The Bob Cummings Show: Bob Judges a Beauty Pageant

The Bob Cummings Show: Bob Judges a Beauty Pageant
NBC
December 16, 1958
Sitcom
DVD
B-

This episode, the twelfth of the fifth season, has a title that's again a misnomer.  (He wants to judge but doesn't get the chance.)  The Henning & Wesson script is definitely sexist and looksist even by the standards of the series, but the guest stars almost redeem it:

• Madge Blake (pre-Batman) as Florence Patterson,
• Peter Lawford as himself (referencing his wife Pat),
• Rose Marie in her recurring role of Martha Randolph, 
• future That Girl director (two episodes) Sidney Miller as Roscoe Dewitt (he also did the voice of Francis Church in the TV-movie Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus),
• and best of all, Nancy Kulp (pre-Beverly-Hillbillies) in her recurring role as Pamela Livingstone

Dorothy Johnson again appears as Harriet Wyle.  Cummings directed again.  I have to say that Hickman isn't given much do on any of these three episodes, but Ann B. always works with what she gets.

The Bob Cummings Show: Bob in Orbit

Sacque dresses

The Bob Cummings Show: Bob in Orbit
NBC
November 18, 1958
Sitcom
DVD
C-

Henning & Wesson wrote this eighth episode of the season, where Bob's grandfather Josh (also played by Cummings) gets him into trouble with the Air Force.  Bob doesn't actually go into orbit, or any flight except in his grandpa's "old Jenny" biplane.  This is a pretty weak episode, mostly because of the change in setting.  Cummings directed again.

The Bob Cummings Show: Bob and the Dumb Blonde

Aren't you glad they didn't go in this direction
for the title of The Dick Van Dyke Show?

The Bob Cummings Show: Bob and the Dumb Blonde
NBC
September 30, 1958
Sitcom
DVD
B-

Well, look what I found while packing for my move.  My boyfriend owned this DVD and gave it to me a couple years ago, and then I promptly forgot about it.  (It wasn't in the boxes with my other DVDs for the previous move.)  Anyway, as long as we've given up on strict chronology, let's journey back to three episodes from the late '50s.  This one is the second episode of the fifth season of a series that ran in syndication as Love That Bob.  It's also one of thirty-six episodes written by Dick Wesson, who played Schultzy's boyfriend Frank Crenshaw on four other episodes besides this one.  His co-writer Paul Henning is most famous as the producer of the "Hooterville Trio" (Beverly Hillbillies, Petticoat Junction, and Green Acres), but for the purposes of this blog it's most significant that he co-wrote all three of the Burns & Allen episodes I reviewed at the beginning of this project.

The regulars on this series:

• 48-year-old Bob Cummings as the Danza-ly named Bob Collins; 
• 32-year-old Ann B. Davis, still with her most famous role (Alice, the Bradys' maid) yet to come, here in her Emmy-award-winning part as Bob's infatuated secretary Schultzy;
• 48-year-old Rosemary DeCamp, later Ann Marie's mother on That Girl, as Bob's widowed sister Margaret MacDonald;
• and 24-year-old Dwayne Hickman, who was still youthful enough to play the title role in Dobie Gillis the following season, here as Bob's nephew Chuck MacDonald.

This episode is slow to get going but it does manage to juggle its various farcical situations-- including Bob telling an English girl he's "been saving himself"!-- with a pay-off where they all intersect.

Dorothy Johnson would return as Harriet Wyle, including for one of the episodes coming up.  This is one of 44 episodes of the series that Cummings himself directed.

That Girl: The Night They Raided Daddy's

That Girl: The Night They Raided Daddy's
ABC
February 19, 1970
Sitcom
DVD
C+

Not only does this episode feel dated, like it should've aired a year or two earlier, but it's not as well structured as it could be.  I can understand that we're not shown any of the "nude scene," not even backs or feet, but why don't we see more of the crowd reaction?  And what about the Chekhov's Gun of the sheriff saying he'll be back later, but we don't see his return?  (The title is misleading.)  Or the fact that Donald changes the band's minds over the phone, with none of their side of the conversation?  Still, it does get Lew into a Nehru jacket and love beads, so I guess that's worth turning in for.

Leonard Bremen, who plays the Sheriff, had earlier appeared as a Baseball Fan, and was also doing Brady guest shots around this time.  Bill Quinn played a Priest before and is Harry this time.  Gene Baylos, who's the Agent, was previously Mort.

That Girl: Fly by Night

"I see a small island where we can land."

That Girl: Fly by Night
ABC
January 29, 1970
Sitcom
DVD
C+

This is a clip show (I counted nine episodes that are flashed back to) with the new material written by Orenstein and Turteltaub, with the latter also directing.  Donald charters a private plane, piloted by a post-Gilligan Russell Johnson (who, like his character here, flew during WW II), and some of the moments of Ann's life pass before her eyes.  Part one of two.  Note, Ann's fear of flying definitely never came up before, not when she was being flown to New Orleans for lunch, and not when she was pretending to be a stewardess.

That Girl: The Snow Must Go On

That Girl: The Snow Must Go On
ABC
October 30, 1969
Sitcom
DVD
B

All these "snow" episodes for TG, this one written by Arnold Howitt, and we're still in October.  Maybe it's meant to be set later, since Donald claims he's known Ann for four years.  Also, I could've sworn that Don had already written an article about Ann, in the first season or two.  I'm not clear if Lew is hoarding sandwiches for his family or if he was planning to sell them to the other people stranded at JFK airport.  I was going to go with a B-, but I found Ann's on-air audition very funny.

Counterman Danny Goldman had previously played a Waiter on TG.  Porter Steven Benson would later be Chicken Boy.  Rudolpho Hoyos is the P.A. Announcer and would later play Rudy Sanchez.  If the voice of John Stephenson as Howard Samrock sounds familiar, it's because he was a voice artist for Hanna-Barbera, including on Wait Till Your Father Gets Home.  This is around the time that reporter/actor Larry McCormick, here appearing as himself, was in the movie The Love God?, and he'd soon be on The Brady Bunch as a TV Announcer.  Milton Parsons, who plays Mr. Bailey the mortician, would play a similarly mournful-looking character on The Brady Bunch, Peter's teacher Mr. Price.

That Girl: Nobody Here But Us Chickens

That Girl: Nobody Here But Us Chickens
ABC
October 9, 1969
Sitcom
DVD
C+

Ann dresses as a chicken and attracts the unwanted attentions of a Colonel Sanders wannabe played by Slim Pickens, in the first TG story written by Arnold Howitt.

Harry Basch makes his first of three TG appearances, as the Driver, while Don Eitner does his first of three, as the Young Man.  Mari Oliver is Girl #1 and would later be a Ticket Seller.  This time Ed Peck is Walter Clark.

That Girl: My Part Belongs to Daddy

That Girl: My Part Belongs to Daddy
ABC
October 2, 1969
Sitcom
DVD
B-

In this episode by Saul Turteltaub and Bernie Orenstein, Ann ends up directing a play for her father's country club when she turns down the chance to direct the annual variety show.  Although her father is funny and can do a pretty good rendition of "Minnie the Moocher," he's not right for the serious role of the father character.  There are some interesting elements here, but I felt like it actually would've worked better as a two-parter, so we could see more of the play.  (This modern Hamlet, set on a college campus, sounds "relevant" in a very dated way and I can't imagine the country club going for it.)

For the man cast to play "Ned," we get an early appearance by The Jeffersons' Ned Wertimer, although by no means his first.  (He was on Amos 'n Andy back in '51.)  Dave Ketchum makes his middle of three TG appearances, as Harry.

That Girl: Bad Day at Marvin Gardens

That Girl: Bad Day at Marvin Gardens
ABC
March 20, 1969
Sitcom
DVD
B

This episode, the last one for TG written by Carl Kleinschmitt, is another example of how the show is often at its best when it focuses on Ann & Donald and Lew & Helen.  A Monopoly game reveals a lot about Lew's character, and shows that Don has insights into him that his wife and daughter don't.  The women also have their moments, as when Helen talks about Lew's behavior the last time they played poker together, in 1947.

That Girl: Dark on Top of Everything Else

That Girl: Dark on Top of Everything Else
ABC
January 16, 1969
Sitcom
DVD
B-

This Carl-Kleinschmitt-written episode starts with Donald at Ann's apartment door, claiming to be Steve McQueen there to "ravage" her, and then about twenty minutes later her parents catch them kissing on a bed in their basement.  But in between it's mostly Ted Bessell directing Marlo Thomas as Ann, spending the weekend on her own in Brewster and she shows that she doesn't necessarily need a supporting cast every moment.  OK, her getting stuck in a bed while trying to close a window (I guess her parents never replaced the ladder she broke on Halloween) is pretty Lucy-ish, but I almost buy it.

Although he's uncredited, I'm pretty sure that's George Fenneman on Ann's TV screen.

That Girl: Should All Our Old Acquaintances Be Forgot

That Girl: Should All Our Old Acquaintances Be Forgot
ABC
December 26, 1968
Sitcom
DVD
B-

Another Stan Cutler and Martin Donovan script, this one is obviously set on New Year's Eve.  (No Christmas episode this year.)  Donald and Ann plan to spend a quiet evening at her place, but Lew soon puts a stop to that, and it soon snowballs into a big party, with Ann serving peanut butter on corn flakes as snacks.  Meanwhile, Jerry and Ruthie would have a quiet evening themselves, except that Ann keeps dropping by to get supplies.

Renata Vanni returns as Mrs. Brentano.  Cliff Norton plays Charley Fitch, but I don't think it's the same character as Charlie on both versions of "What's in a Name?"  Patty Regan has her middle of two TG roles, as Marge.

That Girl: Decision Before Dawn

That Girl: Decision Before Dawn
ABC
December 12, 1968
Sitcom
DVD
B+

Well, it looks like my fears about the series' decline were premature.  This episode written by a writer (Jinx Kragen) who has no other credits, and directed by a man who was primarily an actor (King Donovan), is one that, like the "election" one a few weeks earlier, wisely sticks mostly with its two main couples, but it also gets some laughs with its two recognizable guest stars: Larry Storch as "bed expert" John McKenzie and 38-year-old Vic Tayback as Max the mover.  There's some character humor, as everyone disagrees on how Ann should spend a residual check for $743.62, but there's also some physical humor, like when the parts of Ann's bed are moved in while she's having a dinner party around her rented piano.  And I was on the floor when Donald had to serenade Lew with "I've Got You Under My Skin."  I would go as high as an A- on this episode, but it does have a slow start.

Joe Higgens makes his first of two TG appearances, as Noel, while Woodrow Parfrey does his first of two, as the Clerk.

That Girl: Secret Ballot

That Girl: Secret Ballot
ABC
October 31, 1968
Sitcom
DVD
B

Richard Baer wrote this script about Ann being excited about voting in her first presidential election.  (Which would make her between 21 and 24, likely on the higher end of that since she finished college by '66, and taught school in '63.  Donald's first presidential election was presumably in '64.)  As the title suggests, Ann doesn't want to say who she's voting for, although her father insists on knowing.  (I can't see her voting for Nixon, but I could be wrong.)  Like other episodes focusing on the older and younger couples, it's good to see the group dynamic here, with Ann and Lew the emotional ones and Donald and Helen the sensible ones.  Most of the episode is set on Halloween, appropriately given the air date.  (Halloween was actually on a Thursday that year, but maybe they were visiting for a long weekend.)

This time Florence Halop is the librarian, and her assistant is 25-year-old Penny Marshall.  Richard Steele plays the Trick-or-Treater who has lines, his first TG role.

That Girl: The Other Woman

That Girl: The Other Woman
ABC
February 1, 1968
Sitcom
DVD
B+

This is not only better than the other Ethel Merman episode, but it's very funny.  Written by Richard Baer, it has a gossip columnist claiming Ethel is dating Lew.  Helen believes the story and wants to go home to her mother, in Phoenix.  Things get farcical, with a self-awareness that they are, as with Lew hiding behind a screen in Ethel's dressing room.  Everyone has something to do and they play off each other very well.  Arthur Julian has a scene-stealing role as the Waiter (you can't not laugh when he calls Donald a hippie); he would not only play three other roles on the show, but he'd write three episodes.

That Girl: The Rivals

That Girl: The Rivals
ABC
January 11, 1968
Sitcom
DVD
B-

This Richard Baer script is mostly about how competitive Lew feels towards Donald, since he feels like he's been replaced in his daughter's life.  My sympathy was much more towards Donald through most of the episode, although I do like how Helen tries to balance and explain everyone's feelings.  And I like that Lew actually prefers to have Donald stand up to him.  Note that Donald was in kindergarten in '47, so he was likely born in '42.  Ben Cooper, who plays Officer Ben Cooper, had earlier been Mr. Corcoran.

That Girl: A Friend in Need

That Girl: A Friend in Need
ABC
December 28, 1967
Sitcom
DVD
B-

Richard Baer's third TG script has Donald "challenging Ann's femininity" by cooking and cleaning for her when she has a sprained ankle.  If this seems odd, considering it's not that long since he himself had a maid, it turns out he's a slob at home but likes taking care of Ann.  In a nice change, Ann's mother but not father appears.

Danny Arnold makes an uncredited appearance as the Producer.  Benny Rubin plays Dr. Ferguson and would be Mr. Mellinger later on TG.

That Girl: Thanksgiving Comes But Once a Year, Hopefully

That Girl: Thanksgiving Comes But Once a Year, Hopefully
ABC
November 23, 1967
Sitcom
DVD
B+

Considering that Peggy Elliott's preceding TG script was for "Kimono My House," the quality of this one is particularly impressive, although she did other episodes as well.  This one is hilarious, but with some sweet moments, as Ann, Donald, and both sets of parents celebrate the holiday at her house.  It's great fun to see the characters play off each other, and the editing with the phone calls is especially sharp.  Add in a Mailman (Joe Perry in his first of four TG appearances) who's suspicious about the herb being mailed for Ann's "pot," and some very memorable outfits for Ann, and the episode comes close to being classic.  I could point out that this is not Ann's first Thanksgiving in NYC, and I don't think it was Summer when she met the Hollingers, but those are just quibbles.

That Girl: Black, White and Read All Over

That Girl: Black, White and Read All Over
ABC
September 21, 1967
Sitcom
DVD
B

Donald's novel, which got misplaced in the previous season, is again the center of an episode, a quite good one that contrasts Lew's old-fashioned sensibilities with Donald's modernness, although Don is shown to have integrity when a publisher (Henry Jones, looking much as he did in '50s movies like Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?) wants him to spice the novel up.  It's interesting to see how much is unsaid and, well, read between the lines here.  I also like how Helen Marie has a more balanced view than Lew.  Ann chooses Donald over her father, but peace is made in the end.  And Ann has some very mod outfits, particularly the checked dress above.

This is Richard Baer's second of eleven TG scripts and Jeff Hayden's second of two times directing TG.

That Girl: Leaving the Nest Is for the Birds

That Girl: Leaving the Nest Is for the Birds

ABC

March 2, 1967

Sitcom

DVD

B+

Barbara Avedon, who did four Gidget scripts among many other shows, contributes her only TG script, but it's easily the funniest so far.  Credit must also go to Jerry Van Dyke, as a man who turns from suicide to robbery, which I'll admit doesn't sound like a hilarious plot twist.  The trouble begins when Helen Marie's sister, Ann's Aunt Harriette (Hazel Shermet, who'd gone on to do voices for Wait Till Your Father Gets Home), shows up and can't stop raving about her own daughter, who's married, with a baby and a maid.  The humor is more out there than usual for TG, but still with a connection to believable human behavior.  The final scene manages to be sweet, feminist, and again laugh-out-loud.

Luana Anders previously played Shirley and is Beryl here. 

That Girl: What Are Your Intentions?

That Girl: What Are Your Intentions?
ABC
February 16, 1967
Sitcom
DVD
B

This is Milton Pascal's middle of five TG scripts and at this point Don and Ann have been dating eight months, so her father asks the question of the title.  Although it is a bit odd, yet period appropriate, for not only Ann to be a "girl" and Donald to be a "boy" (the same terminology was being used on Gilligan's Island, for instance, also about people in their 20s) but for them to be "going steady," I like that they resist her father pressuring them into marriage before they're ready.  And she says she wants to pursue her career, which would not have been a common statement on television, especially in sitcoms.