Today Turns 60

It was on 14 January 1952 that a revolutionary new show debuted. Today was the first television morning news show in the world. While today morning news shows are ubiquitous, in 1952 the idea was nothing short of being cutting edge. Indeed, even though it is still on the air after sixty years, there was some resistance on the part of National Broadcasting Company executives to even putting it on the air.

Today, also known as The Today Show, was the creation of innovative NBC executive Pat Weaver (he would go onto create The Tonight Show as well). Like nearly all television executives of his time, Mr. Weaver had begun in radio, where such early morning shows as The Breakfast Club (NBC Blue/ABC 1933-1968) and Breakfast in Hollywood (NBC/ABC/Mutual 1942-1948) met with success. He then thought that an early morning show could work on television as well. Pat Weaver's initial concept was called Rise and Shine, which would have been a variety show with songs and comedy routines. He reconsidered his concept on the basis that television should seek to differentiate itself from radio. Pat Weaver then developed the idea of a show that would be a "newspaper of the air," including everything that one would find in a morning newspaper. There would be news, weather reports, sports reports, interviews, and even a bit of humour. Rise and Shine then became Today.

As if an early morning show on television was not a revolutionary idea enough, Pat Weaver went one step further with the development of Today. Much like radio, at that point in television programmes were produced and sponsored by advertisers and their agency. Like Your Show of Shows before it(another legendary show created by Pat Weaver), NBC would sell time for commercials on Today to multiple advertisers. Not only would this be a more profitable approach for the network, but it would also give the network total control over Today.

While today we take breakfast television for granted, in 1951 Pat Weaver actually met with a good deal of resistance to his idea for Today. There were many within NBC who were convinced no on would watch television at such an early hour. Worse yet, the affiliates showed some opposition to Mr. Weaver's proposal of an early morning, network programme. Beyond the scepticism they shared with NBC executives that anyone would even watch television so early, there was also concern on the affiliates part that they would have to programme shows in the hours following Today (at this point in television history many stations did not begin broadcasting until 11:00 AM at the earliest). Of course, this would cost the local affiliates money. Not surprisingly, when Today debuted, only 24 NBC stations had agreed to show it.

Fortunately, time would prove the NBC executives and affiliates wrong and prove Pat Weaver right. Today would prove to be a success, largely due to two figures. The first was its original host, Dave Garroway. Mr. Garroway had started with NBC as a page in 1938. Mr. Garroway started work at Pittsburgh radio station KDKA in 1939. Two years later he left for the larger market of Chicago. During World War II Mr Garroway went to work for WMAQ in Chicago. He soon became one of the most popular DJs not only in Chicago, but in the entire nation. In 1948 and 1949 he was voted the best disc jockey in Billboard's Annual Disc Jockey Poll. Eventually Dave Garroway's popularity would win him a place on NBC Television. In 1949 Garroway at Large debuted. On television Mr. Garroway had an easy going, casual style  in which viewers were often given a look backstage of the show. Unlike many at NBC, Dave Garroway actually believed in Pat Weaver's idea of an early morning show. As the host of Today Dave Garroway would prove extremely popular, to the point  that for a time Today would be called The Dave Garroway Today Show (not only the single time it would have a title other than Today, but the only time it bore the name of its host).

The other figure that would make Today a success would have considerably less experience in television than Mr. Garroway and was also a good deal hairier. As popular as Dave Garroway was, it would be a chimpanzee named J. Fred Muggs who would save Today from cancellation. While Today had a respectfully sized audience, by the beginning of 1953 it was still hardly a financial success. At that time the show cost $60,000 a week, an amount hardly covered by the show's advertising. Rumours that NBC might cancel the early morning show were reflected in headlines such one in Billboard: "TODAY MAY BECOME YESTERDAY TOMORROW." In January 1953 there was a very real possibility that the world's first early morning news show might end shortly after its first year.

It was in early 1953 that former NBC pages and then pet store owners Buddy Mennella and LeRoy Waldron were due to appear on another programme with their chimpanzee J. Fred Muggs. Today writer Len Safire took J. Fred and his trainers to visit Today producer Mort Werner. Mort Werner then approved the idea of making the chimp a regular on the programme. J. Fred Muggs made his debut on Today  on 3 February 1953. J. Fred Muggs drove ratings for Today through the roof as children tuned into the programme to see the chimpanzee and as a result turned their parents into regular viewers of the show. J. Fred Muggs also proved to be a merchandising bonanza for NBC. There were J. Fred Muggs colouring books, dolls, a Little Golden Book, puzzles, and many other items. While J. Fred Muggs propelled Today to new heights of popularity, as is often the case, there were problems behind the scenes. In particular, J. Fred Muggs and Dave Garroway did not get along particularly well. In fact, Mr. Garroway was often bitten by the chimp. Worse yet, after three and a half years J. Fred had grown in size, making him stronger and harder for his trainers to rein him in. NBC then ended its contract with J. Fred Muggs. He was replaced by another chimp, Kokomo, in 1957. Kokomo would not prove as popular as J. Fred, and left the show in 1958.

Today would have a lasting impact on television. Its most obvious impact was in proving that audiences would tune into early morning television. Not only would local stations programme their own shows in the early morning, but eventually Today would be imitated both i the United States and across the world. In fact, CBS would try to imitate Today as early as 1954. The Morning Show was hosted by Walter Cronkite, Jack Paar, John Henry Faulk, and Dick Van Dyke in its two years on the air. CBS has tried to imitate it since then, although ABC would meet with some success with its more entertainment oriented Good Morning America.

Besides inspiring similar morning shows across the Pond, Today would have a lasting impact on British broadcasting, although not in the way Pat Weaver or original producer Mort Werner may have wanted it. In 1954 Today covered the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, coming early at 5:00 AM EST to do so. With communications satellites several years in the future, NBC depended upon a then state of the art Mufax machine to transmit pictures over short wave radio frequencies from the BBC in London. The pictures could arrive as swiftly as nine minutes (quite fast for the time). At one point there came a lull in the transmissions. To fill time Dave Garroway interviewed J. Fred Muggs about coronations and monarchs among chimpanzees. As might be expected, NBC would also interrupt coverage of the Coronation with commercials, among them ones in which J. Fred pitched for a brand of tea. The British press was not amused and launched broadsides against NBC. Worse yet, at the time Parliament was debating the creation of commercial television in the United Kingdom. Opponents of commercial television pointed to NBC's coverage of the Coronation as evidence as to why commercial television should not exist in the UK. In the end, while commercial television would arrive in the United Kingdom, because of NBC and the other American networks' coverage of the Coronation, commercial advertisements on television in the UK would be much more heavily regulated. Not surprisingly, a rule existed that banned commercials during any coverage of the Royals.

While Today was revolutionary in being the first early morning programme, it would also prove to be a pioneer with regards to women in the field of television journalism. While most people probably think of Barbara Walters as a pioneer with regards to female journalists on television, she was not the first female reporter on Today. She was preceded by both Estelle Parsons and Mary Kelly. If the name "Estelle Parsons" sounds familiar, it is because she would later be an Oscar winning actress. It was in 1951 that she took a job with NBC as a production assistant on Today--this before even Dave Garroway was hired. As a production assistant Miss Parsons' duties were varied. She called the United States Weather Bureau for weather reports. She retrieved wire copy and gave it to then newsreader Jim Fleming. Eventually Estelle Parsons' role would go from behind the camera to in front of it. She interviewed figures from Eleanor Roosevelt to Marilyn Monroe. In 1952 she even went to the Democratic convention to cover presidential candidate Estes Kefauver. This made Miss Parsons the first woman to cover national politics on television. Even though Miss Parsons had a good deal of success on Today, her heart was in acting and she eventually left the show to pursue that field.

Like Estelle Parsons, Mary Kelly was with Today in its earliest days. Miss Kelly worked her way from simply getting coffee for the show's panellists to writing and eventually conducting interviews in front of the camera. Eventually Miss Kelly became the entertainment feature editor at Today. She interviewed screen legend Buster Keaton, reported on the Tony Awards, and reported on the filming of the movie Saint Joan in London. And well before the "Where in the World Is Matt Lauer"" segment currently on Today, Mary Kelly flew around the globe. In 1957 she was promoted to Associate Producer.

Eventually the Today production team would want women to be more visible on the show, but they would forego such professional, confident women as Estelle Parsons and Mary Kelly for young women in a more traditional role. The year 1955 saw the beginning of the era of what were formally referred to as "Women's Editors," but were informally referred to as "Today Girls." The Today Girl handled issues related to fashion, family, women, and light hearted fare. With but a few exceptions (Beryl Pfizer and Barbara Walters), the Today Girls were not serious journalists, but often entertainers. Former Miss America Lee Meriwether was the first Today Girl. Other notable Today Girls were Betsy Palmer, Helen O'Connell, Florence Henderson, and former Miss Rheingold Robbin Bain. The last Today Girl would be the one to break the mould: Barbara Walters.

Miss Walters was the last person hired by David Garroway before he left. Hired as a writer, she started out writing women's segments before writing harder news segments. Like Estelle Parsons and Mary Kelly before her, she would eventually appear in front of the camera. By the mid-Sixties she was a regular panellist on Today. By 1966 Miss Walters was a de facto co-host of the show, even if she did not officially have the title. She interviewed figures from Dean Rusk to Grace Kelly to Richard Nixon to Truman Capote. Despite this, Barbara Walters would not be recognised as a co-host until 1974. While it would take Miss Walters literally years to achieve the title of co-host, since that time many women have had the title of co-host (or co-anchor as it is now called) on Today.

Not only would Today have the first female co-anchor of any early morning news show, it also had the first African American co-anchor. Bryant Gumbel had started his career with NBC as a sportscaster for NBC Sports. In the fall of 1980 Bryant Gumbel began to appear on Today regularly with the feature "Sportsman of the Week." When Tom Brokaw left as co-anchor of The Today Show, then producer Steve Friedman campaigned for Bryant Gumbel was his replacement. Mr. Gumbel was a controversial choice with both NBC News and NBC Sports, and not because he was African American. NBC News was opposed to the idea of a sportscaster getting the position of co-anchor on Today. NBC Sports was none too happy with losing Bryant Gumbel as their primary sportscaster and their biggest star. Mr. Friedman persisted and Bryant Gumbel debuted as the co-host of Today on 4 January 1982.

For the most part Today has remained unchanged over the years. Due to Dave Garroway's precarious health, NBC changed the shooting schedule so that most of the show was shot in the afternoon on videotape. The only part of Today that was live at that point were the news reports read by Frank Blair. After Dave Garroway left the show in 1961, Today went back to being live and has been aired live ever since. Dave Garroway's departure would also bring another change to Today. Prior to 1961 Today had been under the control of NBC's entertainment division. With Dave Garroway's departure, Today was taken over by NBC News. NBC News attempted to make Today a much more serious news programme, appointing John Chancellor as Dave Garroway's replacement. Unfortunately, NBC News' changes to the show did not work out. John Chancellor was uncomfortable in the role of Today Show host and missed being out in the field as a reporter. Viewers seemed to prefer the lighter approach of Dave Garroway's Today Show. After only a short time Mr. Chancellor left Today (he would go onto anchor The NBC Evening News) and he was replaced by Hugh Downs. Mr. Downs was much more in the mould of Dave Garroway, with an easy going approach he had honed as the announcer on NBC's The Home Show and Tonight Starring Jack Paar. Since then Today has remained the balance of hard news and lighter material that it had been in the beginning--Pat Weaver's "newspaper of the air."

While Today has not changed in its format over the years, it would go from airing five days a week to airing every day of the week. For most of its history Today only aired Monday through Friday. On September 20, 1987 NBC debuted a Sunday edition of Today. Originally 90 minutes in length, the Sunday edition of Sunday was shortened to one hour in 1992 when Meet the Press expanded to an hour. The Saturday edition of Today debuted on August 1, 1992. It has always been two hours in length.

Another major change is that over the years Today has expanded in length. For most of its history Today was two hours long, but beginning in the Nineties it was start to expand. In the fall of 1999 NBC created a spin off of Today called Later Today. It was hosted by Jodi Applegate, former Today Girl Florence Henderson, and Asha Blake. Later Today suffered from low ratings, so that in August 2000 it was replaced by the third hour Today. On September 10, 2007 a fourth hour of Today was added. Originally the fourth hour was hosted by former newsreader and current co-anchor Ann Curry, current newsreader Natalie Morales, and Hoda Kotb. On April 7, 2008 Ann Curry and Natalie Morales were replaced by Kathie Lee Gifford. The fourth hour of Today would also change its format at that point, dropping the news segments and concentrating more on interviews and feature segments. While the first three hours of Today remained more of a news magazine, the fourth hour of Today became more of talk show.

While we tend to take breakfast television for granted now, Today was a revolutionary programme in its time. It invented a whole new genre of television, that of the television morning news magazine. It has been imitated many times over, not simply by CBS and ABC, but by many cable channels as well. Today also featured the first female political news reporter, the first female co-host, and the first African American co-host (Bryant Gumbel). Although it has sometimes been labelled "infotainment (a suitable label for some of its competitors)," I personally think it still most accurately described as Pat Weaver envisioned it--"a newspaper of the air." I think this is the reason that Today has remained the number one morning news programme in the United States. Unlike some of its competition it has rarely swung too far either towards hard news or towards pure entertainment. I rather suspect that this will keep it on top for another sixty years.

(Here, courtesy of NBC News, is a rather amazing video celebrating the 60th anniversary of Today)

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Actor Dan Frazer R.I.P.

Television and film Dan Frazer passed on 16 December 2011 at the age of 90. The cause was a heart attack. He was perhaps best known for playing Captain McNeil on Kojak.

Dan Frazer was born on 20 November 1921 in New York City. He developed an interest in acting while performing in productions put on at a community centre operated by his local Roman Catholic church. During World War II he served in the United States Army.

Following the war Mr. Frazer took up acting again. He made his television debut in 1950 in an episode of Studio One. Throughout the Fifties he appeared in such shows as The Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse, The Phil Silvers Show, and Outlaws. In the Sixties he appeared in such shows as The Andy Griffith Show, Car 54 Where Are You, Alcoa Premiere, The Untouchables, McHale's Navy, Route 66, Honey West, My Favourite Martian, Run for Your Life, and The Invaders. He also appeared in such films as Lillies of the Field (1963), Lord Love a Duck (1966), Counterpoint (1967), Take the Money and Run (1969), and ...tick...tick...tick (1970).

In the Seventies Dan Frazer played Captain McNeil on Kojak. He also guest starred on Flying High and Barney Miller. He appeared in such films as Bananas (1971), Fuzz (1972), Cleopatra Jones (1973), The Super Cops (1973), and Breakout (1975). During the Eighties he appeared on the soap opera As the World Turns and he guest starred on Monsters. From the Nineties into the Naughts he guest starred on Law & Order and Third Watch. He appeared in the movies Deconstructing Harry (1997), The Kings of Brooklyn (2006), and The Pack (2010).

Hammer Director Don Sharp Passes On

Don Sharp, who directed such movies as Kiss of the Vampire (1963) and Raputin: The Mad Monk (1966) for Hammer Films, passed on 14 December 2011 at the age of 90.

Don Sharp was born on 19 April 1921 in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. He attended St. Virgil's College in Tasmania. In 1941 He enlisted in the Australian Air Force. Following World War II he began acting on radio and on stage. In 1949 he moved to England. There he co-wrote and acted in his first movie, Ha'penny Breeze, in 1950. As an actor Mr. Sharp would only appear in a few more films, as his career shifted more towards writing and directing. In 1955 he directed his first film, The Stolen Airliner. Over the next few years he directed the films The Inbetween Age (1958), The Adventure of Hal 5 (1958), Linda (1960), and Two Guys Abroad (1962). He also directed episodes of the series Ghost Squad.

It was in 1963 that he directed the Hammer classic Kiss of the Vampire. The film is credited with having save Hammer Films, which had faltered slightly with the release of a big budget, critically panned version of Phantom of the Opera. For the remainder of the Sixties Don Sharp directed such movies as Witchcraft (1964), The Devil-Ship Pirates (1964), Curse of the Fly (1965), The Face of Fu Manchu (1965), Rasputin: The Mad Monk (1966), The Brides of Fu Manchu (1966), Those Fantastic Flying Fools (1967), and A Taste of Excitement (1970). He also directed episodes of The Avengers and The Champions.

From the Seventies into the Eighties, Don Sharp directed such films as Dark Places (1973), Psychomania (1973), Callan (1974), Hennessey (1975), Bear Island (1978), Thirty Nine Steps (1978), and What Waits Below (1985). He also directed episodes of Q.E.D., Hammer House of Horror, and Woman of Substance. Mr. Sharp also wrote many movies, including Conflict of Wings (1954), The Stolen Airliner (1955), The Adventures of Hal 5 (1958), Legend of a Gunfighter (1964), and A Taste of Excitement (1960).

Don Sharp was a very talented director who could work well with a limited budget. He tended to be meticulous with regards to even small details in his productions, making them look  more expensive than they really were. What is more, Mr. Sharp was able to work in such genres as horror and thrillers without ever resorting to sensationalism. While he only directed three films for Hammer, in many ways he was an ideal director for the studio. Indeed, Kiss of the Vampire is arguably among the greatest films the studio ever produced.

Robert Easton R.I.P.

Character actor and dialogue coach Robert Easton passed on 16 December 2011 at the age of 81.

Robert Easton was born on 23 November 1930 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Following his parents' divorce he moved with his mother to San Antonio, Texas. He was fourteen years old when he won a spot on the popular radio programme Quiz Kids. At age 18 he appeared in his first film, Undertow (1949). Mr. Easton appeared in movies throughout the Fifties, primarily playing hillbillies, hicks, or cowboys. Among the films he in which he appeared throughout the decade were Call Me Mister (1951), The Red Badge of Courage (1951), Belles on Their Toes (1952), Feudin' Fools (1952), The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953), The High and Mighty (1954), The Kettles in the Ozarks (1956), and Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956). He also appeared frequently on television in the Fifties, including such shows as The Jack Benny Programme, Adventures of Superman, Racket Squad, My Little Marge, Gunsmoke, Father Knows Best, The Bob Cummings Show, The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show, Wagon Train, Rawhide, and The Andy Griffith Show.

In 1961 he married Englishwoman Julie Grimstead and moved with her to England. There he studied phonetics at University College in London. As a result during his three years in London he not only picked up an English accent, but a number of European accents as well. In the Sixties he provided the voice for Lt. Sheridan on the Gerry Anderson marionette show Stingray. He appeared on several other shows throughout the decade including Wanted: Dead or Alive, The Real McCoys, The Saint, Burke's Law, Death Valley Days, The Munsters, The Beverly Hillbillies, Perry Mason, Lost in Space, Run for Your Life, My Mother the Car, Combat, Get Smart, The Doris Day Show, The Red Skelton Show, and The Mod Squad. He also appeared in the films Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1961), Come Fly With Me (1963), The Loved One (1965), One of Our Spies is Missing (1966), and Paint Your Wagon (1969).

During the Seventies he appeared in such shows as Alias Smith and Jones, Kolchak the Night Stalker, and Fernwood Tonight. He appeared in such films as Johnny Got His Gun (1971), The Giant Spider Invasion (1975), Mr. Sycamore (1975), Pete's Dragon (1977), and When You Comin' Back, Red Ryder (1979). He provided voices for the animated film Heavy Traffic (1973). From the Eighties into the Naughts he appeared in such films as Tai-Pan (1986), Working Girl (1988), Seven Minutes (1989), Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991), The Beverly Hillbillies (1993), Primary Colours (1998), and Gods and Generals (2003).

Starting with Havana Rose in 1951, Mr. Easton served as a dialect coach on several movies. Among the films on which he was a dialect coach were Khartoum (1966), The Molly Maguires (1970), Magic (1978), Scarface (1983), Flesh + Blood (1985), Good Will Hunting (1997), and The Last King of Scotland (2006).  He was also a dialect coach on the mini-series North and South.

The 100th Anniversary of Charles Addams' Birth

It was 100 years ago today that Charles Addams was born. He was quite possibly the most famous cartoonist to ever have his work appear in The New Yorker, well known for his at times macabre cartoons. Over time a family of recurring characters would begin appearing in his cartoon: a tall, slender, dark haired woman; her shorter, stout husband ; their two children; a Frankensteinian butler; and so on. Colloquially these recurring characters became known as "the Addams Family." With the classic 1964 television series based on the cartoons, the name became official.

Charles Addams was born on 7 January 1912 in Westfield, New Jersey. He started drawing at an early age, a pursuit in which his father encouraged him. He drew cartoons for Westfield High School literary magazine, Weathervane. After high school he attended Colgate University in Hamilton, New York and the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. He later studied at the Grand Central School of Art in New York City. In 1933 he went to work for the magazine True Detective, where among other things he retouched photos of corpses so there was no blood.

It was on 6 February 1932 that his first cartoon appeared in The New Yorker. It was in 1938 that the first cartoon that identifiably featured members of the Addams Family appeared--a vacuum cleaner salesman's encounter with Morticia and Lurch (who at this point had a beard). Charles Addams' cartoons would appear in The New Yorker from that point forward until his death. Of course, The New Yorker was not the only publication to feature Mr. Addams' work. Charles Addams' illustrations also appeared in Collier's, Life, Mademoiselle, TV Guide, and others. It is important to know that not all of Mr. Addams' cartoons featured the Addams Family, although almost all of them tended to be absurdist or macabre in nature and most often both.

During World War II Charles Addams served the Signal Corps Photographic Centre in New York, where he made animated training films for the United States Army. Bob Montana of Archie Comics fame, fellow New Yorker cartoonist Sam Cobean, dramatist William Saroyan, and Canadian cartoonist James Simpkins also worked in the Signal Corps Photographic Centre.

Both during and following World War II Charles Addams' popularity as a cartoonist and illustrator grew. His first anthology of drawings, Drawn and Quartered, was published  in 1942. It would be followed by eight more anthologies of his cartoons. He also provided illustrations for Afternoon in the Attic, an anthology of John Kobler short stories. He also compiled Dear Dead Days, a scrapbook of grotesque images ranging from Victorian woodcuts to old medicine show advertisements.

The popularity of the Addams Family cartoons may have made either a television or motion picture adaptation inevitable. It was in 1963 that television producer David Levy was walking with a friend down 5th Avenue in New York City and passed a display of Charles Addams' books in a store window, including Homebodies, which featured a portrait of the entire Addams Family. Mr. Levy realised that that the Addams Family cartoons could provide the basis for a hit TV series. He approached Charles Addams with the proposal of the TV series, which Mr. Addams approved. Charles Addams provided names for the various characters, as well as brief descriptions of each of them (prior to the TV series, none of the Addamses were named). While it is often assumed that  Thing (a disembodied hand)  was created for the series, this was not the case. Thing appeared as early as 1954, as a disembodied hand changing records on a phonograph in the Addams mansion. Only Cousin Itt was created for the show, although he appeared in the cartoon before the TV series. At the suggestion of David Levy, Charles Addams added a hair covered creature. The new character made his debut in the 12 October 1963 issue of The New Yorker, the cartoon featuring the character answering a phone with the words, "This is it speaking." David Levy add an extra "T" to the characters' name and he became "Cousin Itt."

Although The Addams Family woud only run for two seasons, it would become a cultural phenomenon all its own. In the Seventies there would be a reunion telefilm, Halloween with The Addams Family. The Seventies would also see an animated series based on both the cartoons and the TV show. The Nineties would see two major motion pictures, a new animated series, a TV movie, and a new live action series. In 2010 musical based on the cartoons and the TV series debuted on Broadway. Most recently Universal obtained the rights to Charles Addams' drawings with the goal of a stop motion picture based on them with Tim Burton set to produce it.

Even prior to the television series, however, Charles Addams had an impact on Anglo-American pop culture. Edward Eager's fantasy novel Knight's Castle referred to "Chas Addams (which is how Mr. Addams always signed his drawings). Alfred Hitchock was known to be a fan of Mr. Addams' cartoons, so it should come as no surprise that Mr. Addams in mentioned in North By Northwest (1959)--Cary Grant's line,"The three of you together. Now that's a picture only Charles Addams could draw." It is a common assumption that the house in Psycho (1960) was inspired by the Addams mansion (the two do admittedly look a good deal alike).

Except for possibly James Thurber, Charles Addams may well have been the most famous cartoonist to ever appear in The New Yorker on a regular basis and he was most certainly the most famous whose success emerged from the appearances of his work in that magazine. As to why Charles Addams' cartoons, both those featuring the Addams Family and those that did not, became so popular, it is perhaps for the same reason that Ronald's Searle's St. Trinian's School cartoons and fellow New Yorker cartoonist Edward Gorey's work also attained popularity. Quite simply, the work of all three men allowed people to face our very worst faces and laugh at them. The Addams Family poised to spill boiling oil on carollers, a skier going through a tree without harm, an octopus rising from a manhole to grab an innocent victim, these images allowed us to laugh at death. In the mid to late 20th Century, when the threat of nuclear destruction sometimes seemed imminent, Charles Addams put us all at ease by bringing us face to face with the grotesque and making us to see the humour in it.

Of course, Charles Addams' most popular creation was the family that bears his name. Most certainly the Addams Family helped society laugh at death, but their appeal goes even further than Mr. Addams's other cartoons. The Addams Family were an extended family who enjoy the bizarre and the macabre. Even though it is apparent even in the cartoons that they are a family of means, they are still very much outsiders when it comes to society. Despite this, the Addams Family can hardly be said to be dysfunctional. Morticia and Gomez not only love each other, they are very openly affectionate. Despite some very odd hobbies, their children, Pugley and Wednesday, are well taken care of.  They also care for members of their extended family--Grandmama and Uncle Fester (in the original series he was Morticia's uncle, not Gomez's brother). The Addams Family were proud of their eccentricities. In fact, they were a much healthier extended family than many more "normal" nuclear families. Quite simply, the Addams Family not only allowed us to laugh at the macabre, they also told us that it was all right to be different and that was all right to even be proud of those differences. Indeed, the Addams Family made it clear that it was better to go one's own path than it was to simply conform to society's expectations.

Certainly, Charles Addams never conformed to society's expectations.  Over the years he never toned down his cartoons nor did he look for success elsewhere. When the television series came about, it was David Levy who went to Mr. Addams, not the other way around. Much like the family he created, Charles Addams was a success because he was different, because he chose his own path and worked in his own style. Even if there had never been an Addams Family TV series, Charles Addams would still be one of the most famous cartoonists of the 20th Century.

Danny Thomas at 100

When I think of early television situation comedies, two names come to mind. The fist is Lucille Ball, the star of I Love Lucy. The second is Danny Thomas, star of Make Room For Daddy (also known as The Danny Thomas Show).  It was 100 years ago today that Danny Thomas was born.

Sadly, while Lucille Ball is still well known, it seems to me that Danny Thomas has almost been forgotten. Oh, most people my age and a little younger still know who Danny Thomas is, even if they have never seen an episode of Make Room For Daddy, but I fear most younger people have no idea who he is, let alone just how much of a television pioneer he was. In many respects Make Room For Daddy was as revolutionary as I Love Lucy, and in some respects it was even more so. What is more, Danny Thomas was not only the star of his own sitcom like Lucy, but also like Lucy he was a television producer who would have a hand in some of the most influential TV shows of all time.

Danny Thomas was born Amos Muzyad Yakhoob Kairouz on 6 January 1912 in Deerfield, Michigan to Lebanese parents. He began his career as a comic performing under an Anglicised version of his given name, "Amos Jacobs Kairouz." In 1932 he started performing on the radio show The Happy Hour on WMBC in Detroit, Michigan. By 1938 he had moved onto working in radio in the bigger market of Chicago. In 1940 he was offered a three year deal at the 4100 Club in Chicago that would pay much more than his work in radio did. Not particularly wanting his family and friends to know he had returned to working in clubs, he adopted a new stage name by combining the two names of his brothers--"Danny Thomas."

Fortunately, the 4100 Club would provide Mr. Thomas with his big break. He was spotted there by Abe Lastfogel of the William Morris Agency, who signed him to a USO tour featuring Marlene Dietrich and got him a part on Fanny Brice's radio programme The Baby Snooks Show. He would later join the cast of the radio show The Bickersons. In 1947 Danny Thomas would make his motion picture debut in The Unfinished Dance. He would go onto appear in Big City (1948), I'll See You in My Dreams (1951), and the 1952 version of The Jazz Singer. While he received good notices for his works in motion pictures, Danny Thomas's future would lie in another medium.


Having rejected the advice of three different studio to have plastic surgery performed on his admittedly large nose and tired of working night clubs, Danny Thomas looked for work in the television industry. His initial job in television was as one of the hosts (along with Jack Carson, Jimmy Durante, and Ed Wynn) of Four Star Revue on NBC. Neither Danny Thomas nor the show's other rotating hosts would remain with it for long. After its first season NBC changed the show's name to All Star Revue and replaced the rotating hosts with various big name, guest hosts.

Fortunately, Mr. Thomas's agent, Abe Lastfogel, would insure that he would continue to have a career in television. Quite simply, Mr. Lastfogel made it a condition that the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) would have to take Danny Thomas if they wanted the then bigger star Ray Bolger (most famous as the Scarecrow on The Wizard of Oz). ABC had not been particularly impressed with Danny Thomas's performance on NBC's Four Star Revue and insisted that any show he in which he starred must be a sitcom. Mr. Thomas, producer Lou Edelman, and writer Mel Shaverson developed a premise for a sitcom that drew upon Mr. Thomas's own life as a nightclub performer with a family. In fact, it was Danny Thomas's wife who gave the show its title. While Mr. Thomas was on tour she would allow their children to sleep with her. When Mr. Thomas returned from touring, the children would then have to "make room for daddy."  Make Room For Daddy then centred on fictional nightclub performer Danny Williams and his family--wife Margaret (Jean Hagen), son Rusty (Rusty Hamer), and daughter Terry (Sherry Jackson).

On paper Make Room For Daddy sounds a lot like other domestic comedies of the era, such as The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet and Father Knows Best, but in reality it was something wholly different. At the time most television fathers were inevitably either level headed straight men (Father Knows Best may be the best example) or total bumblers (The Stu Erwin Show). In contrast Danny Williams was neither. Danny could often be the source of comedy on the show, but at other times he could be the level headed father figure. He was in many respects a more realistic view of fatherhood and the forerunner of such TV dads as Andy Taylor (The Andy Griffith Show) and Cliff Huxtable (The Cosby Show).

Make Room For Daddy was also set apart from other domestic comedies of the time in that it often incorporated song and dance routines into its episodes, giving  the show much in common with I Love Lucy and The Dick Van Dyke Show (which Danny Thomas produced). Although often classed as a domestic comedy, Make Room For Daddy was as much a show biz comedy as it was anything else. Indeed, this brings me to another way in which Make Room For Daddy differed from Father Knows Best and other domestic comedies. Quite simply, Make Room For Daddy was much more of an ensemble comedy. Episodes did not simply focus on Danny, his wife, and his children, but on their housekeeper Louise (played originally by Louise Beavers and later by Amanda Randolph) , members of the extender family (especially Uncle Tonoose, played by Hans Conried), Danny's manager Charlie (played by Sid Melton), and so on. To a degree this makes Make Room For Daddy the direct forerunner of other ensemble comedies, such as The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Andy Griffith Show, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Cheers, and so on.

Make Room For Daddy was revolutionary in other ways as well. Like other shows of the era, Make Room For Daddy featured an African American domestic (played by Louise Beavers and later played by Amanda Randolph). Unlike many other shows of the time, the character of Louise was treated with much more respect. In fact, I remember an interview in which Danny Thomas told how the network really did not want him to express affection towards Louise (such as hugging her and so on). Mr. Thomas refused to comply. To him Louise was both a human being and a member of the Williams family.

In all Make Room For Daddy would run for twelve years and undergo several changes. Jean Hagen left the show after the third season to pursue her film and stage career. Margaret was then written out of the show as having died and Danny Williams spent the following season as a widower. In the fifth season Danny Williams married Kathy "Clancey" O'Hara (Marjorie Lord) and Clancey brought her daughter Linda (Angela Cartwright) into the marriage. In the 1957-1958 season Make Room For Daddy moved to CBS and was given the new title of The Danny Thomas Show. ABC had lost interest in the show, which was a grave error on their part. At CBS The Danny Thomas Show rose into the top ten rated shows where it remained until Mr. Thomas ended the show after twelve seasons.

Even if one does not regard Make Room For Daddy a revolutionary sitcom on the level of I Love Lucy, there can be no doubt of Danny Thomas's contributions to television history as a producer. It was during the first season that Sheldon Leonard became a director on the show.  An actor best known for his roles as gangsters and heavies (perhaps most familiar today to audiences as Nick in It's a Wonderful Life), Mr. Leonard wanted to break into directing and production. During the third season Mr. Leonard was promoted to the show's producer. Eventually Danny Thomas and Sheldon Leonard founded their own production company, one which would produce some of television's most legendary shows. From the late Fifties into the Sixties Messrs. Thomas and Leonard would produce such shows as The Real McCoys, The Andy Griffith Show, The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Bill Dana Show, and The Joey Bishop Show. The Andy Griffith Show was a spin off of Make Room For Daddy, an episode of which served as a back door pilot for the show. Danny Thomas himself cast Mary Tyler Moor as Laura Petrie on The Dick Van Dyke Show. While many younger people today may have never heard of Make Room For Daddy, nearly everyone has heard of The Andy Griffith Show and The Dick Van Dyke Show.  Without Sheldon Leonard, Danny Thomas would produce shows such as The Guns of Will Sonnett and The Mod Squad.

Danny Thomas would continue to perform very nearly until his death. In 1970 he appeared in a continuation of Make Room For Daddy called Make Room For Granddaddy. He later starred in the short lived series The Practice  (not to be confused with the legal drama of the same name), I'm a Big Girl Now, and One Big Family. His last appearance was a guest shot on Empty Nest in 1991--the year that he died.

Danny Thomas was not simply a great comic actor and legendary television producer. He was also a humanitarian. Indeed, he founded St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, a non-profit hospital and research facility focused on children's diseases.

Although Danny Thomas is not remembered today as he should be, there can be no doubt of his contributions to television. Make Room For Daddy was a revolutionary sitcom which pioneered ensemble comedies and gave the world a more realistic view of fatherhood than its contemporaries. As a producer Danny Thomas gave us legendary, character driven comedies, The Dick Van Dyke Show and The Andy Griffith Show, that would surpass the success of his own show. As a humanitarian he founded St. Jude's Children's Hospital. Danny Thomas was a fine human being and a towering figure in the history of television. It is something that we should not soon forget.

Sword Master Bob Anderson R.I.P.

Bob Anderson, who choreographed sword fights in movies from Master of Ballantrae (1953) to Lord of the Rings (2001-2003) and served as a stunt double in many more, passed on 1 January 2012 at the age of 89.

Bob Anderson was born on 15 September 1922 in Gosport, Hampshire, England. He was very young when he took up fencing. In his early Twenties he joined the Royal Marines. During World War II he served in the Mediterranean. Following the war Mr. Anderson taught fencing as an instructor for the various services. He won competition with the bayonet, épée, foil, and sabre. He competed in the sabre event at the World Championships in both 1950 and 1953. In 1952 he he represented the United Kingdom in fencing at the Olympics in Helsinki, Finland. A noted fencer, he was asked to work with Errol Flynn on The Master of Ballantrae at Pinewood Studios. Bob Anderson both choreographed fights for the film and served as a stunt double for nearly all of Errol Flynn's opponents.

The Master of Ballantrae would be the beginning of a long career for Mr. Anderson in film. Over the years he worked in various capacities on many films, including Crossed Swords (1954), The Moonraker (1958), The Guns of Navarrone (1961), From Russia with Love (1963), Carry On Pimpernel (1966), Casino Royale (1967), Kidnapped (1971), the first Star Wars trilogy, Highlander (1987), The Princess Bride (1987), The Three Musketeers (1993), The Mask of Zorro (1998), and Lord of the Rings. He also served as sword master on the TV show Highlander. He also served as the coach for the British national fencing team for 30 years.

It  is well known, at least among Star Wars fans, that it was Bob Anderson who wielded Darth Vader's light sabre in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Mr. Anderson's career went far beyond Star Wars, as he can be credited with choreographing some of the incredible sword fights in cinematic history. In fact, Bob Anderson should not perhaps be remembered best for doubling as Darth Vader in the Star Wars movies, but instead the duel between Westley (Cary Elwes) and Inigo (Mandy Patinkin) in The Princess Bride. While the scene was helped a bit by special effects, most of it was simply Mr. Anderson's skill as a sword master. Indeed, it can be said that with little doubt that movies from Crossed Swords to Highlander would not have been nearly as exciting without Bob Anderson's expertise. If any man deserved the title of "sword master," it was certainly Bob Anderson.