Television Review: LOVE THAT BOB: "Bob Batches It" (1956)

THE BOB CUMMINGS SHOW aka LOVE THAT BOB: "Bob Batches It" (Laurel-McCadden Productions/CBS-TV 1956) Original Air Date: October 18, 1956. Starring Bob Cummings as Bob Collins, Ann B. Davis as Schultzy, Dwayne Hickman as Chuck MacDonald, Dick Wesson as Frank Crenshaw, Donna Martell as Marie, Joi Lansing as Shirley Swanson, Kathleen Freeman as Bertha Krause.  Written by Paul Henning, Phil Shuken and Shirl Gordon.  Directed by Norman Tokar.

Overview of THE BOB CUMMINGS SHOW a.k.a. LOVE THAT BOB at this link.


The Horn Section sends special thanks to Jackson Upperco at That's Entertainment.  Subscribe to That's Entertainment (I do) for lots of great classic TV reviews!

"What would you like on your toast--cottage cheese and pickles, or peanut butter and sardines?"

As you might guess by the title, Margaret MacDonald is away for the week, leaving brother Bob and son Chuck to their own devices.  Chuck is resigned to seven days of creative toast toppings and dirty dishes piling up, but Bob has other plans.  Namely, living like Kings with Bob's marriage minded models Shirley and Marie competing for that proposal.  The lovely ladies aren't counting on competition from Schultzy, and Charmaine isn't expecting the return of boyfriend Frank Crenshaw from six months at sea while throwing her Hail Mary to land The Boss.

"Uncle Bob, I just hope that whatever you've got can be inherited by a nephew."

Manipulating two of his most beautiful models into cooking and cleaning, pretending to be married(!) to steer sailor Crenshaw away from one, and, with sister Margaret away, showing the benefits of hedonism to impressionable young Chuck.  No way around it: playboy Collins is in full fledged stinker mode in Bob Batches It.  And yet Bob botches it.

"A 98 year old housekeeper driving a $10,000 Ferrari??"
"That's why she's still working, to keep up with the payments!"

As noted on the series overview, that nice, big home and successful vocation makes Bob a Hell of a catch even to the most beautiful models.   Marie seems to have a slight edge in the household with her willingness to do housework outside the kitchen, but her culinary skills are limited to Mama's spaghetti and meatballs.  So breakfast will give Shirley the shot at an early lead, if she can keep that jealous streak under control.  The platinum blonde is more than ready to serve up pancakes (not the only set of cakes she's using to entice our shutterbug).

Always perceiving her SMV limitations, Schultzy seeks to display kitchen expertise to put the others to shame.  Bertha points out that sailor Crenshaw is a very solid choice, but Charmaine shoots for the moon--Bob--with Bertha's full understanding.  You can't blame her--Frankie boy has his own high hope: Shirley!  Bob may not be keen to marry the voluptuous model, but at least he's willing to pretend to if it will keep competition away. 

With Emmy nominee Rod Amateau having departed to take over Producer duties for McCadden's BURNS AND ALLEN, Norman Tokar (LEAVE IT TO BEAVER) successfully held down the fort in season three (through Eleven Angry Women) until Cummings took over in mid-season.  He's much better known for slower paced, more family friendly fare, but Tokar proves himself proficient at handling this risqué door slamming farce handed to him by the team of Henning, Shuken and Gordon.

"Schultzy!  You're going to pass up a sure thing on a million to one shot?"

Schultzy wants Bob, Frank wants Shirley, and all involved are aiming high---Shirley and Marie also want the unattainable.  Chuck, meanwhile, simply wants to eat--which shouldn't be difficult.  The nephew is once again in awe of his role model.  Smooth Bob brings lovely, eager models to the Collins kitchen, but ultimately fails to provide that most basic of necessities.  Quite a comedown: it makes Uncle Bob's fallibility in The Fallen Idol pale in comparison. 
   

If there is a drawback to Bob Batches It, it's the pain of watching all that good food go to waste in the name of jealousy.  Margaret may not have many dirty dishes to deal with when she returns, but it appears she will have a clogged garbage disposal at some point in the near future.  There is a false moment or two--I mean, come on, Schultzy had to already know Shirley made the batter if she didn't do it herself, right?--but so many great laughs that one can't complain.  I couldn't help but wonder what Shirley's most frequent rival Collette DuBois would have come up with.  Crepes Suzette, anyone?

Character actor Dick Wesson popped up in all five seasons as Crenshaw, who wanted those models every bit as badly as Chuck (understandable after months away at sea!) but always found himself roped into a date with Schultzy, and Bob Batches It is no exception.  But hey, how often does Schultzy score while Bob strikes out?  Wesson soon joined the crack writing staff of LOVE THAT BOB, helping pen dozens of installments from 1957-59.  It was the start of a highly successful second career and a long association with Henning: Wesson ended up writing for 61 segments of THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES. 

In what is almost a regular LOVE THAT BOB feature at this point, ImdB.com needs a correction.  This time Marla English (The Dominant Sex) is erroneously listed as playing Marie.  Nope, it is actually Donna Martell returning to the series after The Silver-Tongued Orator.  She may not yet be that aforementioned housekeeper's age, but Ms. Martell is thankfully still with us at 92.    She's also your key to finding this now-rare segment in a YouTube search...hint, hint. 

WHO WAS BLOCKING?

A round robin of cold water being thrown as Shirley, Marie and Schultzy all take turns exasperating each other.  Poor Chuck is denied a simple breakfast, which is possibly even more frustrating.

Don't be fooled, he still doesn't get any!

DID BOB SCORE?

Overplayed your hand this time, Bobby boy.  Should have taken a cue from BOEING BOEING and had 'em come over in shifts!

THE BOTTOM LINE:

Tokar (later to direct 93 segments of LEAVE IT TO BEAVER) seems to relish the opportunity to work with the racy, hyper material that Henning, Shuken and Gordon were really adept at delivering by this third season.  This installment is one of the best of Tokar's half-season at the helm, with an extended teaser building nicely to a satisfying payoff.   Enjoy that leisurely paced opening since there's barely a moment to catch your breath after it.  (***1/2 out of four)

Leon Errol Series: BEWARE OF REDHEADS (1945)

BEWARE OF REDHEADS (1945 RKO Radio Pictures) Original Release Date: September 14, 1945.  Starring Leon Errol as Leon Errol, Dorothy Granger as Mrs. Errol, Myrna Dell as Gloria Richards, Marc Cramer as Mr. Richards, Arthur Loft as Dr. Thompson, Cyril Ring as Ed Brooks, Tanis Chandler as the Secretary, Tommy Noonan as the Assistant.  Written and Directed by Hal Yates.

Introduction to our Leon Errol Salute Series is at this link.

Leon Errol managed to make it to his office the morning after a particularly wild party at The Pelican Club, but isn't taking any visitors.  Too bad: titular fire bunny Gloria shows up, requesting the return of a compact she accidentally dropped in his pocket while they were dancing.  If you're guessing that Mrs. Errol is unaware of last night's activities, you're right--and you can probably deduce that she will find the compact and storm into the office while Ms. Richards is still there.  Leon is able to convince the Missus it was intended as a surprise gift for her, but his worries are far from over.  Gloria also has a spouse, and he's even more upset.  Mr. Richards files for divorce--naming Leon as a co-respondent.

He may have a cold pack on his head and the need to replace a few appointments with naps, but Leon sucks it up and makes it to the workplace under trying circumstances in this classic Hal Yates barn burner.  Ms. Richards shows she means business from the get-go, even ripping Chandler's skirt to get into Leon's office!  It must have been some party for both of them, if she was sufficiently distracted to leave a $200 makeup mirror with her venerable suitor.  Gloria certainly can't be all that innocent if she's dancing with Leon at his favorite watering hole--perhaps she's looking to upgrade financially?  If her age-appropriate husband can afford a compact worth $2,822 in today's dollars(!) she isn't doing too badly for herself already.  A bald, short man in his sixties able to pry Myrna Dell from her hubby--need any further proof that Leon Errol is a role model?

Our durable carouser is also commendably careful, able to charm his brother-in-law the physician into helping.  Hard to swallow?  Maybe, but then again Leon could have a little blackmail material ("he's my pal!").  Errol also deftly avoids having Gloria's name on one of his checks and makes assistant Brooks accompany her to the store to The hangover doesn't keep him from thinking on his feet when the Missus arrives, but the addled state of his brain finally shows itself when she leaves and takes the adrenaline rush with her.  A bit of advice: don't put your whiskey next to the ink bottle in your secret desk drawer.

Yates keeps the complications coming swiftly: numerous ill-timed arrivals on and off screen are par for the course, and a most unfortunate sprained ankle at the Errol household is the one thing our boozy buddy just can't see coming.  Still, Leon does a terrific job deflecting exposure under the circumstances, and just might avoid getting that vase broken over his head this time. 

Myrna Dell (Oh, Professor Behave!) was just beginning to receive consistent screen credit; this was the second of her seven Errol shorts.  Despite her titular role here, she was usually a beautiful blonde.  She gets laughs with her subtly assertive nature, which immediately changes once Mr. Richards shows his anger and threat of a divorce seems real.  It doesn't happen by the fadeout, but I still came away thinking the Richards have more marital problems than the Errols.  Dorothy is considerably more understanding than usual, maybe even gullible for the first reel.  Don't worry, that doesn't last.

Soon to join a pre-HOLLYWOOD SQUARES Peter Marshall in an underrated comedy team of the 1950's, Tommy Noonan makes his series debut as Dr. Thompson's unfortunate assistant.  This would be the first credited role for Tanis Chandler, and also the only short subject possibly best known for THE TRAP.  Marc Cramer would also play Dell's angry (to be fair, with good reason) husband in Double Honeymoon.

Drinking, carousing, burning the candle and both ends, and practicing the  "deny, deny, deny" technique decades before GUIDE FOR THE MARRIED MAN, Leon Errol never changed on screen no matter how many decades passed.  Thank God.  He and Hal Yates both realized audiences never wanted him to, and as a result we have dozens of laugh riots just like Beware of Redheads just waiting to be rediscovered.  (***1/2 out of four)

Television Review: LOVE THAT BOB: "Bob Becomes a Genius" (1955)

LOVE THAT BOB (a.k.a. THE BOB CUMMINGS SHOW) "Bob Becomes a Genius" (1955 NBC-TV; Laurel-McCadden Productions) Original Air Date: January 30, 1955. Starring Bob Cummings as Bob Collins, Ann B. Davis as Schultzy, Rosemary de Camp as Margaret MacDonald, Dwayne Hickman as Chuck MacDonald, Will Wright as Burt "Pappy" Mason, Gale Robbins as Philippa Farnsworth, Frances Pasco as Thelma, Jerry Hausner as the Agent, Paul Frees as the Movie Hoodlum.  Directed by Rod Amateau.  Written by Paul Henning and Bill Manhoff.


Overview of LOVE THAT BOB a.k.a. THE BOB CUMMINGS SHOW is at this link


Bob's mentor Mason approaches him with an offer he can't refuse: photographing his studio's most important signee, beautiful Philippa Farnsworth.  She finds Mason's work lacking, so our shutterbug is puzzled by the request, since "Pappy" taught Bob.  Mason confesses that Bob's way with women is the real reason for the proposal.  Since Farnsworth is Bob's favorite screen siren, this one is right up his alley, correct?

Believe it or not, incorrect!  Once Bob meets Philippa, he finds her to be overbearing, insulting, and abusive to all of her subordinates.  Collins promptly refuses the gig--which makes Bob the perfect man for the job in Farnsworth's eyes.  The temperamental diva goes off in hot pursuit, with 14 phone calls and cojoling of those closest to Bob (after a personal wooing doesn't work!).  Is Bob just playing hard to get to perfection, or is he really serious about telling one of the world's most delectable stars (physically, anyway) to take a hike?

This early segment--only the fifth BOB CUMMINGS SHOW to air--finds that "way with women" already established.  Bob's skill with the ladies is Mason's entire rationale, and the playboy lives up to his billing by providing the only palpable opposing force Farnsworth faces.  Naturally, the diva finds the challenge irresistible.  Less than a month into its run, the lead character is mostly realized, but writers Henning and Manhoff (whose LOVE THAT BOB credits were sparse after the first season) are still working on the universe around him.

Bob's business isn't yet overrun by glamour girls: the only client we see in Bob Becomes a Genius is plane Jane Thelma, who seeks the Collins touch for her Lonely Hearts Club photos.   Schultzy therefore has nothing to block, and even assists Philippa in her efforts to get a foot in the door!   High school Sophomore Chuck wants to get near his Uncle's work, but isn't yet bold enough to crash the studio. Amazingly, Bob seems to have the only working bullshit detector in his home or office:  Collins is all alone in seeing through Philippa's histrionics and he also recognizes another actor piling it on while pretending to be a hoodlum.  While it stands to reason Bob would be at the movies a lot, he always seemed like he'd be too um, busy to notice the film onscreen.

That's right, I did say he wasn't fully realized: Bob is letting the big head do all the thinking here, so to speak.  The veteran BOB viewer would think Collins is playing hard to get in an effort to score--but no, he really isn't interested in the job or any fringe benefits!  While this is due to Farnsworth's toxic personality, that character flaw doesn't stop our Playboy in the years to come: witness Eleven Angry Women, or more relevantly, his encounter with another temperamental actress in The Dominant Sex barely a year later to see the subversive sitcom LOVE THAT BOB would develop into.  In comparison to those efforts, Bob Becomes a Genius is remarkably conventional.

For example, Robbins is over the top, but there's miniscule nuance (if any) for her to play.  While Miss Farnsworth is able to snow Schultzy, Margaret and (more predictably) Chuck, the mask comes off swiftly and violently with each rejection from Bob.  An overgrown Veruca Salt on the surface, Farnsworth does have fleeting lines indicating her insecurity at being a woman advancing in age (Miss Wyoming of 1937 before she catches herself, which would put her in her mid-30's) in an industry with clear double standards for the sexes.

That said, you have to dig really deep to find any sympathy for Phillipa after witnessing her condescending and cruel treatment of anyone she finds beneath her.  Which--buttering up of Chuck ("the next Monty Clift"!), Schultzy and Margaret notwithstanding--is pretty much everyone.  Miss Farnsworth is given only two dimensions, but the writing of female CUMMINGS characters would improve dramatically just a week later: Shirl Gordon made her series debut with A Date for Margaret, the first of nearly 100 installments she would co-write over the next three and a half years.  Adding Gordon's perspective no doubt helped LOVE THAT BOB become the premier adult comedy of its decade.

"She's just flesh and blood like the rest of us, Chuck,"
"Yeah, but look how hers is put together!"

Bob Becomes a Genius has a healthy number of hints at things to come.  Collins tells Chuck that's a line for a "high school freshman", then uses it himself later and subtly takes full credit.  Mason seems hopeful that his protégé can "tame" the star based on Collins' reputation, and he makes it pretty clear he doesn't mean the one behind the camera.   If Pappy had returned a year later, he would have found the Bob he was looking for.  As it is, he has to settle for one who would use his own theatrics to make Farnsworth finally appreciate the stable, experienced lensman she has.  Noble...but disappointingly normal compared to the oft-racy mischief we would become accustomed to.  Fear not: Bob Collins would become much hornier and funnier on a weekly basis soon after.

Davis, Cummings, Frees (L to R)

Voice acting legend Paul Frees gets a rare role in front of the camera as an actor coerced into playing a hoodlum to get Bob to acquiesce to the star's wishes.  It's a real treat to see and hear Frees (who gets to do his Bogart) for once. Thanks to frequent mislabeling on YouTube uploads, this episode somehow gets confused with Bob Becomes a Stage Uncle (I counted four of these on YouTube, including this colorized one!).  Don't believe the ImdB credits of the latter: Frees, Hausner, Robbins, Pasco and Wright do not appear in that fifth season entry, and only Frees returned to the series (in Grandpa Meets Zsa Zsa).  Speaking of Grandpa Collins, Mason as mentor was an idea that quickly vanished, once Cummings began playing that dual role in Grandpa's Christmas Visit.

WHO WAS BLOCKING?

In a real rarity for Collins' world, no one.

DID BOB SCORE?

He didn't even try, which was even more of a rarity.

BOTTOM LINE:

LOVE THAT BOB is still getting its legs here--come on, even half a season later and Bob would have been playing games and trying to get in Phillipa's pants (with Schultzy obstructing).  Despite jokes more typical of the blander sitcoms of its day Bob Becomes a Genius is acceptable, if unexceptional, and it is fascinating to see a long running show in its infancy.  For a great example of LOVE THAT BOB realizing its destiny early on, the third episode, It's Later Than You Think, is a riot that wouldn't be out of place two or three seasons later.  As for this one: (**1/2 out of four)

This one isn't colorized, but at least it is labeled correctly if you'd like to see Bob Becomes a Genius for yourself:

F TROOP Fridays: "Bye, Bye, Balloon" (1966)

F TROOP Fridays: Number 23  










F TROOP: "Bye, Bye, Balloon" (1966 ABC-TV/Warner Brothers) Season 2, Episode 3: Original Air Date September 22, 1966.  Starring Forrest Tucker as Sergeant Morgan O'Rourke, Larry Storch as Corporal Randolph Agarn, Ken Berry as Captain Wilton Parmenter, Melody Patterson as Wrangler Jane, Frank deKova as Chief Wild Eagle, Don Diamond as Crazy Cat, Bob Steele as Duffy, James Hampton as Bugler Dobbs, Ivan Bell as Duddleson.  Guest Star: Harvey Korman as Colonel Heindrich von Zeppel.  Directed by Seymour Robbie.  Written by Austin and Irma Kalish.


Captain Parmenter receives an urgent communique from Washington, notifying the C.O. that Prussian Colonel Heindrich von Zeppel will be arriving to train the men of F Troop for a new Balloon Corps.  Agarn isn't thrilled with the idea of becoming a flying soldier, but O'Rourke sees fringe benefits on the horizon: speedier deliveries for O'Rourke Enterprises, an expanded customer base, and the ability to sell rides to civilians.

"Now, do you want to be in the Balloon Corps?"
"It's the only way to fly!"

Von Zeppel arrives on (literally) the noon stage and the Sarge soon changes his tune.  First the Colonel institutes grueling physical training for his decidedly deconditioned new subordinates.  Next, Heindrich poaches the Vice President of O'Rourke Enterprises to be his begleiter.  Agarn is soon brainwashed into doing things the blue blooded Prussian Vay: wearing a monocle, answering "Jawohl" to orders, goose stepping, and replacing his cavalry hat with a pickelhaube.  That's bad--but it gets worse.  Von Zeppel plans to use his Balloon Corps to go beyond mere reconnaissance, beginning with a full scale aerial assault on the Hekawis.

"And if it vorks--it is Vestvard Ho!  Un to the Apaches!"

With the historically accurate Civil War use of observation balloons by the Union's "Chief Aeronaut" Thaddeus Lowe as their springboard, the husband and wife team of Austin and Irma Kalish makes a splashy series debut.  The first of their eight teleplays for Season Two, Bye, Bye, Balloon boasts quite a comedy smorgasbord: cheeky ribbing of ABC lead-in BATMAN, sharp parody of HOGAN'S HEROES' equally edgy source of humor, and arguably the two most quotable lines of the season.  For starters, that is.

"Feldwebel???"

"WHO SAYS I'M DUMB???"

Believe it or not, that running gag didn't debut until this third episode of F TROOP's second season.  Despite the late start, this quote quickly became as synonymous with the show as a falling lookout tower.  O'Rourke sets that punch line up for the very first time in Bye, Bye, Balloon's teaser, with only about 15 seconds passing before Agarn angrily asks the aforementioned question.  The pauses would get longer and funnier as the color episodes continued.  Rather impressive to come up with a running gag of such longevity and quality in your inaugural script for a well-established series.  Nice job, Mr. and Mrs. Kalish!

Refusing to be outdone, director Seymour Robbie (Johnny Eagle Eye) starts the proceedings with an impressively choreographed letter reading by gracefully clumsy Parmenter that betters the hitching rail antics in Old Ironpants.  Surprisingly, the narrow avoidance of disaster in this opening minute is the closest we get to a pratfall in Bye, Bye Balloon despite the foreshadowed and seemingly inevitable presentation of a duel between our distinguished officers.  

"Naturally a young lady vas involved."

The late, great Harvey Korman was "only" 6'3", but seems about 3 inches taller in his boots and helmet here--a truly imposing antagonist who even appears to tower over Tucker in a couple of shots.  It's a wonder mother Prussia would spare this most patriotic officer at a time when war with Napoleon III loomed, for von Zeppel's heart bleeds Prussian blue.  Hell, his faithful Dachshund (of course) is even named Schnitzel.  When the Colonel isn't singing the praises of sauerbraten and ten mile pre-breakfast hikes, he's indoctrinating the always easily-led Agarn.  Storch's entertaining way with a accent keeps Korman from dominating their scenes together, but the future Mel Brooks mainstay nevertheless stands tall (figuratively, too) as one of F TROOP's most indelible guest stars.

O'ROURKE: "Of course he accepts!  The honorable name of Parmenter is at stake!"
AGARN: (sotto) "He could always change his name."

One sticking point in Bye, Bye, Balloon is the nagging feeling that O'Rourke and Agarn don't seem as protective of the Captain and their business interests as they should be.  Attempts are made to steer Wilton out of harm in the climactic clash with his lofty adversary, but compare the exchange above this paragraph with the duo's desperation to avoid conflict in Dirge for the Scourge.  The attempt to help their 50/50 partners is blunter but still toned down from the outright sabotage depicted in The New I.G. and The Phantom Major.  To be fair, that delicacy is necessary since von Zeppel is a considerably more fearsome foe than the conceited Major Bentley Royce.  Suffice to say that with the benefit of a fresh look, the defense of the Enterprises is definitely sturdier than the astonishingly feeble effort (if one can call it that) in the previous week's How to be F Troop Without Really Trying.  

"It is balloon!"

Let's face it, there is one rather obvious hindrance to attacking a force proficient in archery via balloon.  And not just the Apache--even the Hekawis manage to hit the basket with one arrow.  Hey, it is improvement from what we saw in The Day the Indians Won.  Perhaps Agarn really did make some progress with that training.  Speaking of, it's too bad we don't get to see Duffy, Duddleson and Vanderbilt becoming flyboys--in fact, Vandy is missing altogether from this one.  Wild Eagle's response to the sight of the titular bag gets all the love, but I'm partial to his hilariously deadpan story about the Hekawi who tried to fly.  Whatever floats your boat, Bye, Bye, Balloon has something to make even F TROOP's detractors laugh out loud.  And by the way, if you are one, you're wrong!

Newspapers at the time reported a mishap while filming Agarn's flight with Schnitzel in which the balloon suddenly surged upward, with Storch's legs tearing the bottom and the show's gravy comedian clinging to the side of the basket some 35 feet in the air before the bag was hauled back down.  Fortunately, a nip on the lip from the frightened canine was the comedian's only injury.

THE ALL IMPORTANT NIELSENS:

Bye, Bye, Balloon aired during the first report of the 1966-67 season, helping win the time period with a 17.8 rating versus DANIEL BOONE's 16.8 and JERICHO's 16.5 for the two weeks ending September 25, 1966.  F TROOP ranked 44th, so all three shows were off to a lukewarm start.  In subsequent weeks, the established shows heated up and JERICHO kept cooling.  

THING YOU LEARNED:

In addition to the expected military history--which is correct for once! (the Kalishes would prove to be sticklers for this) we learn some German by way of Prussia.  For example, "feldwebel" means Sergeant.

Horton on BATMAN, October 19, 1966

ONE GOOD TURN......

F TROOP's clever nod to BATMAN would be returned by the Caped Crusader four weeks later in An Egg Grows in Gotham, guest starring Roaring Chicken himself, Edward Everett Horton as---Chief Screaming Chicken.

...and Horton on F TROOP, November 23, 1965

NUMBER OF TIMES O'ROURKE COULD HAVE BEEN CHARGED WITH TREASON:  


Once.  Ok, so he doesn't actually throw a battle this time, but revealing Army plans to the enemy about to be attacked would still get him the charge.

WISE OLD HEKAWI SAYING?


"He who plant crop of rhubarb will lose moccasins in light of full moon."  The Chief is as indecipherable as ever, though Crazy Cat goes along with it.

PC, OR NOT PC?


Probably not, if you're Prussian.  Your heritage is represented by a goose stepping officer arriving to wipe out Native Americans--but only if they're incapable of fighting back (as he states in the tag).  But fear not: like all the bloodthirsty Fort Courage visitors who preceded him, von Zeppel is thwarted in his efforts to break the peaceful, profitable coexistence between troop and tribe.  And if you're offended by Wild Eagle's famous and beloved quote, well, there's just no hope for ya.

THE BOTTOM LINE:


I underrated this one in my initial assessment in reviewing the second season DVD.  Controlled chaos full of quotable lines and engagingly performed by the entire cast.  Bye, Bye, Balloon is also ranked too low by the Imdb.com readers (41st out of 65 episodes?  Really?).  A top five color installment, with more than enough inventiveness to compensate for any of my nagging questions.  Excellent work from Kalish, Kalish and Robbie; they would later collaborate on (IMO) the finest color episode, Our Brave in F Troop. (***1/2 out of four)

MAVERICK Mondays: "The Sheriff of Duck 'n' Shoot" (1959)

MAVERICK Mondays: Number 28







MAVERICK: "The Sheriff of Duck 'n' Shoot" (1959 ABC-TV/Warner Brothers) Original Air Date: September 27, 1959.  Starring James Garner as Bret Maverick, Jack Kelly as Bart Maverick, Peggy McCay as Missy Maybrook, Chubby Johnson as Deputy Billy Waker, Jack Mather as Judge Hardy, Donald "Red" Barry as Fred Leslie, James Gavin as Buck Danton, Hal Baylor as Bimbo, Irving Bacon as Andrews, Billy Greene as Herman, Richard Cuttling as Smitty, Fred Aldrich as Ferguson.  Written by William Driskill.  Directed by george waGGner.  


Getting up to cash in his poker winnings in the titular township's (population 1,018) saloon, Bret gets credit for the inadvertent result of an agitated horse's kick: the subduing of town bully Ferguson.  That makes him the closest candidate the unfortunate city has to replace the recently departed sheriff, with a little bit of blackmail--the impounding of Bret's winnings--inducing a six month appointment.

Maverick's first day on the job starts inauspiciously: he learns he's the twenty-third sheriff that his new deputy has worked for, and Bimbo Ferguson is determined to wreck Duck n' Shoot as vengeance for his brother's incarceration.  On the other hand, newcomer Melissa ("Call me Missy") Maybrook wants to make the sheriff's acquaintance, so it isn't all bad...or is it?  She's also secretly partnering with Danton and Leslie, well known bank robbers who will be the novice lawman's next challenge.

"I'm unreliable.  I'm a terrible shot.  And this I mean most sincerely--I have been for as long as I can remember--a coward."

Despite the shortcomings that Bret modestly details, he turns out to be the most successful lawman in the history of Duck 'n' Shoot.  (At least, for a month--more on that below.)  Yes, the disabling of Frank was nothing more than dumb luck, but that was before Bret had the badge.  Reluctantly pinning it on and trying to hide it as he does, Maverick nevertheless deserves full credit for the vast reduction in crime on his watch.  The methods are all his.

When Bimbo arrives to test out the new Sheriff by trashing the town, Bret gambles with him--winning a day's incarceration with three nines to the junior Ferguson's two pair.   When a fight breaks out in the saloon, Bret wins money on it--which disgusts the participants into peace.  Interestingly, Bret subtly cheats on both occasions, something he'd never do (he never has to) while he's at the poker table.  Tellingly, Maverick only feels guilty about his deception with the deck.  ("Forgive me, Mr. Hoyle" he says with raised eyes.  Begging God's forgiveness?)

One can't fully blame Bret Maverick for keeping such income supplements with a salary of $84 a month keeping him away from a poker table that netted him nearly sixty times that in a day.  (I counted $260 in brawl-related winnings, myself.)   The Judge admits that Bret is earning every penny--as long as he's dealing with male criminals.  As might be expected, Bret's weakness is Missy Maybrook.  Bret doesn't completely trust her--note his relocation of the bank's funds once he thinks she's out of eyeshot--but she proves to be his Achilles heel nevertheless.  Too bad--Deputy Waker might well have put Bret's picture on the wall alongside Pat Garrett's if he'd kept that early momentum going.

"Then throw in nine more 'helps'." 

As he had in Shady Deal at Sunny Acres, Bart comes to his brother's aid capably.  Naturally, it is strongly hinted that collecting a debt from Bret brings him to the titular town more than any sense of brotherly love.  Bart proves less susceptible to the winsome lass than his brother, but clearly knows they have the same limitations: the younger brother is notably leery at having to resist her for a long period of time in the coda.  Peggy McCay had one of television's longest careers (started in 1949, ended in 2017!) and would return to bedevil both Mavericks again in The Maverick Line.

The Sheriff of Duck 'n' Shoot is also an auspicious debut for both its director and writer.  George waGGner was most often behind the camera on 77 SUNSET STRIP (he helmed 41 episodes), but returned to show his serious side: he wrote and directed his next installment, the underrated You Can't Beat the Percentage.  Leonard Driskill turned out to be a one-hit wonder after this hilarious opener, at least as far as MAVERICK goes: his second and last teleplay for the series was the disappointing Trooper Maverick.  This one, though, is near-perfectly paced and very well calculated, with only Maybrook's decision to back Bart seeming slightly perfunctory.

A sly commentary on the merits of the peace officer versus the law-and-order type, The Sheriff of Duck 'n' Shoot makes that point as well as any ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW, and for my money even better than Garner's later hit SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL SHERIFF!.  Further analysis on the virtue of being a rascal while taking on other rascals is pure MAVERICK--and pure fun from start to finish.  Another one of those episodes that demonstrates what made the series special, and a surprising number of those remained even after the loss of series creator Roy Huggins.

HOW'D BRET DO AT POKER?

$5,000 in winnings for Bret that the judge is holding in escrow.  Not too shabby, but actually pales in comparison to the success enjoyed by our crooks at the table: Leslie pockets $8,000 and Danton a whopping $12,000 respectively on the night they were supposed to be robbing the bank!  Who needs criminal activity?  And if the locals are that loaded and that terrible at the table, why isn't Duck 'n' Shoot a regular stop on the Maverick Poker Tour?

WISDOM FROM PAPPY?

Driskell gives us more Pappyisms than I can recall in any other single episode: five.

"The worst crime a man can commit is to interrupt a poker game."  Very true, Beauregard.

"If you know a man's weakness, you know the way to his heart."  The Judge is convinced of Pappy's intelligence with this one.

"Try everything once, and if you don't succeed, then become a lawman."  One of Pappy's truest proverbs?  Bret and Bart both tried to follow it.

"The next best thing to money is a man's name on the dotted line."  However, Bart was quickly contradicted by brother Bret on this one, who recalled Pappy saying:

"Sign nothing."  Indeed, the wise one was prone to contradict himself from time to time.

Driskell must have been tapped out, since Pappy had nothing further to offer in Trooper Maverick.

THE BOTTOM LINE:

Three episodes into his stint as producer, Coles Trapnell shows that he has the juice to keep MAVERICK as subversive as before.  Both brothers take a turn in the Sheriff's office and demonstrate that brains can triumph over brawn in that profession, too.  As long as the big head does the thinking for the little head, anyway.  The Sheriff of Duck 'n' Shoot arguably bests even SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL SHERIFF!, going light on the silliness once the far-fetched knockout of Ferguson is out of the way.  With just the right amount of time taken to get to its twists and effective brotherly one-upmanship at its most concise, this is among the season's best.  (**** out of four)  


MAVERICK airs Monday through Friday commercial-free at 3:10 P.M. Central on Encore Westerns, and every Saturday morning at 9 A.M. on MeTV.