Television Review: LOVE THAT BOB - "Bob Goes Birdwatching" (1958)

LOVE THAT BOB: "Bob Goes Birdwatching" (Original Air Date: 3/25/58) Starring Bob Cummings as Bob Collins, Ann B. Davis as Schultzy, Rosemary deCamp as Margaret Collins MacDonald, John Archer as Bill Lear, Nancy Kulp as Pamela Livingstone, Patricia Cutts as Cecily, Joi Lansing as Shirley Swanson, Dwayne Hickman as Chuck MacDonald, Charles Coburn as "Sir Humphrey Mallard".  Written by Paul Henning, Shirl Gordon and Dick Wesson.  Directed by Bob Cummings.

Series overview of LOVE THAT BOB a.k.a. THE BOB CUMMINGS SHOW previously published here for the one hundredth anniversary of the star's birth in 2008 at this link.

Ace photographer Bob Collins has an in-studio beach layout with Shirley Swanson and several other models that will probably stretch into the evening hours.  Work must come before play, but two of Bob's friends have other ideas: scientist Bill Lear and birdwatcher Pamela Livingstone.  Lear wants Bob to leave the office and photograph UFO's.  Lear's a believer, Bob isn't, and Bob turns him down--nodding to Shirley, Bob states that he "prefers a dish to a saucer".

As for beanpole ornithologist Pamela Livingstone, she doubts Bob will resist the opportunity to photograph a rare and endangered bird, and is prepared to use her feminine wiles to entice him.  While the future Miss Jane Hathaway has little success in that regard, her chances improve once Bob sees the picture she's brought along from her last outing:

That's Pamela, the nesting birdie......and the Pamela's veddy British birder friend Cecily.  Three guesses why Bob is suddenly interested, and the first two don't count.

Worth a thousand words, eh Bob?

True, Bob already has a sure thing right there in the photography studio, but getting strange is the name of the game on LOVE THAT BOB.  Bobby Boy smoothly gets Cecily's number and the game is afoot, but is he up for every obstacle he's going to face?

In Bob Goes Birdwatching, Bob Collins meets the female version of himself.  Cecily appears to fall for Collins at first sight, though we find out it isn't that difficult to pique her interest.  Her body language indicates that she's charmed by the photographer, but she appears to forget all about him once she meets Bill Lear--at least initially.  It's clear from Pamela's stories about Cecily that she "gets around" at least as much as Bob does.  She appears from our vantage point to be a perfect match for TV's biggest horndog. 

The real Bill Lear was a friend of Cummings (also a Missourian) and inventor (Learjet, the 8-track tape).  The fictional Lear first appeared as a would-be suitor for Margaret in Bob Meets Bill Lear, but his social ineptitude is almost painful this time.  He appears to have a chance of his own with Cecily at first, but proceeds to blow it as he tells her all about Bob's past escapades--things he thinks will make her "downright hate him".  Of course these stories have the opposite effect.  By episode's end, Lear is embarrassingly reduced to spiteful cock blocking alongside Miss Livingstone. Best known for starring in DESTINATION MOON (1950), John Archer made multiple appearances as Lear during the final two seasons of LOVE THAT BOB.

Patricia Cutts

Charming Patricia Cutts was a blonde beauty who made the rounds of episodic television throughout the Fifties and Sixties. The daughter of British silent era director Graham Cutts, she was probably best known for the 1959 horror classic THE TINGLER.  Ms. Cutts suffered from bipolar syndrome, and sadly committed suicide at age 48 with an overdose of barbituates.

Every fourth season episode of LOVE THAT BOB was written by the team of Paul Henning, Shirl Gordon and Dick Wesson, and the quality of their scripts stayed impressively consistent when one considers they produced 36 episodes during that 1957-58 season.  They even found a little time to give us the lowdown on the UFO craze of the late Fifties, with Collins noting that the Air Force has had an explanation for "98 percent" of the reported sightings.  "What about the other two percent?" is Lear's counter.

Cummings and Coburn

Bob Goes Birdwatching is marred only by a resolution that will be lost on modern audiences, with Charles Coburn appearing as the elusive Sir Humphrey Mallard--or is he?  Nicknamed "The Monocle from Georgia", Coburn co-starred with Cummings numerous times during the height of Robert's film stardom (PRINCESS O'ROURKE, THE DEVIL AND MISS JONES, KING'S ROW).  The studio audience applauds Coburn wildly: the long-time theatre actor made his film debut at age 60(!) in 1937 and won an Academy Award for 1943's THE MORE THE MERRIER.  Coburn is far from a household name today, and the then fairly recent past history between the two actors is too obscure of an in-joke now.  A spry eighty-one at the time, Georgia native Coburn was often thought to be British.  Widower Coburn remarried the following year (bride Winnifred was forty years his junior) and continued acting in films until his death in 1961.

WHO WAS BLOCKING?

Hell, who wasn't?  Pamela, Bill Lear (rather spitefully), and finally "Sir Humphrey Mallard".

LOVE THAT BOB is a series often accused of sexism-- with some justification, though it should be noted that Shirley Gordon co-wrote over half of the show's 173 episodes.  Refreshingly, in Bob Goes Birdwatching we have a beautiful female guest star who is just as sexually liberated as playboy Bob Collins--pretty progressive for 50's TV.  Let's just say that I'd love to know who wrote what for this installment.  Nancy Kulp is a hoot as always, and Cummings does double duty again as director and keeps things light and brisk throughout.  The denouement will fall flat for 21st century viewers, and the "special guest star" surely doesn't look like he could keep up with Cecily.  At least, not with the little blue pills still forty years away.  That said, a sub-par ending isn't nearly enough to spoil a very funny half hour.  (***1/2 out of four.)

DID BOB SCORE?  No, but it is a damned admirable effort of clearing every hurdle--except one.

Film Review: NUMBER ONE (1969)

"Why the Hell isn't this on DVD yet?" -- Number 98





NUMBER ONE (1969 United Artists) Starring Charlton Heston, Jessica Walter, Bruce Dern, John Randolph, Diana Muldaur, Richard Elkins, Bobby Troup, Mike Henry, Stephen Franken, G.D. Spradlin, Roy Jenson, Ernie Barnes.  Directed by Tom Gries.

Forty year old New Orleans Saints quarterback Heston is a former Super Bowl champion, but he's playing poorly in the preseason and has talented rookie Elkins breathing down his neck.  While pondering the end of his career, Heston has plenty of problems outside the chalk lines as well.  Despite his past accomplishments, Heston gets constant reminders that his future away from football is far from assured.  It doesn't help that his marriage is on increasingly shaky ground, with wife Walter finding herself in a career of her own.

Heston and Gries collaborated on three films in the late Sixties.  The first, WILL PENNY (1968), is cited by many as a true sleeper and Heston himself deemed it his favorite work in his biography In the Arena.  The star's warm feelings did not extend to the followup, NUMBER ONE, which Heston cited as his worst in the same book.  I think he's being too hard on NUMBER ONE, but the film has its share of problems, beginning with the star's failure to make a convincing NFL quarterback.

Then-Saints quarterback Billy Kilmer was on hand to give Charlton Heston passing pointers, but while Kilmer was a gritty winner, he didn't exactly remind you of Dan Marino with his mechanics--which Heston was directed to emulate (in order to match the stock footage).  Despite his 6'3" height and the larger than life aura he brought to so many prestigious historical and sci-fi projects, Heston never looks any more like a professional signal caller on the field than Alan Alda (as George Plimpton) did in PAPER LION the year before.

Forty-six at the time, Heston is also too old for the part, something further complicated by the character being an ancient (for a QB) 40 in the script.  How many 40 year old quarterbacks even now have "three good years left" (as coach Randolph claims Heston does), much less in 1969?   The star gives his customary all on and off the field (he sustained three broken ribs absorbing one tackle) as the prickly Ron "Cat" Catlan, but comes across as stiffer and less charismatic than usual.  Stilted dialogue by screenwriter David Moessinger (later executive producer of QUINCY, M.E. during much of The Hilarious Years) hinders him away from the stadium as well.

This isn't to say that NUMBER ONE isn't a film of some interest.  Retired offensive lineman Jenson is reduced to asking Heston for a $200 handout, something sobering in light of the financial and personal problems faced by many former players (including star linemen of the day Jim Tyrer and Mike Webster) during post-NFL life in the years since.  Few football films had explored this at the time.  We're told several times that Heston will have a difficult time adjusting to life after football financially, but the point of the prescient dialogue with Jenson is unfortunately undermined elsewhere.  Heston's problems are shown to be more emotional than monetary (in conversation with wife Walter), with no shortage of potentially lucrative opportunities in retirement.  Former teammates Troup and Dern are wildly successful in their respective business ventures, and both offer him a job, with Dern wanting Heston badly enough to blatantly root for his old quarterback's failure on opening day.

Would YOU buy a car from this man?

In another progressive move for a 1969 film that isn't undercut, African-American Elkins is the quarterback of the near future for the Saints, with the media and many fans anxious to see him take over for Heston.  Just three weeks after NUMBER ONE was released, James Harris became the first black signal caller to start on opening day for the AFL Bills, and at the time college stars at the position (i.e. Marlon Briscoe) were usually asked to change positions in that league and the pre-merger NFL.  The situation would sadly continue for many years (i.e. Warren Moon's undrafted status).  The matter-of-fact approach taken by Gries is especially refreshing given this real-life context, as only Elkins' talent matters and no reference is made to his race.  Unfortunately, Stephen Franken's stereotypically gay designer is presented in a less enlightened manner.

Ernie Barnes

Just as the aforementioned PAPER LION was made with the cooperation of the NFL and the Detroit Lions, NUMBER ONE had the same support, with real-life Saints players Monty Stickles, Danny Abromowicz and Hall of Famer Doug Atkins (entering his own final season in '69) playing themselves.  Retired NFL'er turned painter Ernie Barnes, the teammate closest to Heston, would later become well known for providing the highly visible artwork for TV's GOOD TIMES (1974-79).   Off the gridiron, New Orleans jazz icon Al Hirt appears at himself, and both Dern and future NORTH DALLAS FORTY coach Spradlin also co-starred with Heston in Gries' WILL PENNY.

Underappreciated as a director, Gries (BREAKHEART PASS) chose an appropriately jazzy score, filmed on location in Louisiana, and didn't shy away from ending the movie on the downbeat note that seemed inevitable throughout.  Too bad that the missteps elsewhere kept NUMBER ONE from coming anywhere close to the status suggested by its title. While it's no pigskin classic, it doesn't deserve its present obscurity either.

So....why isn't this on DVD yet?

There's some effort made to show the physical effects of the sport in scenes between Heston and team doctor Spradlin, but the frankness of NORTH DALLAS FORTY was still a decade away in 1969.  Still, it was coming, and NUMBER ONE became dated quickly.  This, more than Heston's on-field miscasting, seems to be the reason that NUMBER ONE is largely forgotten.  PAPER LION (1968) (also not on DVD) suffers from the same problem, but, being a comedy at heart, it wasn't affected nearly as adversely as the more serious subject matter tackled here.

Why it should be on DVD:

On the plus side of the era discussion, you do get authentic Browns, Saints and Cowboy uniforms, something that the NFL wouldn't allow in the years to come for those films more critical of the league (FORTY, ANY GIVEN SUNDAY). 

The "snapshot of a bygone era" angle: NUMBER ONE would seem to be a must for Saints fans, particularly those old enough to remember when the team played its home games the old Tulane Stadium, a.k.a. "The Sugar Bowl" (which it hosted for 40 years).  The stadium stood from 1926 to 1980 and hosted the Saints until the Superdome opened in 1975.  That  long demolished venue is on full display here.

While it doesn't quite fit in with WILL PENNY (which doesn't need a partner, really; it is superb), NUMBER ONE would make a nice Heston-Gries twofer with THE HAWAIIANS, which seems a little overpriced on its own.  Dern and Atkins are among those still with us who would be available for extras.  NUMBER ONE recently aired on the MGM HD channel, so watch for a possible repeat showing there.

MAVERICK Mondays: "Poker Face" (1962)

MAVERICK Mondays: Number Seven






MAVERICK: "Poker Face" (1962 Warner Brothers/ABC-TV) Starring Jack Kelly as Bart Maverick, Nancy Hsueh as Rose Kwan, Rodolfo Acosta as Sebastian, Tol Avery as George Rockingham, Doris Lloyd as Lady Blakely, I. Stanford Jolley as Chauncey, Anna Navarro as Maria, Carlos Rivas as Luis, Richard Hale as Dr. Jones, William Fawcett as Stallion, Jorge Moreno as Renaldo.  Directed by Michael O'Herlihy.

Run out of Yuma by the sheriff for allegedly cheating at cards, Bart Maverick finds himself on a stage being looked down upon by the well-to-do, including banker Rockingham (Bart's accuser), Lady Blakely and religious missionary Hale.  He isn't alone in being ostracized by the bluenoses: they also shun Kwan because she's Chinese.  The "well-to-do" passengers are forced to change their tune when the stage is held up near San Rango by Mexican bandits led by Sebastian.

Rivas (left) and Acosta

After taking them all hostage, Sebastian takes an immediate dislike to the snobby racists but feels a sympathetic kinship with fellow outcasts Bart and Rose.  His budding affinity with the latter is not well received by Maria, who (with good reason) senses a threat to her own relationship with Sebastian.

117 episodes in and nearing the end (there were only seven more to come), it isn't surprising to see MAVERICK ready to borrow from John Ford's STAGECOACH in a search for new angles (and hey, wasn't that 1939 classic basically lifted from de Maupassant's Boule de Suif?), with Jack Kelly taking on the challenge of the John Wayne role in this setup.  

Poker Face is rather ambitious for any television Western, exploring racism, class tensions, and the use of religion as a cover for profit driven motives: specifically, exploitation of native peoples and the land.  Sebastian has plenty to say about the last in particular.  He lambasts the banker and missionary for seeking ill-gotten gains under a guise of altruism, but doesn't mind losing of money to Bart in an honest game.  In contrast to how he views the "ugly" Americans, Sebastian feels Maverick is earning money by winning it fair and square.  A complete 180 from Rockingham's reaction to losing to Bart at poker earlier (he simply must have been cheated--the only possible explanation).

Tol Avery

Sebastian shows no predjudice, a common link he has with Maverick and Kwan.  Unlike the others, they know not to judge a book by its cover.  Maverick's background in poker is a big reason he doesn't, and Sebastian picks up on this as he grasps the game ("mostly played with the face").  All three make decisions based on character "reads": in Sebastian's case, he rebuffs two of his countrymen.  After chastising henchman Luis for lacking honor, Sebastian rejects Maria in favor of Rose because the former "likes power" while the latter appreciates him as a person.   Many TV westerns made commentaries on racial issues in the years preceding the Civil Rights Act of 1964, with the romance between Chinese Kwan and Mexican Sebastian being somewhat daring for both the medium and the era.

Nancy Hseuh

Bart ultimately ends up with the task of saving them all, albeit needing more than a little luck to do so.    Predictably, the upper class denizens appear little changed once safety is assured--Sebastian's implied point that everyone's life hinges on more than a little good fortune at the outset is lost on those who needed to learn it most.  Sebastian may lose to a more experienced professional player, but he's a quick study.  After he gets stuck, he raises the stakes to an uncomfortable level to negate the disadvantage.  Andy Beal would have been proud!

When all is said and done, Poker Face isn't heavy handed, but thematically it is a story typical of the more conventional TV westerns of the day.  While Acosta and Hseuh are the acting standouts, mention must also be made of the always solid Kelly as well.  With a script lacking the usual comedic lines, Kelly compensates nicely.  Tol Avery, making his seventh and final MAVERICK appearance, made a living playing stuffed shirted villains, and his conventional bluster provides the most effective contrast here.

Oh, and I have to post a picture of Anna Navarro.  You shouldn't have to ask why.

Anna Navarro.  Any questions?

HOW'D BART DO AT POKER?

Bart was seriously kicking ass.  Before leaving Yuma, Bart won $9,000 from Rockingham.  He is robbed of the winnings by the bandits, a temporary setback.  For then he teaches Luis and friends the game and cleans them out (in addition to winning his $9,000 back).  Next, after teaching Sebastian the game, he wins $60,000(!) from him.  Then, for even higher stakes--the highest, in fact--he needs, and gets, a little bit of luck.  Granted, Maverick should clean the clocks of amateurs and inexperienced players, but it's still pretty impressive given the pressure involved.  While the dollars above probably seem like retirement money for the 19th Century, well....just wait for the episode's final twist. 

WISDOM FROM PAPPY?

Two pearls.  "There's imperfection in all of us, it just shows more for some." And, "Sulphur and molasses will cure just about anything."  Some wisdom in the former, for sure, but Pappy appears to be running low on some humor to go with it after five years.

THE BOTTOM LINE:

At first glance Poker Face is a bit too much like a conventional western for a MAVERICK: a social statement that could have been made on any number of dramatic TV westerns, unlike the sly, subtle civics lessons from the show's prime like (say) They Day They Hanged Bret Maverick and High Card Hangs.   Those scripts could have only been MAVERICKs.  But like the title suggests, don't fully judge Poker Face by its surface.  While the humor disappears for long stretches, the message is well suited for MAVERICK and the quintessential card game plays a large role in the outcome.  Kelly consistently provided fine work after Garner's departure, though he's outshined here by Acosta and Hseuh, two solid actors who left us way too young (Hseuh was only 39 when she passed away in 1980).   Poker Face isn't exactly the first MAVERICK I'd want to show a viewer new to the series, but ambitious writing and fine acting overcome the lack of laughs to make this entry worthwhile.    (*** out of four)

MAVERICK currently airs daily at 1 PM Central/2 PM Eastern without commercial interruption on Encore Westerns, and at 10 AM Central/11 AM Eastern on COZI TV.