Filmmakers in Classic Films

"All of life's riddles are answered in the movies." (Davis in the 1991 film Grand Canyon)

There is perhaps no medium as self-reflexive as motion pictures. It is true that writers sometimes feature writers as protagonists in their novels and short stories. Songwriters do write songs about singers and even songwriters. And there have been television shows about, well, television shows. That having been said, it would seem that none of these media refer to themselves nearly as frequently as motion pictures. Not only have there been movies about movie theatres, movies about movie stars, and movies about movies, there have often been movies about movie making. As a result, there have been several films which feature directors as central characters.

Indeed, movies about movie making go all the way back to the silent era. Behind the Screen featuring Charlie Chaplin as an overworked stage hand at a movie studio was made all the way back in 1916. The 1923 animated short Felix in Hollywood featured Felix the Cat as the companion of a down on his luck actor who goes to Hollywood. The 1926 Mervyn LeRoy comedy Ella Cinders starred Colleen Moore as the title character, a beauty queen who goes to Hollywood to make a career in pictures, based loosely on the fairly tale Cinderella. Given that movies about movie making had existed since the silent era, it should come as no surprise that one of the earliest talkies would feature a movie director as the impetus for its plot. It should also come as no surprise that it is one of the famous movies of all time, regarded by many as one of the greatest films of all time.

That film was King Kong. Among its primary characters is director Carl Denham (played by Robert Armstrong), who also appears in its sequel, Son of Kong. It is Denham who sets the plot of King Kong in motion. It was Denham who decided to make a film on Skull Island, having heard legends of Kong and deciding that they must be based on fact. It was also Denham, after having been told his movies would have made more money if they had a love interest in them, found and cast Ann Darrow (Fay Wray) in his film. Quite simply, without Carl Denham, King Kong would not have been made.

As a director Carl Denham made documentaries, most often set in the jungle and other primitive areas of the world. He had no problem with putting himself in danger, and hence his cast and crew in danger as well. Despite his devotion to documentary film making (he objects to the notion that his films need a love interest), Carl Denham apparently had no objections to  staging scenes--aboard the ship he had Ann rehearse the scene when she first sees Kong. He was also a consummate showman. In Kong he saw not simply a wondrous animal, but a means to put on a good show and hence make a good deal of money. In Son of Kong Carl Denham, burdened with lawsuits from the damage caused by Kong, fled New York City with Captain Englehorn (Frank Reicher), the skipper of the ship which made the original trip to Skull Island. The two men once more found themselves back on Skull Island, this time in search of treasure. Of course, in the process they would meet what was ostensibly the son of King Kong.

To a large degree Carl Denham was based on the the director of the original King Kong, Merian C. Cooper himself. Before they started making narrative films such as The Four Feather and King Kong, Cooper and his partner Ernest B. Schoedsack made documentaries such as Grass and Chang. Like Denham, Cooper and Schoedsack frequently put themselves in danger. And like Denham they had no objections to combining staged scenes with actual, documentary footage (a prime example being the elephant stampede at the end of Chang).

Carl Denham in the original King Kong epitomised the sort of filmmaker who would risk anything to get his film made. This is also true of the director Carl Denham (Jack Black) in Peter Jackson's 2005 remake. In fact, it may even be more true of Denham in the 2005 remake. For the most part Carl Denham in the original version was honest with people--he would not lie or cheat to make a movie. In the remake Carl Denham did  not have such limitations. He stole the film stock that technically belonged to his investors. He wrote cheques to both Captain Englehorn of the  tramp steamer Venture (Thomas Kretschmann) and screenwriter Jack Driscoll that will more than likely bounce. Still, the remake's version of Denham has more in common with the original version than Denham than simply an extreme devotion to movie making. He willingly put himself in danger to get his movie made and even to capture Kong!

An extreme devotion to filmmaking can also be seen in the lead character in Sullivan's Travels, movie director John L. Sullivan (Joel McCrea). John L. Sullivan had made several successful comedies which he considered shallow, among them Ants in Your Plants of 1939 and So Long Sarong. He had decided that he wants to do an important, message film, a tale of the downtrodden based on the novel  O Brother Where Art Thou by Sinclair Beckstein. His studio boss, Mr. Lebrand (Robert Warwick) would much rather Sullivan do another comedy. Despite this, Sullivan insisted on going ahead with his plan to make O Brother Where Art Thou. What is more, he is so dedicated to the project that he had decided to take up the life of a hobo so that he can know the life of the downtrodden first hand. Not only was Sullivan a dedicated filmmaker, he was also an idealist who wants to do something important, to make a film that is substantial and had a message.

To a degree John L. Sullivan grew out of a conflict within the movie's director and writer, Preston Sturges himself. Sturges was a very successful director of such comedies as The Great McGinty and The Lady Eve. He was disturbed by a trend in comedies at the time which seemed to him to be downright preachy, putting social messages ahead of the laughs. At the same time, however, Preston Sturges was very much a man with a social conscience. It is notable that, among many other things, Sullivan's Travels is among the first Hollywood films to feature African Americans in a dignified, non-stereotypical manner (for which he received a "thank you" letter from the secretary of the NAACP). To a degree, then, John L. Sullivan is based on Preston Sturges himself, as well as those directors who insisted on preaching in their comedy movies.

While directors are central to both King Kong  and Sullivan's Travels, they are only peripheral to The Bad and the Beautiful.  This is perhaps to be expected, as the movie is about corrupt movie producer Jonathan Shields (Kirk Douglas), after all. This does not mean that directors are absent from the movie. At  the beginning of his career, Shields teamed with Fred Amiel (Barry Sullivan) to make B movies together, with Sheilds as producer and Amiel as director. Unfortunately, Shields decided to back stab Amiel when the two received their first big project--the adaptation of an epic novel largely considered unfilmable. Despite this, Amiel goes onto become a very successful director. While the early part of Jonathan Shields' career, while he was partners with Fred Amiel, is based on Val Lewton's career as a horror producer at RKO, the character himself would seem to be based on David O. Selznick. It is difficult to say if Fred Amiel is based on any director, although he began as an assistant director and stunt man on B Western and was directing what appeared to be a thriller at the start of the film. Two other directors who appear briefly in the film are clearly based on real life directors. British director Henry Whitfield, played by Leo G. Carroll, is clearly based on Alfred Hitchcock. German director Von Ellstein, played by Ivan Triesault, is clearly based on Fritz Lang.

While The Bad and the Beautiful only touches upon filmmaking, filmmaking rests at the heart of Singin' in the Rain. Indeed, it could be one of the most self-referential movies of all time. Set at the time that Hollywood was making the transition from silent movies to sound, Singin' in the Rain even drew upon real life incidents from that period for some of its plot. What is more, many of the characters were based loosely upon real life people. Among these character was director Roscoe Dexter (Douglas Fowley), who was based on Busby Berkeley. Like Berkeley, Dexter tended to direct using rather broad examples.

Both Carl Denham and John L. Sullivan had their difficulties with making movies, but niether of them had the problems that Guido Anselmi (Marcello Mastroianni) had in 8 1/2. Quite simply, Anselmi was working on his next movie, a post apocalyptic, science fiction film, when he was hit with a sudden onset of "director's block." Not only does Anselmi suddenly find his creativity suddenly gone, but everyone in his life is making demands upon him--his producer, his cast, his crew, his wife, his mistress, his press, and even his fans. The film chronicled Anselmi's quest to recover his creativity and get control over his life.

Just as Carl Denham was loosely based on Merian C. Cooper and John L. Sullivan was loosely based on Preston Sturges, Guido Anselmi was based on Federico Fellini. In fact, 8 1/2 is filled with veiled autobiographical references, including the "director's block" from which Anselmi was suffering. It had been in 1960 that La Dolce Vita had been released, becoming his most successful film up to that time. It even became a hit in the United States, where foreign films traditionally have not done well. In the face of such success, Fellini was at a loss as to what to do next. At last he hit upon the solution--turn his "director's block" into a movie. Not only is 8 1/2 somewhat autobiographical and not only is it a movie about making movies, but it is self-referential with regards to Fellini's career as well. Even its title is self-referential, 8 1/2 being Fellini's 8th and half movie (Luci del varietà from 1950 was co-directed with Alberto Lattuada, so that it is the "1/2" of the title). Not only did Federico Fellini base Guido Anselmi upon himself, but he obviously identified with him--he once said "I am Guido."

For most of movie history the directors featured in narrative films were fictional, even if they might be loosely based upon real life directors. More recently there has been the phenomenon in which movies have featured directors who actually existed. This is the case with Ed Wood, Tim Burton's 1994 film based on the life of the man who may have been the worst director of all time. In the film Burton portrays Edward D. Wood Jr. (Johnny Depp) as constantly optimistic and a bit of an idealist. He constantly moved forward with his films, even though each one flopped and he worked with budgets that were less than a shoestring. He also idolised Orson Welles, who, like Wood, was also a producer, screenwriter, and director. This is to a degree an entirely accurate portrayal of Wood's life. Unlike other directors of exploitation films, Ed Wood seems to have honestly believed in what he was doing. As hard as it is to believe, Wood did not realise that he was simply creating rubbish.

A much more talented director was the focus of the 2000 movie Shadow of the Vampire. Shadow of the Vampire is a highly fictionalised account of the making of Noseferatu, directed by F. W. Murnau. In the film Murnau (John Malkovich) is portrayed as egoistical, manipulative, dictatorial, and wholly devoted to the craft of filmmaking. In fact, in many respects, Murnau is even more Machiavellian than the villain of the film (whom I won't name here so as not to spoil the film). To a large degree this is an accurate portrayal of Murnau, who may well have originated the stereotype of the German director as a tyrannical egomaniac supremely devoted to his craft.


The films I have mentioned here are only a few of the movies which have featured directors in central roles. There have been many, many more. And while the characters of the directors may vary in these films, and while some may be entirely fictional and others portrayals of actual directors, there are some commonalities. One of the things that Carl Denham, John L. Sullivan, Rosco Dexter, Guido Anselmi, F. W. Murnau, and even Ed Wood have in common is a devotion to filmmaking.  Indeed, often this devotion to filmmaking takes the extreme. Carl Denham thought nothing of putting himself, his cast, and his crew in imminent danger. John L. Sullivan was so devoted to his vision of the film O Brother, Where Art Thou that he decided to live the life of a tramp so he could experience what it was to be downtrodden. It would seem that most directors in films are dedicated to Elbert Hubbard's quote, "Art is not a thing; it is a way." Another thing common to directors in films is that most of them have rather large egos. John L. Sullivan think himself above the comedies he has been directing; he believes that he has to direct an important film with a message. In Shadow of the Vampire F. W. Murnau does not need his films to be successful to know he is a great director; he already knows it. Of course, while most directors in films do tend to be egoists, they also tend to have their fair share of neuroses and anxieties as well. Guido Anslemi experiences "director's block" and is tormented by his past. Carl Denham loves nature and the unexplored regions of the world, but he cannot help but commercialise it and hence destroy it in the end.


Of course, the reason the directors portrayed in movies have so much in common is not that all directors are alike. Rather I believe it is instead that many of these movies express the uncertainties and crises all of us go through in our own lives. The self doubts and difficulties that accompany filmmaking reflect those self doubts and difficulties that all of us have had. To a degree, then, 8 1/2 is not simply about filmmaking. It is about life. In portraying Anselmi's "director's block," Fellini was then dealing with the uncertainties and low points that all of us experience. It is then perhaps for this reason that there have been so many films about directors and filmmaking.

Crooner Al Martino and Rock 'n' Roll Artist Michael English

Al Martino

Baritone crooner Al Martino passed on October 13 at the age of 82. His career has spanned fifty years.

Al Martino was born Jasper Cini on October 7, 1927 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. During World War II he joined the United States Navy and took part in the invasion of Iwo Jima. Injured there, he was returned home. It was in 1947 that he moved to New York City in hopes of a singing career. He was a winner on the TV show  Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts. His exposure from the show led to a recording contract with the small BBS label in Philadelphia. It was in 1952 that he had his first hit, "Here in My Heart," which went to #1 both in the United States and the United Kingdom. This led to a recording contract with Capitol Records. Martino would have three more hits in the United States in 1953 alone. Until the Sixties, top forty hits would be sparse for Martino in the United States, although he did quite well in the United Kingdom. There he had four more hits between 1953 and 1955.

Rock 'n' roll would take its toll on the crooners, and this was as true of Al Martino as anyone else. Although his once successful career in the United Kingdom languished, Martino once more hit the charts in the United States in 1963. For the remainder of the Sixties into the Seventies he had twelve more top Forty hits in the United States, including "I Love You Because," "Spanish Eyes," "Mary in the Morning," and "Volare."

Al Martino would appear in a few films, most notably The Godfather. There he played Johnny Fontane, a crooner loosely based on Frank Sinatra who pleads with Vito Corleone to help him in his career. He also appeared in The Godfather Part III, the mini-series The City, and the comedy short Cutout.

Al Martino continued to perform and record up until his death. In fact, he had just been in the studio recording a new album the Monday before he died.

Al Martino may not have numbered among the most famous of the crooners, but he still numbered among the best. He possessed a smooth baritone that was particularly suited for American pop standards. It was because of this that he was able to survive the arrival of rock music and because of this that his career lasted over fifty years. In many respects, his passing signals an end of an era.



Michael English


Michael English, an artist who created posters for bands ranging from Pink Floyd to Soft Machine, passed on September 25 at the age of 68.  He had struggled with bone marrow cancer for five years.

Michael English was born in Bicester, Oxfordshire, on September 5 1941. He attended Ealing School of Art in West London. After graduating, English embraced the counterculture. He painted the fronts of two of the more famous Chelsea shops--Granny Takes a Trip and Hung On You. Afterwards  he formed the graphics team Hapshash and the Coloured Coat with Nigel Waymouth. Hapshash and the Coloured Coat designed psychedelic posters with influence from art noveau for such music artists as Pink Floyd, The Incredible String Band, Jimi Hendrix, and so on. They also created posters that were distributed by Osiris Press ( a publishing arm of The International Times) and several editions of the legendary magazine Oz. In 1967 English and Waymouth, with Guys Stevens,  even released their own music album as Hapshash and the Coloured Coat: Featuring the Human Host and the Heavy Metal Kids.

It was in 1969 that Michael English moves way from psychedelia towards a different direction. His new style tended towards hyper-realism. He created series of limited edition prints, published by Edward Booth-Clibborn, entitled Food Synaethetics and Rubbish. By 1973 he had left prints behind and began painting on canvas. It was at this point that he began to focus on man made objects, including such subjects as a Coca-Cola bottle cap, motorcycles, buses and so on. Over the years he would create adveryising imagery for companies ranging from British Airways to Porsche to McDonalds. He created two sets of stamps for the British Mail. In 1995 he was hired by the BBC to seve as artistic director on a proposed adaptation of Gormenghast. In this planned adaptation, the actors would have appeared against virtual sets generated entirely on a computer. The escalating costs of the project forced the BBC to end it.

Whether it is the psychedelia of his later career or the hyper-realist pieces of his later career, Michael English was among the most talented artists of the late 20th century. Throughout his career, from the Sixties to the Naughts, there was a starkness to his work that simply caught the eye. He was also a versatile artist. English was able to move from psychedelia to hyper-realism, and later return to psychedelia for his work for McDonalds. It is sad that he died much too young.

Television & Film Producer Daniel Melnick Passes On

Television and film producer Daniel Melnick passed on October 13 at the age of 77. He had been suffering from lung cancer. Melnick had helped launch the classic TV show Get Smart and produced the movie Straw Dogs, among others.

Daniel Melnick was born on April 21, 1932 in New York City. He attended the New York City School of Performing Arts and New York University. Afterwards he served in the United States Army. He began his career in television in 1954 with CBS as a staff producer. It was in the late Fifties that he moved to ABC, where he scheduled such shows as 77 Sunset Strip, The Untouchables, The Flintstones, and The Fugitive. He partnered with David Susskind and Leonard Stern in  the production company Talent Associates. According to Buck Henry, it was while Melnick was with Talent Associates that Melnick suggested that the company capitalise on "...the two biggest things in the entertainment world today" — James Bond and Inspector Clouseau." The result of this request was the series Get Smart. While Melnick was with Talent Associates, the company also produced East Side/West Side, Mr. Broadway, He & She, and NYPD. It was while he was with Talent Associates that he produced his first feature film, Sam Peckinpah's controversial motion picture Straw Dogs.

It was in 1972 that Melnick joined MGM. By 1974 he was the studio's head of production. While Melnick was the head of production of MGM, the studio produced such films as Network and The Sunshine Boys. Melnick moved from MGM to Columbia, where the studio produced such films as The China Syndrome, California Suite, and Midnight Express. He served as a producer on All That Jazz and  Altered States, before forming IndieProd Productions, which produced such films as Roxanne, Punchline, Mountains of the Moon, and Blue Streak.

Both as a television producer and a film producer, Daniel Melnick was known for intelligent, often daring entertainment. On television he was the impetus for the creation of Get Smart and one of the producers of He & She. In film he produced such films as Straw Dogs, All That Jazz, and Midnight Express. Both the television shows and the feature films he produced were well done and literate, much more intelligent than most other TV series and movies. In 1990 he told The New York Times, "What I try to do is identify and work with the most talented people I can get." Looking at his career, it would seem he did exactly that.

Comic Book Legend George Tuska Passes On

Comic book legend George Tuska, an artist whose career spanned nearly 70 years, passed on October 15 at the age of 93. He had worked on everything from the newspaper strip Scorchy Smith to comic book The Invincible Iron Man to Superman.

George Tuska was born on April 26, 1916 in Hartford, Connecticut. Tuska first developed an interest in art when he looked through his brother's pulp magazines. When he was eight years old and in hospital for appendicitis, an elderly patient taught him how to draw cowboys and Native Americans, and Uncle Sam. He practised drawing ever since that time. Tuska's father died when he was fourteen.

George Tuska moved to New York City when he was seventeen, where he lived with his cousin Annie. His first job was designing women's costume jewellery. When he was eighteen he enrolled at the National Academy of Design in New York City. His primary influences were comic book artist Lou Fine, comic strip artists Alex Raymond and Hal Foster, and illustrators Dean Cornwell, Harold Von Schmidt, and Thomas Lovell. His first work in the comic book industry was for Will Eisner and Jerry Iger's studio. Through Will Eisner and Jerry Iger's studio, Tuska contributed work to such Fox Comics comic strips as "Cosmic Carson" and "Zanzibar the Magician. His first published work in comic books appeared in Mystery Men Comics #1, August 1939. The same year, 1939, Tuska  went to work for the Associated Press newspaper strip Scorchy Smith.

Eisner and Iger later provided material for Quality Comics. After Will Eisner and Jerry Iger dissolved their partnership, George Tuska would also work for Harry A Chesler's studio. It was while with the Chesler studio that Tuska contributed work to Captain Marvel Adventures for Fawcett.After leaving the Chesler studio, Tuska worked for Eisner again, contributing to "Uncle Sam," "Kid Dixon," and even The Spirit strip syndicated by Quality to newspapers. During World War II, Tuska served in the United States Army.

Following World War II George Tuska worked on the Lev Gleason title Crime Does Not Pay. He also worked freelance on such titles as The Black Terror and the Doc Savage comic book. He also returned to work on the newspaper strip Scorchy Smith and worked on the newspaper strip Buck Rogers He returned to comic books in the Sixties, where he went to work for Marvel Comics. His first story for Marvel was for "Tales of the Watcher" in Tales of Suspense #58, November 1964. It would be at Marvel that he would begin a nine year run on "Iron Man," his first issue being The Invincible Iron Man #5, September 1968. He is possibly the artist most identified with the hero. While at Marvel, he would also work on "The X-Men," "Sub-Mariner," "Ghost Rider," "Luke Page, Power Man," and other titles.

Tuska later worked for DC Comics, where he illustrated "Superman," "Superboy," and "Challengers of the Unknown."

In many respects I think George Tuska was underrated. There are those who have characterised his work at Marvel as flavourless and ordinary. While that may well be true of some of his work he did at Marvel, especially the many fill in issues he did there, it is hardly true of his entire oeuvre. In many respects  his portrayal of superheroes was much more realistic than the Jack Kirby model so popular at Marvel. His illustrations of heroes had musculature that was more anatomically correct, and he portrayed their displays of strength more realistically as well. Punches were delivered with the whole body, not simply the arms. Indeed, in many respects Tuska's art showed influence from the pulp magazine covers of old, with superheroes readying themselves for the violence which they often faced. He was also much more creative in his layouts than many artists. He was not content to imitate Kirby as many artists at Marvel were, but designed layouts that were energetic and unrestrained, yet free of any gratuitous imagery. George Tuska's versatility and ability to create art relatively swiftly may have resulted in some subpar work, but it hardly characterised the best of his work. Particularly in his long run on The Invincible Iron Man, George Tuska excelled as an artist.

Dickie Peterson of the Rock Band Blue Cheer Passes On

Dickie Peterson, the bassist and lead singer of Blue Cheer, passed on October 12 at the age of 61. He had a long struggle with prostate and liver cancer.

Dickie Peterson was born Richard Peterson on September 12, 1946 in Grand Forks, North Dakota. He started playing the bass at the age of 13 primarily due to his brother Jerre, who had performed with an early, six man version of Blue Cheer. It was in the mid-Sixties that Jerre and Dickie Peterson moved to San Francisco, where they started playing with the band Group B. Peterson was kicked out of Group B as his hard rock style conflicted with the rest of the members' ideas about the band. When his friends Eric Albronda and Jerry Russell founded Blue Cheer, Dickie Peterson joined as bassist and vocalist while Jerre Peterson joined as guitarist.  It was decided early in the band's history to reduce the size of Blue Cheer so had to achieve a harder sound. Blue Cheer went from being a six piece band to a power trio.

Blue Cheer released their first album,  Vincebus Eruptum, in 1968. It produced the band's only hit single, a near heavy metal remake of "Summertime Blues." Blue Cheer released five more albums before breaking up in 1972. The band would reform in 1978 and, with different line ups, as continued to this day. In every single line up Dickie Peterson was a member. Following their 1978 reunion, Blue Cheer would release four more albums.

Dickie Peterson released two solo albums in the Nineties, Child of Darkness and Tramp. He also played with Hank Davisonand other musicians over the years.

Arguably, Dickie Peterson was one of the more influential bassists in rock music. The hard rock music he created in the Sixties was a direct forerunner of heavy metal and much of his later work could be considered heavy metal. Like Jimi Hendrix before him, Peterson then did a great deal towards the evolution of the genre. Heavy metal has then lost one of its pioneers, and at a relatively young age as well.

Best Blog Award

I don't know that I am particularly worthy, but I was just awarded the above. Now the custom is that when one is awarded a Best Blog Award, he or she is to bestow it on others. I am then giving this award to the following blogs. I recommend that you check them out!

All Talking! All Singing! All Dancing! 
Jonas is an expert on early talkies and knows a terribly lot about the Silent Era as well!

Cinema Splendour 
Sarah is one of a new generation of classic film buffs and brings a fresh perspective on the old films.

Classic Hollywood Nerd 
Nicole is also part of the new generation of film buffs and offers a fresh perspective on the old films. She is also probably the biggest Jeffrey Lynn fan in the world!

Classic Maiden 
Like myself, Sebina writes about the whole of pop culture. In fact, Classic Maiden is a lot like A Shroud of Thoughts in the breadth of what it covers and the length of its articles!


flapperdoodle
Kate also has an excellent film blog,  Silents and Talkies, but I elected to bestow the award on this blog. Here Kate features the continuing, single panel cartoon adventures of her flappers. Kate is a great artist and her art is also very entertaining!


Inner Toob
Inner Toob explores the alternate reality of television. Toby's knowledge of television is fairly extensive, so one can expect some fairly obscure shows mentioned here!


Major Conflict
If you're interested in politics, this is one of the best blogs out there.


Noir Girl
Casey is another one of the new generation of classic film buffs. She is also a very talented artist.


Now Listen Here
Holte has a wonderfully skewed sense of humour and offers a great perspective on politics and international affairs.


Out of the Past
Raquelle is very knowledgeable about classic film and a fantastic writer. While I know she is not a big fan of blog awards, I am giving her this one anyway as I think she deserves it!


Pluck You Too
Pluck You Too is a movie blog, but it is also about beer and hot dogs. Tommy pretty much covers the whole of moviedom, from the old classics to newer films.


Popped Culture
Jeremy has a great sense of humour, and offers up some of the best stuff on pop culture from around the web.


Various Ecstasies
Snave has a wicked sense of humour, making this one of the best blogs with regards to politics. And he posts some pretty good pictures too!


Here I want to apologise to anyone I've left out! I do read a good number of blogs and it is hard to remember all of them when handing out an award. Suffice it to say that if I have ever commented on your blog, then you have received this award!

He & She

It is a sad fact of American television that the quality of a show does not guarantee its survival. Many good shows have gone ignored by viewers, only to be cancelled after a single season or, worse yet, only a few episodes. Even critical acclaim does not insure a show's survival, as audiences often ignore a series despite the most sterling reviews. Such was the case with the 1967 sitcom He & She. It debuted on CBS on September 6, 1967, yet it was gone by the fall of 1968.

He &  She was the creation of Leonard Stern, who had previously created I'm Dickens, He's Fenster and produced Get Smart at the height of that series' success. It starred film star Paula Prentiss and Richard Benjamin, then married in real life, as Paula and Dick Hollister. Paula was a caseworker for the Travellers Aid Society. Dick was a cartoonist and creator of the comic strip Jetman. Dick's life was complicated by the fact that Jetman had been adapted as a TV series staring Oscar North (played by Jack Cassidy). North was in constant conflict with Dick over the portrayal of Jetman, which would have probably been fine if North had been a good actor--sadly, he was the TV actor equivalent of The Mary Tyler Moore Show anchorman Ted Baxter. The Hollisters' neighbour and best friend was fireman Harry Zarakartos (played by Kenneth Mars), who would drop by their apartment via a board between the firehouse and the apartment building. The apartment building's handyman Andrew Hummel was played by folk singer Hamilton Camp.

Leonard Stern clearly wished for He & She  to be a quality show. As its story editors he hired Chris  Hayward and Allan Burns. Hayward and Burns were veteran writers who had worked on various Jay Ward cartoons (Hayward had created Dudley Do-Right, while Burns had created Cap'n Crunch) . They had served as story editors on Get Smart and, as odd as it might sound, created My  Mother, the Car. Many of the series' episodes were written by Hayward and Burns, as well as such writers as Arne Sultan (who wrote the screenplay for the film Boy's Night Out and several episodes of Get Smart), Arnold Margolin (who had written for The Andy Griffith Show and That Girl, among others), and Jim Parker (another veteran from The Andy Griffith Show and That Girl).

Having been created by and produced by Leonard Stern, with writers such as Chris Hayward and Allan Burns, He & She would be a very different sort of sitcom from any other airing in 1967. Contrary to popular belief, sophisticated humour was not unknown on television in the mid-Sixties. While both shows had fantastic premises, Bewitched and Get Smart  had a high degree of sophistication. And it must be remembered that in 1967 The Dick Van Dyke Show had only been off network airwaves for one year. In many respects, however, He & She was a very different show. Not only was it a sophisticated, witty comedy, but it was set in a realistic, urban setting. In fact, in many respects it was a forerunner of Seventies comedies such as The Mary Tyler Moore Show (which Hayward and Burns would go onto create) and The Bob Newhart Show. It even resembles The Bob Newhart Show to a large degree, centring on two intelligent people who are surrounded by screwball characters. The difference between He & She and other Sixties sitcoms becomes even more pronounced when one considers that Paula Hollister actually had a career, a rarity for married women on TV shows during the era!

When He & She debuted, it must have seemed as if it would be a sure fire success. The series had a good time slot, following two top rated shows (The Beverly Hillbillies and Green Acres). It received great notices from critics across the nation. It won an Emmy for Outstanding Writing Achievement in Comedy for Chris Hayward and Allan Burns for the episode "The Coming Out Party," and was nominated for Emmys for Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Comedy Series for Richard Benjamin, Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Comedy Series for Paula Prentiss, Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Comedy for Jack Cassidy, and Outstanding Writing Achievement in Comedy for the episode "The Old Man and the She" by Leonard Stern and Arnie Sultan. Sadly, it would not be enough. While The Beverly Hillbillies and Green Acres continued to receive top ratings, viewers tuned out He & She in droves. It was cancelled before it could even win its single Emmy award.

He & She would maintain a cult following. This was enough for CBS to rerun episodes of the show in the summer of 1970. It would later be rerun on the USA Network in the Eighties and still later on TV Land. Sadly, He & She has never officially been released on DVD.

In light of everything it had going for it, it seems unusual that He & She failed in the ratings. The reason is that perhaps it was a bit ahead of its time. In 1967 American television was in the tailend of cycles towards fantasy sitcoms (Bewitched, I Dream of Jeannie, The Monkees, et. al.) and rural sitcoms (The Andy Griffith Show, Green Acres, et. al.). Those shows which  were set in realistic, urban settings often tended to be less sophisticated in their humour (Family Affair, That Girl, et. al.). He & She was then perhaps too unusual. It was sophisticated in a way that some of the fantastic and rural sitcoms were, but set in a realistic, urban setting. Quite simply, viewers at the time may not have known what to make of it.

Regardless, He & She has not been forgotten. Although it ran only one season, it is remembered by television historians and TV buffs alike. Indeed, it is not many single season shows that get rerun on both the USA Network and TVLand. While it has not yet been officially released on DVD, it would seem likely that eventually it will be. In the end, it seems that He & She will be better remembered than many higher rated shows with longer runs.