The 60th Anniversary of Jonny Quest

In the early Sixties there was a cycle of animated shows in prime time on American television. The vast majority of these shows were situation comedies, such as The Flintstones, Top Cat, and The Jetsons. One notable exception was Jonny Quest, an adventure series that had a strong dose of science fiction Jonny Quest would only ran one season, but it would be shown on Saturday morning for years and in syndication for many years more. It was sixty years ago tonight, on Friday, September 18 1964 that Jonny Quest debuted on ABC.

Jonny Quest centred on the character of that name (Tim Matheson), an eleven year old boy who travelled around the world with his father having adventures. Jonny's father was Dr. Benton Quest (John Stephenson/Don Messick), a scientific genius who worked for the U.S. government. Jonny's mother had been killed some time before the series began, apparently by enemy agents. Travelling with the Quests was Race Bannon (Mike Road), an intelligence agent who was assigned to protect Jonny and serve as his tutor as well. In addition to Jonny, Dr. Quest also had an adopted son, Hadji Singh, who was an eleven year-old Indian orphan. Rounding out the group was Jonny's dog, Bandit. The adventures of Jonny and his father took them around the world, and owed a great deal to such classic adventure books as Treasure Island, the comic strip Terry and the Pirates, and even the concurrent James Bond movies.

In fact, the origins of Jonny Quest can be traced back to an old radio show. Hanna-Barbera approached comic book artist Doug Wildey about designing an animated television series based on the old radio show Jack Armstrong, the All-American Boy. Jack Armstrong, the All-American Boy followed the adventures of the character of that name, which took him around the world. As to Doug Wildey, he had worked as a freelance comic book artist for such companies as Street & Smith in the late Forties and later what would become Marvel Comics in the Fifties. Still later he was the artist on The Saint newspaper strip. For television Doug Wildey worked under fellow comic book artist Alex Toth on the syndicated animated show Space Angel.

For the prospective animated series based on Jack Armstrong, the All-American Boy, Doug Wildey researched such magazines as Popular Science, Popular Mechanics, and Science Digest to get an idea of what things would be like ten years in the future. To this end Doug Wildey either devised or updated such advanced technology as hydrofoils and hovercraft. He wrote and drew a presentation for the prospective Jack Armstrong series, some of which would find its way into the closing credits of Jonny Quest. The presentation film would also be used to sell Jonny Quest to ABC

Ultimately Hanna-Barbera decided against doing a show based on Jack Armstrong, All-American Boy and requested that Doug Wildey created an original animated series instead. The working title for this original series was The Saga of Chip Baloo, although Doug Wildey wasn't serious about that name. The name "Chip" came from a newspaper strip that he had tried selling titled Stretch Bannon, Chip being Stretch's teenage sidekick. The name "Quest" came from the phone book. Race Bannon's name was drawn from two unsold newspaper comic strips Doug Wildey had created. The surname Bannon came from the aforementioned Stretch Bannon. The forename Race came from another unsold comic strip Doug Wildey had created called Race Dunhill. Doug Wildey designed most of the characters on Jonny Quest, as well as the advanced technology seen on the show. The one character he did not design was the bulldog Bandit, who was designed by animator Richard Bickenbach. As it was, Doug Wildey had wanted Jonny's pet to be a monkey, but was overruled by Hanna-Barbera. For whatever reason, Hanna-Barbera would not give Doug Wildey a "created by" credit on the show. He and Hanna-Barbera finally compromised on a credit that read, "based on idea created by."

As mentioned earlier, Jonny Quest debuted on September 18 1964. Unfortunately, it found itself airing opposite the still somewhat popular Western Rawhide on CBS on Friday night until December. Jonny Quest was then moved to Thursday night where it aired opposite even stronger competition in the form of the hit sitcom The Munsters on CBS and Daniel Boone on NBC. Jonny Quest then ended its original network run after only one season.

While ABC had cancelled Jonny Quest, the show was hardly gone, much less forgotten. Like other primtetime cartoons, it would eventually find its way to Saturday morning. Reruns of Jonny Quest began airing as part of CBS's Saturday morning line-up in the 1967-1968 season. It continued as part of CBS's Saturday morning schedule until the end of the 1969-1970 season, well after many adventure cartoons from the Sixties had been driven off network television by the moral panic over television violence. Jonny Quest would return to Saturday mornings one last time during the 1980-1981 season when it aired on NBC.

Jonny Quest would prove to be popular as a syndicated rerun and aired on local stations for years. By the mid-Eighties it would air as part of the syndication package The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera, which included everything from episodes of The Jetsons to Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines. The episodes of Jonny Quest were edited for both time and content for the syndication package. Jonny Quest would later air on such cable channels as the USA Network, TBS, Cartoon Network, and Boomerang.

The continued popularity of Jonny Quest would result in revivals. In 1993 a TV movie, Jonny's Golden Quest, aired on the USA Network. A second TV movie Jonny Quest vs. The Cyber Insects, aired on TNT in 1995. It was on August 26 1996 that The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest debuted simultaneously on Cartoon Network, TBS, and TNT. It aired for two seasons on Cartoon Network . The show was not well-received by many fans of the original Jonny Quest.

Over the years episodes of Jonny Quest have been released on home media. Various episodes were released on VHS  tapes from the Eighties to the Nineties. In 2004 Warner Home Video released the DVD set Jonny Quest: The Complete First Season, which included all 26 episodes, although they were edited for content. In 2019 the entire series was released on Blu-ray. This time they were released uncensored and remastered.

Jonny Quest would be adapted as comic books. In 1964 Gold Key published a single issue of a Johnny Quest comic book, which adapted the TV episode "The Mystery of the Lizard Men." In Britain in the Sixties Jonny Quest fared better in comic books, with Jonny Quest stories being included Huckleberry Hound Weekly from 1965 to 1967. It was in 1986 that Comico began publishing a long-running Jonny Quest title. The first issue featured artwork by Jonny Quest creator Doug Wildey. In Scooby-Doo Team-Up no. 10, published by DC Comics in May 2015, Jonny teamed up with  Scooby-Doo and his gang. Jonny Quest also appeared in DC Comics' limited series Future Quest, published from 2016 to 2017. Future Quest was a crossover between many of Hanna-Barbera's adventure characters, and also included Space Ghost, Birdman, The Herculoids, and so on. Last month Dynamite Entertainment began publishing a new Jonny Quest title.

As might be expected, there are aspects of Jonny Quest that do not hold up today. While Hadji was Jonny's adopted brother and accepted as one of the team, in many respects he was something of a stereotype. He wore a turban with a jewel in it. He knew various mystic arts, such as snake charming, hypnotism, and levitation. While Hadji did have some positive, even progressive traits (he was often smarter than Jonny), the same cannot be said for Dr. Quest's archenemy Dr. Zin, who was a typical, racist Yellow Peril type villain in the mould of Fu Manchu. Sadly, Jonny Quest could be yet more racist with regards to native peoples, who were often portrayed as primitives and even referred to by Race Bannon as "savages" and 'devils." Of course, this was par for the course with regards to the portrayals of many people of colour in the Sixties. It was an era when such stereotypes as Mexican bandidos, East Asian criminal masterminds, superstitious natives, and yet others appeared in everything from cartoons to sitcoms.

Regardless, Jonny Quest was in many ways a pioneering show. It was the first adventure series ever produced by Hanna-Barbera, who had previously focused only on comedy. It was also the first ever adventure cartoon to air on American broadcast network television in prime time. It paved the way for other adventure cartoons from Hanna-Barbera, from Space Ghost to Samon & Goliath, as well as adventure cartoons from other studios, such as Filmation's The New Adventures of Superman.

The fact that Jonny Quest was the first adventure cartoon to air on broadcast network television probably accounts for much of its continued popularity. Indeed, its blend of adventure and science fiction still remains unique to this day. What is more, it had a very distinctive look. Jonny Quest had the look of an adventure comic book or such comic strips as Milton Caniff's Terry and the Pirates. The futuristic technology of the time, such as hovercraft and jet-packs, also set it apart from other cartoons of the time. To this day Jonny Quest remains Doug Wildey's best known work and one of Hanna-Barbera's most popular shows.

Chico and the Man Turns 50

It was a little over fifty years ago, on Friday, September 13 1974, that Chico and the Man debuted. The show proved to be a hit in its first season, ranking no. 3 for the year behind All in the Family and Sanford and Son. It would not be as successful in its second and third seasons, although it still did well in the ratings. Ultimately, its success would come to an end with the suicide of one of its stars, Freddie Prinze. While Chico and the Man was successful, it was also controversial, drawing the ire of various Mexican American civil rights groups. Regardless, the show was pioneering. It was the first American sitcom to ever centre on a Chicano. 

Chico and the Man centred on Ed Brown (Jack Albertson), the cantankerous and initially racist owner of a garage in a barrio in East Los Angeles. Chico Rodriguez (Freddie Prinze) was a young Chicano and veteran of the Vietnam War who came to Ed looking for work and ultimately came to work for Ed, staying in an old van parked in the garage. Louie (Scatman Crothers) was Ed's best friend and the local garbageman. Della Reese joined the cast in its second season as Della Rogers, Ed's landlady and neighbour. Isaac Ruiz played Chico's friend Mando.

Chico and the Man was created by James Komack, James Komack As an actor he had a recurring role as dentist Lt. Harvey Spencer Blair III on the sitcom Hennessey. He also wrote episodes of Hennesey, as well as Ensign O'Toole and My Favorite Martian, among other shows. He developed the sitcom The Courtship of Eddie's Father, based on the 1963 movie of the same name, for television and also produced it.

The beginnings of Chico and the Man were complicated. After a trip to Mexico, James Komack had taken an interest in the Mexican heritage of Los Angeles (it had been founded in 1781 in what was then New Spain as El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles). It was in the summer of 1973 that James Komack was reading a short story written by Ray Andrade and David Garcia, which was based on Ray Andrade's real-life friendship with Howard Steinler, the owner of Main Street Gym in Los Angeles. Ray Andrade had been homeless at the time and one night snuck inside the gym so he wouldn't have to sleep on the streets., After a confrontation between Ray Andrade and Howard Steinler,  Mr. Steinler allowed Ray Andrade to work for him cleaning up the gym. The two of them became close friends. Ray Andrade had the nickname "Chico," which was short for "Francisco." Ray Andrade was well-known as the founder of Justicia, a civil rights organization devoted to improving the images of Latinos in film and on television. Ray Andrade would serve as an associate producer on Chico and the Man.

James Komack thought Ray Andrade's story would make for a good sitcom through which they could explore inner-city poverty and racism. He considered centring his prospective show around a young Chicano and an older Nisei. He also considered developing a show featuring the comedy team of Cheech & Chong. To a degree Chico and the Man resembles their sketches The Old Man in the Park" and "Pedro and Man."A collaboration between James Komack and Cheech & Chong would not take place, although the parties involved disagree as to why. Cheech & Chong have said they wanted to concentrate on their film career. James Komack said they "couldn't get it together."

James Komack then based the show around a younger Chicano and an older WASP. Rather than a gym, it would be an old filling station that Ed Brown owned. Chico would be a mechanic. Burgess Meredith was approached about playing Ed, but he was unavailable. Veteran character actor Jack Albertson was then cast in the role. The casting of Chico proved much more difficult. Ultimately, the role of Chico came down to a few actors. James Komack wanted New York-born Freddie Prinze, who was Puerto Rican in descent, in the role. A friend had recommended Mr. Prinze to James Komack after seeing the young comedian on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. NBC was considering the actors Lazaro Perez, an actor born in Cuba, and Isaac Ruiz, a Mexican American native of East Los Angeles, Screen tests for Freddie Prinze, Lazaro Perez, and Isaac Ruiz acting opposite Jack Alberston were shot. It was then that Freddie Prinz was cast as Chico. Isaac Ruiz would later be cast as Chico's friend Mando.

The pilot for Chico and the Man was written by Don Nicholl, Mickey Ross, and Bernie West, who would later develop the hit sitcom Three's Company. It was directed by Peter Baldwin, who had appeared in the film Stalag 17 (1953) and guest starred on shows such as Perry Mason and Ben Casey. He had directed episodes of such shows as The Dick Van Dyke Show; Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., The Andy Griffith Show, and The Partridge Family

Chico and the Man proved to be a smash hit upon its debut on September 13 1974. It ranked no. 3 in the ratings for the week. In its second week, Chico and the Man jumped to no. 1 in the Nielsen ratings for the week. The show ultimately came in at no. 3 in the ratings for the 1974-1975 season.

While Chico and the Man was successful in the ratings, the show drew protests from Chicano civil rights groups such as the Teatro Nacional de Aztlán protested the casting of Freddie Prinze, who was Puerto Rican and German in descent, as a Chicano. It was pointed out that Mr. Prinze's Spanish sounded like New York Puerto Rican, and even the movements of his body and gestures were not Chicano. In the  Lowrider Magazine editorial "What It Is, Que Onda or Lowriders vs. Chico and the Man" in its January 1977 issue, it was commented, "From the get-go, Chicanos knew the program was a phony. Chicanos did not act like that around Chicano barrios. NBC started getting protests from the Chicano community. The Chicano community said that first, this was a wrong picture of how Chicanos live, and second, that wasn't a Chicano playing the role of a Chicano." Even the theme song, by Puerto Rican José Feliciano, was a point of contention for Chicano civil rights activists, as it sounded nothing like Chicano music and had too much of a Caribbean sound.

Beyond the casting of Freddie Prinze and a theme song by José Feliciano, many took umbrage with the fact that "chico" literally means "boy" in Spanish. In other words, the title of the show is pretty much Boy and the Man, putting the Mexican American Chico Rodriguez in a subservient position to the white Ed Brown. There was further anger at the very nature of the humour in the early episodes of Chico and the Man. Ed Brown not only ridiculed Chico's language and habits based on stereotypes about Mexicans and Chicanos but even used racist slurs at times.

It should come as no surprise that much of the anger was directed against the show's producer and creator James Komack, who had grown up in New York City. Cuban-born director and writer Migda Varela in a letter sent to the Complaints and Compliance Department of the FCC, wrote, "Komack probably knew as much about Mexican American culture as I know about the culture of Lithuanian Aborigines." Indeed, there were no Mexican American writers on the staff of Chico and the Man.

Ray Andrade, whose life had partially inspired Chico and the Man and whose life had partially inspired it, expressed his own concerns. Ray Andrade admitted in a newspaper article published in November 1974 that his fellow Chicanos had some reason to complain.  He stated, "I don't object to Freddie because he's not a real Chicano. He's Puerto Rican, you know. But I don't mind that. In fact, I helped select him for the part. I object to Freddie because he's lazy. He won't take the time to go down into the community and find out what the people are really like. Also, he's very, very New York with characteristics not indicative of the true Chicano." Ray Andrade would receive his share of attacks for his involvement with the show from civil rights groups.

NBC would make changes to the show in response to the complaints. The racial humour of the early episodes was done away with, with shows already in the can, but not yet aired,  being pulled and then touched up. Chico and Ed's relationship between less of an adversarial one and more of a father-son relationship. Isaac Ruiz, who was very nearly cast as Chico, joined the show as Mando, Chico's Chicano friend. Even the fact that Chico did not act or sound like a Chicano was addressed. In one episode Mando observes that Chico's Spanish does not sound like anyone else's in the barrio. Chico replied that his mother was Puerto Rican, his grandmother was Hungarian, and he had lived in New York City for five years. For the show's second season, Chicanos were hired as stagehands, technicians, production assistants, property managers, and so on.

While the controversy would subside, even if it never completely went away, Chico and the Man continued to be a success. Its ratings dropped in its second season, although it seems likely that this was due to NBC moving the show from its Friday night spot following Sanford and Son to a Wednesday night time slot following Little House on the Prairie at mid-season. It would return to Friday night for its third season, but a tragedy would occur that would spell the end of the show.

It was on the night of January 28 1977 that Freddie Prinze shot himself following a phone conversation with his estranged wife during a visit from his business manager. He was rushed to UCLA Medical Centre for emergency surgery and then placed on life support. His family requested he be removed from life support and Freddie Prinze died at 1:00 PM on January 29 1977.

In the wake of Freddie Prinze's suicide, Chico would be missing from the last three episodes of the third season of Chico and the Man.  It was explained that Chico had gone to Mexico to visit his father. There was some debate as to whether to end the show, but ultimately The producers decided to go ahead with the show by introducing a new character. It was then in the first episode that Ed and Louie returned from a fishing trip in Tijuana only to find 12-year-old Raul (Gabriel Melgar) had stowed away in their trunk. It was when Raul was going to bed that Ed accidentally called him "Chico" and then explained, "You're all Chico to me."It was later in the season that it was explained that Chico had died.

Despite the introduction of new characters, such as Raul's Aunt Charo (played by singer Charo) and Monica (Julie Hill), Ed's niece, the show never recovered following Freddie Prinze's death. It was cancelled with its fourth season.

Chico and the Man did not prove to be a success in syndication, most likely because Freddie Prinze's death made the show unpalatable for many. The show would later air on the cable channels TV Land and AmericanLife TV Network, as well as the broadcast network Ion and the superstation WGN. Six episodes of Chico and the Man would be released on DVD as part of Warner Bros. series of compilations called "Television Favourites." As of yet, there has been no official DVD release. Currently, the entire series is available on the streaming service Tubi and for rent on Fandango at Home and Prime Video.

The legacy of Chico and the Man remains complicated. The fact remains that the show was written by people who were not Chicano and its star Freddie Prinze was not Chicano either. The show is then hardly representative of Chicano culture or life in the barrio in the Seventies. It is then understandable why so many in the Mexican American community were unhappy with the show upon its debut. Of course, casting the Puerto Rican Freddie Prinze as the Chicano Chico was not unusual at the time. In the 1950 movie The Lawless the white Gail Russell played a Chicana. In the 1952 movie The Ring Puerto Rico born Rita Moreno played a Mexican American girl. On the Western TV series The High Chaparral, series leads Henry Darrow was Puerto Rican and  Linda Cristal was Argentinian. Sadly, at the time it was not unusual that Mexicans or Mexican Americans were often played by people with no Mexican descent whatsoever.

While Chico and the Man remains controversial to some degree, even at the time it was pioneering. Latinos had been somewhat visible on American television in the Fifties with Desi Arnaz on I Love Lucy, Tony Martinez on The Real McCoys, and Robert Cabal on Rawhide. By the Sixties, they had largely disappeared. It would not be until The High Chapparal, with its Mexican characters, that Latinos would play a large role on a show. It was followed by The Man and the City in 1971, with Mexico-born Anthony Quinn playing the Latino mayor of a Southwestern city. Chico and the Man was the first sitcom with a Latino lead in years. 

Of course, not only did Chico and the Man feature a Latino lead, but Chico was Mexican American. It was the first time that a lead character on an American television show was a Chicano. Indeed, it had not been since The Real McCoys had been cancelled in 1963 that a sitcom featured any Mexican characters as regulars. In this way, Chico and the Man paved the way for other shows featuring Mexican Americans, including the short-lived Viva Valdez in 1976, a.k.a. Pablo in 1984, and George Lopez in 2002, among others. While Chicanos are still underrepresented on American television, they are not quite as invisible as they were before 1974 with the debut of Chico and Man.

(Credit where credit is due department: For much of this post I drew upon Luis Alvarez's excellent book Chicanx Utopias: Pop Culture and the Politics of the Possible. I also drew upon newspaper articles from 1974 to 1976)

The Fiftieth Anniversary of Kolchak: The Night Stalker

It was fifty years ago today, on Friday, September 13 1974, that Kolchak: The Night Stalker, starring Darren McGavin, debuted on ABC. It was not the first time the world had seen the character of Carl Kolchak. He had earlier appeared in the television movies The Night Stalker (1972) and The Night Strangler (1973). Despite only running one season, Kolchak: The Night Stalker may be where most people today know the character from. And despite running only one season, the TV series would prove to be influential.

The origins of the TV movies and the TV series go back to an unpublished novel by Jeff Rice titled The Kolchak Papers or The Kolchak Tapes by Jeff Rice. Fittingly enough, Jeff Rice finished the novel at midnight on October 31  1970. The novel followed an intrepid reporter named Carl Kolchak as he investigated mysterious deaths in Las Vegas. Unfortunately, Jeff Rice could not find anyone willing to publish the book. It was agent Rick Ray who realized that the novel might have a better chance selling as a movie. The novel found its way to the American Broadcasting Company (ABC), where among the people who read it was legendary writer Richard Matheson. Ultimately, Richard Matheson would write the teleplay for what was now titled The Night Stalker. It was produced by Dan Curtis, then best known as the creator and producer of the Gothic horror soap opera Dark Shadows. He had also produced a 1968 television movie based on The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

The Night Stalker proved to be a phenomenal success when it aired on January 11 1972. It earned a 33.2 rating and a 48 share, making it the highest rated television movie in the United States at the time. Its success led to a sequel, The Night Strangler, which aired on January 16 1973. It did nearly as well as the original movie. The success of The Night Strangler would lead to the planning of a third Kolchak film, The Night Killers, in which Kolchak uncovers a plot in which human beings are being replaced by androids. Ultimately, ABC elected to go forward with a weekly television series instead.

While Darren McGavin returned as Carl Kolchak for the series, neither Dan Curtis nor Richard Matheson would work on the show. Darren McGavin would serve as an executive producer on the show. The show's original producer was Paul Playdon, who had worked as a producer on the shows Cannon and Banachek. He left Kolchak: The Night Stalker after only two episodes due to disagreements with Dareen McGavin. He was replaced by Cy Chermak, who had served as executive producer and producer on Ironside, among other shows.

While ABC had elected to go forward with a weekly TV series, they had neglected to secure Jeff Rice's rights before doing so. As a result, Jeff Rice filed a lawsuit against ABC and Universal. The suit was settled before the show debuted, and Mr. Rice ultimately controlled the literary rights to Carl Kolchaik.

For the most part the premise of Kolchak: The Night Stalker was the same as that of the two TV movies. Carl Kolchak was a reporter who had a knack for encountering supernatural or, at least, downright bizarre phenomena. One major difference is that in The Night Stalker and The Night Strangler he was a reporter for city newspapers (a Las Vegas paper in the former, a Seattle paper in the latter), while on Kolchak: The Night Stalker he worked for the wire service INS (the Independent News Service). In all three he reported to editor Tony Vincenzo (Simon Oakland).

Carl Kolchak and Tony Vincenzo were the only characters to appear in every single episode of Kolchak: The Night Stalker, but there were other recurring characters. Ron Updyke (Jack Grinnage) was Kolchak's rival, whom Carl referred to as "Uptight' due to his patronizing and high-strung personality. Emily Cowles (Ruth McDevitt) handle the advice column and crossword puzzles at INS. An older woman, she often sympathized with Kolchak and the two considered each other warmly. Several other characters, such as young, overly enthusiastic reported Monique Marmelstein (Carol Ann Susi) and city morgue attendant Gordon Spangler (John Fiedler) appeared in a few episodes.

Darren McGavin having been in television and film since the Forties, Kolchak: The Night Stalker featured several well-known stars from film and television among them were Julie Adams, Jim Backus,  Hans Conried, Scatman Crothers, Alice Ghostley, James Gregory, Dwayne Hickman, John Hoyt, Carolyn Jones, Victor Jory, and yet others. In the episode "Horror in the Heights," Phil Silvers, Murray Matheson, Benny Rubin, and Abraham Sofaer all appeared. Darren McGavin's wife, Kathie Browne appeared in the final episode, "The Sentry."

Ratings for Kolchak: The Night Stalker were perpetually low. Much of this was due to the fact that ABC scheduled on Friday night when many young people, for whom the show might appeal the most, tend to go out. Much of it was also due to stiff competition on other networks. In its original 10:00 PM Eastern/9:00 PM Central time slot, Kolchak:The Night Stalker aired against The CBS Friday Night Movie on CBS and the new hit series Police Woman on NBC. It was in the winter that it was moved to what might have been an even worse time slot, 8:00 PM Eastern/7:00 PM Central. While its competition on CBS was weak (none of the shows the Tiffany Network scheduled in the time slot lasted the season), it faced no. 2 rated Sanford and Son and a brand new hit show, the no. 3 rated Chico and the Man on NBC. Ultimately, it only came in at no. 74 in the Nieslen ratings for the year.

As it was, Darren McGavin was growing tired of the series. He complained in an interview in February 1975, "This is not the show that I started out to do, and rather than try to pump  life with a hypodermic needle into something that's just dying, I'd rather bury it and put it out of its misery." Initially ABC had ordered twenty-two episodes of the show for the season. Darren McGavin persuaded the network to cut that down to twenty episodes.

While Kolchak: The Night Stalker was cancelled by ABC, it was not the end of the show by any measure. It as in May 1979 that Kolchak: The Night Stalker joined the lineup of other reruns on The CBS Late Movie. The show proved popular on The CBS Late Movie, where it aired during the 1979-1980, 1981-1982, and 1987-1988 seasons. It would later air on the Sci-Fi Channel and has since aired on such outlets as MeTV. The complete series has also been released on DVD.

There have also been several Kolchak: The Night Stalker books published over the years. The original novel upon which The Night Stalker was based was published by Pocket Books in 1973. A novelization of The Night Strangler would also be published. In 2002 Moonstone began publishing a comic book based on the TV series. There have also been non-fiction books on the series.

The continued popularity of Kolchak: The Night Stalker resulted in a 2005 reboot television series created by Frank Spotnitz and starring Stuart Townshend. The series debuted on ABC on September 29 2005 and lasted only six episodes before the network cancelled it. Ultimately, all ten episode that had been produced would air on on the Sci-Fi Channel.

It is little wonder that Kolchak: The Night Stalker would develop a cult following. While it might seem odd after such shows as Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Supernatural, there was a time when horror television series with regular characters were rare. Prior to Kolchak: The Night Stalker, perhaps the only one was daytime soap opera Dark Shadows. As a pioneering show, Kolchak: The Night Stalker would also prove to be influential. In the 2019 article "The Omen: The Pedigree of a Classic," Jim Knipfel puts forth the idea that the episode "The Devil's Platform" (in which a politician sells his soul to the Devil) was a central source for the classic movie The Omen (1976). Chris Carter, creator of The X-Files, has credited Kolchak: The Night Stalker as one of the influences on The X-Files, including The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits. It seems likely Kolchak: The Night Stalker was an influence on yet other genre shows as well.

Kolchak: The Night Stalker ran for only one season, but has ultimately proven more memorable and more successful than shows that ran much longer. It is still available on DVD and streaming, and it is still airing on various broadcast channels. New books featuring Carl Kolchak are still being published. Kolchak: The Night Stalker has proven to be both a highly successful and influential show, so people will probably still be watching the adventures of Carl Kolchak 50 years from now.

The 50th Anniversary of The Rockford Files

Tomorrow it will have been fifty years since the debut of The Rockford Files. The Rockford Files debuted on September 13 1974 on NBC, which was a Friday that year. That particular Friday the 13th proved to be a lucky one for NBC. The debut of The Rockford Files was preceded by the debut of Chico and the Man and followed by the debut of Police Woman. All three shows proved to be hits.

The Rockford Files starred James Garner as private detective Jim Rockford, who has served time in San Quentin Prison in the Sixties following a wrongful conviction. He was pardoned after five years. As a private detective, Jim Rockford did not make a lot of money. He lived and worked out of a run-down mobile home. Unlike many television detectives, Rockford avoided physical confrontations, preferring to use his wits to get out of situations. While he owned an unregistered Colt Detective Special, he rarely carried it and most often was stored away in a cookie jar. His father, Joseph "Rocky" Rockford (Noah Beery Jr.) was a semi-retired, semi-truck driver who constantly nagged Jim to find more stable work and settle down.. Sgt. Dennis Becker (Joe Santos) was Jim's contact at the LAPD. While the two were friends, they sometimes came to heads over Rockford's cases. Rockford's attorney Beth Davenport (Gretchen Corbett) was a close friend. Bet Corbett left the show after its fourth season due to a contract dispute. Another friend was Angel Martin (Stuart Margolin), who has been Rockford's cell-male at San Quentin. Angel was a bit shifty, but Rockford still used him as an operative from time time. The Rockford Files owed a good deal to James Garner's previous show Maverick, and Jim Rockford could easily be described as a modern day Bret Maverick.

The Rockford Files was created by Roy Huggins and Stephen J. Cannell. Roy Huggins had earlier created Maverick, as well as such shows as developed the series Cheyenne and created The Fugitive. The creation of The Rockford Files was tied to the creation of two other shows, Toma and Baretta. It was planned for the pilot of Toma to air as a backdoor pilot on ABC as a Movie on the Week. Tom Musante was signed to do the pilot of Toma, but was noncommittal about doing a television series.

Frank Price, as the president of Universal TV, was pivotal in the development of both Toma and Universal's TV movies. At the time he was also working with Roy Huggins in developing an umbrella series (or a "wheel series," if you prefer), like The Bold Ones or The NBC Mystery Movie, in which shows would rotate  each week. Toma would be one of the shows on the umbrella series. The other two would be The Rockford Files and Baretta. The character of Rockford could be introduced on an episode of Toma. The advantage of Toma being one part of an umbrella show was that it would not matter if Tom Manste chose not to do a second season of Toma. They would still have two other shows.

As to The Rockford Files itself,. Roy Huggins had come up with the initial concept and the character of Jim Rockford. As mentioned earlier the character was conceived as a sort of modern day Bret Maverick. While ABC showed little interest in The Rockford Files, it found a home with NBC. In some ways NBC was a little reticent about the show. They were not thrilled about working with James Garner after their experience with him on Nichols. They went forward with the show because of Roy Huggins. They also did not like the idea of Rockford being a "coward," but James Garner threatened to walk if they changed one word of the pilot script.

Any concerns NBC had about The Rockford Files turned out to be unwarranted. The show proved to be a hit, coming in at no. 12 for the year. While The Rockford Files was a hit, Roy Huggins would not remain as a writer on the show for long. During the first season Roy Huggins wrote episodes of the show under the pen name John Thomas James. It was halfway through the first season that Roy Huggins submitted a rewrite of a script to the set just as the it was shooting. Mr. Huggins had neither the approval of the writer of the episode nor the producer. James Garner was puzzled by the reason for the rewrite and thought it was not up to standard. It was after he found out that Stephen J. Cannell nor any other members of the production staff had approved the rewrite that James Garner stated that Stephen J. Cannell, not Roy Huggins, had final approval of all scripts. While Roy Huggins would have a producer credit on The Rockford Files for the rest of its run, he was never again active in writing for the series or in the day-to-day production of the show.

Over time, The Rockford Files would see some changes in its cast. As mentioned earlier, Gretchen Corbett left the show after its fourth season due to a contract dispute. In 1976 James Luisi joined the show as Lt. Doug Chapman, a LAPD officer who acted as a foil to Jim Rockford. The show featured several recurring characters who might appear in anywhere from four to eight episodes.

The beginning each episode of The Rockford Files was well-known for Jim Rockford's answering machine, which featured a different message each week. The messages were never related to the events in that night's episode, although they might deal with events from past episodes. It should come as no surprise given Rockford's finances that many of the messages on his answering machine came form bill collectors. The theme song always followed the answering machine sequence. It was written by Mike Post and Peter Carpenter. The theme song actually accomplished something few TV themes do--it became a hit. Released as a single, it went to no. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100.

The Rockford Files would have one spin-off. The character of Richie Brockelman was meant to debut in a TV movie that would serve as a backdoor pilot for a series. When NBC did not go forward with the pilot, Stephen J. Cannell then introduced the character in the Rockford Files episode "The House on Willis Avenue." Richie Brockelman, Private Eye debuted a week after the episode aired and ran for five episodes. After the show ended, Richie Brockelman appeared in the Rockford Files episode '"Never Send a Boy King To Do a Man's Job."

While ratings for The Rockford Files dropped in its second season, it still came in at a respectable no. 32 for the year. Its ratings would remain the forties for its third and fourth season. For its fifth season it ranked no. 58. Unfortunately, the show's days would be numbered. James Garner had to heal up from a number of knee injuries, as well as problems with his back. In 1978 The Rockford Files then went on hiatus. It was while James Garner was recuperating that NBC cancelled the show.

The reasoning behind NBC's cancellation of The Rockford Files was that the show had become very expensive. Throughout the show's run, The Rockford Files has featured several high profile guest stars, including Ned Beatty, Isaac Hayes, Robert Loggia, Rita Moreno, Joan Van Ark, and others. It also shot on location. NBC and Universal claimed that the show was losing several million dollars. Both James Garner and his company Cherokee Productions disagreed with this, stating that the show made a profit.

James Garner would sue Universal in 1983 with regards to The Rockford Files for $16.5 million, charging Universal with "breach of contract, failure to deal in good faith and fairly, and fraud and deceit." Quite simply, James Garner claimed Universal was guilty of "creative accounting." The lawsuit was settled out of court in 1989. He would sue Universal again in 1998 over syndication royalties.

While The Rockford Files had ended it original network run, it would find success as a syndicated rerun, and can still be seen on various television outlets to this day. All six seasons of the show would be released on DVD. It is currently available on the streaming service the Roku Channel.

As part of its continued popularity, there would be eight TV movies. In 1994 the first Rockford Files TV reunion movie, The Rockford Files: I Still Love LA, aired on CBS. It was followed by seven more TV movies (The Rockford Files: A Blessing in Disguise in 1995, The Rockford Files: If the Frame Fits in 1996, The Rockford Files: Godfather Knows Best in 1996, The Rockford Files: Friends and Foul Play in 1996, The Rockford Files: Punishment and Crime in 1996, The Rockford Files: Shoot Out at the Golden Pagoda in 1997, and The Rockford Files: If It Bleeds...It Leads in 1999).

Throughout the years The Rockford Files has continued to be popular. It has been references in everything form Remington Steele to St. Elsewhere to Freaks and Geeks. In 2023 list of "The 50th greatest TV and movie detectives of all time" in Entertainment Weekly, Jim Rockford came in at no. 9. For their 1988 book The Best of Crime & Detective TV, authors Max Allan Collins and John Javna conducted a poll of mystery fans, mystery writers and TV critics. The Rockford Files came in at no. 1. It is perhaps a mark of the show's popularity that while James Garner appeared in movies from The Great Escape (1963) to Support Your Local Sheriff! (1969), but his two most famous characters are from television: Bret Maverick and Jim Rockford.

Seventy Years of the TV Show Lassie

It was on September 12 1954 that the television series Lassie debuted on CBS. The show followed the adventures of a female rough collie named Lassie. Over the years Lassie's humans would change, but the heroic dog was a constant on the show.

The character of Lassie originated in a short story by Eric Knight first published in 1938 in The Saturday Evening Post, which Eric Knight expanded into the novel Lassie Come Home, published in in 1940. The novel centred on a female rough collie in Depression Era England who journeys back to her family after they have been forced to sell her. Lassie Come Home was adapted as the motion picture Lassie Come Home, starring Roddy McDowall and Elizabeth Taylor, in 1943. The movie proved to be a success and was followed by five more movies before the television even debuted.

Even though Lassie was a female dog, in the movie Lassie Come Home, she was played by a male collie named Pal.  Some sources claim that initially a female collie was to star as Lassie, but she was replaced by Pal because she shed too much or for some other reason. Regardless, Pal would star in the next five "Lassie" movies, as well as a few first season episodes of the TV series. For the remainder of the TV series, Lassie was played by Pal's various descendents. Pal's trainer, Rudd Weatherwax, later acquired the name "Lassie" from MGM, paving the way for the television show.

The TV series Lassie was created by Robert Maxwell and Rudd Weatherwax. As mentioned above, Rudd Weatherwax was Pal's trainer, who later obtained the rights to the name "Lassie." Robert Maxwell was a writer and producer who had worked on the radio show The Adventures of Superman, as well as the first two seasons of the TV series. The show was produced by Robert Maxwell's company, Robert Maxwell Associates for its first several seasons.

For the first few seasons, Lassie belonged to the boy Jeff Miller (Tommy Rettig), who lived with his family on a farm. Jeff's family consisted of his mother Ellen (Jan Clayton), his grandfather George or "Gramps" (George Cleveland). It was the fourth season that would see the first of many cast changes on the show. George Cleveland died on June 15 1957. Gramps then died unexpectedly on the show. The Millers took in a young orphan named Timmy (Jon Provost), and then moved off the farm. They left Timmy and Lassie with his new foster parents on the farm, the Martins. The Martins were Paul Martin (Jon Sheppodd), Ruth Martin (Cloris Leachman), and Uncle Petrie (George Chandler). The old episodes of Lassie with Jeff would be rerun under the title Jeff's Collie.

Cloris Leachman was unhappy with the role of Ruth Martin, who felt it was not particularly challenging. With the fifth season June Lockhart then replaced Miss Leachman in the role. Cloris Leachman having left the show, the producers then decided to replace Jon Sheppodd as they thought children might have difficulty understand why he had a "new wife." Hugh Reilly then took over the role of Paul Martin.

Not only would the cast change, but the producers of Lassie would change was well. It was in 1956 Robert Maxwell sold the show to Jack Wrather for a reported $3.5 million. If the name Jack Wrather sounds familiar, it is because he was the producer behind such shows as The Lone Ranger and Sergeant Preston of the Yukon. Jack Wrather Productions would produce Lassie until the show ended its run, and even co-produced the Saturday morning cartoon Lassie's Rescue Rangers with Filmation.

Over the next few years perhaps the only major change in the show came when George Chandler, who played Uncle Petrie, left the show in 1959. It was the eleventh season that would see not only a big change in its cast, but a big change in the show's format. Paul Martin got a teaching job in Australia and so the Martins moved there. They left Lassie with Forest Ranger Corey Stuart (Robert Bray) of the United States Forestry Service. Assistant Forest Ranger Hank Whitfield was played by Clyde Howdy from 1964 to 1966. After ten years of living on a farm, Lassie then found herself having adventures in such places as Monument Valley and Sequoia National Park. It was in 1965 that the show changed from black-and-white to colour. As to the old episodes with Timmy, they would be rerun under the title Lassie and Timmy.

The cast would change again in 1968. Robert Bray, who played Ranger Corey Stuart, left the show. Corey Stuart was then written off the series as having been injured in a forest fire and then sent to recover in a hospital. Lassie was placed in the care of two new forest rangers, Bob Erickson (Jack De Mave) and Scott Turner (Jed Allan). During this period the producers worked with the United States Forest Service and many of the episodes during the era dealt with such topics as wildlife management, wilderness management, and other topics that dealt with conservation.

It would be the show's seventeenth season, and the final one to air on CBS, that would see the most dramatic change in the case of Lassie. Quite simply, the only regular cast member on the show during the 1970-1971 season was Lassie himself. Lassie was portrayed as travelling from place to place and having different adventures each week, not unlike the earlier Canadian series The Littlest Hobo (which centred on a German Shepherd). Curiously, while previous seasons had explained Lassie's change in humans, there was never any explanation as to why Lassie was no longer with the U.S. Forestry Service.

It was during the 1970-1971 season that CBS cancelled Lassie as part of the Rural Purge. The Rural Purge was a mass cancellation of shows that appealed to older viewers, rural viewers, or both. The Rural Purge took place largely because of two facts. The first was a new FCC regulation known as the Prime Time Access Rule, which cut several hours from network schedules in the hope of creating more diverse programming on local stations. Because the Prime Time Access Rule went to effect with the 1971-1972 season, the networks had to cancel many more shows than usual. The second factor was a change in CBS's programming strategy. For years both ABC and NBC had been pursuing what is known as the key demographic, people aged 18-34 living in urban areas. On the other hand, CBS simply went by the overall ratings of its shows, regardless of who was watching. It was in the late Sixties that CBS decided that they too would pursue the key demographic and cancelled any shows that did not appeal to that demographic. In the case of Lassie, CBS may have cancelled the show because its audience was too young. Like older people, children are not part of the key demo. The cancellation of Lassie was recognized by Pat Butram, (who played Mr. Haney as Green Acres), who said, "It was the year CBS killed everything with a tree in it, even Lassie."

While Lassie had been cancelled by CBS, the show as far from dead. Lassie entered first run syndication at the start of the 1971-1972 season. This season also saw another change in format on the show. Lassie was taken in by Garth Holden (Ron Hayes), the operator of the Holden Ranch, a home for troubled children. Other members of the Holden family were part of the cast, including Grath's son Ron (Skip Burton), Garth's brother Keith (Larry Purcell), and Ron's friend Dale Mitchell (Larry Wilcox).

Lassie would last two seasons in syndication, ending its run of original episodes on March 23 1973. Having been on the air for 19 seasons, it remains the sixth longest running American live action, scripted TV series. Following its original run, the show would then go onto a very successful syndication run, and was still airing on various channels as late as the Teens. While there have been no official releases of the complete series, over the years there have been several releases of select episodes on DVD. Unfortunately, the show currently seems unavailable on streaming in the United States besides unofficial videos uploaded to YouTube.

There have been multiple shows starring Lassie since the original television series, including three animated shows. At least one of these shows was a sequel to the original. The New Lassie aired in syndication from 1989 to 1992. It centred on the McCullough family, Lassie's current humans. The father of the family, Steve McCullough, was played by Jon Provost, and was later to be revealed as Timmy Martin. The Martins had never adopted Timmy, and so they could not take him with them when they moved to Australia. He as adopted by the McCullough family and began using his middle name "Steve." Other Lassie TV series have included Lassie's Rescue Rangers (1972-1973), Famous Dog Lassie (Japanese, 1996), Lassie (Canadian 1997-1998), and The New Adventures of Lassie (2014-2020).

For much of its run, Lassie performed well in the ratings. It spent ten of its seventeen seasons on CBS in the top thirty TV shows in the Nielsen ratings for the year, and four of those in the top twenty. Over the years it also received its share of awards. Lassie won the Emmy Award for Best Children's Program in 1955 and 1956. In 1956 it also won a Peabody Award. In 1967 it was awarded the U.S. Department of Agriculture Conservation Award for its promotion of conservation. Lassie was also nominated for a Directors Guild of America Award in 1957 and Emmy Awards in 1957, 1958 1959, and 1960, including Best Dramatic Series with Continuing Characters.

The success of Lassie would result in merchandising during its run. Dell Comics had published a Lassie title since 1950, but in 1958 the comic book began featuring stories based on the television show. Gold Key took over the Lassie comic book in 1962 and continued publishing it until 1969. When Lassie went to work for the Forest Service, the comic book shifted from adventures on the farm to adventures with ranger Corey Stuart. In addition to comic books, there were also Lassie lunch boxes, colouring books, games, Little Golden Books, and so on.

While Lassie has appeared in other television shows and movies since the 1954-1973 series Lassie went off the air, aside from the movie Lassie Come Home (1943),  it remains the best known variation on the adventures of the famous Collie. References to the show persist in popular culture even fifty one years since its original run ended. There were movies before the 1954-1973 series Lassie and there have been movies and TV shows since, but it seems likely it will remain the most famous version of Lassie of them all.

The Late Great James Earl Jones

James Earl Jones, who was the voice of Darth Vader and who appeared in such films as Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) and The Great White Hope (1970), died today, September 9 2024, at the age of 93.

James Earl Jones was born on January 17 1921 in  Arkabutla, Mississippi. His father was boxer and actor Robert Earl Jones. From the age of five years old he was raised by his grandparents on a farm near Dublin, Michigan. As a child, James Earl Jones stuttered.It was after an English teacher in high school had him read a poem he had written in class that he found out his stutter vanished when he read words that he had memorized. He attended the University of Michigan, which was where he took an interest in acting. James Earl Jones served in the United States Army shortly after the end of the Korean War.

James Earl Jones had made his stage debut in 1953 at a community theatre production in Manistee, Michigan. Following his service in the military He moved to New York City to pursue acting. He made his debut on Broadway in Sunrise at Campobello in 1958. He appeared on Broadway in The Cool World in 1960. It was in the Sixties that James Earl Jones made his movie debut in Dr. Strangelove (1964) as Lt. Lothar Zogg. In the Sixties he appeared in the movies The Comedians (1967), The End of the Road (1970), and The Great White Hope (1970). He made his television debut in an episode of East Side/West Side in 1963. He guest starred on the shows Dr. Kildare, NY.PD., and Sesame Street. He appeared on Broadway in Infidel Caesar, Danton's Death, A Hand is on the Gate, The Great White Hope, and Les Blancs.

It was in the Seventies that James Earl Jones first provided the voice of Darth Vader in Star Wars (1977). He would remain the voice of Darth Vader in movies, video games, and other media until 2022, when he announced his retirement for the role. James Earl Jones appeared in the movies The Man (1972), Claudine (1974), The River Niger (1976), The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings (1976), Swashbuckler (1976), Deadly Hero (1976), The Greatest (1977), Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977), The Last Remake of Beau Geste (1977), A Piece of the Action (1977), The Bushido Blade (1979). James Earl Jones played the title character on the short-lived television series Paris. He appeared in the mini-series Roots, Jesus of Nazareth, and Roots: The Next Generations. He guest starred on NBC Children's Theatre and Sesame Street. He appeared on Broadway in The Iceman Cometh, Of Mice and Men, Paul Robeson, and A Lessson from Aloes.

In the Eighties James Earl Jones appeared in the movies Conan the Barbarian (1982), Blood Tide (1982), City Limits (1985), Soul Man (1986), Allen Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold (1986), My Little Girl (1987), Matewan (1987), Coming to America (1988), Three Fugitives (1989), Field of Dreams (1989), Best of the Best (1989), Convicts (1990), The Hunt for Red October (1990)., The Ambulance (1990), and Grim Prairie Tales (1990). He did voice work for the films The Flight of Dragons (1982) and Pinocchio and the Emperor of the Night (1987). On television he was the host of Long Ago and Far Away. He was a regular on the short-lived show Me and Mom. On Square One Television he had recurring roles. He appeared in the mini-series The Atlanta Child Murders and guest starred on Faerie Tale Theatre, Highway to Heaven, L.A. Law, and The Simpsons. James Earl Jones appeared on Broadway in Othello, "MASTER HAROLD"…and the boys, and Fences.

In the Nineties James Earl Jones appeared in the movies Scorchers (1991), True Identity (1991),. Patriot Games (1992), Sneakers (1992), Dreamrider (1993), Sommersby (1993),. The Sandlot (1993), Excessive Force (1993), The Meteor Man (1993),  Naked Gun 33+1⁄3: The Final Insult (1994),. Clean Slate (1994), Clear and Present Danger (1994), Jefferson in Paris (1995). Cry, the Beloved Country (1995), A Family Thing (1996), Good Luck (1996),. Gang-Related (1997), On the Q.T. (1999), Undercover Angel (1999), The Annihilation of Fish (1999)/ He did voice work on The Lion King (1994) and Casper: A Spirited Beginning (1997). He played the leads on the television shows Gabriel's Fire, Pros and Cons Under One Roof and Signs and Wonders. He guest starred on The Simpsons, Shelley Duval's Bedtime Stories, ABC Weekend Special, Law & Order, American Playhouse, Picket Fences, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child, Mad About You, Touched by an Angel, Frasier, Stargate SG-1, and Homicide: Life on the Street.  He appeared on the mini-series Merlin.

In the Naughts James Earl Jones appeared in the movies Finder's Fee (1991), The Sandlot 2 (2005), and  Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins (2008),. He did voice work on the movies Robots (2005), Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey (2009), and Jack and the Beanstalk (1995)/.He guest starred on the shows Will & Grace, Everwood, According to Jim, Sesame Street, Two and a Half Men, and House. He appeared on Broadway in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Driving Miss Daisy.

In the Teens he appeared in the movies Gimme Shelter (2013),. The Angriest Man in Brooklyn (2014). and Warning Shot (2018). He guest starred on The Big Bang Theory and Agent X. He final appearance was in Coming to America 2 (2021).

With his impressive voice, James Earl Jones was very much in demand as a narrator. He served as a narrator on everything from  movies like Judge Dredd and Click to the TV series 3rd Rock form the Sun to documentaries like Malcolm  (1972) and The Trail of Tears: Cherokee Legacy (2006).

As great as he was in the roles, James Earl Jones was so much more than Darth Vader or Mufasa. He won Tony Awards for The Great White Hope and Fences, and was nominated for more. He was nominated for Academy Awards and Emmy Awards (two of which he won). James Earl Jones was more than a remarkable voice.He was a remarkable actor who played a wide variety of roles. He was incredible as "Few Clothes" Johnson, one of the organizers of a coal mining strike in Matewan. He gave a great performance as author, activist, and consummate baseball fan Terence Mann in Field of Dreams. He was impressive as Mr. Mertle, former baseball player and owner of a frightening mastiff. And, of course, he was fantastic in the Oscar-nominated role of boxer Jack Johnson in The Great White Hope. From Lt. Zogg in Dr. Strangelove to Admiral James Geer in The Hunt for Red October and Patriot Games, James Earl Jones gave so many great performances, it would be hard to name them all. He was simply an enormous talent.

The 100th Anniversary of Dum-Dums

It was in 1924 that Dum-Dums were introduced by Akron Candy Company in Bellevue, Ohio. They were named Dum-Dums by I..C. Bahr,the sales manager of Akron Candy Company, because he thought children could easily remember and pronounce the name. For those few of you unfamiliar with Dum-Dums, they are small, spherical lollipops (or suckers, if you prefer). Since the late 20th Century banks, doctor's offices, and other places have given Dum-Dums away free to customers and patients.

Dum-Dums originally came in seven flavours: butterscotch, cherry, grape, coconut-pineapple, lemon, lime, and orange. Over the years the number of Dum-Dum flavours has expanded. In 1966 the flavours of chocolate, raspberry, and strawberry were added, making for 10 different flavours of Dum-Dums. Even more flavours have been added since, so that here is everything from the original flavours like grape and orange to newer flavours like cream soda and watermelon.

It was in 2001 that Dum-Dum introduced the "Mystery Flavour." Mystery Flavour Dum-Dums are identified by a wrapper with question marks on it and reading "Mystery Flavor." The Mystery Flavor is essentially a mixture of two flavours that results from the combination of one completed batch and the next batch that is just starting.

It was in 1953 that Spangler Candy Company bought Dum-Dums from Akron Candy Company. The production of Dum-Dums were then moved to Bryan, Ohio. In Spangler's first year of producing Dum-Dums, they made 84 million of the lollipops. By the time they bought Dum-Dums, Spangler Candy Company was already known for their marshmallow Circus Peanuts, and Marshmallow Topping.

Under Spangler Candy Company, the popularity of Dum-Dums continued to grow. By 1959 banks, doctor's offices, and so  on were already handing out Dum-Dums. It was also that year that the "Save Your Wrappers for Stuff" program was introduced, whereby people could send in saved Dum-Dum wrappers for various items. The "Save Your Wrappers for Stuff" program was discontinued in 1994. It was relaunched in 2001 and then discontinued again in 2020. Dum-Dums would also have an impact on pop culture in 1959 the song "Dum Dum: The Lollipop Song" by Johnny Christmas and The Dynamics was released.

It was in 1966 that Dum-Dum's mascot, the Dum-Dum Drum Man was introduced. The Dum-Dum Drum Man appeared in print ads for the candy. It was created by the Howard Swink Advertising Agency of Marion, Ohio. Since then there has even been Dum-Dum Drum Man merchandise, from t-shirts to a Funko Pop (as part of their Ad Icons series). It was in 1991 that one of the most famous Dum-Dum commercials came out. The "talking heads" commercial aired on Nickelodeon and Nick-at-Nite. It won a 1992 Telle Award for quality advertising on cable TV.

It was in 1997 that  mascot and goodwill ambassador for Dum-Dums in the form of a Capuchin monkey named Dr. Irving was introduced. Dr. Irving shared Dum-Dums with hospital patients and nursing home residents across the nation. This year, as part of their 100th anniversary celebration,  Dum-Dums launched a "Flavorites" campaign, whereby people could go to their website and vote for their favourite flavour.

Dum-Dums continue to be popular to this day. As of 2022, Spangler Candy Company was manufacturing 12 million Dum-Dums every day. They are still given out at banks, doctor's offices, and various other places. Indeed, the only complaint about Dum-Dums that I have heard is that they could be bigger. I have to think that Dum-Dums will be around for another 100 years.