Happy Birthday, Dr. Kildare. Richard Chamberlain is 77 today

Richard Chamberlain played the title role in the popular television series Dr. Kildare.  As Dr. James Kildare, he was a leading heartthrob of the early 1960s.  With his handsome features and charming demeanour, Richard had the women swooning over him.  The series aired from 1961 until 1966 and made the previously unknown Chamberlain a star.

Kildare was certainly different from some of today’s television doctors.  One of the most popular current medical dramas is House.  House details the experiences of a team of diagnosticians at a fictional New Jersey hospital.  The group is headed by grumpy, unshaven, misanthropic Dr. Gregory House.  As portrayed by British actor Hugh Laurie, House is a medical genius, although he is not the most pleasant of human beings.  His methods are unconventional and he certainly does not play by the book.  For many, that is an integral part of his appeal.

Medical shows have sure changed since the days of Marcus Welby, Ben Casey and James Kildare.  In contrast to House, they had a scrubbed and squeaky clean image.  When M.G.M. chose Dick Chamberlain for the role of Dr. Kildare, fellow actor Jack Nicholson quipped, “It was inevitable.  Who else could possibly look as antiseptic as Dick?”

Dr. Kildare was based on a hugely successful series of movies in the 1940s.  James Kildare was a young intern in a big city hospital.  He dealt with the traumas and tribulations of his patients while trying to earn the respect of Dr. Leonard Gillespie, the senior doctor in his specialty, internal medicine.  Gillespie was portrayed by Toronto-born Raymond Massey, brother of former Governor General of Canada, Vincent Massey.

 In the third season of the series, Dr. Kildare was promoted to resident.  His intern colleagues were no longer seen and the stories began to focus more on individual patients and their families.  For the 1965/66 season, the show was seen twice a week as a half hour program instead of once a week for an hour. 

George Richard Chamberlain was born in Beverly Hills, California on March 31, 1934.  He was the second son of Charles Chamberlain, a salesman, and Elsa, a homemaker.  Richard, who turns 77 years old today had an unhappy childhood and did not enjoy school until he attended Pomona College in Claremont, California.  At Pomona, Richard studied art and developed an interest in acting.  Soon after his graduation, Paramount Studios expressed an interest in the young man.  Richard, however, had to give up the chance to sign with Paramount because he was obliged to serve in Korea for a period of more than a year. 

When Dick returned from military service, he was ready to launch his acting career.  He made guest appearances on such series as Gunsmoke and Mr. Lucky before his big breakthrough with Dr. Kildare in 1961.  The show was a sensation and Chamberlain became a teen favourite.  He appeared on posters and launched a brief singing career.

After 191 episodes, Doctor Kildare came to end in 1966.   Richard tried to become a serious film actor but he couldn’t shake his Prince Charming image and the perception that he was only a television star.   As a result, he left Hollywood behind and concentrated on being a stage performer.  He appeared in such productions as The Philadelphia Story, Private Lives and West Side Story.  In 1968, he moved to England to perform in classical theatre.  When he returned to the U.S., he made a successful debut on Broadway as Reverend Shannon in Night of the Iguana.  He also enjoyed a degree of popularity in such films as The Three Musketeers (1973) and The Towering Inferno (1974). 

It was on television, however, that Richard enjoyed the greatest resurgence of his career.  He won much acclaim and earned the title “king of the mini-series.” for his performances in The Count of Monte Cristo (1975), Shogun (1980) and The Thorn Birds (1983).  All three won him Emmy nominations and the latter two earned him Golden Globe awards. 

In December of 1989, Richard was “outed” by the French women’s magazine Nous Deux.  It was not until 2003 at age 69 that he identified himself as a homosexual in his autobiography Shattered Love.  Appearing on NBC’s Datelane, he made the following statement: “I am not a romantic leading man anymore so I don’t need to nurture that public image anymore.  I can talk about it now because I’m not afraid anymore . . . When I grew up, being gay, being sissy or anything like that, was verboten.  I disliked myself intensely and feared this part of myself intensely, and had to hide it and became ‘Perfect Richard, All-American Boy’ as a place to hide.”

In more recent years, Chamberlain has devoted himself to musical theatre.  He has also appeared in the gay-themed comedy I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry (2007) and television episodes of Will and Grace (2005 episode, “Steams Like Old Times”) and Desperate Housewives (2007 episode, “Distant Past”).  To watch a video of his performance in Desperate Housewives, click on the link below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBjB4ock6-4

Richard resided in Hawaii for quite some time with his partner, actor-writer-producer Martin Rabbett, but returned to Hollywood in 2010.  Since his return, he has taken on the role of Jonathan Byrold in the TV drama Brothers and Sisters and he has guest starred in the U.S. series Chuck as an international spy named Adelbert De Smet.

- Joanne

EDITOR'S UPDATE:  Richard Chamberlain passed away Saturday, March 29, 2025 at the age of 90.  He died in Waimanalo, Hawaii from complications after a stroke.

The Coolness of The Mod Squad

When The Mod Squad premiered in September of 1968, it was the height of the psychedelic ‘60s and young people were warned by their peers not to trust anyone over 30.  The series was in tune with the times as it featured three young undercover cops.  They were hip.  They were cool.  They wore great shades.  What a trio!

The police drama starred Michael Cole as Pete Cochran, Peggy Lipton as Julie Barnes and Clarence Williams III as Lincoln Hayes.  Tige Andrews played their boss, Captain Adam Greer.  Greer recruited the three cool cats for a special “youth squad” to infiltrate the counterculture and bring to the surface adult criminals who took advantage of vulnerable youth in Southern California.  They agreed to become crime fighters in order to avoid going to prison themselves. 

The show's promotional line described the trio as "One White, One Black, One Blonde."  Although Pete, Linc and Julie had all had brushes with the law and were under probation, each came from different social and economic backgrounds.  Pete was the son of wealthy Beverly Hills denizens.  He had been thrown out of their home for stealing a car.   Lincoln Hayes was the product of a poor black ghetto home.  He had been arrested during the Watts riots.  The female of the group, Julie Barnes was the daughter of a homeless prostitute. 

The Mod Squad was based on the real-life experiences of its creator, Bud Ruskin.  Ruskin was a former police officer who later became a private detective.  During his service with the Los Angeles Sheriffs department in the 1950s, he became part of an undercover narcotics squad comprised of young people.  Although Ruskin composed the pilot script for The Mod Squad in 1960, it took eight years before the ABC network put it on the air.  The delay proved fortunate because the series was more successful in 1968 than it probably would have been during the pre-hippie Kennedy era.

Produced by Aaron Spelling and Danny Thomas, The Mod Squad resonated with the Woodstock generation.  Using expressions such as “dig it” and “solid,” the crime fighting trio displayed enough anti-establishment defiance and trendiness to attract an angry young audience.  Parents approved of the show too, because the three hip undercover cops were actually the good guys.  After five years and 123 episodes, The Mod Squad ended its run in 1973. 

Tige Andrews reprised his role as Adam Greer the 1979 television movie The Return of Mod Squad.  His final screen appearance was in a 1991 episode of Murder She Wrote titled "Family Doctor."

The cast of the series reunited for a 1979 television movie called Return of Mod Squad.  The premise of the movie was that the three hip cops joined forces after a seven year absence in order to identify someone who was threatening Captain Adam Greer. 


WHAT HAPPENED TO THE CAST OF THE MOD SQUAD?

Michael Cole

Michael Cole, born July 3, 1945 in Madison, Wisconsin, is now 65 years old.  Since 1961, he has appeared in numerous films and television shows.  After guest shots on such series as Gunsmoke and Run for Your Life, he landed the role of Pete Cochran on The Mod Squad.  It was a role that Cole did not want to take on initially.  He told Aaron Spelling that “a show about kids ratting on their own buddies was the dumbest thing I’d ever heard.”  He said he wouldn’t do it, but he did.

After The Mod Squad ended its run in 1973, Michael just drifted.  He appeared in some television movies and in episodes of The Love Boat and Fantasy Island.  He also did some stage work with touring theatre productions.  By the mid-1980s, his personal life was in tatters and he was drinking excessively.  He had two failed marriages and three children. 

In 1987, Cole secluded himself in a cabin in the Santa Monica Mountains.  He said he was “hiding and at the same time looking for myself.”  It took him some time for Michael to pull himself together.  He was still living in the mountain cabin in 1989 when he met Shelley Funes, a divorced sales-ad representative for Rolling Stone magazine, at a Malibu restaurant.  They married in 1996.

In 1994, at Shelley’s urging, Cole entered the Betty Ford Clinic to deal with his drinking problem.  Michael Cole remains active in various television and film projects.  In a 2006 episode of ER called “Reason to Believe,” Michael played the role of Charles Hadley.  In 2007, he appeared in the movie thriller Mr. Brooks as the lawyer for “Atwood,” a character portrayed by Demi Moore.

Here are some other interesting facts about Michael Cole:

* In 1991, Michael played the role of Harlan Barrett on the ABC soap General Hospital. 

* He once dated Deana Martin, the daughter of Dean Martin.

* He owned a metallic silver Porsche.

To watch a Michael Cole acting reel, click on the link below.

http://wn.com/Michael_Cole_(actor) 

EDITOR'S UPDATE: Michael Cole passed away on December 10, 2024 at the age of 84.  He died at the Providence Tarzana Medical Center in Tarzana, California.

Clarence Williams III

Clarence Williams III played Lincoln B. Hayes, the dour guy with the huge Afro and dark sunglasses.  Born in New York City on August 21, 1939, Williams is now 71 years old.  Clarence began his career on the stage.  He was nominated for Broadway’s Tony Award in 1965 as Best Supporting or Featured Actor (Dramatic) for his performance in Slow Dance on the Killing Ground.  His role on The Mod Squad was his first major acting role on television. 

After the demise of The Mod Squad, Clarence returned to the stage.  In 1979 he appeared on Broadway in Night and Day opposite Maggie Smith.  In the 1980’s, Williams began to take on streetwise character roles in motion pictures.  He played some menacing characters too.  One of his best known screen roles is his portrayal of Prince’s abusive father in Purple Rain (1984).

Clarence Williams III was married to actress Gloria Foster from 1967 until 1984.  After their divorce, they remained friends.  When the 67-year-old Foster died of diabetes on September 29, 2001, it was Clarence Williams III who made the announcement of her death.

Here are some interesting tidbits about Clarence Williams III:

* Clarence III was raised by his musical grandparents.  He is the grandson of legendary jazz composer/pianist Clarence Williams.  His grandmother was blues singer Eva Taylor.

Clarence and Gloria Foster appeared together in the 1964 movie The Cool World.

EDITOR'S UPDATE: Clarence Williams III died of colon cancer on June 4, 2021.  He was 81 years old.

Peggy Lipton

Peggy Lipton was born Margaret Ann Lipton in New York City on August 30, 1946.  She is now 64 years old.  Peggy was married to music producer Quincy Jones from 1974 until 1990.  The couple had two daughters, Kidada Ann Jones (born March 22, 1974) and Rashida Leah Jones (born February 25, 1976).

She began her career as a model for the Ford Modeling Agency.  Her family moved to Los Angeles in 1964 and by 1965 she had won the role of Joanna in the short lived TV series, The John Forsythe Show.  Her character was a student at a private girls’ academy in San Francisco. 

Peggy was still relatively unknown when she was cast in the role of Julie Barnes in The Mod Squad in 1968.  Her performance as the sensitive undercover detective rocketed her to stardom.  She earned four Golden Globe nominations and won the 1971 Golden Globe for Best TV Actress in a Drama. 

Peggy also achieved some success as a singer with the singles “Stoney End” (1968) (later a hit for Barbra Streisand, “Lu” (1970) and the Donovan composition, “Wear Your Love Like Heaven” (1970).  All three songs made the Billboard Charts.

Lipton was a member of the cast of the David Lynch television series Twin Peaks from 1990 until 1991.  She played the role of Norma Jennings, the owner and operator of the Double R Diner.   Peggy also portrayed Norma in the 1992 motion picture prequel to the series, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me.  It is interesting to note that her Mod Squad co-star, Clarence Williams III, had the recurring part of Roger Hardy on the Twin Peaks TV series.

In 2004, Peggy Lipton was diagnosed with colon cancer.  She received treatment and is apparently in remission.  Her last television acting role was in 2007 as Adam Rhodes’ mom, Fay, in Rules of Engagement.

Here are some quick facts about Peggy Lipton:

* Peggy’s 35-year old daughter, Rashida Jones, is also an actress.  Rashida appeared on Boston Public and joined the cast of The Office in September of 2006, playing the role of Karen Filippelli.  In recent years, she has been appearing as a guest star on the series.  Rashida is the former girlfriend of actor Toby McGuire. 

Rashida Jones

* Peggy’s other daughter, Kidada Jones, 37, is an actress and fashion designer.

*Although born to Jewish parents, Peggy practices Hinduism. 

EDITOR'S UPDATE: Peggy Lipton died of colon cancer on May 11, 2019.  She was 72 years old at the time of her passing.

Tige Andrews

Tige Andrews passed away on January 27, 2007 at the age of 86.  He died of cardiac arrest at his residence in the San Fernando Valley.  Andrews had a long and successful television career in which he frequently portrayed detectives.  A respected character actor who appeared on over 60 shows, he is remembered most for his stint on The Mod Squad.

Tige Andrews reprised his role as Adam Greer in 1979 in The Return of Mod Squad.  His final television acting appearance was in a 1991 episode of Murder She Wrote titled “Family Doctor.”

Tige Andrews

ODDS AND ENDS

R.I.P. Sada Thompson

On March 31, 2011, I wrote about Kristy McNichol and why she left her acting career.  In my posting, I mentioned Kristy’s castmates on the popular 1970s television series Family, including Sada Thompson who portrayed matriarch Kate Lawrence on the show.  Sadly, Sada passed away on May 4 in Danbury, Connecticut at the age of 83.  Her daughter, Liza Stewart, said she died of lung disease.

Get well, Mary Tyler Moore

Television icon Mary Tyler Moore, 74, is scheduled to have brain surgery to remove a benign tumour called a meningioma.  It is not life-threatening and she is expected to make a full recovery.  Best wishes, Mary, and get well soon. 

- Joanne

Dick Clark: From American Bandstand to Perry Mason and Beyond

"The World’s Oldest Teenager” is 81 years old.  Richard Wagstaff “Dick” Clark was born on November 30, 1929 in Mount Vernon, New York.  He started his career in 1945 when he worked in the mailroom of radio station WRUN in Utica, New York.  He eventually became a weatherman and then a newsman.

In 1952, Dick moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and took a job as a disc jockey at radio station WFIL.  WFIL was affiliated with a television station which broadcast a music and dance show titled Bob Horn’s Bandstand.  Dick became a regular substitute host on the program and when Horn left in July of 1956, Dick replaced him as full-time host.  

Bandstand was picked up by ABC and was first televised nationally on August 5, 1957.  The name of the show was changed to American Bandstand and its all-white policy came to an immediate end.  Dick Clark soon began introducing talented black artists to young television audiences.  

American Bandstand became a huge hit.  By 1959, it was broadcast on 101 affiliates and reached an estimated audience of 20 million.  The formula was simple.  Dick hosted one or two guest performers whose songs were currently on the pop charts.  They lip-synched their hits and discussed their careers.  During the rest of show, Clark played popular hits while the studio audience danced.  There was also a segment of the show called "Rate-a-Record" in which couples were asked to judge a song.

The daytime version of American Bandstand continued on ABC until August of 1963.  It then became a once-a-week Saturday afternoon show until its cancellation by ABC in 1987. Dick continued to produce the show for syndicated television and then for the USA Network until 1989.  He hosted Bandstand until 1988.  David Hirsch took over the hosting duties during the show's final year in 1989.  It is interesting to note that Dick Clark's first interview on that first American Bandstand Show in 1957 was with Elvis Presley.

Dick Clark hosting American Bandstand

I have always thought of Dick Clark as a television host and a producer of specials and games shows such as the $25,000 or $100,000 Pyramid.  I hadn’t realized that he had done any acting until I watched a DVD of the old Perry Mason show recently.  Dick made a rare dramatic appearance in the very last episode of the series, “The Case of the Final Fadeout.”  The episode originally aired on May 22, 1966 and its plot involves the murder of a nasty actor.  Perry Mason successfully defends the accused killer, but then the accused killer turns up dead.  An eccentric, aging actress is blamed for the second murder.  Are there two murderers and is the same person responsible for both murders? 

In “The Case of the Final Fadeout,” Dick Clark played the role of Leif Early, one of the suspects.  Surprisingly, Dick’s character turned out to be the killer.  Clark abandoned his nice guy image to play an unsavoury murderer – and he did so convincingly.  To watch a video clip of his appearance on Perry Mason, click on the link below.

http://www.clevver.com/tv/videof/213815/perry-mason-video-clip-dick-clark.html

Some other interesting bits of trivia about the final episode of Perry Mason:

* Erle Stanley Gardner, the creator of Perry Mason, appeared as Judge #2.

* Jackie Coogan, child actor and portrayer of Uncle Fester on The Addams Family, played Pete Desmond, one of the suspects.

I was quite impressed with Dick Clark’s performance on Perry Mason and I decided to research his other television acting roles.  I learned that had 19 acting parts, although one was a voice role and one was a brief uncredited role as a newscaster.  Many of his appearances were in the mid-1960s.

One of Dick’s earliest acting performances was in a 1963 episode of Stoney Burke, an old series about a rodeo rider.  He also appeared in a  1965 episode of Ben Casey called “Then I, and You, and All of Us Fell Down," a 1966 episode of Lassie titled “The Untamed Land” and a 1966 episode of Honey West called “There’s a Long, Long Fuse A’Burning” in which he played a publicity agent named Payton.

Once again, Dick played against type when he took on the role of a nerdy, psycho killer in the 1968 film Killers Three.  In 1972 Dick was a guest star on an episode of Adam 12 and in 1977 he portrayed Irv Berman in the TV movie Telethon.  His most recent television acting performance was as himself in a 2003 episode of Baby Bob titled “You Don’t Know Jack.”

Clark has been married three times.  He wed his childhood sweetheart, Barbara Mallery, in 1952 and they had a son named Richard (born January 9. 1957).  The couple divorced in 1961.  Dick married for a second time in 1962 to Loretta Martin.  They became the parents of twins, a son Duane and a daughter Cindy (born January 8, 1965), and were divorced in 1971.  Since July 7, 1977, Dick has been married to Kari Wigton, a former dancer from Minnesota.  The ceremony began at 7:00 p.m. and the wedding vows were performed by the father of actor John Davidson.

Dick and wife Kari

In 1972, Dick Clark began producing and hosting Dick Clark's Rockin' New Year's Eve.  He suffered a debilitating stroke on December 8, 2004 and has been left with a speech impediment.  For the first time in 32 years, he was unable to join in the New Year's festivities.  Regis Philbin filled in for him that year and he returned to the broadcast in 2005, despite his slurred speech.

In 2010, Dick and his wife Kari appeared at the 37^th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards.  It was a very emotional occasion for a Dick and his eyes welled up as he was honoured for his more than 30 years of hosting American Bandstand.

 Dick Clark’s well known catchphrase, which he delivers with a military salute, is “For now, Dick Cark . . . so long.`` 


EDITOR'S NOTE:  Dick Clark died of a heart attack on April 18, 2012 at the age of 82.


 - Joanne

Pets on Television Shows: Fred the Cockatoo, Arnold the Pig and others

There has been a variety of pets on television shows through the years.  Some of them have made a stronger impression than others.  TV Banter has selected some of the more notable ones.   In no particular order, here is a rundown of some of the most memorable television pets. 

FRED THE COCKATOO ON BARETTA

Fred the Cockatoo with Blake

Baretta, starring Robert Blake, was a detective drama.  The series ran from 1975 until 1978 on the ABC network.  Blake played Detective Anthony “Tony” Baretta, a plainclothes cop who lived in an apartment at a decrepit hotel with Fred, his pet cockatoo.

In real life, Fred was called LaLa (or Lalah).  He was given that name because of his tendency to repeat the phrase ``La-la-la-la-la.``  LaLa  was born in Hong Kong and owned by an animal trainer named Ray Berwick.

LaLa originally spoke Chinese, but learned English quickly.  Berwick taught his bird several clever tricks including pedalling a bicycle and imitating the sound of a dog or cat.  During the 1980, the feisty cockatoo was featured in Ray Berwick’s animal show at the Universal Studio’s Tour in southern California and at the San Diego Wild Animal Park.  LaLa is now deceased, but lived until about the age of 70.


EDDIE THE DOG ON FRASIER

Grammer with Moose a.k.a. Eddie

Frasier was a comedy series about the life of a Seattle psychiatrist and radio talk show host named Dr. Frasier Crane (played by Kelsey Grammer).  It aired on NBC from 1993 until 2004.  Frasier’s father, Martin Crane (John Mahoney), was a retired detective from the Seattle Police Department.  Martin owned a Jack Russell terrier named Eddie. 

The part of Eddie was shared by a dog named named Moose and Moose’s son, Enzo.  Moose died in June of 2006 at the Los Angeles home of his trainer, Mathilde Halberg.  According to Halberg, Moose was 16 at the time of his death.  She described the dog as having “incredible charisma” and as a “free spirit.”  During the show’s heyday, Moose was so popular that he received more mail than any of his human counterparts.

Moose appeared in 192 episodes of Frasier from 1993 until his retirement in 2003, a year before the show ended.  His fictional owner, Martin Krane, declared that the dog’s full name was “Eddie Spaghetti” because “he has worms.”  In 1994 interview with Animal Press magazine, John Mahoney lauded the Jack Russell as a “consummate professional who works hard learning his tricks.”  A running gag on the series was Moose’s tendency to stare at Kelsey Grammer for long periods.

Here are the names of some other television dogs:

On the adventure series Hart to Hart, Jonathan and Jennifer Hart (Robert Wagner and Stephanie Powers) owned a pooch named Freeway.  The Harts’ pet was named Freeway because he was a stray they had discovered wandering on the freeway.  The part of Freeway was played by a Lowchen (German for “Little Lion”) called Charlie.  Charlie originally discovered in a dog pound.



Wagner, Powers & "Freeway"

  

On the long-running family comedy, My Three Sons (1960-1972), the Douglas family owned a sheepdog named Tramp.  Tramp, played by Spud the Dog, was a shaggy, off-white mutt.  Spud was trained by well known breeder and animal trainer Frank Inn.

My Three Son's cast with "Tramp"

ARNOLD THE PIG ON GREEN ACRES



GA's Eb Dawson (Tom Lester) & Arnold

Arnold the Pig was featured on the CBS sitcom Green Acres.  Green Acres, starring Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor, ran from 1965 until 1971.  Arnold, an American Yorkshire, was extremely talented.  He could write his name, play the piano, and change the channels on the television (He was a fan of The CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite).  Arnold was treated as a son by Fred Ziffel and his wife Doris, farmers in the small town of Hooterville.

Several different pigs filled the roll of Arnold Ziffel during Green Acres’ six-year run.  The number is uncertain, but it is estimated that there were about a dozen.  Frank Inn was their trainer.   In fact, Inn trained almost all the animals on the popular rural-based sitcoms of the era, including Petticoat Junction and The Beverly Hillbillies.  Frank, who passed away in 2002, requested that the ashes of Arnold the Pig and Higgins, who played “Dog” on Petticoat Junction be buried with him.

There is an urban myth that the cast and crew of Green Acres feasted on Arnold at the show’s farewell party.  This is simply not true.  Frank Inn stated that none of the animals was eaten.  According to Inn, they were all allowed to live out their natural lives on a farm.  Feel better now, animal lovers?

Note:  There will be future postings about television animals in TV Banter.  

- Joanne

Bobby Sherman: Teen Idol and Television Star

Bobby Sherman was one of the most popular teen idols of the late 1960s and early 1970s.  Although he was recognized as a singer, Bobby did not really achieve stardom until he appeared in the popular television show Here Come the Brides.  With the immediate success of Brides and the television exposure it provided, Sherman’s career skyrocketed.  He became a highly popular recording artist and a teen idol.  With his shaggy hair and megawatt smile, he appeared on the cover of gossip and teen magazines such as Tiger Beat, 16 and Fave. 

"Peace, love and Bobby Sherman" was a trendy expression during Bobby's heyday.  “Bobby Sherman Chokers” became a fad and the heartthrob's grinning face adorned poster and lunch boxes everywhere.  His photograph could even be found on the back of Honeycomb cereal boxes.  It was part of a promotion by which fans who bought the cereal received free cut-out Bobby Sherman mini-albums.

Here Come the Brides was a comedy/adventure series.  It ran from 1968 until 1970 on the ABC network.  The series was set in the Seattle of the 1870s and chronicled the lives of logging camp operator Jason Bolt (Robert Brown) and his family.  Bobby Sherman played the role of Jeremy Bolt, Jason’s younger brother.  David Soul, of Starsky and Hutch fame, portrayed Jason’s other younger brother, Joshua Bolt.

The Bolts were in jeopardy of losing their timberland at Bridal Veil Mountain.  Their logging crew was threatening to revolt due to a lack of women in Seattle.  To solve the problem, Jason devised a scheme by which he sailed to New Bedford, Massachusetts and persuaded 100 prospective brides to return to the frontier with him.  If any of the 100 women left before the duration of a year, Jason would have to forfeit his land to a rival saw-mill operator from whom he had borrowed money to finance the scheme.

Bobby with David Soul and Robert Brown in Brides

After appearing on a March 1971 episode of The Partridge Family entitled “A Knight in Shining Armor,” Bobby Sherman was given his own spin off series on ABC.  It was a sitcom called Getting Together.  Bobby played Bobby Conway, a songwriter struggling to succeed in the music business.  Unfortunately for Sherman, Getting Together faced formidable competition from All in the Family on Saturday nights.  It didn’t really have a chance and was cancelled after only 14 episodes. 

Robert Cabot “Bobby” Sherman, Jr. was born in Santa Monica, California on July 22, 1943.  He and his older sister Darlene grew up in Van Nuys, California. Bobby’s interest in music began when he took trumpet lessons as a child.  He attended Birmingham High School in Van Nuys where he was a member of a dance band.  In 1964, he had an opportunity to sing with his old band at a Hollywood party and performed so well that he found himself an agent and eventually a role on Shindig as a house singer.  Shindig was a prime time rock ‘n roll show.  It ran from 1964 until 1966.  A fast-paced program, it featured popular musical performers singing their most recent hits, and glossy dance production numbers. 

During his time on Shindig, Bobby Sherman made several recordings, but was unable to come up with that elusive big hit.  In 1967, he appeared on an episode of The Monkees entitled “Monkees at the Movies.”  Bobby played the role of Frankie Catalina, a pompous surfer.  In the episode, he performed a song called “New Girl in School.”  The song was co-written by Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys and Jan Berry of Jan and Dean.

Bobby’s vocal career had been stagnating until he won the role of the shy, stammering Jeremy Bolt on Here Come the Brides.  While Brides was on the air, he had a string of well-produced pop hits such as “Little Woman,” “La La La (If I Had You),” and “Julie Do Ya Love Me.”  By 1972, however, the hits had stopped coming and Sheman’s career went into a tailspin.

To view a video of Bobby Sherman singing "Julie Do Ya Love Me," click on the link below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsMONykezJM

With his show business career on the decline, Bobby’s life took a different direction.  After appearing in a 1974 episode of the Jack Webb television series Emergency!, he developed an acute interest in emergency medical services.  It became his passion.  He moved away from the public spotlight and became an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT).  He volunteered with the Los Angeles Police Department, assisting paramedics and giving instruction in first aid.  In the 1990s, he officially became a technical reserve officer with the L.A. police.  Sherman also founded the Bobby Sherman Volunteer EMT Foundation, a non-profit organization that coordinates medical services at community and charity events in southern California.

In 1986, Bobby became a regular cast member of the cable TV sitcom Sanchez of Bel Air.  He portrayed Frankie Rondell, a former teen idol living off the royalties of his one big hit.  The series focused on the lives of a Latino family who had achieved success in the fashion industry.  Bobby’s character was their next-door-neighbour.

 Bobby performed in concert as part of the “Teen Idol Tour” of 1998.  He was joined by Peter Noone of Herman’s Hermits and Davy Jones of The Monkees.  Fellow Monkee Mickey Dolenz replaced Jones on the 1999 tour.  Sherman’s last solo performance took place in Lincoln, Rhode Island on August 25, 2001.

Bobby Sherman is now 67 years old.  He married Patti Carnel in 1971.  The couple had two sons, Christopher and Tyler, and divorced in 1979.  Christopher (born 1972) and Tyler(born 1974) have children of their own, making Bobby a grandfather. 

Patti Carnel later married David Soul, Bobby Sherman's co-star on Here Come the Brides.  Carnel was Soul's third wife and in October of 1982 he was arrested for assaulting her.  The story broke three days later and it made ugly headlines.  Soul was ordered by a judge to attend psychotherapy sessions and to undergo alcoholism counselling.

Bobby runs his Volunteer EMT Foundation along with his wife, Brigitte Poublon, whom he married in Las Vegas on July 18, 2010.  According to the foundation's website, Poublon came to the United States as a political refugee from Jakarta, Indonesia in the 1960s and settled in Los Angeles.  After graduating from high school, she procured her real estate licence and was employed as a real estate developer with Norton Development Inc. and Homestead Group.  A self-made millionaire, she retired from the real estate business in 1996.  She devotes herself to philanthropy and is the President of Bobby Sherman’s EMT foundation.



Brigitte Poublon


Bobby Sherman co-wrote his autobiography, Still Remembering You, with Dena Hill.  It was published in 1996.  To promote the book, Bobby appeared on The Rosie O’Donnell Show, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and A.M. L.A.    

- Joanne

EDITOR'S UPDATE: Bobby Sherman died of kidney cancer on June 24, 2025.  He was 81 at the time of his passing.

My Mother the Car: One of the Worst Shows or Cult Classic?

Everybody knows in the second life
We all come back sooner or later
As anything from a pussycat
To a man eating alligator
Well you all may think my story
Is more fiction than it’s fact
But believe it or not my mother dear
Decided she’d come back

As a car . . .

She's my very own guiding star
A 1928 Porter, that’s my mother dear
‘Cause she helps me through everything I do
And I’m so glad she’s near

My mother the car
My mother the car

- My Mother the Car theme song,
Lyrics by Paul Hampton

To watch a video of the opening and closing themes of My Mother the Car, click on the link below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siOZDZ1A0OM

Prime television has seen its share of quirky shows.  There has been a TV comedy about a man who talks to a horse (Mr. Ed).  There has also been a series about a nun who uses her starched white cornette to soar through the air (The Flying Nun).  The strangest premise for a show in TV history, however, may have been a show about a talking automobile.  It was not just any car.  Oh no, it was a 1928 Porter.  The car’s voice was not just any voice either.  It was the voice of the car owner’s deceased mother. 

My Mother the Car was a short-lived series which aired from 1965 until 1966 on the NBC network. Only thirty episodes of the show were ever produced. Jerry Van Dyke played the hapless Dave Crabtree, a small-town lawyer with two children (Cindy and Randy).  Crabtree’s wife, Barbara, was played by Maggie Pierce.  On a visit to a used-car lot to purchase an inexpensive second-hand car, Dave is inexplicably drawn to an antique 1928 Porter.  When he takes the wheel, the car speaks to him and informs him that it is the reincarnation of his departed mother, Gladys Crabtree.  Although discouraged by family and friends, Dave buys the car because he doesn’t want to lose “Mother.”  It turns out that Dave is the only who can communicate with the car and hear what it has to say.

1928 Poter

In one of her most offbeat roles, Ann Sothern, who died in 2001, provided the voice for the talking car.  Sothern had been a big star for many years when My Mother the Car appeared on television.  She played private secretary Susan McNamera on Private Secretary from 1953 to 1957.  From 1958 until 1961, she starred in her owned titled series, The Ann Sothern Show, in which portrayed Katy O’Connor, the assistant manager of an upscale New York hotel.

My Mother the Car had a resident villain.  He was Dave Crabtree's nemesis, Captain Bernard Mancini.  Mancini was an antique car collector who coveted Dave’s Porter and was always attempting to procure it from him.  The role of Mancini was played by Avery Schreiber who died in 2002.

Jerry Van Dyke was originally offered the part of Gilligan on Gilligan’s Island.  When he turned it down in favour of the starring role in My Mother the Car, Bob Denver was given the part instead.  Both shows were rather silly, but for some reason, Gilligan’s Island became a huge hit.  It ran from 1964 until 1967.  My Mother the Car, on the other hand, was ridiculed and panned savagely by critics and viewers.  It was cancelled after one season. 

In 2002, TV Guide named My Mother the Car the second worst program of all time (The Jerry Springer Show won top honours).  Nevertheless, My Mother the Car has not been forgotten and has become a veritable cult classic.   Some have even argued that the show was ahead of its time and was unable to exploit the youth market.

I can’t help but wonder how Jerry Van Dyke feels about his decision to forgo Gilligan’s Island.  He may have become as famous as his older brother, Dick.  Well, at least he went on to play the role of assistant coach Luther Van Dam on the hit sitcom Coach. That’s not too shabby.

It’s interesting to note that the creators of My Mother the Car, Allan Burns and Chris Hayward, also collaborated on Get Smart, The Munsters and Rocky and Bullwinkle.  In the 1970s, Burns went on to become the co-creator of The Mary Tyler Moore Show.  Chris Hayward died of cancer in 2006 at the age of 81.

The Crabtree Family

END NOTE

Just in case you were wondering, the 1928 Porter’s California licence plate number was PZR 317.

- Joanne

Kristy McNichol : Why she gave up her career

Kristy McNichol is a name we seldom hear anymore.  She certainly has turned away from the spotlight.  In fact, she hasn’t been seen on the screen since 1995.  Kristy retired from acting after being diagnosed with bipolar disorder in the early 1990s.  In the 1970s, however, she was one of the biggest stars on American television.  From 1976 until 1980, Kristy starred in the popular prime time drama Family.  She played Leticia “Buddy” Lawrence, the youngest member of the Lawrence family of Pasadena, California.  The late James Broderick played lawyer Doug Lawrence, the father of the family.  Broderick, who died of cancer in 1982, was the real-life dad of actor Matthew Broderick (Matthew and his wife, Sarah Jessica Parker, named their son James after him).  Sada Thompson portrayed the matriarch of the family, Doug’s stalwart wife, Kate.  Sada is now 83 years old. 

There were three Lawrence siblings.  Gary Frank played Willie, the middle child, and two actresses portrayed the divorced older sister, Nancy Lawrence Maitland.  Elayne Heilveil initiated the role of Nancy in 1976.  She was soon replaced by Meredith Baxter-Birney who would later shoot to fame on Family Ties in the 1980s.  Quinn Cummings joined the cast in 1978 as Annie Cooper, the Lawrences’ adopted daughter.

During the four-year run of the series, the characters faced several kinds of challenges and difficulties.  The show dealt with such issues as cancer, alcoholism and many teen-related problems.  For her performance in the role of Buddy Lawrence, Kristy McNichol received four Emmy Award nominations and earned two Emmys (1977 and 1979) for Best Supporting Actress in a Dramatic Series.

Kristy was born Christina Ann McNichol on September 11, 1962 in Los Angeles, California, the daughter of Jim McNichol, a carpenter, and Carollyne, an actress and business manager.  Her parents divorced when she was a young child.  At an early age, Kristy and her older brother Jimmy appeared in television commercials.  In 1973 she appeared in a segment of Love American Style entitled “Love and the Unsteady Steady.”

By the age of 12, Kristy was a regular on the short-lived CBS TV series Apples Way.  This drama focused on the lives of architect George Apple and his clan.  George, his wife Barbara and their four children decide to leave the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles and move to George’s hometown of Appleton, Iowa where the city-bred children must adapt to life in a small rural community.  The show only ran for 13 episodes, but from 1974 to 1975, Kristy played the role of Patricia Apple, one of the four siblings. 

After the demise of Apple’s Way, Kristy was cast as the introspective teenager, Buddy Lawrence, in Family.  The show debuted in 1976 and was warmly received by fans and critics.  Kristy became a fixture on the cover of teen magazines and a genuine star.  In 1978, at the pinnacle of her stardom in Family, Kristy recorded an album with her brother Jimmy.  The album was titled Kristy & Jimmy McNichol and featured the Chiffons' 1963 hit single "He So Fine."  To promote the album, Kristy appeared on The Merv Griffin Show and The Carpenters Christmas Special. 

To listen to Kristy and Jimmy McNichol singing "He's So Fine," click on the link below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSVMVvKV0OY&NR=1

During the 1970s, Kristy also made appearances on Starsky and Hutch, The Love Boat and The Bionic Woman.  In 1978, she won acclaim for her role as Patty Bergen in the television movie The Summer of My German Solder.  Kristy played a young Jewish girl living in Arkansas during World War II who befriends a German prisoner of war.

When Family ended, McNichol set her sights on a movie career.  She had already appeared in the 1978 dark comedy The End with Burt Reynolds.  In 1980, Little Darlings, a coming-of-age story, was realeased in which she starred with Academy Award winner Tatum O’Neal and an up-and-coming young actor named Matt Dillon.  

Kristy's  big screen career really began to blossom with the role of Polly in Only When I Laugh (1981) alongside Marsha Mason, for which she won a Golden Globe nomination.  In 1981, at the height of her movie stardom, 19 year-old Kristy received over a $1 million dollars for her appearance in the film The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia with Mark Hamill and Dennis Quaid.  This was an unprecedented amount for an actress of her age at that time.

In the late 1980s, with her film career in severe decline, Kristy McNichol found a new occupation – hairdressing.  She attended beauty school and worked at a friend’s Beverly Hills salon.  In 1988, however, she returned to television in the family comedy Empty Nest.  Kristy portrayed police detective Barbara Weston in the series.  Although Empty Nest was a success, Kristy left the show in 1992 after being diagnosed with bipolar disorder.  The stress of acting was not conducive to her emotional well-being and she realized she had to give it up.  She did, however, appear in the final two episodes of the series in 1995. That was her last screen appearance, although she voiced characters in the animated series Extreme Ghostbusters (1997) and Invasion America (1998).

In 2001, Kristy McNichol issued a public statement explaining her decision to relinquish her acting career.  She said, “A lot  of people have wondered what I’ve been up to.  I retired from my career after 24 years.  My feeling was that it was time to play my biggest part – MYSELF.  I must say that it has been the best thing that ever happened to me.  So many fans are disappointed that I’m not currently acting, however some may not realize that the process I’m in at this time is necessary and vital for my personal happiness and well-being."

Now 48 years old, Kristy McNichol has never married and lives a very private life in Los Angeles.  She has taught acting at a private school and devotes time to charitable endeavours.

Jimmy McNichol, now 49, gave up acting sometime in the 1990s.  In 1996, he recorded as a singer under the name Jimmy James. Jimmy married his wife Renee in 1997 and is the father of two children, a son named Nash and a daughter named Ellis.

Editor's Update (January 25, 2013):

* Sada Thompson died on May 4, 2011 of lung disease at the age of 83.

* Kristy McNichol "came out" as a lesbian on January 6, 2011.  She stated that she had been living with her partner, Martie Allen, for 20 years.


- Joanne