For over a hundred years some of the greatest video treasures of all time have been produced. Some have been lost in the sands of time and others, soon to be rediscovered, will become fan favorites for a whole new generation.

Each week we will feature just one of the many hidden gems that you can see on ATVN with insights and commentaries on classic television shows and legendary cinematic performances.

As we countdown to the Astound TV Network’s special Halloween Marathon (24 hours of specialty Halloween-based movies and shows, starting at 9am on Monday, October 31st), we focus this week on one of the all-time classic horror films!

There are quite a few classic horror films that provided the genesis to a seemingly endless supply of successful film series, sequels and spin-off ideas.

But one of the biggest “landmark” films of the genre was Night of the Living Dead.

The film’s producer/director/writer/editor George Romero graduated from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh and embarked on a career in the film industry in the early 1960s.  His first job was directing and producing industrial films and commercials for television before he decided to venture into horror films.

He teamed up with his friends John Russo and Russell Streinder to form their own production company, The Latent Image, later to be called Imagine Ten, and wanted to capitalize on the flurry of scary films that remained popular during the 1960s.

Originally written as a horror-comedy under the title Monster Flick, the concept was reworked several times by Romero and Russo.  Ultimately, the final concepts involved a young man who runs away from home and discovers rotting human corpses scattered across a meadow that aliens use for food.  “Flesh eaters” and reanimating human corpses were also thrown into the script, with several of these last-minute ideas paving the way for later-produced sequels years later.

The film initially had trouble getting picked up by film studios, with rejections including calling the script “too cornballish.”  

Undaunted, Romero took $6,000 and found ten partners to also invest the same amount to raise money to produce the film independently.

Money was still an issue when it came to shooting the actual film locations and sound stages.  Several shooting sites consisted of condemned buildings scheduled for demotion, cemeteries or structures that needed significant renovations.

Chocolate syrup drizzled over bodies were used for blood and roasted ham and other donated meats were used for body parts and charred flesh.  Most costumes consisted of items found in second-hand stores and others were bought on the cheap from Goodwill.

Also because of budget constraints, Romero had to use cheaper 35mm film to shoot.  Ironically, critics praised the decision to use lower quality video to give the film a “grainy” feel and enhance the scary aspects of the film’s content.

Romero also caught a break casting university professor-turned-actor Duane Jones in the starring role.  Jones found the writing low-brow and the unintelligent dialogue insulting and refused to read the lines as written.  Instead, he rewrote much of the dialogue on his own.

Co-star Judith O’Dea also didn’t like her lines and stated in several interviews that both she and most other cast members actually AD-LIBBED most of the lines throughout the entire shooting of the film!

Another unique aspect of this movie: the film distributors originally would not send the pictures out with the ending they shot and insisted that Romero and his team re-shoot the final sequences.  They stated that moviegovers would not accept the ending as-is and ordered that a “Hollywood” ending be inserted.

Romero refused and the film’s ending stands today as it was originally intended.

To say that the film proved to be a success and has withstood the test of time would be an understatement.  In addition to originally grossing more than $30 million at the box office (on an original budget of $114,000), the film was deemed “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant” by the Library of Congress and was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry in 1999.

We will look at more of Duane’s starring performance in this film and his trailblazing legacy in a future blog entry here at the “Showplace.”

In the meantime, be on the lookout for Night of the Living Dead along with other Halloween holiday favorites coming up as part of Monday’s 24-hour “Halloween Takeover” marathon on ATVN.

To view the complete rundown of classic programming on the Astound TV Network, check out the weekly listings here. 

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Astound Broadband or any other agency, organization, employer or company.

For over a hundred years some of the greatest video treasures of all time have been produced. Some have been lost in the sands of time and others, soon to be rediscovered, will become fan favorites for a whole new generation.

Each week we will feature just one of the many hidden gems that you can see on ATVN with insights and commentaries on classic television shows and legendary cinematic performances.

You will probably have a chance to see George C. Scott in his iconic role as “Patton” in the film of the same name, traditionally shown around Veterans Day, Memorial Day and the Independence Day holidays.

But there is a much different side to Scott’s acting career in his role as Edward Rochester in the classic story told in the 1970 film Jane Eyre, which you can see on ATVN.

The story revolves around Eyre’s character (portrayed by Susanna York, who would go on to play Superman’s birth mother in the 1976 motion picture Superman)–an orphan who is hired to serve as a governess for Rochester–an English manor lord.  The two eventually fall in love and decide to marry, but Rochester houses a dark secret from Eyre.  When Jane discovers this enormous secret…well, no spoilers here–you’ll have to watch the film for yourself!

Scott’s role as Rochester was not unlike many of his performances as strong-willed characters.  For this role he was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Lead Actor in an Anthology, Movie or Limited Series.  But Scott’s life was filled with extraordinary accomplishments.

According to David Sheward’s book, “Rage and Glory: The Volatile Life and Career of George C. Scott,” this legendary actor was born on a kitchen table in the small town of Wise, Virginia.  After a four-year stint with the Marine Corps from 1945 to 1949 and a brief venture into journalism, Scott developed the acting bug and quickly ascended to becoming a lead actor on the Broadway stage.

Before the 1950s were over, he captured his first Academy Award in Otto Perminger’s Antonomy of a Murder, which also starred James Stewart, Eve Arden, Lee Remick, Murray Hamelton and Orson Bean.

Scott owned the 1960s, starring in long-running shows on Broadway and classic films like Dr. Strangeglove, or How I Stopped Worrying and Love The Bomb, The Bible: In the Beginning, The Crucible and others.  He was also a highly sought after television guest star, appearing in some of the 1960s most popular shows like Ben Casey, The Virginian, The Naked City, The Road West and frequently appeared on Bob Hope’s celebrity specials.

Scott would also go on to star as iconic characters after 1970, including Scrooge in A Christmas Carol, Benito Mussolini in Mussolini: The Untold Story, Fagin in Oliver Twist, The Beast in 1976’s Beauty and the Beast, Sherlock Holmes in They Might Be Giants, the controversial Juror #3 in the 1997 remake of 12 Angry Men, and even returned to his role as Patton in the biopic’s sequel, The Last Days of Patton.

But arguably his two greatest movie contributions came in 1970 when both Patton and Jane Eyre were released.

Be on the lookout for Jane Eyre coming up this Monday at 9am on ATVN.

To view the complete rundown of classic programming on ATVN, check out the weekly listings here.

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Astound Broadband or any other agency, organization, employer or company.

For over a hundred years some of the greatest video treasures of all time have been produced. Some have been lost in the sands of time and others, soon to be rediscovered, will become fan favorites for a whole new generation.

Each week we will feature just one of the many hidden gems that you can see on ATVN with insights and commentaries on classic television shows and legendary cinematic performances.

It’s hard to have been a young TV viewer from the late-1970s through the early-1990s without coming across the versatile performances of Erin Gray.

Erin was born in Honolulu in the territory of Hawaii (it wasn’t officially made a state until a few years after her birth).  She moved in with her grandparents when she was eight due to her parents’ separation.  A few years later she entered the field of modeling.

At 14, she won a major modeling competition, earning her first professional assignment in St. Louis, Missouri.  At 17 she made her television debut as a dancer on the program Malibu U.

She briefly attended UCLA but left to return to modeling in New York where she also pursued television gigs.  By the age of 25 she was regarded as one of the top television models and was earning over $100,000 per year.

Over the next few years she won guest appearances on shows such as Maude, The Rockford Files, BJ and the Bear and Police Story.

By the age of 28 she landed a co-starring role in the original sci-fi classic Buck Rogers in the 25th Century.  

According to Filmbug.com, Gray thought her character made a landmark accomplishment as she was cast as a colonel, which she said was the first time a woman on television was placed in charge of men.  She was quoted as saying that her character “sparked a new idea that women can be in charge, too.”

She followed that performance with another leading role in a show geared at younger TV viewers.  The comedy Silver Spoons was the show that launched Ricky Schroeder into superstar status in the early 1980s as a teen heartthrob.  The entire cast was on NBC’s Today show a few years ago, marking the 25th anniversary of that show’s pilot.  On that reunion program Gray and all her cast members recalled that the on-screen chemistry was real and the four lead characters have remained great friends to this day.

For the next decade, Erin would have recurring roles or guest star on some of the biggest television shows of the time period, appearing as Monica Johnson, who was Mitch (David Hasselhoff) Buchanan’s boss on Baywatch and as Jenny Hayden on another sci-fi show, Starman.  Just some of her guest spots on popular 1980s television shows included: The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, Hotel, Hunter, Simon and Simon, Vega$, Magnum PI, The Fall Guy, Murder, She Wrote, LA Law, Evening Shade, The New Lassie, Burke’s Law, Jake and the Fatman, Silk Stalkings and Superboy.

She also starred on the big screen in one of the popular “Jason” horror serial films, Jason Goes To Hell, as well as co-starring in the Kenny Rogers film Six Pack.  Gray also starred in one of the Perry Mason television specials: The Case of the Avenging Ace.

She also co-wrote a book entitled, “Act Right,” which lends advice to new actors and tips for people looking to get into the performing arts.

In the later 1990s she transitioned away from acting and became a casting agent, a profession in which she remains active to this day.  However, over the last two decades, she has appeared occasionally in television shows, web series and lending her voice to video games.  She did star in another big screen production – the 2011 movie Dreams Awake.

To catch Erin Gray during the peak of her on-screen popularity, tune in and set your DVRs for her starring performance in 1980’s Coach of the Year, airing this Tuesday morning at 9am on the Astound TV Network.

To view the complete rundown of classic programming on ATVN, check out the weekly listings here.

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Astound Broadband or any other agency, organization, employer or company.

For over a hundred years some of the greatest video treasures of all time have been produced. Some have been lost in the sands of time and others, soon to be rediscovered, will become fan favorites for a whole new generation.

Each week we will feature just one of the many hidden gems that you can see on ATVN with insights and commentaries on classic television shows and legendary cinematic performances.

While the comedic pairing of Bud Abbott and Lou Costello is best known for its radio editions of the hit patter-comedy routine, “Who’s on First,” the duo also had a string of successful hits on the big screen.

Arguably, the pair’s biggest movie success came in the 1949 comedy Africa Screams.

Abbott and Costello had already been a success on stage since 1935 and spent the next several years adding appearances on popular radio shows as guest stars.  In 1941 after getting rave reviews as Fred Allen’s “summer replacement,” they earned their own radio series.

Their success on radio paved the way for a series of money-making motion pictures throughout the next two decades.  The pair made an incredible 24 movies between 1941 and 1948 before embarking on “Africa.”  Among the best received films during this time period includes Abbot and Costello Meet Frankenstein, One Night In The Tropics, Buck Privates, Buck Privates Come Home and The Naughty Nineties, in which the team duo stole the spotlight when the film featured a retooling of their “Who’s On First” routine.

As the decade was coming to a close, the pair wanted to embark in new territory and incorporate some other popular names of the era, as well as include new settings to their popular comedic formula.

Famed animal trainer and circus mogul Clyde Beatty, along with his famous performing animals, was brought into the mix.  Also added to the cast was popular boxer Max Baer (as “Grappler” McCoy)  and Shemp Howard, who was looking to branch out from his “Three Stooges” success and enhance his star power as a solo performer.

The film also marked the first time that Abbott and Costello worked with Hillary Brooke and Joe Besser — both actors would later become part of the ensemble cast for the duo’s television series.  Besser and Howard would also share time working as part of the “Stooges” franchise over the next few years.

The picture itself was not without issues.  

According to the book, “Abbott and Costello in Hollywood” by Bob Furmanek, the movie’s subplot regarding the affectionate gorilla was originally presented as a female simian pursuing Costello. However, the Breen Office censors that enforced the Production Code in Hollywood at that time demanded that the gorilla’s gender be changed because they felt a female gorilla’s pursuit of a man would be on par with bestiality.

Years later, the original nitrate stock negative of the film had decomposed, but the nitrate fine grain was still serviceable. Furmanek, an author and historian, had obtained the rights to the original print in the 1980s and had it transferred to 35mm for preservation purposes.

This film was also unique in that Abbott and Costello had gone out on their own to independently finance their film for the first time while relying on the “United Artist” umbrella created by Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks and Charlie Chaplin to help with the distribution of the movie. 

Africa Screams turned out to be a huge success, grossing over $1.5 million in its release (while working with a budget just under $500,000) and paved the way for other successful releases over the next two years, including Abbott and Costello Meet The Killer, Boris Karloff, Abbott and Costello In The Foreign Legion and Abbott and Costello Meet The Invisible Man.

The success of “Africa” also spawned the creation of the popular “Abbott and Costello” television show, which boasted solid ratings for four years before a reoccurring rift would once again develop between the pair–ultimately separating them for good.

We’ll have more on the sometimes strained relationship and little known facts about the legendary pairing of Abbott and Costello in an upcoming blog entry here at “The Showcase.”  Meanwhile, you can watch Africa Screams by tuning in or setting your DVRs to ATVN this Tuesday at 9:00 am.

To view the complete rundown of classic programming on the Astound TV Network, check out the weekly listings here.

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of ATVN or any other agency, organization, employer or company.

For over a hundred years some of the greatest video treasures of all time have been produced. Some have been lost in the sands of time and others, soon to be rediscovered, will become fan favorites for a whole new generation.

Each week we will feature just one of the many hidden gems that you can see on ATVN with insights and commentaries on classic television shows and legendary cinematic performances.

Everett Sloane is another one of those names that may not be familiar to video audiences now, but chances are you have seen him in a prominent classic film or television show.

Everett was born on October 1, 1909, in Manhattan, New York.  At the tender age of seven he was featured as Puck in the Manhattan Public School production of Williams Shakespeare’s A Midsummer’s Night Dream and caught the acting bug.  

He worked in a traveling production company until making his New York stage debut in 1928, but took a full-time job as a Wall Street ticket runner.  The famous crash of 1929 cut his Wall Street salary in half, so Sloane delved deeper into the entertainment industry to earn a living and began work doing radio plays.

The “Crash” turned out to be fortuitous for Everett as he became a hit in the new medium and ended up performing in over one thousand radio productions throughout his career, including recurring roles on elite shows like The Inner Sanctum and as the comic relief cab driver on The Shadow.

One of his biggest “breaks’’ was working for Orson Wells’ immensely popular Mercury Theatre, which produced not only some of the most popular shows in the late 1930s but produced the infamous “War of the Worlds” teleplay that spooked the nation into thinking that aliens from Mars were actually invading Earth!

Wells signed a movie production contract with RKO Pictures and incorporated many of his veteran voice actors in his films.  Sloane made a splash in his film debut (to say the least!) with Citizen Kane, the movie regarded by many as the greatest film of all time.

In it, Sloane played Charles Foster Kane’s (portrayed by Orson Wells) confidant and business manager, Mr. Bernstein.  Sloane was featured as both his “older self,” retelling stories from his perspective of Kane’s life, as well as appearing in the flashback sequences through the picture.  Despite the film’s controversies and the alleged attempts to blackball members of the film’s cast and crew, Sloane quickly found work in the theater, performing in over one hundred stage productions of Richard Wright’s Native Son.

Sloane then returned to Hollywood and starred in another Wells’ production of the movie Journey Into Fear, with fellow Citizen Kane cast members Joseph Cotten, Agnes Moorehead and Ruth Warrick.

Among his other film highlights include starring in Marlon Brando’s film debut, The Men, The Prince Who Was a Thief with Piper Laurie and Tony Curtis, Patterns with fashion icon Van Heflin and later in a reunion with Wells in The Lady From Shanghai and Prince of Foxes.

When Everett turned his attention to television he continued to have immediate and continual success by guest starring on some of the greatest shows of all time.  

His TV appearances include Bonanza, The Andy Griffin Show, The Dick Van Dyke Show, Gunsmoke, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour and Perry Mason.

He also did voiceovers in cartoons and narrated the 1965 movie, Hercules and the Princess of Troy — which turned out to be his last role.

Everett was diagnosed with glaucoma and, fearing he would go blind as a result of it, took an overdose of barbiturates and died in his sleep on August 6, 1965.

He was 55 years young. 

You can see Everett Sloane in the 1956 film Patterns (this Tuesday at 9am on ATVN) as well as his guest starring roles in Bonanza and other TV classics on the Astound TV Network.

To view the complete rundown of classic programming on ATVN, check out the weekly listings here.

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Astound Broadband or any other agency, organization, employer or company.

For over a hundred years some of the greatest video treasures of all time have been produced. Some have been lost in the sands of time and others, soon to be rediscovered, will become fan favorites for a whole new generation.
Each week we will feature just one of the many hidden gems that you can see on ATVN with insights and commentaries on classic television shows and legendary cinematic performances.

This blog regularly touches on some of the all time, world-renowned greats in the communications industry. We’ve written about James Stewart, Sidney Poitier, Lucille Ball, Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Betty White, Jackie Robinson, Jose Ferrar, Audrey Hepburn, Buster Keaton, Cary Grant and other names that should stand the test of time.
But if some of you are not familiar with the name Rick Geho…that is a good thing!

Like most successful directors and executive producers in the television industry, by NOT knowing the name of someone behind the scenes, it’s about as big a compliment as you can get.

The people whose faces appear on your television screen are known as the “celebrities,” whose names, mannerisms and personas–real or created–are what viewers see and most likely remember. The only time you look to see who is the executive producer are the times when things go horribly wrong, or when you get so disgusted by what you are seeing on the screen that you take the time to find out who they are to send them an angry email complaint or phone call.

So if the name Rick Geho doesn’t ring a bell for you right away, I will thank you on his behalf.

For nearly 50 years, Rick has been the managing force behind our local television station, under the Twin County, C-Tec, RCN and now, Astound Broadband, brands. During his tenure, local programming highlights include, but are not limited to, the annual Dream Come True Telethon (36 years and counting), Lehigh Valley high school sports, Lafayette College sports, current in-studio productions such as “Nuestro Valle,” “SportsTalk” and “Community Spotlight,” and coverage of many community events, like the July 4th fireworks, Halloween parades, Christmas Light display shows and others.

Furthermore, nowhere else in the COUNTRY do you see the amount of local scholastic sports programming than you can in the Eastern Pennsylvania region. Rick has been at the forefront of that development, starting earlier and working longer than most people will ever work in this industry.

Rick’s education began with an associate’s degree from Electronic Engineering Tech, followed by a diploma from the Radio Engineering Institute. He also holds a General (First Class) Radiotelephone Operator license, issued by the FCC.

His many interests include trains (and older railroad stations), baseball, animal welfare, trains, arts and culture, civil rights, social action, human rights, trains, politics, science, technology…and did I mention a love of everything trains?

As someone who has known him for 26 years, I can tell you that Rick is someone who deeply cares about the people in our viewing area and has a passion for both its rich traditions as well as its quality well-being going forward. He frequently worked at all hours of the day, seven days a week, making sure that all the details of every production and every broadcast event would go off as seamlessly as possible. Whether it be sports, public affairs, concerts, parades or anything that is of interest to the people of the region, he worked tirelessly to try to bring it to people’s homes, and to make it a pleasant experience for viewers to watch.

Most importantly to the readers of this particular blog, Rick is one of the people responsible for collecting all of the great classic television shows and movies that you can enjoy on the Astound TV Network. He ultimately is the one to make sure all these programs and movies make it on the air and into your homes, so you can enjoy them at the time that they are scheduled to run–which Rick also had the chore to oversee.

After nearly 50 years of bringing quality local sports, original programming and some of the greatest video works of all time to television sets in the Lehigh Valley and beyond, he has decided to retire from ATVN.

Rick’s last day will be next Saturday, October 1st.

In typical “executive director” fashion, he has denied all in-house motions to do any on-air tributes, mentions or recognitions of his five-decades-long work. He has also declined a request to appear on our live sports show to talk about his career and discuss all that he has accomplished on our network and in the communications industry.
Whether he says it or not, you cannot deny the deep impact he has made on local television in our viewing area and that ATVN would not be what it is today without his hands on the controls.

To check out the fruits of one of Rick’s responsibilities, tune in to the Astound TV Network over the next week to check out our new fall lineup of shows, movies and diverse programming, with something for everyone.

There is a complete rundown here on our website of classic programming as well as lifestyle shows, community, news and cultural programs, local origination and live sports productions on ATVN. Check out the weekly listings here.

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Astound Broadband or any other agency, organization, employer or company.

There is a disturbing item on my “to-do” list from last week that I can’t bring myself to remove from my calendar.

I was supposed to meet with my long-time co-worker, Cathy Neelon, to go over the highlights and new additions to our new fall schedule on the Astound TV Network that launched this Monday, but tragically, that meeting never took place.

Cathy was killed in an automobile accident on her way home from covering a local high school football game we did together the previous weekend.

Cathy was 55-years young.

******

Cathy started her career as an intern with ATVN’s former company, Twin County Cable TV, in 1989.  Long-time Studio Manager Rick Geho recalls that for one of her first assignments, the production crew had to run multiple extension cords to telecast a soccer game.  Because so many power lines were used, the breakers kept tripping and it was Cathy’s chore to keep resetting the breakers through the game.

A short time later she asked if the station needed a graphic operator.  She was quickly hired for the role and occupied that position for the next 33 years.

Cathy was a pet lover and would retell many pictures and humorous stories about her beloved cats.  She enjoyed being creative with her drawing and liked the theater.  She was a frequently active participant during the heyday of the Rocky Horror Picture Show midnight performances at the Lehigh Valley.  According to Geho, one of her favorite ‘non-graphics’ duties was to run camera for the original local program, The Sturdy Beggars, an avant-garde sketch-comedy show.  She was particularly proud of an extensive camera move she incorporated during the show’s parody of The Godfather.

Among her favorite experiences with the crew were the pre-game dinners we frequently had when traveling outside the area and after the set-up was completed for an event to be broadcast the next day.  Geho recalls that she enjoyed the opportunity to sit down in a relaxed setting with all her co-workers and share stories with everyone.

Cathy was one of the first people I got to know when I started as a part-time employee in late winter of 1997.

Back then, she was still a “newbie” among the full-time staff members with many of the more tedious responsibilities falling to her.  Because of this, she was a “go-to” person for me in those early days, dealing with paperwork, learning new policies and just getting used to the procedures and the ways things ran at our studio around that time period.

I quickly learned that she held a love for all local sports and athletic heroes, but particularly for her alma mater, Allen High School. (She was thrilled that my first “story” was a feature on the-then new Allen Boys Basketball Head Coach, Doug Snyder).

I also learned that she was an amazing speller and had great success in scholastic competitions back in the day.  She was ecstatic that we had the opportunity to broadcast the spelling bees we used to do from the Farmerama Theater at the Great Allentown Fair (she was devastated when the Fair stopped hosting the event a few years later).

Cathy had a passion for horse racing (some years she even offered to write a blog right around “Triple Crown” time, recalling her memories of watching previous races with her family members).

Among her duties with the Astound TV Network was producing graphics for our local sports and original programming, coordinating messages seen on the ATVN Community Bulletin Board and putting together on-screen guides and television listings for all of our programming, including many of the classic shows and movies often featured here on this blog each week.

*****

So instead of meeting with her last week to finalize my notes on the new fall programming schedule, I spent that time planning a tribute we paid to Cathy’s memory on last week’s “SportsTalk” show, which you can see through ATVN on-demand, if you missed the program.

Our deepest condolences to Cathy’s immediate family as well as the extended family she generated through her decades of dedication and hard work in the local sports community.

She will be missed!

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Astound Broadband or any other agency, organization, employer or company.

For over a hundred years some of the greatest video treasures of all time have been produced. Some have been lost in the sands of time and others, soon to be rediscovered, will become fan favorites for a whole new generation.

Each week we will feature just one of the many hidden gems that you can see on the Astound TV Network with insights and commentaries on classic television shows and legendary cinematic performances.

In an earlier blog entry we examined the lead characters in the popular, long-running 1950s and early 60s television family sitcom, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet program.

But the Nelson children had an interesting history as well!

Ozzie Nelson was an orchestra leader who sometimes teamed with Harriet (born Peggy Lou Snyder) for events before both were asked to appear at the same time on a national radio show called “The Baker’s Broadcast” in the early 1930s.  One of the initial hosts of the show was Robert Ripley (remember “Ripley’s ‘Believe It or Not?“)

Ozzie and Harriet married in 1935 and decided, as opposed to continuing to work independently, they would see more of each other by working the same gigs.  After appearing on some of the top radio programs in the 1940s, included “The Red Skelton Show,” “The Fred Allen Show” and “Suspense,” which led to their own radio vehicle.

When Skelton was drafted in 1944, Ozzy was left to create his own family situation comedy on Red’s program, giving him valuable experience he would need a couple years later to develop his own television show.  It was there that Nelson “created” a pair of boys for his radio family.

Contrary to popular belief, Ozzie and Harriet did NOT use their real sons at the start of the program.  Instead they auditioned many established child actors for the part, hoping to keep their real children out of show business–at least initially.

Using the names of his real-life children, Ozzie hired Henry Blair to play the role of “Ricky.”  The role of “David” was shared by Joel Davis and then later Tommy Bernard for the first five seasons of their radio program.

Itching to get into show business, the “real” Ricky and David persuaded their parents to let them take over “their” roles during the fifth season of the radio program in 1949.

When the show made the jump to television in October 1952, the entire family was on board.

By 1957, Ricky had become one of the most sought after heartthrobs on television–it is widely believed that the first use of the term “teen idol” was used for him.  During the show’s run, they frequently featured Ricky’s singing talents and he launched a very successful singing career, placing 53 songs on Billboards “Top 100” charts during his career.

David, meanwhile, preferred to hone his acting skills and accepted more dramatic roles in films, starting with the 1959’s thriller, The Big Circus.  He also showed an interest in directing, manning several later episodes of “Ozzie and Harriet” and eventually directed motion pictures.

Many of the “kids” real-life stories were used as the basis of “The Adventures…”  episodes’ plots.  As both Ricky and David got older and married (Kristin Harmon and June Blair, respectively), their wives then joined the cast as well.

In all, the series would go on for a record-setting 14-year sojourn on television alone and all four family members would become household names–which didn’t exactly sit well with Rick (who tried to shed his childhood persona by dropping the “y” from his first name).

As time wore on, Rick looked to move past his wholesome image of the “Ozzie and Harriet” days and be taken seriously as a  rock-and-roll performer of later 1960s and 1970s style music, but many fans of the television show wanted to hear his hits made famous during the 1950s program.

One one occasion at Madison Square Garden, when Rick insisted on playing more modern music, “oldies” fans booed him off the stage.  The humiliating experience inspired Rick to write the song “Garden Party,” which ended up being his final hit song, placing 6th on the pop charts.

Rick died in a plane crash on New Year’s Eve 1985.  He was just 45.

David continued to act and direct films until making his last appearance in the 1990 film, Cry Baby.  He was honored with a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame for his contributions to the motion picture industry in 1996.  In 2011, David died at the age of 74 from colon cancer.

You can revisit the Nelson children in their early years in The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, which airs weekly on Sunday afternoons at 1 p.m and Wednesday mornings at 9am on ATVN.

To view the complete rundown of classic programming on the Astound TV Network, check out the weekly listings here.

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Astound Broadband or any other agency, organization, employer or company.

For over a hundred years some of the greatest video treasures of all time have been produced. Some have been lost in the sands of time and others, soon to be rediscovered, will become fan favorites for a whole new generation.

Each week we will feature just one of the many hidden gems that you can see on ATVN with insights and commentaries on classic television shows and legendary cinematic performances.

The radio and television editions of The Jack Benny Program ran almost without interruption from 1932 to 1965.  There are a number of classic episodes that received high ratings and a lot of individual “Benny” shows that are regarded as some of the top programs in the early history of television.

But only a few are as memorable and poignant as the television episode, “Jack Dreams He’s Married to Mary” (which will be shown on ATVN this Sunday at 12 noon).

First, a little history about this famous real-life married couple.

Jack was first introduced to a teenage Sadie Marks (his wife’s original real-life name) before Benny even thought about a career in radio, much less TV which wasn’t even invented yet.

There were not exactly fireworks during their first meeting at Marks’ family dinner.  While touring in vaudeville, Jack was invited to dinner by a fellow Jewish man who had two daughters (at that time, not all eating venues were “Jewish friendly” during special holidays).  Benny admitted in his biography, Sunday Nights at 7, that at that time, he was interested in Sadie’s older sister, Babe (someone who would become the butt of Jack’s jokes throughout his series and would guest star frequently to “return the favor”).

A few years later, Jack’s and Sadie’s paths would cross again although Benny initially didn’t even recognize the “adult Sadie,” and quickly asked his then-future wife on a date.  Jack would visit Sadie at her job for the May Company (another source for jokes throughout Benny’s show) and Sadie would later accompany Jack to watch him perform his own radio show live.

Shortly after the program started, Jack’s regular female sidekick “ghosted” him by not showing up for his live show and so Sadie filled in, using the on-air name, Mary Livingstone.  Even when the regular actress returned, Benny and his writing staff agreed that Sadie was the better “Mary” and preferred the on-air chemistry between the two.

Even though the couple was now married in real life, it was deemed more “entertaining” that the two stay single on the program, which allowed for more comedic situations regarding the troubles of dating, a unique rotation of girlfriends and Benny’s quirky life as an eligible bachelor.  They also thought it would be more original to stay away from the typical married couple routine that was already employed by other show business real-life couples at that time (most notably, their best friends, George Burns and Gracie Allen).  Plus, the contact back-and-forth, boss/employee, verbal shots Jack and Mary took towards each other seemed to work better on-air. 

That faux “bitter” relationship between the two continued for nearly all of the 33-year history of the program.

Except for this one episode.

In this particular show, which initially aired in 1954 (by this time Sadie had officially had her legal name changed to “Mary Livingstone”), Jack “imagines” what life would be like if he was, indeed, married to his longtime assistant, Mary.  Without revealing many of the spoilers for your viewing pleasure, this episode does include a number of tongue-in-check references to his “alternate” life, in addition to real-life references throughout the program, which even included a guest appearance by their real-life adopted daughter, Joan.

Once the dream sequence was over, Jack and Mary returned to their more “normal” relationship, with Jack poorly paying Mary, and his “assistant” returning the favor with some sharp-tongue digs at Benny’s shortcomings.

The real relationship between Jack and Mary was quite different.

There is a YouTube clip from The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, which paints a much different picture of their marriage.  Mary tells the story of a single red rose that she received shortly after her husband’s death in 1972.  For a while there was no note and she didn’t know who was sending it to her.

When she tracked down the delivery man she eventually discovered that in Benny’s will, he set up a trust that Mary would receive a red rose every day for the rest of her life, as a reminder of the undying love Jack had for her.

Mary survived Jack’s death until June 30, 1983 when she was 83…and a rose came to her doorstep every day for those 11 years.

Tune in and set your DVRs for this classic episode of The Jack Benny Program this Sunday at 12 noon on the Astound TV Network.  You can also see the Benny program weekly on ATVN on Wednesdays at 12 noon.

To view the complete rundown of classic programming on ATVN, check out the weekly television listings here. 

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Astound Broadband or any other agency, organization, employer or company.

For over a hundred years some of the greatest video treasures of all time have been produced. Some have been lost in the sands of time and others, soon to be rediscovered, will become fan favorites for a whole new generation.
Each week we will feature just one of the many hidden gems that you can see on ATVN with insights and commentaries on classic television shows and legendary cinematic performances.

It’s funny how time–and television–can change people’s lasting impressions!

For many generations, Fred MacMurray is known simply as the calm, wise dad who solved most of his constantly growing family’s problems for 12 years on the long-running TV sitcom, My Three Sons.

But MacMurray actually had a very long and successful career as a businessman, a talented musician and singer, in addition to both playing leading men and supporting characters in motion pictures, inhabiting a variety of different personas through his various films…and next week would have been his 114th birthday!

Born Frederick Martin MacMurray on August 30, 1908 in Kankakee, Illinois, Fred came from a family whose father taught music and his aunt was a vaudeville performer. He attended Carroll College in Wisconsin but did not graduate. Instead, he played saxophone in numerous bands in the late 1920s.

MacMurray actually started in show business as a singer, recording several singles in 1930 and 1931.

He also appeared on Broadway with a role in Three’s A Crowd in the early 1930s before signing a movie contract with Paramount Pictures in 1934.

Fred was quickly paired with some of the biggest names in Hollywood, normally playing “nice guys” in musicals, melodramas and light-hearted comedies. Some of his earliest co-stars included Joan Crawford, Carole Lombard, Katherine Hepburn, Claudette Colbert and Barbara Stanwyck. His fellow male acting co-stars included Humphrey Bogart, Henry Fonda, Bob Hope, Van Johnson and Jose Ferrer.

By the turn of the 1940s decade, MacMurray had become one of the highest paid actors in the entertainment industry. In fact, his 1943 annual salary of $430,000 not only made him the HIGHEST paid actor in Hollywood, but he was the fourth highest paid person in the United States.

The fewer roles he got in which he portrayed a “not so nice a guy” brought him even bigger fame and better critical reviews.

After starring in darker films like The Apartment, Borderline, The Caine Mutiny and the film noir classic, Double Indemnity, MacMurray was one of the most sought after actors in Hollywood.

But instead of continuing to star in major motion pictures, he took a different course of action.

He became a businessman.

MacMurray bought large areas of land and invested in cattle ranches and agricultural communities…all sustaining his claim as one of the top four richest men in America for many years.

He remained a popular figure with occasional guest-starring appearances on a few 1950s television shows, including I Love Lucy and Cimarron City.

Those successful appearances paved the way for his own TV show in 1960, but it did not come without MacMurray’s star power ensuring some major benefits for himself.

In order for Fred to concentrate on his business enterprises (and his golf game), his contract insisted that all his scenes for the entire season be shot first and must be completed within a two-month timespan.

While “….Sons” became a perennial favorite for audiences throughout the decade and into the early 1970s, MacMurray did shoot a few more films resonating favorably with audiences, like The Shaggy Dog, The Happiest Millionaire, The Absent Minded Professor and, its sequel, The Son of Flubber.

Fred was diagnosed with throat cancer in the 1970s, which he thought he recovered from, only to have it return in 1987. He also suffered a stroke and battled leukemia for over a decade before he succumbed to pneumonia on November 5, 1991.

Upon his passing, his large agricultural estate was sold to winemaker Gallo, who issued wines marked with the “MacMurray Ranch” label that people can still buy to this day.

Be on the lookout to watch MacMurray’s various television and movie work like the 1950’s flick, Borderline, seen frequently on the Astound TV Network. To view the complete rundown of classic programming on ATVN, check out the weekly television listings here.

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Astound Broadband or any other agency, organization, employer or company.