The Centenary of Wally Cox's Birth

It was 100 years ago today that Wally Cox was born in Detroit. He became famous playing the title character on the sitcom Mister Peepers, but is perhaps best known to younger Baby Boomers and the whole of Generation X as the voice of Underdog and a regular on the game show Hollywood Squares. Wally Cos also guest starred on shows from The Beverly Hillbillies to McMillan & Wife and appeared in such movies as Spencer's Mountain (1963) and Fate is the Hunter (1964).

Wally Cox began his entertainment career in stand-up in 1948, his act consisting of a monologue and often stories and songs. In 1949 he appeared on the radio show Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts. That same year he made his television debut on Fireside Theatre. By 1950 he was appearing on Broadway in the revue Dance Me a Song. He continued to appear in night clubs and appeared on such television shows as The Ford Theatre Hour, Danger, Suspense, and Goodyear Television Playhouse.

It was in July 1952 that Mister Peepers debuted. The show starred Wally Cox as Robinson J. Peepers, the shy, quiet science teacher at Jefferson Junior High. Much of the rest of the cast would also become well-known, including Tony Randall as history teacher Harvey Weskit, Marion Lorne as English teacher Mrs. Gurney, and Jack Warden as athletic coach Frank Whip. Mister Peepers originated as a summer replacement for Ford Festival, but proved to be so popular that NBC brought the show back after the new show Doc Corkle proved to have miserable ratings.

Mister Peepers typecast Wally Cox, much to his dismay. and for much of his career he played soft-spoken, mild mannered characters. To a degree what might be his most famous role is an exception to this. On the Saturday morning cartoon Underdog, Wally Cox played Underdog's alter ego Shoeshine Boy as soft-spoken and mild-mannered. Indeed, Shoeshine Boy was described as "humble and lovable." Wally Cox gave Underdog a lower voice (pretty much Mr. Cox's natural speaking voice) and the character was as brave and courageous as one would expect a superhero to be. Underdiog proved to be a success. It ran for nine years on the broadcast networks (eight on Saturday, one on Sunday) and had an extremely successful syndication run.

Of course, many Baby Boomers and Gen Xers will also remember Wally Cox as resident of the upper left square on Hollywood Squares. Wally Cox on Hollywood Squares also offered a sharp contrast to the meek characters he often played. On Hollywood Squares not only did Mr. Cox display considerable wit, but often biting sarcasm. It seems likely that Wally Cox's persona on Hollywood Squares was closer to Mr. Cox in real life that the mild-mannered characters he played. In real life Wally Cox was very athletic and even rode motorcycles. He also possessed considerable skill as a handyman. According to an article in Popular Science in the Fifties, Wally Cox had a small workshop in his dressing room on Mister Peepers. In his memoir Backstage with the Original Hollywood Square, Hollywood Squares host Peter Marshall said that Wally Cox installed the wiring in his own home.

Aside from Mister Peepers and Underdog, Wally Cox played the lead in one other series. The Adventures of Hiram Hollliday was a sitcom that aired on NBC during the 1956-1957 season. The series centred on Hiram Holliday, a newspaper proofreader who actually possessed considerable skills in firearms, physical combat, and many other areas of knowledge. After saving his publisher from a potential lawsuit, his publisher awarded him with a trip around the world. Each week then saw Hiram Holliday on a different adventure, from solving crimes to thwarting spies. Although the show lasted only for one season, it would develop a cult following.

Of course, in addition to the shows on which he regularly appeared, Wally Cox also made numerous guest appearances. In two episodes of The Beverly Hillbillies  he played birdwatcher Professor P. Caspar Biddle. In the Wagon Train episode "The Vincent Eaglewood Story" he played the title character, a school teacher from the East. On Car 54, Where Are You? he played master pickpocket Benny, who proves better at catching thieves than the NYPD. Wally Cox was a frequent guest star on television shows from the Fifties to the Sixties, and guest starred on such classics as The Loretta Young Show, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, 77 Sunset Strip, Burke's Law, Mission: Impossible, Ironside, and The Odd Couple. He had a notable role in the sequel to the TV movie The Night Stalker and the second Kolchak television movie The Night Strangler, playing researcher Titus Berry, who assists Carl Kolchak in his investigation.

While Wally Cox is best known for his work in television, he also appeared in several movies throughout his career. He played Preacher Goodman in Spencer's Mountain (1963). In The Bedford Incident (1965) he played Seaman Queffle, who detects a Russian submarine on sonar while the U.S.S. Bedford is patrolling the coast of Greenland. In the Sixties he also appeared in the movies State Fair (1962), Fate is the Hunter (1964), The Yellow Rolls-Royce (1964), A Guide to the Married Man (1967), The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band (1968), Up Your Teddy Bear (1970), The Cockeyed Cowboys of Calico County (1970), and The Boatniks (1970). Wally Cox's last feature film was The Barefoot Executive (1971). During his career, Wally Cox only got to play the male lead once. Unfortunately, that was in the obscure, but not particularly well-received sexploitation film Up Your Teddy Bear, playing opposite Julie Newmar.

Sadly, Wally Cox died when he was only 48 on February 15 1973. The cause was a heart attack caused by a coronary occlusion. His last work on film was a guest appearance on the television series Search that aired only a few weeks before his death.

The death of Wally Cox is one of the earliest celebrity deaths I remember. Even at that tender age I knew he was the voice of Underdog, and I also recognized him from his many guest appearances on television. It is the mark of a truly great performer that even a young kid can recognize him from many different roles. Wally Cox was remarkable in many ways. While he mainly played milquetoasts, he was capable of playing other roles. He was one of the best-loved celebrities on Hollywood Squares, where his many quips about the game show. On the 100th anniversary of his birth, Wally Cox is still one of the best loved television performers of the mid-20th Century.