Family Affair ( 1966-1971 )

This is back-to-back blogathon week...the Barbara Stanwyck Blogathon is coming to a close and on July 15th the Classic TV Association begun the Me-TV Blogathon, a celebration of classic television shows now airing on Me-TV. Family Affair was my choice of series mainly because it features such memorable characters, an uplifting tempo, and such a great opening theme!

From its sparkling kaleidoscopic beginning Family Affair draws us into a wonderful fantasy world of Park Avenue penthouses, gentlemen's gentlemen, and New York City life as seen from the eyes of a child. A world where all domestics are British, Central Park is only 30 yards long, and celebrities like Joan Blondell live in the room upstairs. 

Family Affair told the story of a handsome New York City bachelor who becomes the guardian of his nieces and nephew - twins Buffy and Jody, and their older sister Cissy ( and Mrs. Beasley ) - when their parents suddenly die in a car accident. William Davis ( played by Brian Keith ....sigh ), the head of the Davis engineering firm, finds that he has to put his playboy wooing on hold to ween the little ones. At first he hopes playing nanny to the youngsters is a temporary position, but by the end of the first episode he comes to adore his brood and deems Mr. French ( Sebastian Cabot ), his very own gentlemen's gentlemen, their part-time protector. 

Interestingly enough, Uncle Bill didn't have to put his romancing on hold for very long. Mr. French proved to be an excellent babysitter ( "a baby...sitter??!! Oh no sir, I could never stoop to that most undignified position!" ) and Davis' many dates were welcome distractions from the story-plots centering around the twins. 

                            


Family Affair first aired on September 14, 1966 and continued on for five seasons. It originally played on CBS at 9:30-10pm on Monday nights but then was moved to Monday evenings at 7pm. It's spectacularly bejeweled opening credits hailed the fact that it was in COLOR, one of the first series to be filmed entirely in color. The show was an enormous success and, as was the case with all hit television series, a slew of merchandise was released by toy companies and the like to feed off of the popularity of the dramatic comedy. There were Family Affair paper dolls, jigsaw puzzles, magic-slates, alarm clocks ( ! ), Viewmaster reels, Whitman coloring books and comics, a Milton Bradley board game entitled "Where's Mrs.Beasley?" and the crown jewel of them all : Mattel's Mrs.Beasley doll. Now little Buffys all across America were able to have their very own freckle-faced bespectacled doll to dress up, sleep with, adorn with "genuine orange glass beads" ( quick hide them! ), or even drop from their apartment balcony. Hasbro missed the boat and should of released a Mr. French potato head, complete with a derby, cane, removal mustache and a beard snood. 

If it wasn't enough fun to cut out and play with scantily clad paper dolls of Jody, Buffy and Cissy, the Cinderella and Tom Sawyer clothing companies released a line of Buffy and Jody clothing wear. Brightly colored shirts and richly patterned mod dresses were made to resemble the two munchkin's wardrobe as seen on your new colored television...all moderately priced at $1.80 - $8.95.  

If you didn't have a colored television, then you were all the more amazed when you saw the brilliant colors professionally modeled by the mannequins at your local mall. Unfortunately, since the show was aimed towards the younger set no clothing manufacturer released a Cissy line of wear. Shucks. She really did have the most chic outfits. 

Family Affair was cleverly structured so that the show appealed to not only the kindergarten-set but to tweens, teens, ( there were a number of flower-power themed episodes ) and their parents and grandparents. I'm sure many a mother was more than happy to sit down with her little ones to watch an episode of Family Affair and ogle over Brian Keith. British domestics didn't warm to the show however.

Illustrious guest stars were also a drawing feature. Family Affair boasted some of the best guest stars in any TV series of the era - Martha Hyer, Dana Andrews, June Lockhart, Ann Sothern, Paul Fix, Rita Gam, Nancy Kovack, and Lee Merriwether, to name a few. 

Some actors appeared as semi-regulars : John Williams, the superb English character actor, took over as Mr. Davis' manservant "Niles French" for nine episodes while Cabot was healing a broken wrist; Betty Lynn, best known for her role as Barney Fife's girlfriend, Thelma Lou, on The Andy Griffith Show, was Bill Davis' private secretary during the first season; and who can forget dear Mrs. Faversham, played by the lovely Heather Angel, whose voice is familiar even today to thousands of youngsters who hear her voice-over as Mrs. Darling in Walt Disney's Peter Pan. 

As an engineer, Uncle Bill traveled the world ( via rear-projected screens ) to exotic locales such as Rio de Janiero, Rome, England, and Japan. On several occasions the family came along too, which was reason enough to create a two-part episode around it. There was their adventure in Spain ( "Lost in Spain" ) and a vacation in Tahiti ( "Family in Paradise" ). The Brady Bunch would later follow suit and pack their bags for a two-part Hawaiian vacation. Such copycats.

The original premise of the show included a six year old girl, a 10 year old boy, and a 16 year old girl as the three Davis children. When Brian Keith was signed to play Bill Davis he asked to have Johnny Whittaker, whom he had played with in The Russians are Coming, the Russians are Coming to test for a part. They had formed a rapport and he knew Whittaker to be a good child actor and wanted to see him have a part in Family Affair, even if it be for only a guest appearance.

However, it was apparent from the screen tests that Alissa Jones and Johnny Whittaker had an exceptional bond and so the characters of Jody and Buffy were rewritten to be six year old twins. 

THE CAST

Anissa Jones was 9 years old when Family Affair began ( almost 3 years older than Whittaker ) and did not want to be apart of the series. Her mother had pushed her into show business while acting was the last thing she wanted to do. By 1976, at the age of 18, she had fallen in with the "wrong crowd" and was found dead on August 28th, of a drug overdose. 

Johnny Whittaker went on to do many other guest appearances after Family Affair as well as star in Walt Disney's 1973 musical Tom Sawyer. The death of his "sister" Anissa Jones made him re-analyze his priorities and goals in his life. He became a voluteer missionary in Portugal for two years,  and in 1997 he became a licensed drug counselor to help others overcome their addiction, after overcoming his own bout with dependency on dope. He is also the head of his own computer consulting firm. 


Mr. French was admirably played by Sebastian Cabot, a Shakespearean actor of the highest caliber. On the set, Johnny Whittaker recalls Cabot as being not unlike Mr. French - strictly business but capable of showing emotion when pushed to the extreme. The rotund Brit gained fame on television as Dr. Carl Hyatt in Checkmate, as well as numerous film appearances from the 1940s through 1970s. He also did many voice-overs for animated characters, notably as the narrator of the Winnie-the-Pooh cartoons and as Begheera in Walt Disney's classic The Jungle Book. 

Kathy Garver was 20 years old when she got the role as 16-year old Cissy. Like Whittaker, she got her start as a child performing bit parts in films such as Crusader ( opposite Brian Keith ), I'll Cry Tomorrow, The Ten Commandments ( as an exodus slave ) and The Bad Seed. Today she continues to keep busy in television and film, as well as a doing numerous voice-overs for cartoon programs. She is also president of the Family Affair Foundation which provides reading companions to the elderly. 

Brian Keith was one of the most underrated of actors during his career ( and still is ) but he ranks number 5 on my Top Movie/TV Dads list and its really no wonder! The ruggedly handsome star loved children in real life, which was evident in every episode of Family Affair where he snuggled and gave piggy-back rides to the sugary-sweet moppets on a daily basis. He was an A-picture star since the mid-1950s, notably in westerns such as Arrowhead, Fort Dobbs, The Rare Breed, and Nevada Smith.

Keith was also extremely adept at comedy and Walt Disney snagged him for over six different feature films, his most famous being the father of Susan and Sharon in The Parent Trap.  Later he starred in The Brian Keith Show, The Zoo Gang ( excellent series by the way ), and Hardcastle and McCormack. In 1997 he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound while suffering from grief over the death of his 27-year old daughter. Keith was strikingly handsome, even if he did wear a toupee.

THE FEDDERSON FORMULA

Don Fedderson, the producer and creator of Family Affair, had a unique style, or rather, a "feel" to all of his productions. They were never quite conventional. Fedderson's first major television hit was My Three Sons ( 1960-1972 ) starring Fred MacMurray. Some aspects of what became the Fedderson Formula may have stemmed from this show. MacMurray, a shrewd businessman and also a man who enjoyed his semi-retirement, was willing to sign to a television series on the condition that he only had to work 3 months rather than the usual 8 months per season. Fedderson did not want the series to have episodes that did not feature MacMurray, hence they would film all the scenes that he was featured in during the three month period. The rest of the cast continued to work the remaining season, finishing all the episodes that they had begun with MacMurray. 

The filming structure required scripts to be completed months in advance, as well as detailed storyboards to make sure the actors would be speaking their lines in conjunction with the scenes filmed with MacMurray so he would not have to be called back on set. Sometimes it was apparent that the cast members were speaking to a cardboard figure or a stand-in rather than the actor they were supposed to be addressing. But... amazingly enough, the formula worked! So well in fact, that Family Affair followed the same filming structure. All of Brian Keith's scenes were filmed in advance with the cast, and then he got to enjoy a hiatus for the rest of the season. 

Also similar to My Three Sons, and a major style element of the Fedderson Formula, Family Affair was not a "happy ending" show. Unlike other series at the time, it realistically portrayed that life has its ups and downs and we can't always expect events to fall in place in our favor within a short period of time. 

The show tackled real-life issues in an engaging and entertaining way. Buffy faced the blossoming of love's first buds ( "A Dillar, A Dollar" ) and the disappointment of waiting to join the Brownies ( "The Candy Striper" ). Jody had to face that Buffy was a better stick-ball player than he ( "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" ), falling in love with his substitute teacher ( "The Substitute Teacher" ) and the delicate task of clipping Mr. French's whiskers for a school dare ( "By A Whisker" ). Cissy felt the pressure of getting married when she realized that all her friends were already engaged ( "With This Ring" ), the desire to have her own apartment ( "Cissy's Apartment" ), to be a hippie ("Flower Power" ) and even the inevitable act of falling in love with "love" ( "A Waltz from Vienna" ). 

Mr. French's dilemma's were the most amusing, from his embarrassment at being a mere "gentlemen's gentlemen" ( "A Man's Place")  to his attempts to play King Henry VIII in a film production ( "My Man, the Star" ) and his disappointment at being used as a pawn by a young woman trying to attract Uncle Bill ( "Speak for Yourself, Mr.French" ).  

Whereas Buffy and Jody are taught to respect their elders, behave nicely, and be gentle to all, the children they bring home from school are often bad-influences. ( Aren't they all? ) These characters were created as foils for our little cherubs. In "A Matter of Privacy" naughty Norman tells Jody it's okay to spy on others and bug their private conversations, "Why my dad does it all the time! He says it's standard business today. You guys are just squares!" In reply to which Jody and Buffy would simple stare back blank-faced. 

Perhaps the children didn't always react to situations the way normal kids would, but they reminded us of how we should behave to one another, even as adults. Jody always considered Buffy his best friend and if his school chums didn't want to include her in their games then Jody would back out too. A chivalrous little fella he was. 

Cissy always put family first as well and never was afraid to disagree with her friends when they spoke a word against Uncle Bill or her siblings. The children always knew that what Uncle Bee-yul told them to do or not to do was right and they faithfully held to it, even when they didn't understand the reasoning behind it. 

Love was the underlying theme of Family Affair. It was a gentle show and love permeated through every episode. In spite of people wronging them or hurting their pride they always held fast to doing the right thing, whether it brought them a reward or not in the end. 

The appeal of the show continues on and the adventures of Buffy, Jody, Cissy, Uncle Bill and Mr.French still to bring smiles and squeals of glee to viewers today. Family Affair truly is an affair worth remembering. 

FUN AFFAIR TRIVIA 

Frank De Vol, the composer of the jaunty opening theme, had also created the theme music to a number of Doris Day comedies ( Send Me No Flowers, Move Over Darling ) as well as many television series, including My Three Sons, Gidget, and The Brady Bunch. 

The original Mrs. Beasley was mysteriously sacked after the first two episodes and it is in fact her replacement that becomes the star of the series. Which is just as well really, because she is much more attractive. 

Ashton-Drake Collectibles makes a genuine replica of the Mrs. Beasley doll, yours to cuddle and clasp for only $99.99. ( Gasp! ) This gal is really Cheryl Ladd in disguise and she speaks 11 different phrases. 

Gregg Fedderson, Don Fedderson's son, often appeared as Cissy's boyfriend, Gregg..in one episode they almost got married because they were so compatible - "compatible" meaning they liked the same records and the same hamburgers.

In 2002 a remake of Family Affair was made with Tim Curry in the starring role as Giles French. The show was cringingly bad and flopped after 15 episodes. 

TOP 5 FAVORITE EPISODES

Here's some of my top picks. Actually, almost every episode of the show is good and has something special about it but these seemed to stand out from amongst the rest. 

The Thursday Man ( Episode 13, Season 1 ) 

Cissy writes a report on Mr. French for a school project but when her teacher asks to make it more thorough she realizes she doesn't really know much about Mr. French and attempts to delve into his past...with disastrous results. 

This is a very interesting episode. Mr. French's past life is hinted at thoughout the series but this is the first time Cissy takes an active part in actually spying to find out more about him. French reminds me of an old man my sister and I use to know, whom we dubbed "Toot-Toot". He too had a mysterious past that we tried to delve into and got burned in the process. A valuable lesson on respecting others privacy is the moral of the story in this episode.

The Candy Striper ( Episode 6, Season 2 ) 

Cissy wants to join her friend and become a volunteer nurse at the local hospital, only trouble is she is below age and wonders whether she is mature enough to handle the responsibility. Meanwhile, Buffy wishes to join the Girl Scouts and finds that she too is below age. 

Many of the episodes of Family Affair featured parallel plots; the situation that was troubling Buffy, Jody or Cissy was often very similar to a predicament Uncle Bill or Mr. French was facing. This provided entertainment for different age levels. In "First Love" Buffy finds that she likes a boy at school several grades older than her and even when she realizes he is less than perfect, she finds she still has feelings for him. Uncle Bill was facing a similar situation having tried to pursue an attractive engineer only to find she was engaged to be married. This is another of those parallel episodes, with Buffy wanting to become a Brownie and realizing she is not old enough, and Cissy's attempts to be a candy-stripper and facing her doubts on whether she is mature enough too. The moral of the story here is don't be fooled into volunteer work by the allure of a pretty outfit. 

Star Dust ( Episode 14, Season 2 ) 

A beautiful Hollywood actress falls in love with Uncle Bill and has designs for marriage...everyone is happy with the idea - except Uncle Bill. 

This is mainly a personal favorite because it features Martha Hyer, a wonderful ( and beautiful ) actress who rarely did television guest appearances. I have a notion she did this one as a special favor for Brian Keith. Sometimes there are win-win situations in life and sometimes lose-lose ones....in this case, all parties were disappointed.

A Family Group ( Episode 15, Season 3 ) 

Cissy's friend from school boasts how wonderful being the daughter of famous stage actors can be, hobnobbing with personalities such as Laurence Olivier and the pride of being on one's own. Secretly, she desires the home life that Cissy is blessed to have.

Cissy always has school friends over for a weekend or just to spend a night. She was a popular gal! In this episode, she realizes just how special her home life is...not that she ever lost sight of that, but little events can reinforce your appreciation of the small things in life. 

The Wings of An Angel ( Episode 2, Season 4 ) 

Uncle Bill brings home an engineering friend who has recently been released from serving five years in prison. The children take kindly to him until they find out he has served sentence. They must then realize that he has paid his debts once and for all and should not be treated as an outcast.

Another personal favorite because it features that wonderful wonderful man, Dana Andrews. Andrews was one of the leading men of Hollywood from the 1940s-1950s, and although he still made a number of films in the 1960s his career was declining. It is rather to sad to see him looking so gaunt here. He was an alcoholic for many years and it obviously was taking a toll on his appearance in the early 1970s. 

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I want to give a shout-out to Amy, the author of Embarrassing Treasures blog who is doing the definitive Family Affair coverage on every episode made. ( Like wow, Scoob! ) I only discovered her website last night while feverishly searching for photos ( I snitched some of them ) but will return tonight to read her reviews in depth. They are too good to miss! 

This post is part of Me-TV’s Summer of Classic TV Blogathon hosted by the Classic TV Blog Association. Click here to view more posts in this blogathon. You can also click here to learn more about Me-TV and view its summer line-up of classic TV shows.

The Nugget Reviews - 3

The Princess and the Pirate ( 1944 )  14k

A travelling actor is chosen as the bearer of a secret pirate map marking the whereabouts to treasure in gold, by a crazy old man, one of the Hook's disloyal men. Disguised as a woman he escapes with a captured princess from the pirate ship but finds himself in the scurviest town he ever laid eyes on, with Hook chasing after him and the secret map. Bob Hope, Virginia Mayo, Walter Slezak, Victor MacLagen. Paramount, 1944. Directed by David Butler.

This film features sumptuous color, exceptional sets, beautiful costumes, the lovely Virginia Mayo and Bob Hope, always quick with the one-liners, but the plot is rather flat and the actors seem at a loss at what to do with the story. A shame too, because this could of been a real gem....now it just remains a routine comedy.

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Crosswinds ( 1951 ) 14k

An adventurous sailor takes on a job of using his beloved yacht as a diving vessel, searching for pearls, but finds he has been framed in an illegal activity and his yacht confiscated  He joins forces with two water rats and a beautiful lady and hunts after the culprit who is now searching for stolen gold in the jungle. John Payne, Rhonda Fleming, Forrest Tucker, Alan Mowbray, John Abbott. Paramount, 1951. Directed by Lewis R. Foster.

This was a fun film to watch. The entire movie was obviously filmed in Florida, and not New Guinea, and John Payne could of had a little more punch to his character but the color was wonderful, the settings were great and Rhonda Fleming looked ravishing, so who's complaining? The ending was very abrupt though..within three minutes Fleming changes her attitude of disgust with Payne to love and they sail off in the sunset. We are left wondering who got the gold and what made her change her mind. 

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Henry Aldrich Haunts a House ( 1943 ) 18k

Henry Aldrich accidently drinks an experimental potion which he believes gives him super-human strength. When the school professor is found missing and believed dead in the very haunted house Henry visited the night before, he and his friends believe he is a "fiend" in disguise. Jimmy Lyndon, Charles Smith, Joan Mortimer, John Litel, Mike Mazurki. Paramount, 1943. Directed by Hugh Bennett. 

Henry Aldrich doesn't need to haunt this house...it's filled with ghouls, ghosts, gorillas and gangsters already! Jimmy Lyndon is a riot as humble Henry, always innocent and yet always getting himself into mischief. The real star of this film is Charles Smith though. As Henry's pal "Dizzy" he steals every scene he's in with shaking, quaking and stuttering. The film plays out like an original Scooby-Doo mystery. 

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Pinocchio ( 1940 ) 24k

A toy-maker has his wish come true when the Blue Fairy turns his favorite marionette Pinocchio into a talking, walking little boy..although still wooden. In one short day Pinocchio gets himself into mischief by joining an acting troupe, almost being turned into a donkey, and being swallowed by a giant whale. Jiminy Crickett stands by the boy as his "conscience". Vocal talents of Mel Blance, Don Brodie, Dickie Jones. Walt Disney Studios, 1940. Directed by Norman Ferguson.

Truly a remarkable work of animation. In one scene in particular the camera pans from the top of a village church, down into the street, around the corner, and right into the house through the window. Amazing.... the story is touching, humorous, and exciting all at once. 

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How Sweet it Is! ( 1968 ) 14k 

Two parents accompany their teenage son on his tour of Europe with his girlfriend. Once in Europe they find their marriage on the skids when a French playboy makes advances at mama. James Garner, Debbie Reynolds, Maurice Ronet, Terry-Thomas, Paul Lynde. Universal Pictures, 1968. Directed by Jerry Paris.

At first, judging from the first five minutes, I thought "heaven forbid, another 1960s sex romp"....which, alright, I admit, this essentially is...but its a darn good one! The comedic talents of Debbie Reynolds and James Garner make it so. They are such a good team here that it makes me wish they had a TV series together. Well worth watching, even for those who cringe at the freedom displayed by those of the psychedelic age. 

Barbara Stanwyck in "Annie Oakley" ( 1935 )

"Barbara Stanwyck is splendid in the role of Annie Oakley; this is indeed her most striking performance in a long time" 

Andre Sennwald, a New York Times reporter, stated the above shortly after seeing the premiere of Annie Oakley in December 1935 and there is no denying just how right he is. 

Annie Oakley is a rootin-tootin' grand picture that tells the ( albeit a bit fictional ) story of the sharp-shootin' pixie from the backwoods of Ohio - "Little Miss Sureshot" Annie Oakley, and Barbara Stanwyck is larger than life in her portrayal of the legendary star of Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. 

Stanwyck, the tough-talking no-nonsense dame who sprang from the Bronx, was just beginning to find a footing in Hollywood in the mid-1930s. Warner Brothers studios was dishing her disappointing film projects and so she decided to take matters into her own hands and venture out as an independent player. Annie Oakley was her first feature with RKO studios and it gave her a hearty push into stardom. By 1939, she had an Oscar nomination under her belt ( for Stella Dallas ) and was raking in a hundred thousand dollars a year as salary. Miss Stanwyck had made herself a home in the limelight and would remain a shining star in the Hollywood galaxy until her dying day...and rightly so. As she proves in Annie Oakley, Barbara Stanwyck was able to take on any portrayal and truly make you believe she was the character you saw onscreen. 

The film begins with the famous match between Miss Oakley and Frank Butler, who has his name ( and character ) changed to Toby Walker for the film. The rather conceited Toby Walker, the top marksman in the country, has been recently signed to Buffalo Bill's touring Wild West extravaganza and while staying over one night at McLeod's hotel in Cincinnati he makes a bet with McLeod that he can beat any marksman in that "hick" town. McLeod pits him against Annie Oakley, the little lady who provides him with the quail for his diners...quail that are always free of buckshot, unlike the game other hunters provide him with. 

Annie, so sure of her shooting talent, puts her own money up for the bet as well as some that the townsfolk contributed from back home. When the time comes for the match however, she doesn't have the heart to beat Walker at his own game. Mainly because she thinks Toby Walker is the gosh darn prettiest fella she ever laid eyes on!

Annie's ability does not go unnoticed by Buffalo Bill's agent Jeff Hogarth ( Melvyn Douglas ) who hires her for the show regardless of her throwing the match. And then it's off to New York and all across America showcasing the marksmanship and brilliant riding skills of the cowboys and frontiersmen of the Wild West, all for the price of one dollar. 

At first, Toby Walker and Annie Oakley are rivals, but his heart of gold shines clear and bright to Annie and she falls for him hard. He teaches her tips on showmanship and they court behind the tepees all the while keeping up a front that they despise each other for publicity purposes. Preston Foster is charming as Toby Walker and they really do seem the ideal match.  

Annie Oakley boasts a chuck-wagon full of character actors such as silent comedian Andy Clyde as the cheap Scotsman, MacLeod, a superb Moroni Olson as Buffalo Bill, Pert Kelton as Toby's old flame, and small parts for Dick Elliott and Willie Best. Pert Kelton later went on to portray the first "Alice Kramden" in the original Honeymooners skits from The Jackie Gleason Show. 

Chief Thunderhead also shines as Sitting Bull, the ruler of the Souix tribe who fought against Custer in 1876. Here he grunts disapprovingly of the wild west heroics displayed by the men of the Buffalo Bill show and refuses to take a part in the public display....until Annie Oakley takes the stage, then he heartily adopts her as Little Miss Sureshot and joins the "the big happy group".

This was George Steven's first foray into the western genre and he marked this film with his signature stamp of excellence. The film wraps adventure with romance and comedy all in one briskly paced 90 minute package of entertainment, even if it does lack historical accuracy. Later, in the 1950s, Stevens would make the western genre his niche, directing such iconic films as Shane ( 1953 ) and Giant ( 1956 ). Barbara Stanwyck was another loyal cowboy; when asked what kind of film she enjoyed making most, her reply would inevitably be "westerns". 

In real life, Annie Oakley and Barbara Stanwyck were not unlike each other. Annie Oakley was a small-town gal who used her talent of marksmanship to catapult herself into international stardom. In a time when few women were celebrities she became a role model for other women, while Barbara Stanwyck was a "Little Miss Sureshot" in her own right : she aimed high at becoming a great actress in her time and she hit the bullseye dead center. Always a fighter, she embodied Annie Oakley's spirit of rugged determination and confidence in one's own abilities, as can be seen in this film. 

This post is our contribution to the Barbara Stanwyck Blogathon, a stupendous collection of reviews of each of Barbara Stanwyck's films from nearly 50 different bloggers, hosted by none other than Aubyn Eli, better known as The Girl with the White Parasol.  Be sure to check out all of the participants posts on the films of our favorite leading lady, Barbara Stanwyck. 

Walter Pidgeon and Greer Garson - A Dynamic Duo

The Classic Movie Hub and Once Upon a Screen are co-hosting The Dynamic Duo blogathon, a thrilling collection of posts from over 50 different blogs highlighting the most memorable teams ever to grace the silver screen - and the small tele. Our choice of pair is handsome Walter Pidgeon and the always graceful Greer Garson. 

Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon were the epitome of enduring love. In the majority of their films together they played married couples, a husband and wife perfectly balanced : Garson's dignified but gentle and kind nature opposite Pidgeon's strong and stable nature. They were a match made in MGM Studio's heaven and were one of Hollywood's most durable box-office teams. Off screen they were life-long friends. ''I did eight pictures with that gal and we never had a bad word between us,'' Pidgeon once told an interviewer.

In 1937, during a trip to London, MGM's head Louis B. Mayer's noticed Greer Garson in a dramatic play called "Old Music", and being very much impressed with her demeanor he quickly signed her to a contract. MGM had recently scored successes with Boys Town and Men of Boys Town, two films dealing with child welfare, and so, in 1940, Louis B. Mayer decided that adapting Ralph Wheelwright's best selling novel "Blossoms in the Dust" would be a great follow-up film and an excellent vehicle to showcase his new lovely leading lady, Greer Garson, who had triumphed as Robert Donat's wife in Goodbye Mr. Chips ( 1939 ) and opposite Laurence Olivier in Pride and Prejudice ( 1940 ).
 

Garson would be teamed with Walter Pidgeon, one of MGM's most seasoned actors, having gone through the fire of refinery by starring in a string of successful B films as detective Nick Carter. The rugged Canadian had first met Ms.Garson in a screen test and had quipped, "I'll bet we're starring together and running this studio before you know it!". Prophetic words.

Blossoms in the Dust was a heartwarming drama about Edna Gladney, a welfare worker for children who was spurned on in her maternal efforts to help children find a good home through the premature death of her own dearly loved son. The film had an air of gentility and quiet gallantry which set the tone for Garson and Pidgeon's subsequent teamings, most notably Mrs. Miniver, their second film together and one of their most fondly remembered films today.

The Minivers were an average British couple who braved the Blitz heroically, remaining courageous and hopeful even when the deaths of those near and dear to them hit hard. Although war and its ravaging effects was spreading like wildfire across Europe and Great Britain, the Miniver's proved that bravery and stability still remained in England, if not in the land at whole but within each citizen's hearts. 

Independently the fight could be daunting, but together they became an indestructible rock. As a couple, they depended on each other and drew off of each other for strength and encouragement. This was to be one of their strongest assets as a team.

Mrs. Miniver was an enormous critical and box-office success. Movie-goers around the world thrilled to it and President Roosevelt was so impressed with the film - and its propaganda value - that he ordered millions of leaflets containing the vicar's speech near the end of the picture to be scattered over occupied Europe by Allied warplanes. 

Mrs. Miniver was followed by the equally successful Madame Curie ( 1943 ), an autobiographical account of the Curie's quest to discover radium. Walter Pidgeon claimed this was his favorite film to make, and in his opinion, one of his best performances. 

While they portrayed the ideal married couple on screen, off screen there was no romantic involvement between the actors. Walter Pidgeon was wed in 1931 to his second wife, Ruth Walker and they remained happily married until his death in 1984. Greer Garson's first marriage had ended during the honeymoon. The same year that Madame Curie was released, Garson wed Richard Ney, the young actor who had played her son in Mrs. Miniver. Despite the fourteen year age gap, they had fallen in love during the making of the film but due to pressure from MGM postponed their nuptials until after Miniver's release. The marriage would not last. Within four years they were divorced. It was not until she met E.E Fogelson during the making of Julia Misbehaves that she found lasting love. They were married until his death in 1987. 

Garson and Pidgeon's next project together was an adaption of Louis Bromfield's novel "Mrs. Parkington". Set in the late 1800s, it followed the life of an Irish girl in America, from her early days helping her mother run a hotel out west, to her marriage to the illustrious Major Parkington, and their rise to becoming one of the most powerful industrialists in the states. It also followed - in the years ahead - what became of their children and grandchildren. This allowed Greer Garson to be "aged" from a young woman to an elderly matriarch in her eighties. Pidgeon was excellent as the rambunctious Major, ready to face any challenge that may come to America, but unaware of the tempest brewing within his own home.  

Walter Pidgeon was busy in the mid 1940s making films such as Weekend at the Waldorf, The Secret Heart and If Winter Comes while Greer Garson made The Valley of Decision and the ill-fated Adventure. By 1948, the powers-that-be at MGM thought it was time to re-team the golden couple, but fearing the public's disinterest in noble portrayals, they decided to cast the duo in a comedy - Julia Misbehaves. This proved to be a mistake. Although the film had a great cast including Elizabeth Taylor and Peter Lawford, Garson was much too prim for the flippant role of a mother who abandons her children and home-life for the stage. Her new hairstyle was not nearly as flattering either!

And so, the following year they returned to the splendor of the Gilded Age in That Forsyte Woman, an adaptation of John Galsworthy's novel "A Man of Property", part one of his epic Forsyte Saga. Errol Flynn gave one of his best performances as Soames Forsyte, the wealthy heir who dearly loved Irene ( Garson ) but, once again, it was gentle Walter Pidgeon who won her hand at the end. 

Television was slowly creeping its way into America's living rooms and the big movie studios were seeing their cash-flow slipping away. With nostalgic fortitude, MGM turned to trying to recapture its past magic with re-releases of its former box-office successes as well as turning to sequels. The Miniver Story was one such try which also proved to be a failure. It's somber tone was not welcome when audiences were clambering back to the theatres to watch grand musicals in glorious Technicolor. 

Their last picture together would be in "Scandal at Scourie" made three years later. This color melodrama returned to the theme of their first film - orphans. This time, instead of aiding orphans, they were fighting for the opportunity to keep a little girl that caught their fancy. 


Walter Pidgeon and Greer Garson were both extremely talented actors and, unlike many other actors of the era, were very much in real life the characters they portrayed so often onscreen. This brought to their characters and the pictures themselves an honesty that kept them from becoming trite.  

Garson once defined in an interview what she considered a film ought to achieve,  " I think the mirror should be tilted slightly upward when it's reflecting life -- toward the cheerful, the tender, the compassionate, the brave, the funny, the encouraging, all those things -- and not tilted down to the gutter part of the time, into the troubled vistas of conflict."

As a couple onscreen, Walter Pidgeon and Greer Garson often showed us how to live life by looking on the brighter side, ever remaining hopeful despite what conditions you face, and always helping your fellow man knowing that he often faces similar struggles.

To read about more Dynamic Duos check out the complete list of participating blogs at Once Upon a Screen, or The Classic Movie Hub. 

Ginger Rogers - An Exceptional Actress and Woman

What is it about Ginger Rogers that demands undying devotion and constancy from her admirers? 

For me it was when I saw her 1944 film, “I’ll Be Seeing You” on a small black and white television in my parents’ home.  As a young teenager at the time, I experienced a very personal and poignant connection with Ginger’s portrayal of Mary Marshall.  Ginger’s sincerity and interpretation of her character’s dilemma reached deep into my very being.

In the film, Mary finds herself incarcerated for manslaughter as the result of defending herself from rape.  Mary’s boss had invited her to a party at his apartment.  She had bought a new evening dress for the occasion.  Mary pinned on the white orchid corsage her boss had sent her and left for the party. Upon her arrival, Mary was surprised to find out that she was the only guest.  Mary tries to talk her way out but when that fails, she tries to leave. Her boss grabs her arm and flings her onto the ground.  When she gets up, he grabs her again.  Mary tries to fight off his advances and pushes him backward but he is able to recover quickly and seizes her again.  This time Mary pushes her boss with a fearful force.  He falls backwards and out of an open window on the fourteenth floor. 

Zach, played by Joseph Cotten, was in a military hospital recovering from shell shock caused by his experiencing the horrors of war in the South Pacific.  Zach is hesitant and slow to process those things that once were easy to him.  He is frustrated because his timing is gone. 

Mary and Zach’s lives are full of “what might have beens” with the disillusionments, limitations, boundaries, confinements, and the uncertainties of what their futures hold for them.  Mary Marshall and Zachary Morgan feel lost and hopeless because of circumstances beyond their control. They are trying to make sense out of their lives, which appear to be spinning out of their control. 

After serving three years of her six-year sentence, Mary finds herself on her way to visit her uncle’s family in Pine Hill.  Mary has earned an eight-day furlough from prison for good behavior.  Zach is venturing outside of the safe environment of the hospital for the Christmas holiday season so he can see how he copes interacting with people. 

Mary and Zach are two lonely people who find themselves sitting across from each other on a train.  They begin to talk and Zach feels comfortable in Mary’s presence and becomes more at ease and not as detached from the world around him.  When Mary gets off the train in Pine Hill, Zach follows her and asks if he can call on her at her uncle’s home. Mary gives him the address and leaves.  Zach goes to the local Y.M.C.A. for his lodgings. 

As Mary and Zach spend time together, I feel what Mary feels as she and Zach begin to fall in love. I have become one with her.  Zach invites Mary to a New Year’s Eve dance and presents her with a corsage of white orchids.  She is hesitant and does not want to wear them but she pins them to her waist.   Later Mary unpins the white orchids and they fall to the ground as she dances with Zach, I understand why they are repulsive to her.  I am glad to see them trampled underneath the feet of the other dancers because of what they represent to Mary and me. 

Mary represents strength to Zach. He sees Mary as someone who is self-assured and can stand on her own two feet.  Zach finds comfort and courage while he is in her presence.  Zach begins to believe in himself because Mary believes in him.  Even though Mary has her own self-doubts, she is strong for Zach.  Zach appeals to Mary’s sensibility of what she thinks is now lost to her because of her imprisonment.  Nevertheless, she can pretend all is well while she spends her time with Zach and her uncle’s family. 

My heart aches for Mary when her cousin Barbara lets slip Mary’s situation and of her eventual return to prison to finish her sentence.  I weep with Mary as all hope of love and romance drains from us. 
My chest begins to tense up as we walk toward the prison’s door when we detect some movement in the shadows and we stop and look.  Zach moves rapidly towards Mary and they embrace as they babble and kiss knowing that they will be there for each other.  Life renews in their embrace and is symbolized by their hitting a lamppost with thrown stones. 

My tears pour forth as my body shakes uncontrollably with the resounding affirmation that HOPE for a better future is attainable.  We can rise above the trials and tribulations of this life.  Everything is possible.  This is when I became a Ginger Rogers fan.  She grabbed my soul and profoundly touched my heart. 

Alyce Canfield interviewed Ginger on the set of I’ll Be Seeing You. Aylce was writing an article for Screen Stars.  Alyce watched the scene where Mary tells Barbara why she is serving a sentence for manslaughter.  “The silence was brittle. Everyone on that set listened, for not only were tears in Ginger’s eyes, they were in her voice.” Alyce came away convinced of what an incredible actress Ginger really was as she held the attention of everyone on the set with her gripping portrayal.  Alyce elaborated by writing, “I watched the scene and then reflected how hard it is to pass on to others the makings of stardom.  For Ginger possesses many things of which she may not be aware.  In this scene, not only was her voice tense, her whole body was tense.  Her throat was tense.  There was a suspense in her revelation of how she had come to commit murder that was intangible.  It was something she made you feel as intensely as she did.”  That was Ginger’s talent and the secret to her success.  She made you feel what her character felt with deep unshakable emotion from the moment she appeared on the screen. 

Ginger was the consummate performer but wisely realized the importance of working as a team on the screen.  She eagerly assisted her co-stars by eliciting the best out of them during their scenes together.  In this way the presentation was balanced. 

The film In Person (1935 ) was a vehicle designed to exploit Ginger’s talents and she could have made it all about her.  However, she never took away George Brent’s significance to the plot of the film.  Because of Ginger’s unselfishness, her co-stars rose to the challenge in their scenes together. 

In another example, Ginger willingly helped Harriet Hilliard in her film debut, Follow the Fleet ( 1936 ). Ginger took the screen test with Harriet, rehearsed with her, helped her with her makeup, and shared her knowledge about making films with her. Not only did Ginger have an undeniable stage presence, but she was also an independent, strong-willed, loving, and caring person. 

Ginger was equally aware of the importance of the stagehands and crew being a part of the team. An anonymous prop man praised Ginger’s sincere caring for those people who worked on her sets. “Once in a while something grand happens to someone in the movie industry that brings a warm glow of pleasure to many who stand on the sideline, like the prop man.  That’s the way I felt a few months ago when I heard Ginger Rogers had won the Academy award for her performance in Kitty Foyle ( 1940 ).  Ginger has been a favorite of mine since that day long ago when she came to my defense when a foreman was starting to bawl me out.”  Ginger had the loyalty from all those she worked with because they knew she cared. 

Ginger’s devotion and generosity towards her family and friends is another quality I deeply admire in her. Ginger’s parents separated when she was very young.  Her father, Eddins McMath, kidnapped his young daughter twice in an effort to take her from her mother, Lela.  Ginger’s Grandmother McMath later stated that she regretted her participation in one of the kidnappings.  Ginger and Lela visited Mrs. McMath during her lifetime showing the importance of and their devotion to family.  Ginger provided for her grandmother in her old age until her death in 1934.  This exemplified Ginger’s infinite commitment and affection for family.

I have an affinity with Ginger that I could never adequately explain that goes beyond my rapport with Ginger’s film personas. It was reinforced when I read about an incident that happened while Ginger was in Medford, Oregon, in 1942 on a war bond drive.  Ginger bought the 4-Rs ( Rogers’s Rogue River Ranch ) in 1940 and the people of Medford knew her well.  The local high school band was playing for the bond drive event.  The boys in the band had gone out and bought matching sport jackets for the event.  Bill McCord hurriedly called his mother from work at the Medford Postal Telegraph office so they could pool their meager funds for a sports jacket like the others boys were wearing.   

Bill’s mother was unable to afford the sports jacket and bought a coat-type sweater.  Bill was not going to play in the band wearing what his mother had bought for him because his sweater did not match the other boys’ sport jackets.  The rally was about to start on Main Street right in front of the Medford Postal Telegraph office.  Ginger stopped in and inquired after Bill because he was not in his chair with the other band members.  Bill told Ginger of his dilemma and told her he had decided not to play and he was going to go home.

Ginger walked over to Bill, straightened his tie, proceeded to put his arms in his sweater, and told him to get his horn.  Ginger walked up to the stage arm in arm with Bill.  Bill went to go to his seat but Ginger did not let go of his arm. She waved to the crowd in acknowledgement of their cheers and pulled Bill over to the microphone.  Ginger proceeded to say, “I want you nice people to meet my special guy.  He had to work all day and didn’t have time to go home and change.  I told him if he didn’t come up here and play for me, I wouldn’t come either.”

As I read this, my emotional connection to Ginger Rogers, the woman, once again overwhelmed me.  Bill went on to say, that Ginger then turned toward him “and planted a great big kiss on me before turning me loose!” Tears streamed down my face; Ginger was so perceptive of others and their feelings.  This genuine bond with people endears her to me.  Bill continued, “She made a bashful young boy feel special that night, and her encouragement changed my outlook on life.  Since then, I’ve never accepted, ‘No, it can’t be done’… I believe it’s better to try, even if you fail, than not to try at all"

This is why Ginger’s films resonate with me.  Ginger was a deeply caring person and did whatever she could to help anyone if it was within her power.  She was down to earth and personable.  She reflects this realness on the screen through her characters even when she is portraying less than honorable women like Mama Jean ( Harlow, 1965 ) or Lottie Maren ( Black Widow, 1954 ).  Ginger endowed her characters with the genuineness needed to make them believable to the viewer. 

Ginger struggled to be recognized as a serious actress and not to be considered only as Fred Astaire’s dance partner, which in itself is not a bad thing, but she was so much more.  It is a disservice to Ginger’s memory not to acknowledge and give her the credit she deserves as one of cinema’s greatest actresses.       

Written by Vivian G. Miner 

A special thanks to Vivian for graciously sharing this post with us! To read more about Ginger’s life and films go to http://www.viviantalksgingerrogers.blogspot.com. You can also check out her collection of over 1,500 Ginger Rogers photos at http://pinterest.com/gingerrogers11.