs back in Hollywood, but once again a woman has found herself by doing housework supporting men. In "The Girl Veterinarian" (December 3, 1962), Luke secretly calls the local vet when one of their cows is sick and not responding to Amos' family elixir, despite Amos' objection to bringing in what he considers a shyster. But instead of the male vet he expects, Luke gets a new understudy who is a woman and at first discounts her ability because of her gender. After she flares at him for giving him the same chauvinistic response she has been getting elsewhere, he allows her to treat the cow with a more scientific approach but insists that they hide it from Amos by pretending that Luke is dating her. When the cow gets better, Amos thinks it is his family elixir, but when he finally catches the lady vet with her medical bag examining his cow, he throws a fit, even after Luke explains that her treatments healed the cow, not the elixir that Luke stopped giving the cow days ago. Not appreciative that his cow has been healed, Amos instead secretly milks the cow in the middle of the night so that when the lady vet and her boss arrive the next day to see if the cow can produce any milk, it appears that her treatment has failed. The lady vet is so distraught that she resigns her position, saying she has had enough male resistance, and considers abandoning her career. Only after Luke shames Amos for his treatment of her does Amos try to make amends by making her think that the cow can give milk after all. Amos' pattern of behavior in this episode is typical of his character throughout the series--he engages in trickery, sabotage, and flim-flam until he gets caught and is forced to make amends, and yet he gives into his selfish impulses again and again, never becoming a man who chooses to do the right thing the first time and hardly ever admitting that he has done anything wrong.

He tries to burn trash in violation of city air pollution statutes and tries to get away with it by lying that he was just having a barbecue in "The Law and Mr. McCoy" (February 1, 1962). He tries to ditch a date with George's sister Flora after a woman he knew as a youngster back in West Virginia and always considered ugly and a pest turns out to now be attractive and wealthy in "Double Date" (February 15, 1962). He betrays his best friend George in "In Grampa We Trust" (March 22, 1962) by undercutting what he said he was going to charge for his own apple crop when he learns that George has put Luke in charge of selling his apples while George is away, miffed that George picked Luke for the job rather than him. He is ready to let George move away because he is allergic to the corn being grown on Amos' farm rather than sacrifice the profit he might get from the corn in "Allergies Anonymous" (April 5, 1962). He criticizes and disparages the husband of his favorite niece in "Don't Judge a Book" (May 3, 1962), accusing him of being snobbish and the reason she never visits only to find out the niece is the real snob and the husband is a friendly, hard-working and interesting man. He is willing to slaughter and eat an adorable piglet he and George jointly win in "The Raffle Ticket" (May 10, 1962) just because he is too stubborn to accept George's offer to buy his interest in the pig. In "The Good Will Tour" (October 28, 1962), he plays into the hands of visiting Russian propagandists by making American farms seem puny and poor, all because he is jealous that George's farm was originally selected for the tour by foreign dignitaries. And he tries to swindle his own government for more money than he deserves in "Money From Heaven" (November 5, 1962) when an Army paratrooper accidentally lands on and collapses a shed he was planning to take down and replace anyway. And this is the man who is always crowing about the glorious legacy of the McCoy family. Is it any wonder that the series was canceled after Kathy Nolan walked away?

The Actors

For the biographies for Walter Brennan, Richard Crenna, Kathy Nolan, Lydia Reed, Michael Winkelman, Tony Martinez, Andy Clyde, and Madge Blake, see the 1960 post for The Real McCoys.

Notable Guest Stars

Season 5, Episode 13, "The Washing Machine": Lesley Woods (shown on the left, played Evelyn Dark on The Edge of Night, Miriam Bentley on A Flame in the Wind, Vivian Gentry on The Nurses, Andrea Whiting on Search for Tomorrow, Isabel Jones on Bright Promise, Zoe Tate on Return to Peyton Place, Betty Wilson on All My Children, Alma Miller on Falcon Crest, and Grandma Helen Logan on The Bold and the Beautiful) plays neighbor housewife Jane Poplar. Norma Connolly (Lena Karr Gilroy on The Young Marrieds, Mrs. Yost on The Edge of Night, and Ruby Anderson on General Hospital) plays neighbor housewife Carol Dorset.

Season 5, Episode 14, "Pepino McCoy, Citizen": Harry Lauter (shown on the right, played Ranger Clay Morgan on Tales of the Texas Rangers, Atlasande on Rocky Jones, Space Ranger, and Jim Herrick on Waterfront) plays immigration clerk Mr. Beamer.

Season 5, Episode 15, "Meeting Hassie's Friends": Kip King (shown on the left, voice of Shecky on The Biskitts and played Ronald Sandler on Charlie & Co. and Tailor Smurf on The Smurfs) plays Hassie's friend Spookie. May Heatherly (Heather McNabb on The Man From U.N.C.L.E.) plays Hassie's friend Maxine. Quinn O'Hara (appeared in A Swingin' Summer, The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini, Foursome, and The Teacher and played Ashley Davidson on Dallas) plays Hassie's friend Flossie.

Season 5, Episode 16, "The Law and Mr. McCoy": Howard McNear (shown on the right, see the biography section for the 1961 post on The Andy Griffith Show) plays newspaper editor Elroy Gardner. Rhys Williams (Doc Burrage on The Rifleman) plays district Judge Reuter. Hugh Sanders (appeared in That's My Boy, The Pride of St. Louis, The Winning Team, and The Wild One) plays city councilman Everett P. Merken. Ray Kellogg (Deputy Ollie on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp) plays police Officer Dugan.

Season 5, Episode 17, "George's Nephew": Michael Parks (shown on the left, starred in Bus Riley's Back in Town, The Bible: In the Beginning, The Return of Josey Wales, From Dusk Till Dawn, Kill Bill, and Argo, and played Jim Bronson on Then Came Bronson, Phillip Colby on The Colbys, and Jean Renault on Twin Peaks) plays George's nephew Tom MacMichael.

Season 5, Episode 18, "Double Date": Doris Kenyon (shown on the right, starred in Wild Honey (1916), Twilight, The Ruling Passion, Bright Lights of Broadway, The Road to Singapore, Alexander Hamilton, and The Man in the Iron Mask) plays Amos' one-time girlfriend Emmy Lou Springer. Percy Helton (Homer Cratchit on The Beverly Hillbillies) plays the mailman.

Season 5, Episode 19, "Made in Italy": Ziva Rodann (appeared in Forty Guns, The Private Lives of Adam and Eve, The Story of Ruth, and College Confidential and played Nefertiti on Batman) plays Italian immigrant Carla Rinaldi. Alejandro Rey (shown on the left, played Carlos Ramirez on The Flying Nun, Karl Duval on Days of Our Lives, and Capt. Luis Rueda on Dallas) plays her fiance Mario.

Season 5, Episode 20, "Who's Margie?": Joan Taylor (shown on the right, see the biography section for the 1961 post on The Rifleman) plays Kate's dress-making client Mrs. Tate.

Season 5, Episode 22, "In Grampa We Trust": Richard Deacon (shown on the left, see the biography section for the 1961 post on The Dick Van Dyke Show) plays apple-pie company buyer Mr. Milton.

Season 5, Episode 23, "Never a Lender Be": Jon Lormer (shown on the right, played Harry Tate on Lawman, the autopsy surgeon on Perry Mason, Simon Benjamin on The Young Marrieds, and Judge Irwin A. Chester on Peyton Place) plays neighbor farmer Sam Watkins.

Season 5, Episode 24, "Allergies Anonymous": Russell Johnson (shown on the left, 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 George's physician Dr. Ross.

Season 5, Episode 25, "Pepino's Fortune": Robert Foulk (shown on the right, played Ed Davis on Father Knows Best, Sheriff Miller on Lassie, Joe Kingston on Wichita Town, Mr. Wheeler on Green Acres, and Phillip Toomey on The Rifleman) plays farm equipment dealer Ed Bailey.

Season 5, Episode 26, "Pepino's Vacation": Henry Corden (shown on the left, played Carlo on The Count of Monte Cristo, and Babbitt on The Monkees and did voicework on The Flintstones, Jonny Quest, The Atom Ant Show, The Banana Splits Adventure Hour, and Return to the Planet of the Apes) plays Pepino's temporary replacement Pedro. Eddie Quillan (starred in The Grapes of Wrath, Mandarin Mystery, Mutiny on the Bounty, and Hi, Good Lookin'! and played Eddie Edson on Julia and Poco Loco on Hell Town) plays employment office clerk Mr. Nelson.

Season 5, Episode 27, "Bubble, Bubble, Toil, and Trouble": Jeanette Nolan (shown on the right, 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 caster of spells Gladys Hunnicutt.

Season 5, Episode 28, "Don't Judge a Book": Virginia Gregg (starred in Dragnet, Crime in the Streets, Operation Petticoat and was the voice of Norma Bates in Psycho, Maggie Belle Klaxon on Calvin and the Colonel, and Tara on Space Stars) plays Amos' favorite niece Sarah. 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 her husband Harry.

Season 6, Episode 1, "Grandpa Pygmalion": Tina Louise (shown on the right, starred in God's Little Acre, For Those Who Think Young, The Wrecking Crew, and The Stepford Wives and played Ginger Grant on Gilligan's Island and Julie Grey on Dallas) plays distant West Virginia relative Tilda Hicks. Norma Varden (see the biography section for the 1961 post on Hazel) plays helpless society hostess Mrs. Barton.

Season 6, Episode 2, "Three Strikes and Out": Marjorie Bennett (shown on the left, see the biography section for the 1960 post on The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis) plays widow Amanda Comstock. Forrest Lewis (Mr. Peavey on The Great Gildersleeve) plays barber Al. Hope Sansberry (Mrs. Nell Hall on The Phil Silvers Show) plays his wife's sister Harriet Dixon. Irene Tedrow (see the biography section for the 1961 post on Dennis the Menace) plays spinster Abigail Dooley.

Season 6, Episode 3, "Army Reunion": Harry Holcombe (shown on the right, appeared in The Fortune Cookie, The Unsinkable Molly Brown, Foxy Brown, Escape to Witch Mountain, and Empire of the Ants and played Frank Gardner on Search for Tomorrow, Doc Benson on My Mother the Car, Mr. Kendricks on Barefoot in the Park, and Dr. J.P. Martin on Bonanza) plays outgoing VFW chapter commander Harry Johnson. Emory Parnell (Hawkins on The Life of Riley and Hank the bartender on Lawman) plays George's old Army buddy Curly Brown. Alan Jenkins (see the biography section for the 1961 post on Top Cat) plays George's old Army buddy Skinny Howard. Vince Barnett (appeared in Scarface (1932), The Prizefighter and the Lady, The Corpse Vanishes, and Crazy Mama and played Elmo on The Andy Griffith Show and Mayberry R.F.D.) plays George's old Army buddy Scotty Harris.

Season 6, Episode 4, "The Roofing Salesman": Jack Cassidy (shown on the left, Tony Award-winning father of David and Shaun Cassidy and husband of Shirley Jones, played Oscar North on He & She) plays roof weatherization salesman Jack Masters. Doris Singleton (Caroline Appleby on I Love Lucy, Susie on Angel, and Margaret Williams on My Three Sons) plays his partner Sally Burton. Jon Lormer (see "Never a Lender Be" above) returns as neighbor Sam Watkins.

Season 6, Episode 5, "The Goodwill Tour": Earl Hammond (shown on the right, played Hal Soames on Valiant Lady, Captain Sovine on The Clear Horizon, and voiced Mon-star on Silverhawks and Mumm-ra, Jaga, and Vultureman on Thundercats) plays government employee E.D. Young. Leonid Kinskey (appeared in Duck Soup, Les Miserables (1935), Ball of Fire, and Casablanca and played Pierre Quincy on The People's Choice) plays Russian visitor Potko. Ray Montgomery (Prof. Howard Ogden on Ramar of the Jungle) plays a policeman.

Season 6, Episode 6, "Money From Heaven": Leonard Stone (shown on the left, appeared in The Mugger, The Big Mouth, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, and Soylent Green and played Doc Joslyn on Camp Runamuck, Packy Moore on General Hospital, and Judge Paul Hansen on L.A. Law) plays U.S. Army paymaster Capt. Lewis. Tristram Coffin (Lt. Doyle on The Files of Jeffrey Jones and Capt. Tom Rynning on 26 Men) plays his superior Col. Deever. John Wilder (wrote multiple scripts for Peyton Place, Branded, The Streets of San Francisco, and Spenser: For Hire) plays an Army paratrooper.

Season 6, Episode 7, "Actress in the House": Taina Elg (shown on the right, starred in Les Girls, The 39 Steps, Watusi, and Hercules in New York, and played Diana Ross on The Doctors, Dr. Ingrid Fischer on The Guiding Light, Olympia Buchanan on One Life to Live, and Mrs. Mulryan on Loving) plays runaway actress Taina Engstrom. Frank Albertson (starred in Alice Adams, Man Made Monster, and It's a Wonderful Life and played Billy Rose on The Billy Rose Show and Mr. Cooper on Bringing Up Buddy) plays her agent Jerry Williams. Charles Irving (Judge Blanchard on Perry Mason) plays private detective Charlie Martin.

Season 6, Episode 8, "The New Housekeeper": Una Merkel (shown on the left, Academy Award nominee, appeared in Abraham Lincoln, 42nd Street, Destry Rides Again, The Bank Dick, The Parent Trap, and Summer and Smoke) plays new housekeeper Mrs. Gaylord.

Season 6, Episode 9, "Pepino's Inheritance": Gale Garnett (shown on the right, Grammy-winning popular singer who appeared in Tribute, Mr. and Mrs. Bridge, and My Big Fat Greek Wedding) plays Pepino's girlfriend Angela. Neil Hamilton (starred in The Great Gatsby (1926), Why Be Good?, Tarzan the Ape Man (1932), and Brewster's Millions, was the host of Hollywood Screen Test, and played Commissioner Gordon on Batman) plays realtor Mr. Rogers. Frank Wilcox (see the biography section for the 1961 post on The Untouchables) plays estate lawyer Jerrold B. Cook. Percy Helton (see "Double Date" above) returns as mailman Mr. Perkins. George Petrie (Nathan Wade on Search for Tomorrow, Freddie Muller on The Honeymooners, Don Rudy Aiuppo on Wiseguy, Harv Smithfield on Dallas, and Sid on Mad About You) plays a car salesman. Jimmy Cross (Jessie Flouge on How to Marry a Millionaire) plays a real estate salesman.

Season 6, Episode 10, "The Girl Veterinarian": Ellen Burstyn (shown on the left, starred in For Those Who Think Young, The Last Picture Show, The Exorcist, Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, and Same Time, Next Year and played Dr. Kate Bartok on The Doctors, Julie Parsons on Iron Horse, Ellen Brewer on The Ellen Burstyn Show, Dolly DeLucca on That's Life, Bishop Beatrice Congreve on The Book of Daniel, Nancy Davis Dutton on Big Love, and Evanka on Louie) plays recent veterinary graduate Dr. Dorothy Carter.

Season 6, Episode 11, "The Health Addict": Paula Winslowe (shown on the right, played Martha Conklin on Our Miss Brooks) plays women's health farm proprietor Miss Simpson. Phyllis Gehrig (wife of production manager Norman Pincus, brother of series creator Irving Pincus) plays her assistant Miss O'Toole. Judith Rawlins (second wife of singer Vic Damone) plays health farm client Peggy Reade. Hollis Irving (Mrs. Woodley on Blondie and Aunt Phoebe on Margie) plays client Helen Bradley.

Season 6, Episode 12, "The Love Bug Bites Pepino": BarBara Luna (shown on the left, played Theresa Modesto on Zorro, Maria Roberts on One Life to Live, Anna Ryder on Search for Tomorrow, and Sydney Jacobs on Sunset Beach) plays Pepino's girlfriend Chiquita. Mike de Anda (Ciego on The Big Valley) plays restaurant owner Jose.

Season 6, Episode 13, "Luke the Reporter": Pat Buttram (shown on the right, appeared in numerous Gene Autry movies, played himself on The Gene Autry Show, Mr. Haney on Green Acres and Petticoat Junction, and voiced Cactus Jake on Garfield and Friends) plays auto mechanic Pat Clemens. Virginia Vincent (see the biography section for the 1961 post on The Joey Bishop Show) plays his girlfriend Nancy Templeton. Jonathan Hole (Orville Monroe on The Andy Griffith Show) plays newspaper editor Elmer Clark. Norma Connolly (see "The Washing Machine" above) plays laundromat gossiper Ethel. Hollis Irving (see "The Health Addict" above) plays fellow gossiper Ruth.

Season 6, Episode 14, "The Farmer and Adele": Mamie Van Doren (shown on the left, starred in Untamed Youth, High School Confidential!, The Beat Generation, Girls Town, and College Confidential) plays dance instructor Adele Webster. Grant Richards (appeared in A Night of Mystery, Love on Toast, and Under the Big Top and played Warren Nash on Love of Life) plays her manager Michael Bowen. Olan Soule (Aristotle "Tut" Jones on Captain Midnight, Ray Pinker on Dragnet (1952-59), Cal on Stagecoach West, the Hotel Carlton desk clerk on Have Gun -- Will Travel, and Fred Springer on Arnie and voiced Batman on The All-New Super Friends Hour, Challenge of the Superfriends, The World's Greatest SuperFriends, and Super Friends) plays a prospective dance student. James Maloney (Jim on 21 Beacon Street) plays another prospective dance student.

 

 

Mister Ed (1962)

 

After initially struggling to get anyone to even give their talking-horse TV show a chance, including leading human actor Alan Young, when Mister Ed became a sudden success after its debut in early 1961, producer Arthur Lubin and lead writer Lou Derman had a new problem--how to keep it going while keeping it fresh. Lubin told TV Guide in a March 31, 1962 cover story that his idea was at first rejected by the networks because it was "a one-joke show," but as we documented in our post on the 1961 episodes, the first season expanded on the one joke of a talking horse by covering man's relationship to animals in a thoughtful way. By the middle of the second season as 1962 dawned, however, the series started to veer away from that more intelligent approach and began pursuing cheaper laughs, such as bringing in celebrities in episodes that had little to do with Ed the horse and his relationship to owner Wilbur Post.

The trouble begins with the first episode of the year, "The Wrestler" (January 7, 1962), which features ballet-themed professional wrestler Ricky Starr, whose contract Roger Addison acquires from his manager to complete a real estate deal. Young reveals in his memoir Mister Ed and Me that Lubin, who knew nothing about sports, signed Starr thinking he was the professional boxing champion of the world rather than the much less prestigious so-called professional wrestling champion, which Young notes didn't last long. Even as a wrestler Starr was a novelty act because he had earlier studied ballet and incorporated ballet moves into his wrestling act, effecting an effete persona that trounces his Neanderthal opponents. This episode includes previously recorded footage of Starr in the ring, and Ed has very little to do as Carol and Kay overfeed Starr's character Tiger Davis and then have to get him back into shape by having him work out with them and their ballet teacher. Lubin was so enamored of Starr that he brought him back for a second episode early in Season 3, "The Bashful Clipper" (October 18, 1962), as a former beautician who has switched over to horse grooming because he became intimidated by his female human clients. Ed again has a minor role in this episode, helping Starr's character Chuck Miller abandon his animal grooming and resume styling women's hair by kicking him to change his mind about animals being more docile than women. A sizable chunk of the episode has Wilbur mugging and attempting to style an influential fashion columnist's hair when Chuck gets cold feet as his new salon opens. Young seems to forget about painful episodes like this one in his memoir when he reminisces, "That's one of the secrets behind Mister Ed. It never pretended to be something it wasn't." The Ricky Starr episodes prove that the series often lost its way, and not all the episodes were comedy gold.

The same can be said for the other celebrity-based episodes from latter Season 2--"Zsa Zsa" (January 28, 1962), "George Burns Meets Mister Ed" (February 18, 1962), and "Clint Eastwood Meets Mister Ed" (April 22, 1962). The Zsa Zsa Gabor episode is based on the flimsy premise that her manager has lined up a movie for her in which she has to ride a horse but she is deathly afraid of them, so when she rents a house near the Posts and Wilbur meets her, he offers to use Ed to help her overcome her fear of horses. The episode also recycles the trope of Wilbur selling or parting with Ed (see the Season 1 episode "Wilbur Sells Ed" and the later Season 3 episode "Horse of a Different Color" in which Ed plans to join the circus), which Zsa Zsa ultimately refuses to go along with once she sees how affectionate the two are with each other. George Burns was executive producer on Mister Ed, so it is no surprise that he is featured in an episode, but he never actually meets Ed, despite the episode's title, because he only talks to him on the phone. Young misremembers in his memoir that Sharon Tate made her TV debut in this episode, whereas she actually did so in the Season 4 episode "Ed Discovers America" in the fall of 1963. According to Young's memoir, Clint Eastwood agreed to appear in an episode because he owed Lubin a favor, and while the episode does include a memorable scene in which Eastwood offers to show Wilbur how to get his horse to behave only to have Ed lie down as soon as Eastwood mounts him, a sizable chunk of this episode has the Addisons and Posts enacting a hammy western spoof under Eastwood's direction.

Undoubtedly the most disastrous episode of 1962 is the Season 2 finale "Ed, the Matchmaker" (April 29, 1962), which was actually intended to be a pilot for a sit-com based on the character of 15-year-old boy crazy Emmy Lou Harper, a kind of female Dobie Gillis. Ostensibly, the Harpers are another new set of neighbors for the Posts (a plot device also used in the aforementioned "Zsa Zsa" episode as well as "Ed's New Neighbors" [March 25,1962]). Ed enjoys spying on them, but he has little involvement in their lives until the end of the episode when he volunteers, posing as Wilbur on a phone call, to haul Emmy Lou's boyfriend-to-be's broken down car to the drive-in so that she can finally get a date with him. The bulk of the episode is spent with Emmy Lou trying to get the attention of said boy, grocery deliverer Arthur who is always eating and talks with his mouth full so that he is incomprehensible (talk about a one-joke gag), and then trying to overcome the many obstacles in actually going out on a date due to Arthur's continually faltering automobile. Thankfully, the series was never purchased, but Mister Ed, despite Young's later observation that it never deviated from what it was, had already begun recasting itself as a kind of father-son sit-com with Ed's character becoming more and more of a bratty manipulator.

Besides constantly raiding Roger Addison's apple trees next door, in "Horse Wash" (February 4, 1962) Ed begins calling Wilbur "dad," and when Wilbur replies he is not his father, Ed says he adopted him. In this episode Ed is fixated on losing weight to impress a Mexican filly and repeatedly sneaks out of his stall and gets himself filthy jogging in the park, which is why he eventually ends up at a car wash when Wilbur refuses to clean him again. In "Ed, the Beachcomber" (April 1, 1962) Ed becomes upset when a newspaper editorial says the horse has no place in modern society, so he runs away from home to hang out with beatniks squatting on some beachfront property that Addison owns, reinforcing the idea that Ed sees himself as a misunderstood teenager. In "Lie Detector" (April 8, 1962) Ed lies to Wilbur about spilling the inkwell on his desk in the barn, thereby ruining a set of architecture plans Wilbur has been working on. Wilbur uses a lie detector invention that Addison is thinking of investing in to prove Ed is lying and then locks him in his stall to punish him, only to have Ed break out and run away from home again, though he leaves Wilbur a note on where to find him. But Ed's worst behavior is on display in "Horse Party" (November 15, 1962) when he sends Carol, Kay, and their women's club to the home of another club member whose child has chicken pox and tricks Addison intro driving out of town thinking he has been invited to give a lecture on gardening so that he can clear the Posts' yard for his birthday party which he cajoles Wilbur into hosting with a half dozen horse guests, streamers, and a birthday cake. Wilbur is unaware of Ed's machinations until Carol and her group return after being told by the mother with the sick child that she never phoned anyone saying her child had only a rash from eating strawberries, but Ed tries to absolve himself by pleading to Wilbur that he is only a 9-year-old child. The writers of Mister Ed apparently think we will find Ed's bratty behavior funny because he is a horse rather than a human, but this undercuts their argument advanced in earlier episodes of the series that a horse deserves to be treated with the same consideration as his human counterparts. You can't have it both ways.

In fact one of the better 1962 episodes, "Ed Gets Amnesia" (September 27, 1962), works because a knock on the head makes Ed think he is not a horse (never mind the insane premise that the blow to Ed's head comes from Wilbur storing metal pails on high shelves and the rafters of Ed's stall). In his efforts to restore Ed's sense of himself, Wilbur visits a vet who sees nothing strange about treating pets like humans but then thinks Wilbur is crazy when he tells him his horse thinks he is human and that Wilbur thinks this because Ed, a horse, told him so. Wilbur then gets the idea that if he pretends to have amnesia himself and is treated by a human doctor, he can use this treatment on Ed, since Ed thinks he is human. Of course when Wilbur levels with the human doctor on what he is up to, the human doctor thinks he is crazy as well. This is the sort of humor that made the series such a hit in its first season, but even the best jokes told repeatedly eventually lose their freshness. Another episode with great comic potential is "Wilbur the Masher" (December 13, 1962) in which Ed whistles and catcalls an attractive filly only to have its rider think that Wilbur is flirting with her. However, the acting and direction of guest stars Coleen Gray and Paul Langton as the offended horse rider and her husband is too hammy to be effective, and the resolution of Wilbur claiming that he has a bashful friend who was hiding behind a tree doing the whistling and catcalling, and then Ed supposedly verifying the story by calling the female horse rider and confessing, doesn't wash. For example, why would the female horse rider and her husband be offended by this behavior from Wilbur but not his bashful friend?

Even with its struggles to sustain a one-joke premise and digressions into sit-com blandness, Mister Ed is often bolstered by the always amusing performance of Larry Keating as sourpuss cheapskate Roger Addison, who usually delivers the best lines and whose delivery always makes them better. From his portrayal of an inept early Massachusetts governor in Ed's retelling of the Thanksgiving origin story in "Ed, the Pilgrim" (November 22, 1962) to his attempt to use Ed to drive off his horse-allergic mother-in-law in "Ed and the Allergy" (October 25, 1962), Addison is just as devious and manipulative as Ed, but he makes no attempt to excuse his own bad behavior. He embraces his caddishness, and we embrace him for it. Sadly, he would be with the series only 1 more year before succumbing to leukemia. The show would never be the same without him.

The Actors

For the biographies of Alan Young, Connie Hines, Larry Keating, Edna Skinner, and Allan Lane, see the 1961 post on Mister Ed.

Notable Guest Stars

Season 2, Episode 12, "The Wrestler": Ricky Starr (shown on the left, professional wrestler and ballet dancer) plays wrestler Tiger Davis. Milton Frome (starred in Pardners, The Delicate Delinquent, and The Swinger and played Lawrence Chapman on The Beverly Hillbillies) plays his manager Barney Harris. Miriam Nelson (choreographer for films such as High Time, Cat Ballou, Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, and Cactus Flower) plays ballet teacher Miss Canfield.

Season 2, Episode 13, "Ed's Bed": Jack Kruschen (appeared in The War of the Worlds, The Apartment, Lover Come Back, and Freebie and the Bean and played Tully on Hong Kong, Sam Markowitz on Busting Loose, Papa Papadapolis on Webster, and Fred Avery on Material World) plays a motorcycle policeman. 

Season 2, Episode 14, "Ed, the Beneficiary": Raymond Bailey (shown on the right, see the biography section of the 1961 post on The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis) plays lawyer Howard Dieterle. Lee Goodman (part of the comedy duo Goodman & Kirkwood, Oscar-nominated co-producer of documentary feature With These Hands) plays Addison's physician Dr. John Reynolds.

Season 2, Episode 15, "Zsa Zsa": Zsa Zsa Gabor (shown on the left, starred in Lovely to Look At, Moulin Rouge (1952), Death of a Scoundrel, and Queen of Outer Space) plays herself. 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, and Ed Brown on Chico and the Man) plays Kay's brother Paul Fenton. Berry Kroeger (appeared in Black Magic, Gun Crazy, Hitler, and Demon Seed) plays Zsa Zsa's agent Jack Brady. Reed Howes (one-time Arrow Collar Man model and silent film leading man in features such as High Speed Lee, Lightning Romance, The Snob Buster, and Romantic Rogue) plays a ship's officer. Betty Conner (Jill McComb on The Young Marrieds and Anne Cooper on Gidget) plays Zsa Zsa's assistant Suzette.

Season 2, Episode 16, "Horse Wash": Barry Kelley (starred in The Asphalt Jungle, The Manchurian Candidate, and The Love Bug and played Mr. Slocum on Pete and Gladys) plays Carol's father Mr. Higgins. Herb Vigran (shown on the right, played Judge Brooker on Gunsmoke) plays car wash owner Joe Burke. Karl Lukas (Pvt. Stash Kadowski on The Phil Silvers Show, Scotty on Family Affair, and Carl the maintenance man on St. Elsewhere) plays car wash worker Harry.

Season 2, Episode 17, "Ed, the Horse Doctor": Hank Patterson (Fred Ziffel on Green Acres and Petticoat Junction and Hank Miller on Gunsmoke) plays veterinarian Dr. Evans. Robert Carson (Mr. Maddis on The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show and the narrator on Navy Log) plays racing horse trainer Whitey Morgan.

Season 2, Episode 18, "George Burns Meets Mister Ed": George Burns (shown on the left, starred in The Big Broadcast, Many Happy Returns, College Humor, the Oh, God! franchise, and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and played himself on The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show, The George Burns Show, Wendy and Me, and George Burns Comedy Week) plays  himself.

Season 2, Episode 19, "Ed's Word of Honor": Earle Hodgins (Lonesome on Guestward Ho!) plays a carnival barker. Nick Stewart (appeared in Go West Young Man, Cabin in the Sky, Stormy Weather, Carmen Jones, and Hollywood Shuffle and played Lightnin' on The Amos and Andy Show and Willy-Willy on Ramar of the Jungle) plays a carnival customer.

Season 2, Episode 20, "No Horses Allowed": Neil Hamilton (shown on the right, starred in The Great Gatsby (1926), Why Be Good?, Tarzan the Ape Man (1932), and Brewster's Millions, was the host of Hollywood Screen Test, and played Commissioner Gordon on Batman) plays neighbor Harvey Ainsworth. Ted Eccles (Tooly on The Banana Splits Adventure Hour, Bobby Chandler on General Hospital, and Brad on Dr. Shrinker) plays his son Bobby. C. Lindsay Workman (see the biography section of the 1961 post on The Donna Reed Show) plays TV director Russ Fuller. Olan Soule (Aristotle "Tut" Jones on Captain Midnight, Ray Pinker on Dragnet (1952-59), Cal on Stagecoach West, the Hotel Carlton desk clerk on Have Gun -- Will Travel, and Fred Springer on Arnie and voiced Batman on The All-New Super Friends Hour, Challenge of the Superfriends, The World's Greatest SuperFriends, and Super Friends) plays makeup man Max. Bill Baldwin (the narrator on Harbor Command and Bat Masterson and the announcer on The Bob Cummings Show) plays the TV station announcer.

Season 2, Episode 21, "Bald Horse": Percy Helton (Homer Cratchit on The Beverly Hillbillies) plays veterinarian Dr. Evans. Henry Norell (Henry Slocum on Oh! Those Bells) plays horse owner Herbert Saxon.

Season 2, Episode 22, "Ed's New Neighbors": Willard Waterman (shown on the left, see the biography section for the 1961 post on Dennis the Menace) plays Addison house buyer Edward Douglas. 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 his wife Hortense. Jimmy Garrett (Jerry Carmichael on The Lucy Show) plays their son Timmy.

Season 2, Episode 23, "Ed, the Beachcomber": Joe Conley (Ike Godsey on The Waltons) plays a press photographer.

Season 2, Episode 24, "Lie Detector": Richard Reeves (Mr. Murphy on Date With the Angels) plays livestock worker Charley. 

Season 2, Episode 25, "Clint Eastwood Meets Mister Ed": Clint Eastwood (shown on the right, see the biography section for the 1960 post on Rawhide) plays himself. Kathleen Freeman (Katie on Topper, Marilly on Mayor of the Town, Bertha Krause on The Bob Cummings Show, Flo Shafer on The Beverly Hillbillies, Kate Harwell on Funny Face, Iris Belmont on Lotsa Luck!, and Mrs. Brezinski on Generations) plays his housekeeper Katie. Donna Douglas (Barbara Simmons on Checkmate and Elly Mae Clampett on The Beverly Hillbillies) plays his girlfriend.

Season 2, Episode 26, "Ed, the Matchmaker": George O'Hanlon (shown on the left, played Joe McDoakes in dozens of shorts with titles that begin with So You Want or So You Think, played Calvin Dudley on The Life of Riley, Artie Burns on The Reporter, and was the voice of George Jetson on The Jetsons) plays new neighbor George Harper. Jeff Donnell (Alice on The George Gobel Show, Evelyn Driscoll on Dr. Kildare, and Mrs. Bennett on Julia) plays his wife Martha. Linda Henning (Betty Jo Bradley on Petticoat Junction and The Beverly Hillbillies, on which she was also the voice of Jethrine Bodine, and Mrs. Mallory on Sliders) plays their daughter's friend Penelope. Peter Brooks (Hank Ferguson on My Three Sons) plays grocery delivery boy Arthur. Albert Carrier (appeared in Tender Is the Night, Fitzwilly, and Scarface) plays Italian movie character Roberto. 

Season 3, Episode 1, "Ed Gets Amnesia": Richard Deacon (shown on the right, see the biography section for the 1961 post on The Dick Van Dyke Show) plays veterinarian Dr. Baker. C. Lindsay Workman (see "No Horses Allowed" above) plays physician Dr. Cathcart.

Season 3, Episode 2, "Wilbur, the Good Samaritan": Jerry Hausner (see the biography section for the 1960 post on The Mr. Magoo Show) plays newspaper circulation manager Mr. Hunt. Kevin Brodie (son of actor Steve Brodie) plays Wilbur's newsboy Joey. Karl Lukas (see "Horse Wash" above) plays policeman George. 

Season 3, Episode 3, "Wilbur and Ed in Show Biz": Chick Chandler (shown on the left, played Toubo Smith on Soldiers of Fortune and Barney Hogan on One Happy Family) plays elephant trainer Mr. Hodges.

Season 3, Episode 4, "The Bashful Clipper": Ricky Starr (see "The Wrestler" above) plays former beautician Chuck Miller. Barbara Morrison (appeared in From Here to Eternity, Don't Knock the Twist, and Papillon) plays newspaper fashion editor Doris Manning.

Season 3, Episode 5, "Ed and the Allergy": Isabel Randolph (Mrs. Boone on Meet Millie, Ruth Nestor on Our Miss Brooks, and Clara Petrie on The Dick Van Dyke Show) plays Kay's mother. 

Season 3, Episode 6, "Horse Sense": Neil Hamilton (see "No Horses Allowed" above) plays book publisher Mr. Boyd. Gale Robbins (shown on the right, singer who appeared in The Barkleys of Broadway, Three Little Words, and Calamity Jane) plays literary critic Miss Meed. Henry Hunter (Dr. Summerfield on Hazel) plays Roger's golfing friend Bill.

Season 3, Episode 7, "Wilbur in the Lion's Den": Charles Lane (shown on the left, appeared in The Milky Way, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, The Lady Is Willing, The Music Man, The Ghost and Mr. Chicken, and The Gnome-Mobile and played Mr. Fosdick on Dear Phoebe, Homer Bedloe on Petticoat Junction, Foster Phinney on The Beverly Hillbillies, Dale Busch on Karen, and Judge Anthony Petrillo on Soap) plays real estate developer Charley Foster.

Season 3, Episode 8, "Horse Party": Rolfe Sedan (Mr. Beasley the Postman on The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show and Mr. Briggs the Postman on The Addams Family) plays party rental shop owner Mr. Fairchild. Joe Conley (see "Ed the Beachcomber" above) plays singing telegram boy Frank.

Season 3, Episode 9, "Ed, the Pilgrim": Grandon Rhodes (Mr. Vanderlip on The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show, Dr. Stevens on Lassie, Dr. J.P. Martin on Bonanza, and the judge 16 times on Perry Mason) plays pilgrim Smythe. Norman Leavitt (shown on the right, played Ralph on Trackdown) plays pilgrim Holly. Rodd Redwing (appeared in Rancho Notorious, Son of Geronimo: Apache Avenger, The Pathfinder, and The Mole People and played Mr. Brother on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp) plays Indian brave Fleetfoot. Frankie Darro (starred in The Mayor of Hell, Wild Boys of the Road, Little Men, and played Robbie the Robot in Forbidden Planet) plays delivery man Henry.

Season 3, Episode 10, "Disappearing Horse": Karl Lukas (see "Horse Wash" above) plays policeman Charlie.

Season 3, Episode 11, "Ed and Paul Revere": Hans Conried (shown on the left, see the biography section for the 1960 post on Rocky and His Friends) plays sculptor Igor Korzak.

Season 3, Episode 12, "Wilbur the Masher": Coleen Gray (shown on the far right, starred in Kiss of Death, Nightmare Alley, The Killing, The Vampire, The Leech Woman, and The Phantom Planet and played Muriel Clifford on McCloud) plays horse owner Betty Gordon. Paul Langton (shown on the near right, played Leslie Harrington on Peyton Place) plays her husband Frank.

Season 3, Episode 13, "Horse of a Different Color": Hugh Sanders (appeared in That's My Boy, The Pride of St. Louis, The Winning Team, and The Wild One) plays circus owner Mr. Armstrong.