Today, we will say "G'bye dere" to comedy duos, and try to determine why they have, by and large, vanished.
The most staggeringly successful of it's time was Martin and Lewis.
Allen and Rossi probably used Martin and Lewis as their business model.
Similar skyrocketing.
But they probably knew that they were both far inferior to Martin and Lewis.
It's commonly known that there was a lot of bad blood between Martin and Lewis towards the end of their partnership.
Ever since Dean's death, Jerry has been making the Grand Tour of "We always loved each other".
I've seen a film of their entire Copa act.
Hilarious.
Very similar to what they did on "The Colgate Comedy Hour".
I don't think that their movies really captured the dynamic that made them hilarious.
Although who am I to argue with the fortunes that each one made?
I will anyway.
The movies, or at least the man responsible for what Dean and Jerry did in their movies, Hal Wallis, didn't quite know what to do with Dean.
They usually turned his character into a somewhat shady villain, ready if not eager to exploit Jerry's good and loving nature.
And they always gave him those really crummy songs to sing to women.
The kind designed to drive their paying customers, mostly little boys, myself included, to high-tail it to the concession stands to get more popcorn.
During one of the "We always loved each other." tours, I've heard Jerry say that he specifically commissioned the writing of "That's Amore", so that it could be stuck into their film, "The Caddy".
And that this would provide Dean with the hit record he so desperately needed so he could keep up with Jerry's success.
This begs the question "How did he know that "That's Amore"" would be any kind of a hit?
Nobody knows what's going to be a hit.
No songwriter.
No singer.
No comedian who isn't a songwriter or a singer.
Jerry claims that he knew.
If "That's Amore" turned out to not be a hit, would Jerry have kept commissioning songs for Dean to get him that elusive hit?
And why, after "That's Amore" became the huge hit that it was, did Dean then go back to singing four more years worth of crappy songs to women in their movies?
This one doesn't pass the smell test.
But they ended up both being huge, huge stars.
And deserved to be.
Their legacy, apart from their talent, was that they spurred rip-offs of themselves.
I've covered Duke Mitchell and Sammy Petrillo, who literally wanted to make you think that they WERE Martin and Lewis.
Allen and Rossi were cut very much from the same mold.
As were Rowan and Martin.
They were two minor leaguers who became bigger than they had any right to be because of "Laugh-In".
I was in on the ground floor of thinking that "Laugh-In" was shit.
From day one.
There were comparisons to Ernie Kovacs by the critics when "Laugh-In" first hit the airwaves.
But the main difference was that Ernie Kovacs was subtle.
When Ernie Kovacs did blackouts, they were accompanied musically by some guy singing "Mack The Knife" in the original German.
When "Laugh-In" did blackouts, they were accompanied by what I refer to as "Diddly Music".
And I'm not referring to Bo Diddly.
Rather to music that kind of diddles along in it's relentlessly upbeat way, with the lead instrument invariably being the xylophone.
Music that screams out, saying "This is supposed to be funny, folks!"
In later years, once their was a "Laverne and Shirley", I would refer to "Laverne and Shirley" and "Laugh-In" as polar opposites.
"Laverne and Shirley" was a left-wing show dressed up in right-wing trappings.
Just about everyone involved in it regarded themselves as hipper than the show they were working on.
But the music was written by they guys who wrote the music for "Love, American Style".
And it sounded like it.
The first time I heard the theme music and the music cues, I was nauseous for a week.
But it probably helped contribute to it's success.
"Laugh-In", on the other hand, was a right-wing show dressed up in left-wing trappings.
All that body paint on girls wearing bikinis, and sly references to marijuana, with jokes supervised by a head-writer who was a staunch Republican who also wrote jokes for Nixon.
Rowan and Martin's legacy, and "Laugh-In" 's legacy were equally non-existent.
We'll continue this exploration next time.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My books ,"Show Runner" and it's sequel, "Show Runner Two", can be found at the Amazon Kindle Store.
Along with the newer ones, "The Man Is Dead", and "Report Cards".
You can search by typing in my name, Cindy Williams, Laverne and Shirley, The Odd Couple, or Happy Days.
Check them out.
You don't need a Kindle machine to download them.
Just get the free app from Kindle, and they can be downloaded to an IPhone, IPad, or Blackberry.
The paperbacks, "Mark Rothman's Essays" and my new novel, "I'm Not Garbo" are not
e-books. But they are available for people without Kindle.
I have many readings and signings lined up for those, and the thing about Kindle is you can't sign one. If you'd like one of the paperbacks, personally autographed, contact me at macchus999@aol.com.
And now, we've got my reading of my "Laverne and Shirley Movie" screenplay on YouTube, and my 4-hour interview at the Television Academy's Emmy TV Legends Website.
Here's the link: www.emmytvlegends.org/interviews/people/mark-rothman
*****
Friday, June 27, 2014
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
G'Bye Dere.
So Steve Rossi died the other day.
How is one to react to this?
Well, did you think that "Allen and Rossi" was a funny comedy team?
If so, did you think that Steve Rossi was vital to it's success?
My answers to these two questions are, first "Sort of", and second, not at all.
The only thing that was funny about "Allen and Rossi" was Marty Allen.
And in the low-browest way possible.
He looked funny.
He sounded funny.
The material they did was lousy, but he made it sound funny anyway.
He was the act.
And he proved it by successfully flying solo after he and Rossi broke up.
Rossi was the straightman.
Rossi was merely an Italian goombah singer whose ambition, probably,was to become Jerry Vale.
Until Marty Allen entered his life.
And together, they skyrocketed for a while in the sixties.
He probably thought of himself as a star.
I'll give Rossi credit for one thing: Marty Allen was never as successful as when he was teamed with him.
During their breakups, Rossi made somewhat desperate attempts to team up with other comics as their straightman.
It was all very gimmicky.
And pretty sleazy.
He teamed up with Joe E. (Ooh! Ooh!) Ross, probably for the express purpose of being able to be billed as "Ross and Rossi".
And also because, as most of us know, Joe E. was a delight to be around.
Rossi later teamed up with black comedian Slappy White, so they could exploit being one of the first, if not THE first, interracial comedy teams.
Then, even more exploitatively, he teamed up with a comedian named Bernie Allen, so he could try to fool the audiences that they were once again getting "Allen and Rossi".
The common thread here is that he needed these other comics more than they needed him.
They each had been, and were capable of being, single acts.
None of them needed to be teamed up.
Also, none of these new "teams" lasted very long.
None of them really needed straightmen.
So it wasn't long before each of them said "G'bye dere" to Steve.
Rossi was a pretty good singer, and he tried to make a go of it concentrating on the singing.
But, as most singers like him had already discovered, a dime could buy a dozen of him.
So that didn't really pan out too well either.
No hit records.
No major gigs.
The original Allen and Rossi made a couple of movies in the sixties that were, by all reports, horrible.
And it probably signaled the beginning of their fade into relative obscurity.
This all got me to thinking about the fading into total obscurity of the comedy team in general.
It has become practically a lost art form.
I hesitate using the term "art form" and "Allen and Rossi" in the same sentence.
But I waited too long to hesitate.
So there it is.
But there are practically none left.
Next time I'll start talking about the "comedy team" phenomenon, and why it has taken the path that it has, and how those many teams impacted our culture, and me personally.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My books ,"Show Runner" and it's sequel, "Show Runner Two", can be found at the Amazon Kindle Store.
Along with the newer ones, "The Man Is Dead", and "Report Cards".
You can search by typing in my name, Cindy Williams, Laverne and Shirley, The Odd Couple, or Happy Days.
Check them out.
You don't need a Kindle machine to download them.
Just get the free app from Kindle, and they can be downloaded to an IPhone, IPad, or Blackberry.
The paperbacks, "Mark Rothman's Essays" and my new novel, "I'm Not Garbo" are not
e-books. But they are available for people without Kindle.
I have many readings and signings lined up for those, and the thing about Kindle is you can't sign one. If you'd like one of the paperbacks, personally autographed, contact me at macchus999@aol.com.
And now, we've got my reading of my "Laverne and Shirley Movie" screenplay on YouTube, and my 4-hour interview at the Television Academy's Emmy TV Legends Website.
Here's the link: www.emmytvlegends.org/interviews/people/mark-rothman
*****
How is one to react to this?
Well, did you think that "Allen and Rossi" was a funny comedy team?
If so, did you think that Steve Rossi was vital to it's success?
My answers to these two questions are, first "Sort of", and second, not at all.
The only thing that was funny about "Allen and Rossi" was Marty Allen.
And in the low-browest way possible.
He looked funny.
He sounded funny.
The material they did was lousy, but he made it sound funny anyway.
He was the act.
And he proved it by successfully flying solo after he and Rossi broke up.
Rossi was the straightman.
Rossi was merely an Italian goombah singer whose ambition, probably,was to become Jerry Vale.
Until Marty Allen entered his life.
And together, they skyrocketed for a while in the sixties.
He probably thought of himself as a star.
I'll give Rossi credit for one thing: Marty Allen was never as successful as when he was teamed with him.
During their breakups, Rossi made somewhat desperate attempts to team up with other comics as their straightman.
It was all very gimmicky.
And pretty sleazy.
He teamed up with Joe E. (Ooh! Ooh!) Ross, probably for the express purpose of being able to be billed as "Ross and Rossi".
And also because, as most of us know, Joe E. was a delight to be around.
Rossi later teamed up with black comedian Slappy White, so they could exploit being one of the first, if not THE first, interracial comedy teams.
Then, even more exploitatively, he teamed up with a comedian named Bernie Allen, so he could try to fool the audiences that they were once again getting "Allen and Rossi".
The common thread here is that he needed these other comics more than they needed him.
They each had been, and were capable of being, single acts.
None of them needed to be teamed up.
Also, none of these new "teams" lasted very long.
None of them really needed straightmen.
So it wasn't long before each of them said "G'bye dere" to Steve.
Rossi was a pretty good singer, and he tried to make a go of it concentrating on the singing.
But, as most singers like him had already discovered, a dime could buy a dozen of him.
So that didn't really pan out too well either.
No hit records.
No major gigs.
The original Allen and Rossi made a couple of movies in the sixties that were, by all reports, horrible.
And it probably signaled the beginning of their fade into relative obscurity.
This all got me to thinking about the fading into total obscurity of the comedy team in general.
It has become practically a lost art form.
I hesitate using the term "art form" and "Allen and Rossi" in the same sentence.
But I waited too long to hesitate.
So there it is.
But there are practically none left.
Next time I'll start talking about the "comedy team" phenomenon, and why it has taken the path that it has, and how those many teams impacted our culture, and me personally.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My books ,"Show Runner" and it's sequel, "Show Runner Two", can be found at the Amazon Kindle Store.
Along with the newer ones, "The Man Is Dead", and "Report Cards".
You can search by typing in my name, Cindy Williams, Laverne and Shirley, The Odd Couple, or Happy Days.
Check them out.
You don't need a Kindle machine to download them.
Just get the free app from Kindle, and they can be downloaded to an IPhone, IPad, or Blackberry.
The paperbacks, "Mark Rothman's Essays" and my new novel, "I'm Not Garbo" are not
e-books. But they are available for people without Kindle.
I have many readings and signings lined up for those, and the thing about Kindle is you can't sign one. If you'd like one of the paperbacks, personally autographed, contact me at macchus999@aol.com.
And now, we've got my reading of my "Laverne and Shirley Movie" screenplay on YouTube, and my 4-hour interview at the Television Academy's Emmy TV Legends Website.
Here's the link: www.emmytvlegends.org/interviews/people/mark-rothman
*****
Friday, June 20, 2014
A Nice Guy.
I just finished watching "An All-Star Salute To Don Rickles", which I had Tivoed a couple of weeks ago, and, in all honesty, had rather dreaded watching.
I've mentioned here on a couple of occasions in the past that I'm not really a fan of Mr. Rickles' current work.
His act now consists of this very old stooped-over major star, singing a piece of special material for the first twenty minutes or so called "I'm a Nice Guy", in a very embarrassing fashion, then segueing into picking on poor defenseless tourists for the next two hours.
It seems longer.
In the early days with Rickles, when he worked the lounge at the Sahara, he was undoubtedly very funny picking on drunks his own size.
And on TV, he has always been hilarious picking on the Talk Show hosts, or with Dean Martin, where he'd pick on the likes of Jimmy Stewart or John Wayne.
So why did I Tivo this show?
And why did I watch this show?
Because appearing on it were some really great comedians, led by Jerry Seinfeld, who hosted, also Jon Stewart, and David Letterman, who closed the show.
I sort of knew what to expect, and I got what I expected, so I should have known better.
They all laid down and played dead for him, treating him like a living legend and an unmatched comedy icon.
These comedians genuinely seem to think that Rickles is that great.
And that offstage, he's one of the sweetest human beings who ever walked the planet.
A genuinely nice guy.
Maybe if they had witnessed what I had witnessed, that latter element might have disintegrated for them.
I was in Las Vegas, staying at the MGM Grand, high-rolling enough to get comped for meals and shows.
Rickles was headlining there.
I had seen him twice before and was severely disappointed in what I saw.
And thrilled that I wasn't sitting close enough to the stage to be turned into a target for him.
Much was made by the comedians at this "Salute" about how people feel "honored" to be insulted by him.
I always felt relieved that I wasn't.
He would also call people up on stage to humiliate them on an extended basis.
That's usually when I walked out.
Free or not.
But I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, and go again, figuring that maybe the third time would be the charm.
After all, it was still free.
So I go.
The lights go down.
Drumroll.
We hear an announcer's voice---"Ladies and gentlemen, the MGM Grand is proud to present, Miss Lorna Luft".
I am simultaneously delighted and confused at the same time.
There had been no indication that there would be an opening act of any kind, much less one of Ms. Luft's stature and talent.
Nothing on the marquee.
Nothing on the signs near the ticket windows.
Nothing.
I'm sure that's the way she wanted it.
Aren't you?
And she did about forty-five minutes, and was great.
Already, I was ahead of the game.
But questions filled my head.
Why weren't we informed that Ms. Luft was opening for Rickles?
This was bad show business.
And when Rickles came on, he made no acknowledgment that Ms. Luft had been on the premises, much less that she was wonderful.
It's hard enough being Judy Garland's daughter and Liza Minnelli's sister without Rickles slapping her in the face in public like that.
So, "Nice Guy"?
A myth.
And then, he came on and did his usual hockey puck crap, and I left earlier than even I had scheduled.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My books ,"Show Runner" and it's sequel, "Show Runner Two", can be found at the Amazon Kindle Store.
Along with the newer ones, "The Man Is Dead", and "Report Cards".
You can search by typing in my name, Cindy Williams, Laverne and Shirley, The Odd Couple, or Happy Days.
Check them out.
You don't need a Kindle machine to download them.
Just get the free app from Kindle, and they can be downloaded to an IPhone, IPad, or Blackberry.
The paperbacks, "Mark Rothman's Essays" and my new novel, "I'm Not Garbo" are not
e-books. But they are available for people without Kindle.
I have many readings and signings lined up for those, and the thing about Kindle is you can't sign one. If you'd like one of the paperbacks, personally autographed, contact me at macchus999@aol.com.
And now, we've got my reading of my "Laverne and Shirley Movie" screenplay on YouTube, and my 4-hour interview at the Television Academy's Emmy TV Legends Website.
Here's the link: www.emmytvlegends.org/interviews/people/mark-rothman
*****
I've mentioned here on a couple of occasions in the past that I'm not really a fan of Mr. Rickles' current work.
His act now consists of this very old stooped-over major star, singing a piece of special material for the first twenty minutes or so called "I'm a Nice Guy", in a very embarrassing fashion, then segueing into picking on poor defenseless tourists for the next two hours.
It seems longer.
In the early days with Rickles, when he worked the lounge at the Sahara, he was undoubtedly very funny picking on drunks his own size.
And on TV, he has always been hilarious picking on the Talk Show hosts, or with Dean Martin, where he'd pick on the likes of Jimmy Stewart or John Wayne.
So why did I Tivo this show?
And why did I watch this show?
Because appearing on it were some really great comedians, led by Jerry Seinfeld, who hosted, also Jon Stewart, and David Letterman, who closed the show.
I sort of knew what to expect, and I got what I expected, so I should have known better.
They all laid down and played dead for him, treating him like a living legend and an unmatched comedy icon.
These comedians genuinely seem to think that Rickles is that great.
And that offstage, he's one of the sweetest human beings who ever walked the planet.
A genuinely nice guy.
Maybe if they had witnessed what I had witnessed, that latter element might have disintegrated for them.
I was in Las Vegas, staying at the MGM Grand, high-rolling enough to get comped for meals and shows.
Rickles was headlining there.
I had seen him twice before and was severely disappointed in what I saw.
And thrilled that I wasn't sitting close enough to the stage to be turned into a target for him.
Much was made by the comedians at this "Salute" about how people feel "honored" to be insulted by him.
I always felt relieved that I wasn't.
He would also call people up on stage to humiliate them on an extended basis.
That's usually when I walked out.
Free or not.
But I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, and go again, figuring that maybe the third time would be the charm.
After all, it was still free.
So I go.
The lights go down.
Drumroll.
We hear an announcer's voice---"Ladies and gentlemen, the MGM Grand is proud to present, Miss Lorna Luft".
I am simultaneously delighted and confused at the same time.
There had been no indication that there would be an opening act of any kind, much less one of Ms. Luft's stature and talent.
Nothing on the marquee.
Nothing on the signs near the ticket windows.
Nothing.
I'm sure that's the way she wanted it.
Aren't you?
And she did about forty-five minutes, and was great.
Already, I was ahead of the game.
But questions filled my head.
Why weren't we informed that Ms. Luft was opening for Rickles?
This was bad show business.
And when Rickles came on, he made no acknowledgment that Ms. Luft had been on the premises, much less that she was wonderful.
It's hard enough being Judy Garland's daughter and Liza Minnelli's sister without Rickles slapping her in the face in public like that.
So, "Nice Guy"?
A myth.
And then, he came on and did his usual hockey puck crap, and I left earlier than even I had scheduled.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My books ,"Show Runner" and it's sequel, "Show Runner Two", can be found at the Amazon Kindle Store.
Along with the newer ones, "The Man Is Dead", and "Report Cards".
You can search by typing in my name, Cindy Williams, Laverne and Shirley, The Odd Couple, or Happy Days.
Check them out.
You don't need a Kindle machine to download them.
Just get the free app from Kindle, and they can be downloaded to an IPhone, IPad, or Blackberry.
The paperbacks, "Mark Rothman's Essays" and my new novel, "I'm Not Garbo" are not
e-books. But they are available for people without Kindle.
I have many readings and signings lined up for those, and the thing about Kindle is you can't sign one. If you'd like one of the paperbacks, personally autographed, contact me at macchus999@aol.com.
And now, we've got my reading of my "Laverne and Shirley Movie" screenplay on YouTube, and my 4-hour interview at the Television Academy's Emmy TV Legends Website.
Here's the link: www.emmytvlegends.org/interviews/people/mark-rothman
*****
Tuesday, June 17, 2014
The Anti-Tony Gwynns.
Everyone who knew him seemed to think that Tony Gwynn was not only an exemplary baseball player but also an exemplary human being.
His only major flaw proved to be his downfall: an addiction to chewing tobacco.
And even there, he led crusades to prevent kids from taking up the habit.
And of course, he died way too young.
This might have been his only flaw.
But it was a beaut.
Today, I'm going to tell you a story that I know to be true.
About the less exemplary side of some other major league baseball players.
I got this one from the horse's mouth.
From someone who was very much on the scene when it happened.
Phil Foster, who played Laverne's father on "Laverne and Shirley" was the source.
1969 was the year of the Amazin' Mets.
The year that they came from nowhere to win the World Series, and create pandemonium in New York City, and in the baseball world in general.
Some promotional genius decided to take advantage of this by booking four members of the Mets, Cleon Jones, Tommie Agee, Ed Kranepool, and Ron Swoboda, all heroes of the series in one way or another, into a three week engagement as headliners at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas.
What they were to do on stage was not quite certain.
Catch fly balls?
Hit fungoes?
Anyway, this chore was left to Phil Foster, who, along with designing the act, would emcee it, and serve as chaperone, or perhaps wrangler, if needed.
It was needed.
After the second night of their appearance, Cleon Jones and Tommie Agee were enraged.
Along with sharing a room, they also had shared two hookers.
And their plaint to Phil was that said hookers had rolled them.
They had stolen their wallets.
AFTER they had already paid them for their services.
So they were each out roughly an extra three hundred dollars.
They demanded swift retribution.
Phil had to quickly educate them in the ways of the world, and inform them that said retribution would most-likely not be forthcoming.
Cleon and Tommie stewed their way to the bar, where they proceeded to get sloshed in preparation for that evening's performance.
Like that would make a difference.
Theoretically, anyway.
But as it has been said in it's parlance, the show must go on.
So there it is, the third night of their engagement.
Phil is putting these non-performers through their paces onstage, before a packed house.
Cleon, looking out among the crowd, suddenly shouts "Tommie! Look!"
Cleon had spotted the two hookers sitting in the third row with this evening's Johns.
Cleon and Tommie, as of one mind, suddenly leap from the stage, bolting towards the hookers, both yelling versions of "Gimme back my wallet, and the money!"
The Johns were not in a chivalrous mood, and did not get involved.
Cleon and Tommie then proceeded to chase the hookers around the showroom, and both being pretty fleet afoot, grabbed the hookers and their purses, shook out the contents within, and retrieved their stolen property.
So after exacting their physical pounds of flesh from these women, they were now exacting additional metaphorical pounds of flesh from them.
All of this in front of a stunned audience, who just came to hear a few choruses of "Meet the Mets".
I suppose that sometimes swift retribution is possible.
But this is their legacy, and Tony Gwynn has his.
I think I'd prefer Tony's.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My books ,"Show Runner" and it's sequel, "Show Runner Two", can be found at the Amazon Kindle Store.
Along with the newer ones, "The Man Is Dead", and "Report Cards".
You can search by typing in my name, Cindy Williams, Laverne and Shirley, The Odd Couple, or Happy Days.
Check them out.
You don't need a Kindle machine to download them.
Just get the free app from Kindle, and they can be downloaded to an IPhone, IPad, or Blackberry.
The paperbacks, "Mark Rothman's Essays" and my new novel, "I'm Not Garbo" are not
e-books. But they are available for people without Kindle.
I have many readings and signings lined up for those, and the thing about Kindle is you can't sign one. If you'd like one of the paperbacks, personally autographed, contact me at macchus999@aol.com.
And now, we've got my reading of my "Laverne and Shirley Movie" screenplay on YouTube, and my 4-hour interview at the Television Academy's Emmy TV Legends Website.
Here's the link: www.emmytvlegends.org/interviews/people/mark-rothman
*****
His only major flaw proved to be his downfall: an addiction to chewing tobacco.
And even there, he led crusades to prevent kids from taking up the habit.
And of course, he died way too young.
This might have been his only flaw.
But it was a beaut.
Today, I'm going to tell you a story that I know to be true.
About the less exemplary side of some other major league baseball players.
I got this one from the horse's mouth.
From someone who was very much on the scene when it happened.
Phil Foster, who played Laverne's father on "Laverne and Shirley" was the source.
1969 was the year of the Amazin' Mets.
The year that they came from nowhere to win the World Series, and create pandemonium in New York City, and in the baseball world in general.
Some promotional genius decided to take advantage of this by booking four members of the Mets, Cleon Jones, Tommie Agee, Ed Kranepool, and Ron Swoboda, all heroes of the series in one way or another, into a three week engagement as headliners at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas.
What they were to do on stage was not quite certain.
Catch fly balls?
Hit fungoes?
Anyway, this chore was left to Phil Foster, who, along with designing the act, would emcee it, and serve as chaperone, or perhaps wrangler, if needed.
It was needed.
After the second night of their appearance, Cleon Jones and Tommie Agee were enraged.
Along with sharing a room, they also had shared two hookers.
And their plaint to Phil was that said hookers had rolled them.
They had stolen their wallets.
AFTER they had already paid them for their services.
So they were each out roughly an extra three hundred dollars.
They demanded swift retribution.
Phil had to quickly educate them in the ways of the world, and inform them that said retribution would most-likely not be forthcoming.
Cleon and Tommie stewed their way to the bar, where they proceeded to get sloshed in preparation for that evening's performance.
Like that would make a difference.
Theoretically, anyway.
But as it has been said in it's parlance, the show must go on.
So there it is, the third night of their engagement.
Phil is putting these non-performers through their paces onstage, before a packed house.
Cleon, looking out among the crowd, suddenly shouts "Tommie! Look!"
Cleon had spotted the two hookers sitting in the third row with this evening's Johns.
Cleon and Tommie, as of one mind, suddenly leap from the stage, bolting towards the hookers, both yelling versions of "Gimme back my wallet, and the money!"
The Johns were not in a chivalrous mood, and did not get involved.
Cleon and Tommie then proceeded to chase the hookers around the showroom, and both being pretty fleet afoot, grabbed the hookers and their purses, shook out the contents within, and retrieved their stolen property.
So after exacting their physical pounds of flesh from these women, they were now exacting additional metaphorical pounds of flesh from them.
All of this in front of a stunned audience, who just came to hear a few choruses of "Meet the Mets".
I suppose that sometimes swift retribution is possible.
But this is their legacy, and Tony Gwynn has his.
I think I'd prefer Tony's.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My books ,"Show Runner" and it's sequel, "Show Runner Two", can be found at the Amazon Kindle Store.
Along with the newer ones, "The Man Is Dead", and "Report Cards".
You can search by typing in my name, Cindy Williams, Laverne and Shirley, The Odd Couple, or Happy Days.
Check them out.
You don't need a Kindle machine to download them.
Just get the free app from Kindle, and they can be downloaded to an IPhone, IPad, or Blackberry.
The paperbacks, "Mark Rothman's Essays" and my new novel, "I'm Not Garbo" are not
e-books. But they are available for people without Kindle.
I have many readings and signings lined up for those, and the thing about Kindle is you can't sign one. If you'd like one of the paperbacks, personally autographed, contact me at macchus999@aol.com.
And now, we've got my reading of my "Laverne and Shirley Movie" screenplay on YouTube, and my 4-hour interview at the Television Academy's Emmy TV Legends Website.
Here's the link: www.emmytvlegends.org/interviews/people/mark-rothman
*****
Friday, June 13, 2014
Hummers.
Okay.
Last time out, I took a crap on "Petticoat Junction".
Do I think it was the worst show ever to grace the airwaves?
Hardly.
It's said that nobody starts out to make a bad sitcom.
I think that this is true.
What's also true is that a whole lotta times, people start out intending to not necessarily make a good sitcom.
It's more a matter of indifference.
Or perhaps questionable taste.
Or lack of inspiration.
I think that this was the case with "Petticoat Junction".
It also applies to such shows as:
Family Affair
My Three Sons
Green Acres
The Doris Day Show
The Brady Bunch
The Donna Reed Show
Gilligans Island
Bridget Loves Bernie
Courtship of Eddie's Father
Mister Ed
My Favorite Martian
The Flying Nun
and countless others.
Mel Brooks has referred to these types of shows as "Hummers"
There's a noise in the living room.
A humming noise.
Somebody asks ""What's that humming noise?"
He then notices that the TV set is turned on, tuned to one of these shows.
He goes to the TV set, turns it off, and says "There. That's better."
What "hummers" have in common is that they don't require your attention.
All they have to be is on.
What they all have in common is that they're all single-camera sitcoms.
And back in the day, they all had laugh tracks.
I don't think that laugh tracks exist any more.
I could be wrong.
If you did pay attention to them, you might notice that they were all pretty much bad shows.
But there was a high end for hummers:
The Andy Griffith Show.
Ozzie and Harriet.
Father Knows Best.
They all qualify.
The main problem is that many people actually prefer hummers to any other form of TV.
One of the most dismaying afternoons I ever spent was when we took a couple of episodes of "She's The Sheriff" to the Preview House to be tested and focus-grouped before we aired any of them.
In the focus group, one man piped up with "You know why I don't like this show? Because you have to pay attention to it. You can't just sit there and do a crossword puzzle or read the paper while it's on."
I don't think that this has changed.
If anything, it has gotten worse.
This is why I now prefer to write plays.
Even movies can be watched like TV.
But you have to sit in the dark to watch a play.
No crossword puzzles.
No Sudoku.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My books ,"Show Runner" and it's sequel, "Show Runner Two", can be found at the Amazon Kindle Store.
Along with the newer ones, "The Man Is Dead", and "Report Cards".
You can search by typing in my name, Cindy Williams, Laverne and Shirley, The Odd Couple, or Happy Days.
Check them out.
You don't need a Kindle machine to download them.
Just get the free app from Kindle, and they can be downloaded to an IPhone, IPad, or Blackberry.
The paperbacks, "Mark Rothman's Essays" and my new novel, "I'm Not Garbo" are not
e-books. But they are available for people without Kindle.
I have many readings and signings lined up for those, and the thing about Kindle is you can't sign one. If you'd like one of the paperbacks, personally autographed, contact me at macchus999@aol.com.
And now, we've got my reading of my "Laverne and Shirley Movie" screenplay on YouTube, and my 4-hour interview at the Television Academy's Emmy TV Legends Website.
Here's the link: www.emmytvlegends.org/interviews/people/mark-rothman
*****
Last time out, I took a crap on "Petticoat Junction".
Do I think it was the worst show ever to grace the airwaves?
Hardly.
It's said that nobody starts out to make a bad sitcom.
I think that this is true.
What's also true is that a whole lotta times, people start out intending to not necessarily make a good sitcom.
It's more a matter of indifference.
Or perhaps questionable taste.
Or lack of inspiration.
I think that this was the case with "Petticoat Junction".
It also applies to such shows as:
Family Affair
My Three Sons
Green Acres
The Doris Day Show
The Brady Bunch
The Donna Reed Show
Gilligans Island
Bridget Loves Bernie
Courtship of Eddie's Father
Mister Ed
My Favorite Martian
The Flying Nun
and countless others.
Mel Brooks has referred to these types of shows as "Hummers"
There's a noise in the living room.
A humming noise.
Somebody asks ""What's that humming noise?"
He then notices that the TV set is turned on, tuned to one of these shows.
He goes to the TV set, turns it off, and says "There. That's better."
What "hummers" have in common is that they don't require your attention.
All they have to be is on.
What they all have in common is that they're all single-camera sitcoms.
And back in the day, they all had laugh tracks.
I don't think that laugh tracks exist any more.
I could be wrong.
If you did pay attention to them, you might notice that they were all pretty much bad shows.
But there was a high end for hummers:
The Andy Griffith Show.
Ozzie and Harriet.
Father Knows Best.
They all qualify.
The main problem is that many people actually prefer hummers to any other form of TV.
One of the most dismaying afternoons I ever spent was when we took a couple of episodes of "She's The Sheriff" to the Preview House to be tested and focus-grouped before we aired any of them.
In the focus group, one man piped up with "You know why I don't like this show? Because you have to pay attention to it. You can't just sit there and do a crossword puzzle or read the paper while it's on."
I don't think that this has changed.
If anything, it has gotten worse.
This is why I now prefer to write plays.
Even movies can be watched like TV.
But you have to sit in the dark to watch a play.
No crossword puzzles.
No Sudoku.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My books ,"Show Runner" and it's sequel, "Show Runner Two", can be found at the Amazon Kindle Store.
Along with the newer ones, "The Man Is Dead", and "Report Cards".
You can search by typing in my name, Cindy Williams, Laverne and Shirley, The Odd Couple, or Happy Days.
Check them out.
You don't need a Kindle machine to download them.
Just get the free app from Kindle, and they can be downloaded to an IPhone, IPad, or Blackberry.
The paperbacks, "Mark Rothman's Essays" and my new novel, "I'm Not Garbo" are not
e-books. But they are available for people without Kindle.
I have many readings and signings lined up for those, and the thing about Kindle is you can't sign one. If you'd like one of the paperbacks, personally autographed, contact me at macchus999@aol.com.
And now, we've got my reading of my "Laverne and Shirley Movie" screenplay on YouTube, and my 4-hour interview at the Television Academy's Emmy TV Legends Website.
Here's the link: www.emmytvlegends.org/interviews/people/mark-rothman
*****
Tuesday, June 10, 2014
The Hooterville Conundrum *.
When I was a teenager, growing up in Queens, New York, "Petticoat Junction" was a staple of our TV viewing.
Actually, it was a staple of my mother's TV viewing.
But, as we only had one TV set, it was also absorbed into my consciousness.
I can't actually say that I had more than one eye on it at any one time.
But when my mother was watching "Petticoat Junction", it was accurate to say that all was right in the world.
Or at least, in her world.
I left, or more accurately, escaped, this home environment at about the time that Bea Benaderet passed away, and "Petticoat Junction" made whatever changes were deemed necessary to accommodate this sad event.
I knew that they schlepped in June Lockhart.
This seemed like a good fit.
At least to the untrained eye.
But once I had evacuated the premises, I never looked back as far as "Petticoat Junction" was concerned.
Imagine my horror, then, when, a few days ago, after watching a Tivoed episode of "Make Room For Daddy", it then bled into the opening credits of a post-Bea Benaderet episode of "Petticoat Junction".
The music and singing sounded similar.
But then, it "went off the track".
You had to pay close attention.
Something I never thought I'd ever say about this show.
Edgar Buchanan now received top billing.
And not only was there no indication in the lyric that his "Uncle Joe" was movin' even remotely kinda slow, but we were informed that the Shady Rest was now "run by Joe".
"Run by Joe"?
So what was it?
Did he have a hip replacement?
And who the hell was he to be runnin ' a hotel?
Conrad Hilton?
They didn't shlep in June Lockhart to replace Bea Benaderet to run the place.
According to the lyric, she was "A lady M.D. who was pretty as can be".
It doesn't seem to me that the Shady Rest needed any kind of M.D. when Bea was doing the cooking.
So was Joe not only runnin' the place but apparently also doing the cooking.
Lockhart may have been needed to handle the many cases of ptomaine poisoning that must have ensued.
On the shot of Edgar Buchanan, under his credit, he actually got up from his chair, headed for the door, and slyly beckoned you to check in at the Shady Rest.
And with the look on his face, you had the feeling that you could rent a room by the hour if you wanted to.
No questions asked.
And that all transactions would be handled off the books.
The place had no doubt gone to seed.
And the girls in the water tower?
They no longer received billing.
How was one to keep track of the many cast replacements for these parts?
How must they have felt?
I was distressed.
I was outraged.
Imagine how my mother felt.
All things could not have been right in the world any longer for her.
Not being a woman of particularly good taste, I became aware of the extremely good taste my mother had shown in not subsequently sharing her undoubted rancor with me.
She deserved better than that.
* This one is dedicated to the memory of the great Charles Lane.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My books ,"Show Runner" and it's sequel, "Show Runner Two", can be found at the Amazon Kindle Store.
Along with the newer ones, "The Man Is Dead", and "Report Cards".
You can search by typing in my name, Cindy Williams, Laverne and Shirley, The Odd Couple, or Happy Days.
Check them out.
You don't need a Kindle machine to download them.
Just get the free app from Kindle, and they can be downloaded to an IPhone, IPad, or Blackberry.
The paperbacks, "Mark Rothman's Essays" and my new novel, "I'm Not Garbo" are not
e-books. But they are available for people without Kindle.
I have many readings and signings lined up for those, and the thing about Kindle is you can't sign one. If you'd like one of the paperbacks, personally autographed, contact me at macchus999@aol.com.
And now, we've got my reading of my "Laverne and Shirley Movie" screenplay on YouTube, and my 4-hour interview at the Television Academy's Emmy TV Legends Website.
Here's the link: www.emmytvlegends.org/interviews/people/mark-rothman
*****
Actually, it was a staple of my mother's TV viewing.
But, as we only had one TV set, it was also absorbed into my consciousness.
I can't actually say that I had more than one eye on it at any one time.
But when my mother was watching "Petticoat Junction", it was accurate to say that all was right in the world.
Or at least, in her world.
I left, or more accurately, escaped, this home environment at about the time that Bea Benaderet passed away, and "Petticoat Junction" made whatever changes were deemed necessary to accommodate this sad event.
I knew that they schlepped in June Lockhart.
This seemed like a good fit.
At least to the untrained eye.
But once I had evacuated the premises, I never looked back as far as "Petticoat Junction" was concerned.
Imagine my horror, then, when, a few days ago, after watching a Tivoed episode of "Make Room For Daddy", it then bled into the opening credits of a post-Bea Benaderet episode of "Petticoat Junction".
The music and singing sounded similar.
But then, it "went off the track".
You had to pay close attention.
Something I never thought I'd ever say about this show.
Edgar Buchanan now received top billing.
And not only was there no indication in the lyric that his "Uncle Joe" was movin' even remotely kinda slow, but we were informed that the Shady Rest was now "run by Joe".
"Run by Joe"?
So what was it?
Did he have a hip replacement?
And who the hell was he to be runnin ' a hotel?
Conrad Hilton?
They didn't shlep in June Lockhart to replace Bea Benaderet to run the place.
According to the lyric, she was "A lady M.D. who was pretty as can be".
It doesn't seem to me that the Shady Rest needed any kind of M.D. when Bea was doing the cooking.
So was Joe not only runnin' the place but apparently also doing the cooking.
Lockhart may have been needed to handle the many cases of ptomaine poisoning that must have ensued.
On the shot of Edgar Buchanan, under his credit, he actually got up from his chair, headed for the door, and slyly beckoned you to check in at the Shady Rest.
And with the look on his face, you had the feeling that you could rent a room by the hour if you wanted to.
No questions asked.
And that all transactions would be handled off the books.
The place had no doubt gone to seed.
And the girls in the water tower?
They no longer received billing.
How was one to keep track of the many cast replacements for these parts?
How must they have felt?
I was distressed.
I was outraged.
Imagine how my mother felt.
All things could not have been right in the world any longer for her.
Not being a woman of particularly good taste, I became aware of the extremely good taste my mother had shown in not subsequently sharing her undoubted rancor with me.
She deserved better than that.
* This one is dedicated to the memory of the great Charles Lane.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My books ,"Show Runner" and it's sequel, "Show Runner Two", can be found at the Amazon Kindle Store.
Along with the newer ones, "The Man Is Dead", and "Report Cards".
You can search by typing in my name, Cindy Williams, Laverne and Shirley, The Odd Couple, or Happy Days.
Check them out.
You don't need a Kindle machine to download them.
Just get the free app from Kindle, and they can be downloaded to an IPhone, IPad, or Blackberry.
The paperbacks, "Mark Rothman's Essays" and my new novel, "I'm Not Garbo" are not
e-books. But they are available for people without Kindle.
I have many readings and signings lined up for those, and the thing about Kindle is you can't sign one. If you'd like one of the paperbacks, personally autographed, contact me at macchus999@aol.com.
And now, we've got my reading of my "Laverne and Shirley Movie" screenplay on YouTube, and my 4-hour interview at the Television Academy's Emmy TV Legends Website.
Here's the link: www.emmytvlegends.org/interviews/people/mark-rothman
*****
Thursday, June 5, 2014
To Me, She'll Always Be Charmaine Schultz, Part Two.
I'm doing this one pretty much for myself, and a select few.
It's very much like playing to the band.
It interests me, and maybe not many others.
So, stick with me if you care to.
I knew that Ann B. Davis had won two Emmys for "The Bob Cummings Show".
But I never knew who her competition was.
Because it was something that interested me, I decided to investigate.
It was all there in Wikipedia.
All the various colors and markings are their doing.
The goal here is to determine who I think should have won all five years Ann B. Davis was nominated, and whether she was ever deserving of winning.
The award was for Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series.
So what's the best criteria to determine this?
Well, being outstanding, for one.
Funny counts for a lot with me.
Talent and versatility are major considerations.
She must truly provide support.
And it must be a comedy series.
Those last two actually sometimes become an issue.
So I will go year by year, and dope it out.
The winner for each year is the top one listed, and tanned out, color-wise.
1955-1956:
1955-1956: Nanette Fabray was easily the class of the field, in all respects.
She filled Imogene Coca's shoes admirably, and was every bit as funny, going toe to
toe with Sid Caesar.
Ann B. Davis broke in Schultzy, and charmed the pants off America.
She certainly deserved the nomination, but as she later proved, was limited in what she
could play, and really wasn't a laugh riot.
Jean Hagen, as the first Mrs. Danny Thomas, either chose to, or was forced to, not be
funny on this show. And if you saw "Singin' In The Rain", you certainly know that
she was hilarious. Marjorie Lord, as the second Mrs. Danny Thomas, was much
funnier.
Audrey Meadows was great as Alice Kramden, going at it with Gleason, Hilarious.
Great timing. She was the best of three Alice Kramdens. She was the more talented
of the Meadows sisters. But I don't recall her being even remotely funny in anything
else.
Thelma Ritter was one of the greats. And one of the funniest. But "A Catered Affair"
was a play. A very good play. And I'll bet she was great in it. But it's not a comedy.
And it wasn't a series. I don't know what she's doing here.
Nanette Fabray. No contest.
1956-1957: For pure talent and funny, nobody can beat Pat Carroll. I worked on three series with
her. I wouldn't deny her anything. She was used so sporadically on Caesar's Hour that it
really didn't show her off well. I think the nomination was nothing more than a slap in
the face to Janet Blair, who couldn't fill Coca's or Fabray's or anybody's shoes.
Ann B. Davis: Nothing either improved or got worse from the previous year.
Audrey Meadows: Ditto.
Mildred Natwick: What I said about Thelma Ritter essentially applies here, except I
never liked her work as much as Ritter's, and Blithe Spirit, though a one-shot play, was,
in fact, a comedy.
Vivian Vance: Was always a hoot, and always made Lucy look better. Desi knew what
was doing when he cast her.
Vivian Vance. I'd have stuffed the ballot box myself.
1957-1958: Ann B. Davis---Schultzy's first win. I think there were better options.
Pat Carroll: Same issue as the previous year.
Verna Felton: Played Spring Byington's best friend on "December Bride" A walking
punchline. Nobody could deliver snappers like her. You might also remember her as
Dennis Day's mother on the Jack Benny Show. Just as funny there.
Marion Lorne: Given the opportunity, I would have voted for her earlier, when she was
nominated for Mr. Peepers, doing the same dithering act as on The Garry Moore Show
and Bewitched. I think I only saw "Sally" a few times. It wasn't good, and she couldn't
save it.
Vivian Vance: Still Ethel, and still great. This one's a very close call.
I tossed a coin, and it came up Verna Felton.
1958-1959: Ann B. Davis: Schultzy wins again, against a considerably weaker field
Still doesn't get my vote.
Rosemary DeCamp: Never made me laugh.
Elinor Donahue: Much as I've loved her personally, folks, let's face it. "Father Knows
Best" was not a comedy.
Verna Felton: Another year older and just as funny.
Kathleen Nolan: Never made ANYBODY laugh.
Zasu Pitts: Had this Olive Oyl shtick that she did that was pretty funny, and
was the only thing that made "The Gale Storm Show" watchable.
It's once again Verna Felton. Good thing she was in the race, or I might have had to vote for Zasu.
So no, I suppose I don't think Ann B. Davis deserved her Emmys.
But she certainly didn't deserve her ignominious death either.
It was very sad to hear how she went.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My books ,"Show Runner" and it's sequel, "Show Runner Two", can be found at the Amazon Kindle Store.
Along with the newer ones, "The Man Is Dead", and "Report Cards".
You can search by typing in my name, Cindy Williams, Laverne and Shirley, The Odd Couple, or Happy Days.
Check them out.
You don't need a Kindle machine to download them.
Just get the free app from Kindle, and they can be downloaded to an IPhone, IPad, or Blackberry.
The paperbacks, "Mark Rothman's Essays" and my new novel, "I'm Not Garbo" are not
e-books. But they are available for people without Kindle.
I have many readings and signings lined up for those, and the thing about Kindle is you can't sign one. If you'd like one of the paperbacks, personally autographed, contact me at macchus999@aol.com.
And now, we've got my reading of my "Laverne and Shirley Movie" screenplay on YouTube, and my 4-hour interview at the Television Academy's Emmy TV Legends Website.
Here's the link: www.emmytvlegends.org/interviews/people/mark-rothman
*****
It's very much like playing to the band.
It interests me, and maybe not many others.
So, stick with me if you care to.
I knew that Ann B. Davis had won two Emmys for "The Bob Cummings Show".
But I never knew who her competition was.
Because it was something that interested me, I decided to investigate.
It was all there in Wikipedia.
All the various colors and markings are their doing.
The goal here is to determine who I think should have won all five years Ann B. Davis was nominated, and whether she was ever deserving of winning.
The award was for Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series.
So what's the best criteria to determine this?
Well, being outstanding, for one.
Funny counts for a lot with me.
Talent and versatility are major considerations.
She must truly provide support.
And it must be a comedy series.
Those last two actually sometimes become an issue.
So I will go year by year, and dope it out.
The winner for each year is the top one listed, and tanned out, color-wise.
1955-1956:
1955-1956: Nanette Fabray was easily the class of the field, in all respects.
She filled Imogene Coca's shoes admirably, and was every bit as funny, going toe to
toe with Sid Caesar.
Ann B. Davis broke in Schultzy, and charmed the pants off America.
She certainly deserved the nomination, but as she later proved, was limited in what she
could play, and really wasn't a laugh riot.
Jean Hagen, as the first Mrs. Danny Thomas, either chose to, or was forced to, not be
funny on this show. And if you saw "Singin' In The Rain", you certainly know that
she was hilarious. Marjorie Lord, as the second Mrs. Danny Thomas, was much
funnier.
Audrey Meadows was great as Alice Kramden, going at it with Gleason, Hilarious.
Great timing. She was the best of three Alice Kramdens. She was the more talented
of the Meadows sisters. But I don't recall her being even remotely funny in anything
else.
Thelma Ritter was one of the greats. And one of the funniest. But "A Catered Affair"
was a play. A very good play. And I'll bet she was great in it. But it's not a comedy.
And it wasn't a series. I don't know what she's doing here.
Nanette Fabray. No contest.
1956-1957: For pure talent and funny, nobody can beat Pat Carroll. I worked on three series with
her. I wouldn't deny her anything. She was used so sporadically on Caesar's Hour that it
really didn't show her off well. I think the nomination was nothing more than a slap in
the face to Janet Blair, who couldn't fill Coca's or Fabray's or anybody's shoes.
Ann B. Davis: Nothing either improved or got worse from the previous year.
Audrey Meadows: Ditto.
Mildred Natwick: What I said about Thelma Ritter essentially applies here, except I
never liked her work as much as Ritter's, and Blithe Spirit, though a one-shot play, was,
in fact, a comedy.
Vivian Vance: Was always a hoot, and always made Lucy look better. Desi knew what
was doing when he cast her.
Vivian Vance. I'd have stuffed the ballot box myself.
1957-1958: Ann B. Davis---Schultzy's first win. I think there were better options.
Pat Carroll: Same issue as the previous year.
Verna Felton: Played Spring Byington's best friend on "December Bride" A walking
punchline. Nobody could deliver snappers like her. You might also remember her as
Dennis Day's mother on the Jack Benny Show. Just as funny there.
Marion Lorne: Given the opportunity, I would have voted for her earlier, when she was
nominated for Mr. Peepers, doing the same dithering act as on The Garry Moore Show
and Bewitched. I think I only saw "Sally" a few times. It wasn't good, and she couldn't
save it.
Vivian Vance: Still Ethel, and still great. This one's a very close call.
I tossed a coin, and it came up Verna Felton.
1958-1959: Ann B. Davis: Schultzy wins again, against a considerably weaker field
Still doesn't get my vote.
Rosemary DeCamp: Never made me laugh.
Elinor Donahue: Much as I've loved her personally, folks, let's face it. "Father Knows
Best" was not a comedy.
Verna Felton: Another year older and just as funny.
Kathleen Nolan: Never made ANYBODY laugh.
Zasu Pitts: Had this Olive Oyl shtick that she did that was pretty funny, and
was the only thing that made "The Gale Storm Show" watchable.
It's once again Verna Felton. Good thing she was in the race, or I might have had to vote for Zasu.
So no, I suppose I don't think Ann B. Davis deserved her Emmys.
But she certainly didn't deserve her ignominious death either.
It was very sad to hear how she went.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My books ,"Show Runner" and it's sequel, "Show Runner Two", can be found at the Amazon Kindle Store.
Along with the newer ones, "The Man Is Dead", and "Report Cards".
You can search by typing in my name, Cindy Williams, Laverne and Shirley, The Odd Couple, or Happy Days.
Check them out.
You don't need a Kindle machine to download them.
Just get the free app from Kindle, and they can be downloaded to an IPhone, IPad, or Blackberry.
The paperbacks, "Mark Rothman's Essays" and my new novel, "I'm Not Garbo" are not
e-books. But they are available for people without Kindle.
I have many readings and signings lined up for those, and the thing about Kindle is you can't sign one. If you'd like one of the paperbacks, personally autographed, contact me at macchus999@aol.com.
And now, we've got my reading of my "Laverne and Shirley Movie" screenplay on YouTube, and my 4-hour interview at the Television Academy's Emmy TV Legends Website.
Here's the link: www.emmytvlegends.org/interviews/people/mark-rothman
*****
Tuesday, June 3, 2014
To Me, She'll Always Be Charmaine Schultz. Part One.
The TV news reports following the death of Ann B. Davis went pretty much as I thought they would.
Lots of attention, befitting a TV icon.
Centering almost exclusively on her work as the maid on "The Brady Bunch".
Her character name was Alice.
This was news to me.
As I only watched "The Brady Bunch" once, and realized I'd never go back, thus I never retained the name "Alice".
The TV reports all expressed mild shock that she had received two Emmy Awards.
But not for "The Brady Bunch"
Rather for a relic from the Stone Age of TV Sitcom: "The Bob Cummings Show".
That show ran for five years, from 1955 through 1959.
It had an extended life in syndication, where it was known as "Love That Bob".
For our purposes, let's refer to it that way.
The writing muscle for "The Brady Bunch" was Sherwood Schwartz.
The writing muscle for "Love That Bob" was Paul Henning.
They were both cut from the same piece of cloth.
They were both very talented writers, who both worked on very respectable shows.
Schwartz worked for Bob Hope, Ozzie and Harriet, and Red Skelton.
Henning did extensive work for Burns and Allen.
"Burns and Allen"was a very difficult show for a writer.
He'd have to keep coming up with double-entendre straight lines for the other characters to deliver to Gracie, so she could choose the wrong entendre.
And Schwartz and Henning both descended into the world of utter crap in their later careers.
Henning with "The Beverly Hillbillies", Petticoat Junction", and "Green Acres".
Schwartz with "Gilligan's Island" and "The Brady Bunch"
"Love That Bob" was a MUCH better show than "The Brady Bunch".
But that's not really saying much.
"Love That Bob" was pretty funny.
And Henning was still flexing his writing chops.
And it starred a wonderful light comedian, Bob Cummings.
The dialogue was excellent.
It was hardball comedy.
And it was probably the first sitcom to equally use the home environment and the office environment.
"The Dick Van Dyke Show" is usually given credit for that, but "Love That Bob" preceded it by about five years.
But there was an underlying problem with "Love That Bob".
The premise was unredeemingly dopey.
Dopey along the lines of "If the Professor can come up with all these inventions, why can't he build a raft to get them all off the island?"
Cummings played a glamor boy Hollywood Photographer.
Your standard wolf.
He lived in a house with his sister (Rosemary DeCamp), and her son, (Dwayne Hickman).
It was never established whose house it was.
Bob and his sister were constantly arguing about something.
Usually about how Bob's womanizing was a bad influence on her son.
Or about how his sister's constant meddling in his life was untenable.
This led to a lot of plots that involved scheming.
A lower form of comedy.
And it all begged the question "Why did they all live in the same house?
If it was her house, why didn't he just live somewhere else?
If it was his house, why didn't he just have them leave?
This was the major question we dealt with on "The Odd Couple"
If they drove each other that crazy, why did they stay together?
We all resolved it by calling attention to the fact that deep-down, they loved each other.
There seemed to be no love in the Cummings household. Only scheming.
It was a shallow sitcom.
Ann B. Davis was an oasis on this show, playing Bob's hopelessly smitten secretary at his studio.
Smitten with Bob, and all men in general.
She was totally charming.
Perhaps more charming than funny.
But funny nonetheless.
It's just the kind of character that wouldn't fly today because of the brazenness of her man-chasing.
And it didn't help that she wasn't particularly attractive.
It was the same dynamic that existed in those MGM musicals where Betty Garrett chased after Frank Sinatra when he was smitten with Esther Williams.
But the curse was somewhat taken off because Betty Garrett was attractive in her own right.
No Esther Williams, but still attractive.
And she'd always end up with him.
Ann B. Davis's character's name on "Love That Bob" was "Schultzy", short for "Charmaine Schultz"
When I was in my early twenties, and people still remembered "Schultzy", I would stump my colleagues with the question "What was "Schultzy"'s first name?"
I was the only one who knew it was "Charmaine".
And now, I seem to be the only one who remembers that she played "Schultzy"
She was nominated for the Emmy for all five years that "Love That Bob" was on.
She won for the last two.
Next time, I'm going to go down the list of nominees for that award for those years to offer up my thoughts on who should have won..
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My books ,"Show Runner" and it's sequel, "Show Runner Two", can be found at the Amazon Kindle Store.
Along with the newer ones, "The Man Is Dead", and "Report Cards".
You can search by typing in my name, Cindy Williams, Laverne and Shirley, The Odd Couple, or Happy Days.
Check them out.
You don't need a Kindle machine to download them.
Just get the free app from Kindle, and they can be downloaded to an IPhone, IPad, or Blackberry.
The paperbacks, "Mark Rothman's Essays" and my new novel, "I'm Not Garbo" are not
e-books. But they are available for people without Kindle.
I have many readings and signings lined up for those, and the thing about Kindle is you can't sign one. If you'd like one of the paperbacks, personally autographed, contact me at macchus999@aol.com.
And now, we've got my reading of my "Laverne and Shirley Movie" screenplay on YouTube, and my 4-hour interview at the Television Academy's Emmy TV Legends Website.
Here's the link: www.emmytvlegends.org/interviews/people/mark-rothman
*****
Lots of attention, befitting a TV icon.
Centering almost exclusively on her work as the maid on "The Brady Bunch".
Her character name was Alice.
This was news to me.
As I only watched "The Brady Bunch" once, and realized I'd never go back, thus I never retained the name "Alice".
The TV reports all expressed mild shock that she had received two Emmy Awards.
But not for "The Brady Bunch"
Rather for a relic from the Stone Age of TV Sitcom: "The Bob Cummings Show".
That show ran for five years, from 1955 through 1959.
It had an extended life in syndication, where it was known as "Love That Bob".
For our purposes, let's refer to it that way.
The writing muscle for "The Brady Bunch" was Sherwood Schwartz.
The writing muscle for "Love That Bob" was Paul Henning.
They were both cut from the same piece of cloth.
They were both very talented writers, who both worked on very respectable shows.
Schwartz worked for Bob Hope, Ozzie and Harriet, and Red Skelton.
Henning did extensive work for Burns and Allen.
"Burns and Allen"was a very difficult show for a writer.
He'd have to keep coming up with double-entendre straight lines for the other characters to deliver to Gracie, so she could choose the wrong entendre.
And Schwartz and Henning both descended into the world of utter crap in their later careers.
Henning with "The Beverly Hillbillies", Petticoat Junction", and "Green Acres".
Schwartz with "Gilligan's Island" and "The Brady Bunch"
"Love That Bob" was a MUCH better show than "The Brady Bunch".
But that's not really saying much.
"Love That Bob" was pretty funny.
And Henning was still flexing his writing chops.
And it starred a wonderful light comedian, Bob Cummings.
The dialogue was excellent.
It was hardball comedy.
And it was probably the first sitcom to equally use the home environment and the office environment.
"The Dick Van Dyke Show" is usually given credit for that, but "Love That Bob" preceded it by about five years.
But there was an underlying problem with "Love That Bob".
The premise was unredeemingly dopey.
Dopey along the lines of "If the Professor can come up with all these inventions, why can't he build a raft to get them all off the island?"
Cummings played a glamor boy Hollywood Photographer.
Your standard wolf.
He lived in a house with his sister (Rosemary DeCamp), and her son, (Dwayne Hickman).
It was never established whose house it was.
Bob and his sister were constantly arguing about something.
Usually about how Bob's womanizing was a bad influence on her son.
Or about how his sister's constant meddling in his life was untenable.
This led to a lot of plots that involved scheming.
A lower form of comedy.
And it all begged the question "Why did they all live in the same house?
If it was her house, why didn't he just live somewhere else?
If it was his house, why didn't he just have them leave?
This was the major question we dealt with on "The Odd Couple"
If they drove each other that crazy, why did they stay together?
We all resolved it by calling attention to the fact that deep-down, they loved each other.
There seemed to be no love in the Cummings household. Only scheming.
It was a shallow sitcom.
Ann B. Davis was an oasis on this show, playing Bob's hopelessly smitten secretary at his studio.
Smitten with Bob, and all men in general.
She was totally charming.
Perhaps more charming than funny.
But funny nonetheless.
It's just the kind of character that wouldn't fly today because of the brazenness of her man-chasing.
And it didn't help that she wasn't particularly attractive.
It was the same dynamic that existed in those MGM musicals where Betty Garrett chased after Frank Sinatra when he was smitten with Esther Williams.
But the curse was somewhat taken off because Betty Garrett was attractive in her own right.
No Esther Williams, but still attractive.
And she'd always end up with him.
Ann B. Davis's character's name on "Love That Bob" was "Schultzy", short for "Charmaine Schultz"
When I was in my early twenties, and people still remembered "Schultzy", I would stump my colleagues with the question "What was "Schultzy"'s first name?"
I was the only one who knew it was "Charmaine".
And now, I seem to be the only one who remembers that she played "Schultzy"
She was nominated for the Emmy for all five years that "Love That Bob" was on.
She won for the last two.
Next time, I'm going to go down the list of nominees for that award for those years to offer up my thoughts on who should have won..
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My books ,"Show Runner" and it's sequel, "Show Runner Two", can be found at the Amazon Kindle Store.
Along with the newer ones, "The Man Is Dead", and "Report Cards".
You can search by typing in my name, Cindy Williams, Laverne and Shirley, The Odd Couple, or Happy Days.
Check them out.
You don't need a Kindle machine to download them.
Just get the free app from Kindle, and they can be downloaded to an IPhone, IPad, or Blackberry.
The paperbacks, "Mark Rothman's Essays" and my new novel, "I'm Not Garbo" are not
e-books. But they are available for people without Kindle.
I have many readings and signings lined up for those, and the thing about Kindle is you can't sign one. If you'd like one of the paperbacks, personally autographed, contact me at macchus999@aol.com.
And now, we've got my reading of my "Laverne and Shirley Movie" screenplay on YouTube, and my 4-hour interview at the Television Academy's Emmy TV Legends Website.
Here's the link: www.emmytvlegends.org/interviews/people/mark-rothman
*****
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