Retro Trivia

[Princess of Tap]

I'm Dickens, He's Fenster was part of a really nice new season in the early sixties. I believe it was on ABC, but it didn't last long. The two stars were two comic actors who later became rather well known - - John Astin and Marty Ingels. I didn't watch the show, but I think John had the top billing and was married to Emmaline Henry.

 

John became part of the iconic West Side Story Legend when he played the recreational director during the Dance at the Gym sequence.

 

I know Marty did a lot of stuff and I can't remember anything bigger than the fact that he was an entertainment manager later on in life. I remember this because there was a controversy about a Depends commercial that he got for June Allyson. He claims she never paid him and he harassed her so much over the phone that there was a judgment against him. He had to do community service in a hospital as a clown.

 

John married the incredible actress Patty Duke.

 

Marty married - - late-in-life--the most versatile musical comedy / dramatic actress/singer Shirley Jones.

 

That last one made me think that opposites do attract.

 

Miles, Great question!

[MilesArcher]

You got it, Princess.  Here's a clip:

 

 

 

I don't know why it didn't last.  It looks to be about as sophisticated as most shows of that era.

 

You're up next, Princess.

 

 

[lavenderblue19]

You got it, Princess.  Here's a clip:

 

 

 

I don't know why it didn't last.  It looks to be about as sophisticated as most shows of that era.

 

You're up next, Princess.

Princess ?

[lavenderblue19]

You got it, Princess.  Here's a clip:

 

 

 

I don't know why it didn't last.  It looks to be about as sophisticated as most shows of that era.

 

You're up next, Princess.

Princess, You're turn to post one

[Princess of Tap]

This very handsome young man started at the top, after being discovered and placed in an "A" movie alongside of one of the Golden Eras Top Romantic couples for his first role.

 

He never became a household name or a big star, but he was able to make a very good living in Show Business after hooking up with Walt Disney.

 

Disney featured him in the movies and on television in vehicles that centered on historical-oriented dramas and westerns.

 

When you identify this actor, please give us the name of his first movie and at least 1 Disney vehicle that he was associated with.

[MilesArcher]

I'm going to guess that it's Jerome Courtland.  His first movie (I had to look it up) was "Together Again" with Irene Dunne and Charles Boyer.  You may remember him as the country boy in 1949's "Battleground", where his often repeated line is "That's for sure.  That's for DANG sure!".  In the fifties, Disney tried to make another Davy Crockett type series about Andy Burnett with Jerome Courtland starring.  I do remember part of the theme music, which he sang:

 

Andy's on the move, Andy won't rest,

Andy Burnett, he's a travelling west.

 

 

I actually had that record.

 

He also appeared in Disney's movie "Tonka" with Sal Mineo.  It was about a cavalry horse that was the only one of Custer's party to survive the Battle Of The Little Big Horn. 

 

In the sixties and seventies he started producing and directing for Disney.  He eventually became a director for several television series.

 

He was also an accomplished archer.

There's a nice little highlight clip of his career on YouTube.  Here it is:

 

[Princess of Tap]

Miles, I should have known that you would get this one with the Disney connection. I think he's the best-looking man Disney ever hired for those mini- TV series.

 

But, I'll do you one better. I had the record to the theme song of "Tonka"--

 

"Tonka, Tonka, The Brave One"-- Sal Mineo looked good in Technicolor.

 

Also I think I remember seeing Jerome Courtland in Johnny Tremain.

 

Miles, I have a funny feeling that you and I spent many childhood Saturday afternoons at the Walt Disney movies.

 

BTW-- I'm a big fan of Irene Dunne and her screwball comedies, so I have Together Again on a DVD collection. I also love Charles Coburn and he plays her father-in-law. However, I never cared much for her romantic partner Charles Boyer-- so you got to take the bitter with the sour.

 

Miles, it's all yours--

[MilesArcher]

Thanks.  If you watched the clip that I posted, you know that Jerome Courtland was also a pretty fair singer.

Now, a popular comedy movie series became a television series in the 1950's.  What was unusual is that the male lead in the movies played the same role in the TV series, while the rest of the roles were recast for television.  Can you name the TV series and that lead actor?

[Princess of Tap]

Thanks. If you watched the clip that I posted, you know that Jerome Courtland was also a pretty fair singer.

Now, a popular comedy movie series became a television series in the 1950's. What was unusual is that the male lead in the movies played the same role in the TV series, while the rest of the roles were recast for television. Can you name the TV series and that lead actor?

This is one of my favorite actors if I'm right--

 

William Bendix in The Life of Riley?

[MilesArcher]

Princess, I almost gave it to you because William Bendix did "The Life Of Riley" as a radio series, and he made one movie called "The Life Of Riley" before the TV series.  However, he did not do a series of "Life Of Riley" movies, as my question referred to.  The actor that I am thinking of started his movie series in the thirties.

[lavenderblue19]

Thanks.  If you watched the clip that I posted, you know that Jerome Courtland was also a pretty fair singer.

Now, a popular comedy movie series became a television series in the 1950's.  What was unusual is that the male lead in the movies played the same role in the TV series, while the rest of the roles were recast for television.  Can you name the TV series and that lead actor?

Sounds like Blondie. Arthur Lake as Dagwood. Pamela Britton as Blondie in the tv series replaced Penny Singleton who played Blondie in the movie series ???

[MilesArcher]

That's the one, Lavender.  The "Blondie" movie series started in 1938 and ran until 1950 with about twenty-eight movies.  The TV series was aired in the 1957-1958 season and was then cancelled .  Another "Blondie" series in the sixties also failed.  It starred Patricia Harty and Will "Sugarfoot" Hutchins.

 

Good job, Lavender.  It's your thread.

[lavenderblue19]

Thanks Miles    I wish TCM would start running the BLONDIE films again. Haven't seen them in years and have requested them many times. Really miss those movies and so much fun if they were shown on Sat. mornings.

 

next

 

This Actor had a co-starring role in a short lived ( although terrific) late '50's tv show and co-starring role in a highly successful 1960's tv series. Actor and the 2 tv series ???

[lavenderblue19]

One of the tv shows is loosely based on a movie, the other tv show was said to be too violent.

[lavenderblue19]

Theme music for 1 of the tv shows is famous.

[Princess of Tap]

Lav-- This really has me puzzled.

 

The only show that was singled out for extreme violence in the early sixties was The Untouchables. The Untouchables also had a fantastic theme song by Nelson Riddle. The star of The Untouchables was my favorite TV actor Robert Stack. But I can't find a prior TV series for him.

 

I may be wrong, but I got an opportunity to talk about my favorite TV show, my favorite TV theme song, and my favorite TV actor.

[lavenderblue19]

While I also loved Stack and The Untouchables, it's not either one I'm asking about. This show had good ratings but was in fact cancelled because of complaints of excessive violence. If it helps, the 1st show's famous theme song was written by Henry Mancini ( Mancini also wrote The Untouchables theme song) and it's much more of an easy listening song. (think elevator type music)

 

[Princess of Tap]

While I also loved Stack and The Untouchables, it's not either one I'm asking about. This show had good ratings but was in fact cancelled because of complaints of excessive violence. If it helps, the 1st show's famous theme song was written by Henry Mancini ( Mancini also wrote The Untouchables theme song) and it's much more of an easy listening song. (think elevator type music)

 

Lav, not to get completely off the subject.

 

BTW-- As a kid I collected albums of TV themes. My Nelson Riddle Route 66 album said that Nelson Riddle wrote the themes to The Untouchables and Route 66.

 

Henry Mancini was no slouch. Because he wrote the themes to Peter Gunn and Mr. Lucky. I know that because I had a piano folio of Henry Mancini compositions.

 

This wouldn't be a bad to thread just asking who wrote TV themes.

 

But I still don't know the answer to your original question. LOL

[lavenderblue19]

If you go back and read the clues, already wrote that the first tv show was late 1950's based loosely on a film, combine that with the theme Mancini wrote, it should not be too difficult to know the tv show. The 2nd show  (1960's) combined different elements into the storylines.  Actor who co-starred in both shows and the 2 tv shows ???

[MilesArcher]

Is it Ross Martin, who co-starred on "Mr. Lucky", and later on "The Wild Wild West"?

[lavenderblue19]

Is it Ross Martin, who co-starred on "Mr. Lucky", and later on "The Wild Wild West"?

I knew I count on you Miles to get this one   Yes Ross Martin, Mr. Lucky and then in the 1960's The Wild Wild West. Although the ratings were very good for the Wild Wild West, complaints about excessive violence caused the cancellation of this show. It did have a good run however. It was on for 4 years on CBS. Good work, your thread

[MilesArcher]

Thanks. An actor made a series of "B" westerns in the thirties and forties, playing the same character.  In the early days of television, he found that his old films were being shown on television, but he was not getting any residual payments, so he tried unsuccessfully to buy the movies from the first studio that produced them.  The series had switched studios after a few years, so he tried to buy the ones he made for the second studio.  This time he was successful.  He sold the movies to television and they became so popular that he did a half hour TV series playing that same character.  Who was the actor and what character did he play?  Bonus points if you can name his co-star on the TV series.  

[Princess of Tap]

Thanks. An actor made a series of "B" westerns in the thirties and forties, playing the same character. In the early days of television, he found that his old films were being shown on television, but he was not getting any residual payments, so he tried unsuccessfully to buy the movies from the first studio that produced them. The series had switched studios after a few years, so he tried to buy the ones he made for the second studio. This time he was successful. He sold the movies to television and they became so popular that he did a half hour TV series playing that same character. Who was the actor and what character did he play? Bonus points if you can name his co-star on the TV series.

Roy Rogers always played Roy Rogers.

 

I don't know about his co-star - - it's either his wife or his horse-- Dale Evans if the wife and the horse was Trigger.

 

But his sidekick would definitely be Pat Brady, who didn't ride a horse at all but drove a Jeep named Nelly Bell.

[MilesArcher]

Sorry Princess, it's not Roy.  Roy made almost all of his movies for Republic Studios, but he never bought them.  This actor made the first movies in his series for Paramount.  After a few years the series was picked up by United Artists.  He actually played a character that had appeared in a series of western novels. 

[LawrenceA]

Is it William "Hopalong Cassidy" Boyd, with Edgar Buchanan as the sidekick?