It Got By The Censor/In Jokes

[ZelenskyTheValiant (Ivan)]

Ivan the Terrible wrote:
Funny you mentioned BONANZA. Maybe they didn't write for it like that but I'll take it in a heartbeat over GUNN. Love the show! When I think of my favorite show of the 60s it usually boils down to a tie between BONANZA, ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW, and MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE. Big fan of BIG VALLEY too but BONANZA is my preferred choice - nothing against the Barkley boys but they just aren't a match for the Cartwright boys (in particular Hoss and Little Joe - man, did those 2 get involved in some hilarious adventures!!! ). What I love about BONANZA is that you could go from a really dark and disturbing episode like the classic "The Crucible" (with a deranged Lee Marvin!!) to some of the most hilarious episodes you could ever hope to experience in a TV western, like "Old Sheba" (with the elephant on the Ponderosa) or "Ponderosa Birdman" (where Hoss is goaded by Joe into taking flight - seriously!!). Then there's dramatic moments with Little Joe being stricken with fear of heights in "Between Heaven and Earth" leading to nightmares and him lashing out at the family. Truly a "variety show" if there ever was one - you never knew what you were going to get. Whether it went dark or light - it was always a joy to watch! Even THE BIG VALLEY tried a couple of funny episodes, clearly inspired by BONANZA, but the results just weren't quite the same. Nobody could do it like Hoss and Little Joe, with Ben and Adam being the perfect foils for them.

Ivan,
I can't disagree with any of the above, as I am a Bonanza coo coo as well. I even contributed in a small, small way to David Greenland's book on Bonanza.
In the intro he tells of a lad being egged on by his pals to shoplift model paint with them.
The kid had given in and was about to enter a life of crime when he spotted a lunchbox with his hero Hoss Cartwright on it.
Shamed, he put the paint back on the shelf. Yup, that drippy kid was me.
Don't let anyone ever tell you TV doesn't influence kids or give them values. For good or bad.
My favorite Bonanza episode, Ivan? No ifs, ands or buts, it's Hoss and the Leprechauns. Even ultra serious Pernell Roberts was having a good time in it.

This is what's so great about old shows. Not only were they genuinely entertaining and well done and acted, but they actually taught good values. Heroes were heroes and villains were villains, none of this wishy-washy stuff we get today where the hero's moral compass is shot to hell. We're supposed to marvel at the "great" acting on today's TV (because, you know, acting back in the day was cheesy and no good, riiiiiiiight ) but where's the feel good factor in the stories? Where is the positive message? Why can't I sit my kids down without being worried what they will see, even on network TV? It's a real shame.

I'll be honest that I always thought "Hoss and the Leprechauns" was just a tad overrated. Don't get me wrong, funny episode to be sure!! But for whatever reason it doesn't quite make my top 5 list of humorous episodes. I guess it doesn't help matters that whenever a comedic episode is mentioned this one ALWAYS, and I mean ALWAYS, is mentioned as being the definitive #1. No one even bothers mentioning the other classics. I guess that's why I find it a tad overrated.
I haven't seen every comedic episode on the show (there's a lot I haven't seen post-season 11) but off the top of my head my top 5 would be:

1. Walter and the Outlaws / Any Friend of Walter's (Hoss's hijinx with Obie and his dog just crack me up every time!!)
2. Old Sheba
3. The Saga of Muley Jones
4. Ponderosa Matador
5. Ponderosa Birdman

Hoss and the Leprechauns falls just shy of making that list but no doubt it's a great comedic episode!

Dag nab it, I forgot about "Walter and the Outlaws" and it's sequel. You changed my mind, I'm going with Walter.
I have read where people claim Walter was played by My 3 Sons' doggie, Tramp, but I don't know for sure.
For my money Home Alone is a direct steal of Walter and the Outlaws, Macaulay Culkin's role being a human
version of Walter.

Hey Dobie, I just read on the ME-TV app that the BONANZA dog Walter was played by a "dog actor" named Pluto, who also played Blue in the TAGS episode "Barney's Bloodhound"! I have to admit that when I first saw that TAGS episode I wondered if that wasn't Walter. Certainly the same breed. I'm not a dog person - do you know what breed that is?

[Luther's nephew Dobie]

Ivan the Terrible wrote -
Hey Dobie,
I just read on the ME-TV app that the BONANZA dog Walter was played by a "dog actor" named Pluto, who also played Blue in the TAGS episode "Barney's Bloodhound"!
I have to admit that when I first saw that TAGS episode I wondered if that wasn't Walter.
Certainly the same breed. I'm not a dog person - do you know what breed that is?

Ivan,
It's an All American aka a Mutt, I believe.

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Steve Allen - "Do not allow children to mix drinks. It is unseemly and they use too much vermouth."

[ZelenskyTheValiant (Ivan)]

Ivan the Terrible wrote -
Hey Dobie,
I just read on the ME-TV app that the BONANZA dog Walter was played by a "dog actor" named Pluto, who also played Blue in the TAGS episode "Barney's Bloodhound"!
I have to admit that when I first saw that TAGS episode I wondered if that wasn't Walter.
Certainly the same breed. I'm not a dog person - do you know what breed that is?

Ivan,
It's an All American aka a Mutt, I believe.

--------------------------------------------------------
Steve Allen - "Do not allow children to mix drinks. It is unseemly and they use too much vermouth."

Hmm, so it's some kind of a mixed breed? I thought that dog was a particular kind of breed. Like a doberman or a St. Bernard is. It has that elongated furry kind of face - looks distinct to me.

[Luther's nephew Dobie]

Captain Spaulding is a fictional character in the immortal film and Broadway musical Animal Crackers, played by Groucho Marx.
Spaulding's theme song was "Hooray for Captain Spaulding", later morphing into Groucho's entrance music for the rest of his career.
It was used as the theme for Marx's You Bet Your Life on radio and TV.
Various shows/movies over the years have used the Spaulding name as a in joke reference/salute to Groucho.
Captain Spaulding appears as a character in 3 of Rob Zombie's cult horror films.
Loudon Wainwright appeared in 3 episodes of MASH as Captain Spaulding, singing tunes he specifically wrote for each episode.
Those are in jokes.
Just who Spaulding really was is something that got by the censors, and I don't mean he was a baseball.
Captain Spaulding was a shadowy ex WW1 hero. Every studio back in early Hollywood had it's own dealer supplying cocaine
and pot to the stars.
This way some actor the studio had sunk big money in to wouldn't be busted on the street looking to buy.
Instead, one phone call to Spaulding and it was delivered like a pizza right to the star's door.
So singing out
"Hooray for Captain Spaulding" on his arrival meant the party could begin.

Hooray for Captain Spaulding - YouTube

Groucho slipped one lyric by the censors of the time, they must have been asleep:
"I think I'll try and make her!"
In the above clip, the print has that line obviously cut out by someone, sometime over the decades.

The entire lyrics:
[Everyone in the song sings except Zeppo, who talk-sings]

[Zeppo, talk-singing]
There's something that I'd like to state
That he's too modest to relate
The Captain is a moral man
Sometimes he finds it trying

[Groucho]
This fact I'll emphasize with stress:
I never take a drink unless
Somebody's buying!

[Party guests]
The Captain is a very moral man!

[Zeppo, talk-singing]
If he hears anything obscene
He'll naturally repel it

[Groucho]
I hate a dirty joke I do
Unless it's told by someone whooo --
Knows how to tell it!

[Party guests]
The Captain is a very moral man!
Hooray for Captain Spaulding
The African Explorer!

[Groucho]
Did someone call me Schnorrer?

[Party guests]
Hooray hooray hooray!

[Zeppo, talk-singing]
He went into the jungle
Where all the monkeys THROW nuts

[Groucho]
If I stay here I'll GO nuts

[Party guests]
Hooray hooray hooray!
He put all his reliance
In courage and defiance
And risked his life for science!

[Groucho]
Hey hey!

[Margaret Dumont]
He is the only white man
Who covered every acre --


[Groucho]
I think I'll try and make her!

[Party guests]
Hooray hooray hooray!
He put all his reliance
In courage and defiance
And risked his life for science

[Groucho]
Hey hey!

[Party guests]
Hooray for Captain Spaulding
The African explorer!
He brought his name undying fame
And that is why we say:
Hooray! Hooray! Hooray!

[Groucho, spoken]
My friends, I am highly gratified at this
Magnificent display of effusion. And I want you to know -

[Party guests]
Hooray for Captain Spaulding
The African explorer!
He brought his name undying fame
And that is why we say:
Hooray! Hooray! Hooray!

[Groucho, spoken]
My friends, I am highly gratified at this
Magnificent display of effusion. And I want you to know -

[Party Guests]
Hooray for Captain Spaulding
The African explorer!
He brought his name undying fame
And that is why we say:
Hooray! Hooray! Hooray!

[Groucho, spoken]
My friends, I am highly gratified at this
Magnificent display of effusion. And I want you to know -

[Groucho, singing]
Hooray for Captain Spaulding
The African (mumble)
(spoken): Well, somebody's gotta do it!

[Luther's nephew Dobie]

IN JOKE -
In the Newhart episode "Harris Ankles PIV for Web Spot", Peter Scolari as Michael
and Bob Newhart as innkeeper Dick Loudon are discussing old TV shows.

Dick brings up CBS's legendary 1970's Saturday night line up -
Dick: "All in the Family, MASH, Mary Tyler Moore,The Carol Burnett Show."
Michael: "And how about that show with the shrink who stuttered?"
Dick: "Stammered."

They are of course referring to Newhart's previous series,"The Bob Newhart Show".
"Newhart" had other in jokes referencing Bob's previous show.

Perhaps the most famous in joke in TV history was the last episode where Dick Loudon awakens
in a dark bedroom, turns on the light and finds Susan Pleshette in bed next to him.
He had dreamt the entire Newhart series and was back being Dr. Bob Hartley,
talking to his wife Emily.

In another episode Dick and wife Joanna go see a marriage counselor
and run into Elliot Carlin, Bob Hartley's patient who the counselor
says "some quack in Chicago" screwed up.

In "No Tigers at the Circus" Dick Loudon's favorite TV show comes on,
and we hear the theme music to The Bob Newhart Show.

In the 3 part series wind up episode for Coach, Coach and wife Christine return to their Minnesota cabin home after having lived in Florida for 2 years.
Inside they find three squatters, the beloved refugees from Newhart, Larry, Darryl and Darryl.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Alf the Alien: To quote a famous deli owner on Melmac, 'something is a rye'.

[Luther's nephew Dobie]

On the "Many Loves of Dobie Gillis" episode The Truth Session, Maynard G. Krebs(Bob Denver) is walking down the street
to the Cascade movie house.
On the marquee is listed the line up for a triple feature -

1) The Monster Who Devoured Cleveland starring Norman Henry
as The Monster.
2) Bride of the Monster Who Devoured Cleveland with Lottie
Cagle as The Bride
3) Son of the Monster Who Devoured Cleveland with Ad
Schaumer Jr. as The Son

The in joke is that all 3 "stars" of the listed movies worked behind the scenes on Dobie Gillis:
Norman Henry was production manager.
Lottie Cagle was series' producer/director Rod Amateau's secretary.
Ad Schaumer was assistant director.

Bonus:
Jean Byron played Dobie's college teacher Imogene Burkhart.
Which was her real name before she adopted the stage name Byron.

[Luther's nephew Dobie]

Antenna TV... runs the Bishop Show. Like the Andy Griffith Show, it was a spin off of The Danny Thomas Show, which means all 3 shows existed in the
same "universe" along with Gomer Pyle and Mayberry RFD and the Bill Dana Show which was another Danny Thomas spin off, making for 6 series in the
same "world".
That has to be a world's record and a great trivia question, I have never seen that brought up anywhere else.

An update. In addition to The Danny Thomas Show, The Andy Griffith Show, Gomer Pyle, Mayberry RFD, Joey Bishop Show and The Bill Dana Show all being
in the same "universe", you can throw in The Dick Van Dyke Show.
In "The Woman Behind the Jokes" episode of the Danny Thomas Show, Buddy Sorrell(Morey Amsterdam) makes an appearance.
In "The Danny Thomas Show" episode "Lucy Upsets the Williams Household" the Ricardo's move into Danny's apartment. So that's an I Love Lucy connection.
That makes 8 inter-connected TV series.
I'm not counting the following because that would be stretching it, as Danny Thomas as Danny Williams already hosted the Ricardos on his show:
There was a crossover episode on the hour long sequel series of specials to I Love Lucy, the Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour(1957-1960). Danny Thomas and his
TV family rent the Ricardos' home.

Well, Dobie, for this you not only deserve a snort of Otis's elixir, Aunt Bee's pickle, and a date with Juanita and Miss Crump, but an extra date with Ellie (who I'd take in a second over Miss Cramp...err Crump) and a free haircut at Floyd's! Enjoy!!

UPDATE:
Add three more series to the above list sharing the same TV Universe. In the episode "Lucy and Superman" of I Love Lucy, Superman (George Reeves) guest stars
as himself, the Man of Steel. The producers didn't want to ruin the illusion for the millions of kids tuning in and treated Superman as being for real.
In "Lucy Takes a Cruise to Havana" from the Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour, Ann Southern appears as Susie McNamara, her role from Private Secretary.
Since Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour was indeed separate from I Love Lucy, I'm now counting the above tie-in as two more connected series.
That's 11 series:
1) The Danny Thomas Show
2) The Andy Griffith Show
3) Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
4) Mayberry R.F.D.
5) Joey Bishop Show
6) The Bill Dana Show
7) The Dick Van Dyke Show
I Love Lucy
9) Superman
10) Private Secretary
11) Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour

PS - I have no idea why an emoji appears instead of the number 8.

[ZelenskyTheValiant (Ivan)]

Hey Luth.... errr... Dobie,

They showed the JOEY BISHOP SHOW episode with "Barney File as Don Knotts" yesterday morning. I knew it was coming up so I actually got up extra early to catch it. Since I couldn't find it online for free. I've never seen the show but that particular episode was pretty good. I thought the writing was pretty sharp, in some ways it reminded me of the writing on THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW. It didn't have the cheese of many sitcoms from that era (not that I don't mind some cheddar every so often - GILLIGAN'S ISLAND case in point ). Anyway the Don Knotts cameo was extremely small - at the very end. Maybe all of 30 seconds. Considering how huge he was at the time I guess I was hoping for a little more of him. Oh well.

[Luther's nephew Dobie]

Hey Luth.... errr... Dobie,

They showed the JOEY BISHOP SHOW episode with "Barney File as Don Knotts" yesterday morning. I knew it was coming up so I actually got up extra early to catch it. Since I couldn't find it online for free. I've never seen the show but that particular episode was pretty good. I thought the writing was pretty sharp, in some ways it reminded me of the writing on THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW. It didn't have the cheese of many sitcoms from that era (not that I don't mind some cheddar every so often - GILLIGAN'S ISLAND case in point ). Anyway the Don Knotts cameo was extremely small - at the very end. Maybe all of 30 seconds. Considering how huge he was at the time I guess I was hoping for a little more of him. Oh well.

Hi Ivan,
I have only seen the Bishop show on Antenna TV, as I assume you just did. Starting maybe a year and a half(?)ago they literally stopped showing content after the 24:30 mark. Many episodes, there is no "ending" as was originally shown, just a lopped off butcher job by some slob editor who couldn't be bothered eliminating unimportant moments instead and thus give the viewer the story ending.
I know they have to fit in more commercials than was allotted for in the original run, but just jamming in 5 1/2 half minutes of ads at the end just shows somebody
there doesn't care. I saw Knotts in this episode a few years ago and he interacted with the Bishop cast more than 30 seconds worth, more like 90 seconds.
What kind of fool edits down Knott's short cameo, he/she doesn't know shite from shinola.
That said, I agree with you, the Joey Bishop Show is good, and Bishop is happy to play straight man to all the top notch comics who guest star.

[ZelenskyTheValiant (Ivan)]

Hey Luth.... errr... Dobie,

They showed the JOEY BISHOP SHOW episode with "Barney File as Don Knotts" yesterday morning. I knew it was coming up so I actually got up extra early to catch it. Since I couldn't find it online for free. I've never seen the show but that particular episode was pretty good. I thought the writing was pretty sharp, in some ways it reminded me of the writing on THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW. It didn't have the cheese of many sitcoms from that era (not that I don't mind some cheddar every so often - GILLIGAN'S ISLAND case in point ). Anyway the Don Knotts cameo was extremely small - at the very end. Maybe all of 30 seconds. Considering how huge he was at the time I guess I was hoping for a little more of him. Oh well.

Hi Ivan,
I have only seen the Bishop show on Antenna TV, as I assume you just did. Starting maybe a year and a half(?)ago they literally stopped showing content after the 24:30 mark. Many episodes, there is no "ending" as was originally shown, just a lopped off butcher job by some slob editor who couldn't be bothered eliminating unimportant moments instead and thus give the viewer the story ending.
I know they have to fit in more commercials than was allotted for in the original run, but just jamming in 5 1/2 half minutes of ads at the end just shows somebody
there doesn't care. I saw Knotts in this episode a few years ago and he interacted with the Bishop cast more than 30 seconds worth, more like 90 seconds.
What kind of fool edits down Knott's short cameo, he/she doesn't know shite from shinola.
That said, I agree with you, the Joey Bishop Show is good, and Bishop is happy to play straight man to all the top notch comics who guest star.

Yep, I saw that ep on Antenna TV. It's funny that you say they just cut the episodes off at the end because that thought crossed my mind when all of a sudden in the middle of Don Knotts' cameo it just cut to a commercial. It just seemed too abrupt to me, didn't seem like something that happened in the original broadcast. Knotts walks into the cabin complaining about visitors always breaking that water pump (which seemed to work for everyone except for Joey - that was the running gag) and brings in some some of rubber dinghy or something. Then it just cut to commercial. So I'm sitting there thinking ok what next? Will they show what Knotts is gonna do with that "dinghy"? Is he going to collect water into that thing?? But then after the commercial ended it just ran the closing credits over the start of the next show. Bizarre! The episode seemed unfinished. Like you said, they need a better editor. Cut scenes that don't matter, not key points in the story or the resolution. Can you imagine watching THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW on Antenna TV???? They would probably just cut the closing tags completely and those were often pure gems of comedy - hilarious stuff!!

[Luther's nephew Dobie]

Luther's nephew Dobie wrote:
I have only seen the Bishop show on Antenna TV, as I assume you just did. Starting maybe a year and a half(?)ago they literally stopped showing content after the 24:30 mark. Many episodes, there is no "ending" as was originally shown, just a lopped off butcher job by some slob editor who couldn't be bothered eliminating unimportant moments instead and thus give the viewer the story ending.
I know they have to fit in more commercials than was allotted for in the original run, but just jamming in 5 1/2 half minutes of ads at the end just shows somebody
there doesn't care. I saw Knotts in this episode a few years ago and he interacted with the Bishop cast more than 30 seconds worth, more like 90 seconds.
What kind of fool edits down Knott's short cameo, he/she doesn't know shite from shinola.
That said, I agree with you, the Joey Bishop Show is good, and Bishop is happy to play straight man to all the top notch comics who guest star.

IVAN wrote:
Yep, I saw that ep on Antenna TV. It's funny that you say they just cut the episodes off at the end because that thought crossed my mind when all of a sudden in the middle of Don Knotts' cameo it just cut to a commercial. It just seemed too abrupt to me, didn't seem like something that happened in the original broadcast. Knotts walks into the cabin complaining about visitors always breaking that water pump (which seemed to work for everyone except for Joey - that was the running gag) and brings in some some of rubber dinghy or something. Then it just cut to commercial. So I'm sitting there thinking ok what next? Will they show what Knotts is gonna do with that "dinghy"? Is he going to collect water into that thing?? But then after the commercial ended it just ran the closing credits over the start of the next show. Bizarre! The episode seemed unfinished. Like you said, they need a better editor. Cut scenes that don't matter, not key points in the story or the resolution. Can you imagine watching THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW on Antenna TV???? They would probably just cut the closing tags completely and those were often pure gems of comedy - hilarious stuff!!


Hi Ivan,
If I recall correctly the water pump floods the cabin and everybody gets in the rubber raft, which is the "payoff" laugh to the whole scene, but the dummies cut that out!

[Luther's nephew Dobie]

In Joke:

The Happy Days episode titled "My Favorite Orkan" introduces Robin Williams as Mork and made him a star.
The title of course is a in joke reference to "My Favorite Martian".
At one point Richie(Ron Howard) is upstairs packing a bag for his trip to outer space with Mork.
Downstairs Mork is watching TV as an announcer says -

"We will return to the Andy Griffith Show after these messages".
Mork: "I like that boy Opie".

Ron Howard of course starred as Opie Taylor on the Andy Griffith Show.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Why I no longer go to bars -
Bar stool philosopher sharing some of his deep thinking:
"If you could meet any character from fiction, which member of F -Troop would it be?"

[Luther's nephew Dobie]

In the Leave It to Beaver episode "Uncle Billy's Visit" from season six, the noted character actor Edgar Buchanan guest stars as Ward Cleaver's rascal uncle.
At episode's end Uncle Billy drives off as the Cleaver clan waves goodbye. Buchanan yells out "So long Hugh" to Ward Cleaver. Ward played being by
actor Hugh Beaumont. I played this scene back maybe 5 times and I am sure he said "Hugh", but if anyone disagrees I am all ears, as it were.

--------------------------------------------------
"It's not what you do it's what you are."
...Big Tim Champion (Circus Boy)

[Luther's nephew Dobie]

Broderick Crawford guest starred in a 5th season (1969) episode of Get Smart titled "The Treasure of C. Errol Madre".
In this "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre" satire, Maxwell Smart travels to the Mexican Outback to track down prospector C. Errol Madre(Crawford).
Similar to Max's shoe phone, Madre's donkey has a hoof phone which Crawford uses to call KAOS headquarters -

"2150 to headquarters. KAOS? Madre. Yeah yeah I know what to do. Soon as we find the gold kill him. Yeah I'll be in touch. 10-4."

The in joke here is that Crawford uses his standard Highway Patrol radio call "2150 to headquarters" when he was Lt. Dan Mathews to sign on,
and acknowledgement code "10-4" to sign off.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"If everybody pulled in the same direction the world would tip over."
Nathan Shotness (Martin Gabel)
Have Gun Will Travel - "The Fatalist"

[Luther's nephew Dobie]

The classic 1962 movie "The Manchurian Candidate" starring Frank Sinatra and Lawrence Harvey had both in jokes and a 'it got by the censors' moment.
In the Korean War flashback Sgt. Raymond Shaw's (Lawrence Harvey) squad is captured by the Red Chinese. They are unknowingly brainwashed, to be
used as sleeper agents at a later date after they get back home.
In joke: Harvey's squad members names were inspired by the cast of Sgt. Bilko's motor pool on The Phil Silvers Show -

Cpl Allan Melvin
Pvt Silvers
Pvt Hiken
Pvt Lembeck

On Bilko, actor Allan Melvin played Cpl. Henshaw. "Pvt. Silvers" is a reference to Phil Silvers. "Pvt. Hiken" is a reference to Nat Hiken, creator
of Bilko. "Pvt. Lembeck" refers to Harvey Lembeck who played Cpl. Barbella.
Author of The Manchurian Candidate, Richard Condon, was the publicist for the Bilko TV series.

There was also a nudge nudge moment for showbiz insiders when the NYC bar Sinatra goes into is in reality Jillys Saloon.
Jilly the owner - who appears - was a life long pal of Frank's and his joint was the East Coast HQ's for both the Rat Pack and Jackie Gleason's crew.
The stories of their shenanigans there have passed into showbiz legend.

It Got By The Censor -
In the book that inspired the movie The Manchurian Candidate, Shaw's communist agent/mole mother horrifically uses the control - a Queen
of Diamonds playing card - that triggers his conditioning to obey all orders. She commands him to have sex with her.
This scene could never get by the studio censors so the movie producers decided to signal the incest to the savvy viewer by having Shaw's mom
played by Angela Lansbury kiss him full on the mouth.
Lawrence Harvey does a great job conveying this by his subsequent behavior as Shaw becomes a wretched mess.
Unfortunately this understandably goes by a lot of people and they don't get to enjoy the full impact of this powerful movie when the last scene occurs.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Steve Allen:
Do not allow children to mix drinks. It is unseemly and they use too much vermouth.