The Real McCoys (1962)

The year 1962 was the one that finally toppled the once top-5 rated rural comedy The Real McCoys.  After peaking at #5 in the ratings for 1960-61, it slipped to #14 the following season, as its competition on Thursday at 8:30 stiffened from the unrated Bat Masterson and Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre to the suddenly popular new program Dr. Kildare on NBC. At the end of its fifth season, ABC sold the series to CBS, which slotted it against even tougher competition on Sunday evening at 9:00 opposite the #4 rated program in all of television, Bonanza. In announcing the network switch in its March 17, 1962 issue, TV Guide noted that while agreeing to continue doing the show, Walter Brennan would appear in only a dozen episodes, while co-stars Richard Crenna and Kathy Nolan would carry the bulk of the rest. Neither of those conditions ended up playing out--Nolan left the cast before the season began due to contract demands that weren't met, which is probably why Brennan wound up appearing in 23 of the 39 episodes.

It was perhaps inevitable that Nolan and Brennan would eventually split. In an April 7, 1962 feature story in TV Guide, Nolan describes the camaraderie of the group, "We're a pretty dull group for stories because we all like each other and get along beautifully." But the same article describes Nolan's character as being quick-minded and "its inherent trouble-making capacity for any unwary male who might happen along, whether personally or professionally." As a sign of her determination and capability, she would go on to serve as the first female President of the Screen Actors Guild in 1975. Given the show's success over its first 5 seasons, it is not surprising that Nolan would have wanted a bigger share of the profits after becoming a household name. In the May 12, 1962 issue of TV Guide, a news item reports that Nolan's contract negotiations had grown difficult. After producer Irving Pincus reported a few months earlier that the two parties had agreed to double her salary and give her a percentage of the show, her attorney was reported to have added another 17 demands, including a bigger and better dressing room, car service with a chauffeur, script approval, and the opportunity to direct some episodes (something co-star Richard Crenna also sought and received). Nolan is quoted in the news item as saying the chauffeur demand was false and that she only sought concept approval, not script approval. But the upshot was that she said she would not be doing the series in its final season, which reportedly prompted Brennan to quip, "The tail ain't goin' to wag the dog." But the show was not better off without her, as it limped through the final season into obscurity.

When Nolan, Crenna, and Tony Martinez, who played farmhand Pepino, reunited to talk about the series long after Brennan had died, they all spoke warmly about the series with no mention of how Nolan's departure signaled its death knell. They even went so far as to suggest that Nolan's character Kate injected a proto-feminist perspective into the series by standing up to Brennan's Amos character. Granted, Kate McCoy is often the only one to call out Amos' often deceptive or vindictive behavior, but The Real McCoys advanced the feminist perspective about as much as The Flintstones. The very first episode of 1962, "The Washing Machine" (January 11, 1962), is a case in point. The story begins with Amos and Luke returning home crowing about getting a better price on a produce sale than they expected. Kate, who has been toiling with the laundry in their absence, reminds them that they had promised to buy her a washing machine the next time they got any extra money, and it just so happens there is an affordable used model at the local appliance store. But in typical fashion Amos and Luke hem and haw before admitting they have already spent the extra money on farm equipment that will benefit their workload. Fed up with their empty promises, Kate rounds up other neighbor women without washing machines to pool their money and buy the used machine, which they agree can reside at the McCoy home since Kate came up with the idea. Amos objects to Kate "going behind his back" to make a family decision, since he says he is the head of the household and therefore gets to make all the decisions. But Kate has used her own money, not the family's, and besides the machine is delivered before Amos can do anything about it. If the story had stopped here, one could argue that Kate was a shining example of women's rights, but of course the whole arrangement backfires because the other women in the deal take advantage of Kate, hanging out at her house playing cards, eating her out of house and home, and even barging over to do their laundry on the day that is supposed to be reserved for her. Meanwhile, Amos keeps needling Luke about being a woman because his wife has overruled him, so Luke marches in to tell Kate that he is going to assert his male privilege and tell her that the washing machine arrangement has got to end. She is already worn down by the debacle and agrees with him that she should just follow orders from the men, but she tells him that it means he will have to tell the other women the deal is over, which he is unable to do because they just ignore him. So the task falls to Amos, who decides to tell the women that he is going to charge them for all the food they have eaten at his house over the last several weeks, just as if they had gone to a diner or coffee shop. Since the bill he arrives at is more than their original investment in the washing machine, the other women are happy to walk away and leave the washing machine with Kate. When she later tries to ask Luke how he was able to strike such a good deal, he reminds her of her earlier agreement to just let the men of the house handle all the financial matters. So the moral offered to viewers of this episode is that a woman is not sophisticated enough to work out a business deal without suffering unintended consequences and that only a man like Amos can work out a deal that is to the family's advantage--hardly a victory for the cause of women's rights.

The only other 1962 episode from Season 5 to focus on Kate, "Who's Margie?" (March 1, 1962), has her jump to a jealous conclusion when she hears Luke utter the name "Margie" in his sleep one night just before their wedding anniversary. Rather than asking him directly about who Margie is, Kate tries to surreptitiously identify the mystery woman, asking Amos if Luke had any such named girlfriends before he met her, looking through old photo albums in hopes of finding a Margie, and getting advice from one of her seamstress clients about how to question Luke in his sleep to reveal the woman's identity. When none of these attempts produces results, she then assumes that Luke is having an affair with her client after he is inexplicably delayed when giving the woman a ride home after her car breaks down in front of their house. As with "The Washing Machine" episode, Amos rides Luke for being less than a man for suffering Kate's bad temper over what she thinks is his infidelity, again suggesting that a husband should have complete control over his wife and be able to command her not to be angry, even though he has no idea what she is angry about. As it turns out, "Margie" is merely the name of the song that was playing when Luke and Kate shared their first dance early in their courtship, something that he has remembered through the years but she has forgotten, making her appear foolish when he finally reminds her of the song after buying her a record of it for their anniversary. With plots like this one, no wonder Kathy Nolan wanted concept approval before agreeing to appear in Season 6.

We've documented in our previous posts on The Real McCoys the show's chauvinistic presentation of almost all women outside the McCoy household. While such stories appear rarely in the latter Season 5 episodes in 1962, they return with a vengeance in the final season with Nolan out of the picture. Nolan's absence is explained by merely mentioning that Luke is now a widower about 18 months after Kate's unexplained death in the first episode of Season 6, "Grandpa Pygmalion" (September 30, 1962). Since the men of the McCoy household are inept and uninterested in housekeeping, Amos sends for a distant relative from West Virginia, Tilda Hicks (played by a pre-Gilligan's Island Tina Louise), to work as their housekeeper. Tilda is almost a carbon copy of Elly Mae Clampett--stronger than the men but also an excellent cook of a Beverly Hillbillies favorite, hog jowels--though it is virtually impossible that she was modeled on the Donna Douglas character because The Beverly Hillbillies debuted only 4 days before this episode aired. But that doesn't prevent the McCoys brain trust from trying to cash in on another newly popular sit-com by also using Norma Varden as a helpless socialite keen on hiring Tilda away after her maid abandons her, very reminiscent of Varden's character on Hazel. However, though Tilda proves to be an excellent housekeeper at first, Amos makes the mistake of forcing Luke to take her to a dance when he notices Tilda has taken a liking to the widower, where she is courted heavily by all the other young bachelors in town, and the attention turns her into a worthless movie magazine reader and TV exercise program watcher to make herself more alluring to her new beaus. When she proves uninterested in doing any more housework for the McCoys, Amos pawns her off on Varden's socialite and wheedles a fee out of her to compensate for her travel expenses coming out to California as well as her "training." When he realizes that he has made a profit on the exchange, Amos then sees this as a lucrative side business and immediately sends another letter back home to recruit another housekeeping "trainee" from his relations. Taking advantage of people at both ends of the transaction captures the essence of Amos' character--greed and ego--which is the main reason why this series fails to hold its appeal today.

The next episode, "Three Strikes and Out" (October 7, 1962), has Amos pretend he is romantically attracted to three elderly women so that he con them into doing his housework. And if that isn't bad enough, when the three women find out about his duplicity, they actually thank him because he has made them feel useful doing his housework for free. So much for the show's proto-feminism. Luke falls for the come-on from sexy scammer Sally Burton in "The Roofing Salesman" (October 21, 1962), then nearly gets hooked into an unfortunate marriage by "The New Housekeeper" (November 18, 1962), an older matron who is an efficient homemaker herself but cons the McCoys in allowing her to bring her attractive but worthless daughter to live with them in the hopes that she can nab Luke and thereby ensure their future financial security. Luke gets duped once again into signing a long-term contract by attractive dance instructor Adele Bishop in "The Farmer and Adele" (December 31, 1962) requiring Amos to come to the rescue posing as a new pupil who blabs all the dance studio's underhanded schemes to other prospective victims. Pepino is also frequently the victim of gold-digging girlfriends, such as in "Pepino's Inheritance" (November 26, 1962) in which he thinks he has inherited a valuable parcel of Arizona ranch land that brings back girlfriend Angela who had jilted him for a richer boyfriend. When the inherited land proves to be worthless, Angela bolts before he can even say a word to her. A similar story plays out in "The Love Bug Bites Pepino" (December 16, 1962): after Pepino's work suffers because he has been dumped by latest girlfriend Chiquita for George's new handsome farm hand, Amos wins her back by telling her he is about to make Pepino wealthy by giving him all his back pay. But once George gets wind of Amos' lie when his farm hand mopes after losing Chiquita, George tells her that he is going to make his farmhand an equal partner. Finally Amos and George realize that Chiquita isn't good for either of their farm hands in the long run, so they cook up a ruse to make her think the owner of the restaurant where she works is about to come into some money. The McCoys also run up against scamming "health farm" proprietor Miss Simpson in "The Health Addict" (December 9, 1962), who refuses to buy their produce because her clients are only allowed to eat her own specially grown fruits and vegetables. Inexplicably, Miss Simpson thinks that hiring Luke will attract her bored rich socialite clients to stick with her longer, and when Luke says he is no health and exercise expert, she confesses that her whole set-up is bogus. When Luke becomes brainwashed after working for her only a few days, Amos infiltrates and offers the clients the freedom to eat whatever they want and to get the exercise they need to keep trim--by doing housework at his house, again, striking a blow for women's empowerment everywhere.

However, there are a couple of respectable women in Season 6 episodes. Runaway Swedish Hollywood star Taina Engstrom shows up at the McCoys' home one day trying to get away from her hectic movie-star life, and when she learns they are looking for a housekeeper, pretends that she is answering their advertisement, though why she picked their house for her escape is never really explained adequately. It is quickly clear that she is not a great housekeeper, but Luke falls in love with her and wants to marry her, even after learning she is an actress, until Amos paints for him a picture of an emasculated man who walks her dog rather than working for a living. Taina lets Luke think that he is dropping her even after telling Amos that she has realized she belongs back in Hollywood, but once again a woman has found herself by doing housework supporting men. In "The Girl Veterinarian" (December 3, 1962), Luke secretly calls the local vet when one of their cows is sick and not responding to Amos' family elixir, despite Amos' objection to bringing in what he considers a shyster. But instead of the male vet he expects, Luke gets a new understudy who is a woman and at first discounts her ability because of her gender. After she flares at him for giving him the same chauvinistic response she has been getting elsewhere, he allows her to treat the cow with a more scientific approach but insists that they hide it from Amos by pretending that Luke is dating her. When the cow gets better, Amos thinks it is his family elixir, but when he finally catches the lady vet with her medical bag examining his cow, he throws a fit, even after Luke explains that her treatments healed the cow, not the elixir that Luke stopped giving the cow days ago. Not appreciative that his cow has been healed, Amos instead secretly milks the cow in the middle of the night so that when the lady vet and her boss arrive the next day to see if the cow can produce any milk, it appears that her treatment has failed. The lady vet is so distraught that she resigns her position, saying she has had enough male resistance, and considers abandoning her career. Only after Luke shames Amos for his treatment of her does Amos try to make amends by making her think that the cow can give milk after all. Amos' pattern of behavior in this episode is typical of his character throughout the series--he engages in trickery, sabotage, and flim-flam until he gets caught and is forced to make amends, and yet he gives into his selfish impulses again and again, never becoming a man who chooses to do the right thing the first time and hardly ever admitting that he has done anything wrong.

He tries to burn trash in violation of city air pollution statutes and tries to get away with it by lying that he was just having a barbecue in "The Law and Mr. McCoy" (February 1, 1962). He tries to ditch a date with George's sister Flora after a woman he knew as a youngster back in West Virginia and always considered ugly and a pest turns out to now be attractive and wealthy in "Double Date" (February 15, 1962). He betrays his best friend George in "In Grampa We Trust" (March 22, 1962) by undercutting what he said he was going to charge for his own apple crop when he learns that George has put Luke in charge of selling his apples while George is away, miffed that George picked Luke for the job rather than him. He is ready to let George move away because he is allergic to the corn being grown on Amos' farm rather than sacrifice the profit he might get from the corn in "Allergies Anonymous" (April 5, 1962). He criticizes and disparages the husband of his favorite niece in "Don't Judge a Book" (May 3, 1962), accusing him of being snobbish and the reason she never visits only to find out the niece is the real snob and the husband is a friendly, hard-working and interesting man. He is willing to slaughter and eat an adorable piglet he and George jointly win in "The Raffle Ticket" (May 10, 1962) just because he is too stubborn to accept George's offer to buy his interest in the pig. In "The Good Will Tour" (October 28, 1962), he plays into the hands of visiting Russian propagandists by making American farms seem puny and poor, all because he is jealous that George's farm was originally selected for the tour by foreign dignitaries. And he tries to swindle his own government for more money than he deserves in "Money From Heaven" (November 5, 1962) when an Army paratrooper accidentally lands on and collapses a shed he was planning to take down and replace anyway. And this is the man who is always crowing about the glorious legacy of the McCoy family. Is it any wonder that the series was canceled after Kathy Nolan walked away?

The Actors

For the biographies for Walter Brennan, Richard Crenna, Kathy Nolan, Lydia Reed, Michael Winkelman, Tony Martinez, Andy Clyde, and Madge Blake, see the 1960 post for The Real McCoys.

Notable Guest Stars

Season 5, Episode 13, "The Washing Machine": Lesley Woods (shown on the left, played Evelyn Dark on The Edge of Night, Miriam Bentley on A Flame in the Wind, Vivian Gentry on The Nurses, Andrea Whiting on Search for Tomorrow, Isabel Jones on Bright Promise, Zoe Tate on Return to Peyton Place, Betty Wilson on All My Children, Alma Miller on Falcon Crest, and Grandma Helen Logan on The Bold and the Beautiful) plays neighbor housewife Jane Poplar. Norma Connolly (Lena Karr Gilroy on The Young Marrieds, Mrs. Yost on The Edge of Night, and Ruby Anderson on General Hospital) plays neighbor housewife Carol Dorset.

Season 5, Episode 14, "Pepino McCoy, Citizen": Harry Lauter (shown on the right, played Ranger Clay Morgan on Tales of the Texas Rangers, Atlasande on Rocky Jones, Space Ranger, and Jim Herrick on Waterfront) plays immigration clerk Mr. Beamer.

Season 5, Episode 15, "Meeting Hassie's Friends": Kip King (shown on the left, voice of Shecky on The Biskitts and played Ronald Sandler on Charlie & Co. and Tailor Smurf on The Smurfs) plays Hassie's friend Spookie. May Heatherly (Heather McNabb on The Man From U.N.C.L.E.) plays Hassie's friend Maxine. Quinn O'Hara (appeared in A Swingin' Summer, The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini, Foursome, and The Teacher and played Ashley Davidson on Dallas) plays Hassie's friend Flossie.

Season 5, Episode 16, "The Law and Mr. McCoy": Howard McNear (shown on the right, see the biography section for the 1961 post on The Andy Griffith Show) plays newspaper editor Elroy Gardner. Rhys Williams (Doc Burrage on The Rifleman) plays district Judge Reuter. Hugh Sanders (appeared in That's My Boy, The Pride of St. Louis, The Winning Team, and The Wild One) plays city councilman Everett P. Merken. Ray Kellogg (Deputy Ollie on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp) plays police Officer Dugan.

Season 5, Episode 17, "George's Nephew": Michael Parks (shown on the left, starred in Bus Riley's Back in Town, The Bible: In the Beginning, The Return of Josey Wales, From Dusk Till Dawn, Kill Bill, and Argo, and played Jim Bronson on Then Came Bronson, Phillip Colby on The Colbys, and Jean Renault on Twin Peaks) plays George's nephew Tom MacMichael.

Season 5, Episode 18, "Double Date": Doris Kenyon (shown on the right, starred in Wild Honey (1916), Twilight, The Ruling Passion, Bright Lights of Broadway, The Road to Singapore, Alexander Hamilton, and The Man in the Iron Mask) plays Amos' one-time girlfriend Emmy Lou Springer. Percy Helton (Homer Cratchit on The Beverly Hillbillies) plays the mailman.

Season 5, Episode 19, "Made in Italy": Ziva Rodann (appeared in Forty Guns, The Private Lives of Adam and Eve, The Story of Ruth, and College Confidential and played Nefertiti on Batman) plays Italian immigrant Carla Rinaldi. Alejandro Rey (shown on the left, played Carlos Ramirez on The Flying Nun, Karl Duval on Days of Our Lives, and Capt. Luis Rueda on Dallas) plays her fiance Mario.

Season 5, Episode 20, "Who's Margie?": Joan Taylor (shown on the right, see the biography section for the 1961 post on The Rifleman) plays Kate's dress-making client Mrs. Tate.

Season 5, Episode 22, "In Grampa We Trust": Richard Deacon (shown on the left, see the biography section for the 1961 post on The Dick Van Dyke Show) plays apple-pie company buyer Mr. Milton.

Season 5, Episode 23, "Never a Lender Be": Jon Lormer (shown on the right, played Harry Tate on Lawman, the autopsy surgeon on Perry Mason, Simon Benjamin on The Young Marrieds, and Judge Irwin A. Chester on Peyton Place) plays neighbor farmer Sam Watkins.

Season 5, Episode 24, "Allergies Anonymous": Russell Johnson (shown on the left, starred in It Came From Outer Space, This Island Earth, and Johnny Dark and played Marshal Gib Scott on Black Saddle, Professor Roy Hinkley on Gilligan's Island, and Assistant D.A. Brenton Grant on Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law) plays George's physician Dr. Ross.

Season 5, Episode 25, "Pepino's Fortune": Robert Foulk (shown on the right, played Ed Davis on Father Knows Best, Sheriff Miller on Lassie, Joe Kingston on Wichita Town, Mr. Wheeler on Green Acres, and Phillip Toomey on The Rifleman) plays farm equipment dealer Ed Bailey.

Season 5, Episode 26, "Pepino's Vacation": Henry Corden (shown on the left, played Carlo on The Count of Monte Cristo, and Babbitt on The Monkees and did voicework on The Flintstones, Jonny Quest, The Atom Ant Show, The Banana Splits Adventure Hour, and Return to the Planet of the Apes) plays Pepino's temporary replacement Pedro. Eddie Quillan (starred in The Grapes of Wrath, Mandarin Mystery, Mutiny on the Bounty, and Hi, Good Lookin'! and played Eddie Edson on Julia and Poco Loco on Hell Town) plays employment office clerk Mr. Nelson.

Season 5, Episode 27, "Bubble, Bubble, Toil, and Trouble": Jeanette Nolan (shown on the right, starred in Macbeth (1948), The Big Heat, Tribute to a Bad Man, and The Reluctant Astronaut, did voicework for Psycho, The Rescuers, and The Fox and the Hound, and played Annette Devereaux on Hotel de Paree and Holly Grainger on The Virginian) plays caster of spells Gladys Hunnicutt.

Season 5, Episode 28, "Don't Judge a Book": Virginia Gregg (starred in Dragnet, Crime in the Streets, Operation Petticoat and was the voice of Norma Bates in Psycho, Maggie Belle Klaxon on Calvin and the Colonel, and Tara on Space Stars) plays Amos' favorite niece Sarah. Edward Andrews (shown on the left, appeared in The Harder They Fall, Elmer Gantry, The Absent-Minded Professor, Son of Flubber, Advise and Consent, and The Glass Bottom Boat and played Cmdr. Rogers Adrian on Broadside and Col. Fairburn on The Doris Day Show) plays her husband Harry.

Season 6, Episode 1, "Grandpa Pygmalion": Tina Louise (shown on the right, starred in God's Little Acre, For Those Who Think Young, The Wrecking Crew, and The Stepford Wives and played Ginger Grant on Gilligan's Island and Julie Grey on Dallas) plays distant West Virginia relative Tilda Hicks. Norma Varden (see the biography section for the 1961 post on Hazel) plays helpless society hostess Mrs. Barton.

Season 6, Episode 2, "Three Strikes and Out": Marjorie Bennett (shown on the left, see the biography section for the 1960 post on The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis) plays widow Amanda Comstock. Forrest Lewis (Mr. Peavey on The Great Gildersleeve) plays barber Al. Hope Sansberry (Mrs. Nell Hall on The Phil Silvers Show) plays his wife's sister Harriet Dixon. Irene Tedrow (see the biography section for the 1961 post on Dennis the Menace) plays spinster Abigail Dooley.

Season 6, Episode 3, "Army Reunion": Harry Holcombe (shown on the right, appeared in The Fortune Cookie, The Unsinkable Molly Brown, Foxy Brown, Escape to Witch Mountain, and Empire of the Ants and played Frank Gardner on Search for Tomorrow, Doc Benson on My Mother the Car, Mr. Kendricks on Barefoot in the Park, and Dr. J.P. Martin on Bonanza) plays outgoing VFW chapter commander Harry Johnson. Emory Parnell (Hawkins on The Life of Riley and Hank the bartender on Lawman) plays George's old Army buddy Curly Brown. Alan Jenkins (see the biography section for the 1961 post on Top Cat) plays George's old Army buddy Skinny Howard. Vince Barnett (appeared in Scarface (1932), The Prizefighter and the Lady, The Corpse Vanishes, and Crazy Mama and played Elmo on The Andy Griffith Show and Mayberry R.F.D.) plays George's old Army buddy Scotty Harris.

Season 6, Episode 4, "The Roofing Salesman": Jack Cassidy (shown on the left, Tony Award-winning father of David and Shaun Cassidy and husband of Shirley Jones, played Oscar North on He & She) plays roof weatherization salesman Jack Masters. Doris Singleton (Caroline Appleby on I Love Lucy, Susie on Angel, and Margaret Williams on My Three Sons) plays his partner Sally Burton. Jon Lormer (see "Never a Lender Be" above) returns as neighbor Sam Watkins.

Season 6, Episode 5, "The Goodwill Tour": Earl Hammond (shown on the right, played Hal Soames on Valiant Lady, Captain Sovine on The Clear Horizon, and voiced Mon-star on Silverhawks and Mumm-ra, Jaga, and Vultureman on Thundercats) plays government employee E.D. Young. Leonid Kinskey (appeared in Duck Soup, Les Miserables (1935), Ball of Fire, and Casablanca and played Pierre Quincy on The People's Choice) plays Russian visitor Potko. Ray Montgomery (Prof. Howard Ogden on Ramar of the Jungle) plays a policeman.

Season 6, Episode 6, "Money From Heaven": Leonard Stone (shown on the left, appeared in The Mugger, The Big Mouth, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, and Soylent Green and played Doc Joslyn on Camp Runamuck, Packy Moore on General Hospital, and Judge Paul Hansen on L.A. Law) plays U.S. Army paymaster Capt. Lewis. Tristram Coffin (Lt. Doyle on The Files of Jeffrey Jones and Capt. Tom Rynning on 26 Men) plays his superior Col. Deever. John Wilder (wrote multiple scripts for Peyton Place, Branded, The Streets of San Francisco, and Spenser: For Hire) plays an Army paratrooper.

Season 6, Episode 7, "Actress in the House": Taina Elg (shown on the right, starred in Les Girls, The 39 Steps, Watusi, and Hercules in New York, and played Diana Ross on The Doctors, Dr. Ingrid Fischer on The Guiding Light, Olympia Buchanan on One Life to Live, and Mrs. Mulryan on Loving) plays runaway actress Taina Engstrom. Frank Albertson (starred in Alice Adams, Man Made Monster, and It's a Wonderful Life and played Billy Rose on The Billy Rose Show and Mr. Cooper on Bringing Up Buddy) plays her agent Jerry Williams. Charles Irving (Judge Blanchard on Perry Mason) plays private detective Charlie Martin.

Season 6, Episode 8, "The New Housekeeper": Una Merkel (shown on the left, Academy Award nominee, appeared in Abraham Lincoln, 42nd Street, Destry Rides Again, The Bank Dick, The Parent Trap, and Summer and Smoke) plays new housekeeper Mrs. Gaylord.

Season 6, Episode 9, "Pepino's Inheritance": Gale Garnett (shown on the right, Grammy-winning popular singer who appeared in Tribute, Mr. and Mrs. Bridge, and My Big Fat Greek Wedding) plays Pepino's girlfriend Angela. Neil Hamilton (starred in The Great Gatsby (1926), Why Be Good?, Tarzan the Ape Man (1932), and Brewster's Millions, was the host of Hollywood Screen Test, and played Commissioner Gordon on Batman) plays realtor Mr. Rogers. Frank Wilcox (see the biography section for the 1961 post on The Untouchables) plays estate lawyer Jerrold B. Cook. Percy Helton (see "Double Date" above) returns as mailman Mr. Perkins. George Petrie (Nathan Wade on Search for Tomorrow, Freddie Muller on The Honeymooners, Don Rudy Aiuppo on Wiseguy, Harv Smithfield on Dallas, and Sid on Mad About You) plays a car salesman. Jimmy Cross (Jessie Flouge on How to Marry a Millionaire) plays a real estate salesman.

Season 6, Episode 10, "The Girl Veterinarian": Ellen Burstyn (shown on the left, starred in For Those Who Think Young, The Last Picture Show, The Exorcist, Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, and Same Time, Next Year and played Dr. Kate Bartok on The Doctors, Julie Parsons on Iron Horse, Ellen Brewer on The Ellen Burstyn Show, Dolly DeLucca on That's Life, Bishop Beatrice Congreve on The Book of Daniel, Nancy Davis Dutton on Big Love, and Evanka on Louie) plays recent veterinary graduate Dr. Dorothy Carter.

Season 6, Episode 11, "The Health Addict": Paula Winslowe (shown on the right, played Martha Conklin on Our Miss Brooks) plays women's health farm proprietor Miss Simpson. Phyllis Gehrig (wife of production manager Norman Pincus, brother of series creator Irving Pincus) plays her assistant Miss O'Toole. Judith Rawlins (second wife of singer Vic Damone) plays health farm client Peggy Reade. Hollis Irving (Mrs. Woodley on Blondie and Aunt Phoebe on Margie) plays client Helen Bradley.

Season 6, Episode 12, "The Love Bug Bites Pepino": BarBara Luna (shown on the left, played Theresa Modesto on Zorro, Maria Roberts on One Life to Live, Anna Ryder on Search for Tomorrow, and Sydney Jacobs on Sunset Beach) plays Pepino's girlfriend Chiquita. Mike de Anda (Ciego on The Big Valley) plays restaurant owner Jose.

Season 6, Episode 13, "Luke the Reporter": Pat Buttram (shown on the right, appeared in numerous Gene Autry movies, played himself on The Gene Autry Show, Mr. Haney on Green Acres and Petticoat Junction, and voiced Cactus Jake on Garfield and Friends) plays auto mechanic Pat Clemens. Virginia Vincent (see the biography section for the 1961 post on The Joey Bishop Show) plays his girlfriend Nancy Templeton. Jonathan Hole (Orville Monroe on The Andy Griffith Show) plays newspaper editor Elmer Clark. Norma Connolly (see "The Washing Machine" above) plays laundromat gossiper Ethel. Hollis Irving (see "The Health Addict" above) plays fellow gossiper Ruth.

Season 6, Episode 14, "The Farmer and Adele": Mamie Van Doren (shown on the left, starred in Untamed Youth, High School Confidential!, The Beat Generation, Girls Town, and College Confidential) plays dance instructor Adele Webster. Grant Richards (appeared in A Night of Mystery, Love on Toast, and Under the Big Top and played Warren Nash on Love of Life) plays her manager Michael Bowen. Olan Soule (Aristotle "Tut" Jones on Captain Midnight, Ray Pinker on Dragnet (1952-59), Cal on Stagecoach West, the Hotel Carlton desk clerk on Have Gun -- Will Travel, and Fred Springer on Arnie and voiced Batman on The All-New Super Friends Hour, Challenge of the Superfriends, The World's Greatest SuperFriends, and Super Friends) plays a prospective dance student. James Maloney (Jim on 21 Beacon Street) plays another prospective dance student.

 

 

The Real McCoys (1960)

Years before the arrival of The Beverly Hillbillies, Green Acres, Petticoat Junction, and even The Andy Griffith Show, the mold for southern, country-flavored situation comedies was set by the Walter Brennan/Irving Pincus collaboration The Real McCoys, which ran from 1957-1963. Like the characters on The Beverly Hillbillies, the McCoys are a rural Appalachian family who move to California to start a new life. The McCoys hail from the fictional Smoky Corners, West Virginia and inherit farmland in the San Fernando Valley in California, where the family takes up "dirt farming," though they appear to make most of their income from selling eggs. Also like the Beverly Hillbillies, and like an increasing number of families in situation comedies during the late 1950s and throughout the 1960s, the family has an untraditional structure, consisting of grandfather Amos McCoy (Walter Brennan), grandchildren Luke (Richard Crenna), Hassie (Lydia Reed), and Little Luke (Michael Winkelman), and elder Luke's newly married wife Kate (Kathy Nolan). The grandchildren's parents are nowhere in evidence, nor are they even mentioned once by seasons 3 and 4, which comprise the episodes that aired in calendar year 1960. The explanation for the two brothers both named Luke was that their parents were so excited at the birth of their second boy that they named him Luke, forgetting that they already had a boy with that name.

When the McCoy family moved to California and inherited their farm, they also inherited the services of musically inclined Mexican ranch hand Pepino Garcia (Tony Martinez). And several episodes also feature the recurring characters of their neighbors George McMichael (Andy Clyde) and his sister Flora (Madge Blake).

Most of the episodes revolve in some way around Brennan's character Amos McCoy, who as the patriarch of the family feels that he is entitled to run everyone else's affairs. He is intended to be seen as a comedic character, though he is opinionated, domineering, under-handed, and has an over-inflated sense of importance and abilities. In other words, he could have served as the model for Fred Flintstone. However, to the show's credit, Amos is sometimes proven wrong and has to admit it, while at others he is shown as a clever man who can outsmart those inside or outside his family. The other family members largely serve as his foils, though occasionally other characters have an episode dedicated to them, as in Luke's obsession with losing his hair in "Baldy" (December 8, 1960) or Little Luke learning a lesson about sharing his wealth in "One for the Money" (August 10, 1960).

It has been said that the themes depicted in the show reflected Brennan's values, which were extremely conservative (see his profile below). That conservatism is nowhere more evident than in the episodes that take a male chauvinist view of women, a topic touched on in three of the year 1960's 28 episodes. In "Once There Was a Man" (February 8, 1960), the McCoys are visited by their cousin Charlie, who was once a hell-raising independent character but now is newly married and completely subservient to his wife Ethel, who has just read a new book arguing for equality between the sexes in domestic responsibilities. Amos and Luke spend the episode prodding Charlie to assert himself and preventing Kate from being influenced by Ethel's ideas. By the end of the episode Ethel has been made to see the error of her ways and is ready to submit to her husband.

In "Beware a Smart Woman" (October 13, 1960), Kate, who never finished high school, decides to take an adult education class in English at the high school and drags Luke along, even after Amos has warned him that a woman with an education will only use it to make her husband feel stupid. Luke quickly sees this in action as he is made the laughingstock of the class to the embarrassment of Kate. When Kate tries to study for the final exam, Amos first tries to interrupt her, then tells her that his wife was a very smart woman because she never made him feel stupid. Kate ends up intentionally failing the exam to preserve her husband's fragile ego.

And finally in "Executive Wife" (October 20, 1960), Kate wins a blue ribbon at the state fair for her picalilly preserves and is presented a lucrative contract to market the recipe by the contest's corporate sponsor. Amos and Luke bristle at the prospect of a woman becoming the family's primary breadwinner but are ultimately saved because Kate's recipe proves to be too complex and costly to be profitable, and the corporate sponsor cancels the contract.

Another theme that comes in for regular treatment is pride in the family name of the McCoys, though it isn't clear what the family has accomplished to warrant such sentiment. Amos often uses the family name as a way to exclude others, as in the episode "A House Divided" (March 14, 1960) where Hassie tries to go around Kate's authority by asking Amos if she can go riding in her boyfriend's new car after Kate had already forbad it. Amos reminds Kate that she is not a "real McCoy" and decides to take over supervision of the two younger grandchildren. But Luke has to remind him, through a series of flashbacks, of the disastrous consequences the last time they tried the arrangement, and by episode's end Kate's authority is restored and Amos claims that she is, after all, a "real McCoy." A similar exclusion is levied on Pepino in "Pepino McCoy" (October 27, 1960) when he tries to contribute to the family's financial difficulties. After the family learns that he has secretly taken a second job as a singer in a local restaurant and chipped in all of his earnings to the family cookie jar, Amos relents and claims that he, too, is a "real McCoy."

One of the more interesting topics covered in the show deals with attitudes toward the aged. Though he is 69 years old, Amos believes that he is as capable, if not more so, than anyone younger than he. In "Father and Son Day" (November 19, 1960), he insists on competing as a teammate with Little Luke in a series of father-and-son contests being held locally and even claims that he and Little Luke will win all the prizes. But after his suggestions for old timey games like bobbing for apples are turned down and he has to train for what he calls "muscle games" like tug-of-war and baseball, he comes up lame and has to let Luke serve as Little Luke's partner. And in "Smothered in Love" (December 1, 1960), Amos resents what he calls "molly-coddling" by Luke and Kate after they are guilt-stricken after visiting the family friend Mr. Albright in his luxurious retirement home. Amos argues that when people are so attentive and try to do everything for him, it only makes him feel older than he already is.

Eventually, the success of its descendant, The Beverly Hillbillies, was a key factor in the cancellation of The Real McCoys. Despite a January 23, 1960 cover story in TV Guide that depicted the show's cast as a mutual admiration society, Nolan left the show after the 1961-62 season in a contract dispute (her character was killed off), and the series was dropped by ABC but picked up for one more season by CBS as simply The McCoys. Reed's and Winkelman's characters were also written out of the series, and when the show's ratings sagged when matched up against Bonanza, ABC did not bring it back for the fall of 1963. But The Real McCoys paved the way for some of the more memorable comedy series of the 1960s.

The theme song for the show is sung by country music legend Jimmie Rodgers and was composed by longtime show-tune icon Harry Ruby, who teamed with Bert Kalmar to write such hits as "Who's Sorry Now?", "I Want to Be Loved by You," and "Three Little Words." However, no credit is given for the composer of the score for each show. Besides Ruby, only music supervisor E.C. Norton receives credit at the end of each episode.

The first four seasons have been released on DVD by Infinity Entertainment.

The Actors

Walter Brennan

Brennan is the only actor to have won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor three times, including the very first time the honor was awarded in 1936 for his role in Come and Get It. He was driven to film acting after losing a fortune during the Great Depression on real estate he had acquired in 1920s California. He had started his entertainment career with some early work in vaudeville before listing in the military in World War I. Though he was not wounded during the war, exposure to poison gas damaged his vocal chords, leaving with the high-pitched tone that became his trademark and led to his being cast in old-man roles while still in his 30s. As an up-and-coming actor in 1925, he was befriended by Gary Cooper and the two would often appear at casting offices as a team. They would memorably star together in the 1940 film The Westerner and again in Sergeant York the following year.

Politically, Brennan was an ultra-conservative, backing former Alabama governor and segregationist George Wallace in the 1968 presidential election because he felt that Richard Nixon was too liberal. He believed that the anti-war and civil rights movements in the 1960s were the work of communists and reportedly was delighted by the assassinations of Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr. After The Real McCoys ended its run, he starred in the western drama The Guns of Will Sonnett from 1967-69 and played the role of Andy Pruitt on the series To Rome With Love during 1970-71. He died from emphysema at the age of 80 on September 21, 1974.

Richard Crenna

Crenna grew up in Los Angeles, the son of a pharmacist and a hotel manager, and graduated from USC with a degree in Theatre Arts. His dramatic career at age 11 when he appeared on the radio series Boy Scout Jamboree, one of several radio shows he did. The last of these was Our Miss Brooks, which Crenna stayed with when it transitioned to television in 1952. After The Real McCoys ended, he starred in the series Slattery's People during its two seasons in 1964-65 and received two Emmy nominations. He also won an Emmy for his role in the TV movie The Rape of Richard Beck as well as a Golden Globe nomination. He also appeared in a number of films, including The Sand Pebbles, Wait Until Dark, and as Colonel Sam Trautman in the first three Rambo movies. From the 1970s through the 1990s, he starred in such TV shows as All's Fair, It Takes Two, and Pros and Cons, as well as the mini-series Centennial. He was playing the role of Jared Duff in the Tyne Daly series Judging Amy at the time of his death in 2003.

Kathy Nolan

Born Jocelyn Schrum in St, Louis, MO, Nolan broke into television acting at the age of 20 appearing in the role of Cousin Liz on the show Jamie in 1953. After the show ended in 1954, she had a handful of appearances on other shows and an occasional movie before landing the role of Kate on The Real McCoys. As mentioned above, she left the show after the fifth season due to a contract dispute, but re-emerged in 1964 as Lt. Anne Morgan on Broadside. Thereafter, her appearances were steady, if not plentiful, on a host of other shows, but she distinguished herself by being elected the first female president of the Screen Actors Guild in 1975. Her most recent acting appearance was on an episode of Cold Case in 2008.

Lydia Reed

A child actress born in Mitchell Field, NY, Reed first appeared on TV at age 8 in 1952 in the TV movie Doctor Serocold. She made other occasional TV appearances and acted in feature films The Seven Little Foys, High Society, and the B-movie horror film The Vampire before landing the role of Hassie on The Real McCoys. After the show ended, she left acting, married, and became a mother, living, ironically enough, in the San Fernando Valley in California.

Michael Winkelman

A child actor, like Reed, Winkelman first appeared on the show The Great Gildersleeve at age 9 in 1955. He mixed a series of acting appearances on TV and in films like The Big Knife, The Indian Fighter, and Ride Out for Revenge throughout the 1950s before landing the role of Little Luke on The Real McCoys. After the show ended, his appearances were few, on The Danny Thomas Show and Mr. Novak in 1963, Kraft Suspense Theater in 1964, and one episode of The Munsters in 1965. He joined the Navy during the Vietnam War and later worked as a groundskeeper at Universal Studios in Los Angeles. He died July 27, 1999 at age 53.

Tony Martinez

Martinez was a mambo band leader born in San Juan, Puerto Rico who went to New York to study at the Julliard School at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. He also studied acting and made a few film appearances in the 1940s and 1950s before being pursued by producers the Pincus brothers for The Real McCoys. One of those films was Rock Around the Clock in which Martinez appeared with his band. After The Real McCoys finished its run, he appeared in single episodes of The Man From U.N.C.L.E., F Troop, and My Favorite Martian. Beginning in the mid 1960s, he appeared for nearly 40 years in the role of Sancho Panza in the Broadway production of Man of La Mancha. He also served in the 1980s as executive director of the Puerto Rican Institute of Motion Pictures. He died of natural causes at age 82 on September 16, 2002.

Andy Clyde

Scottish-born Andy Clyde, who played the role of neighbor George McMichael on The Real McCoys had an acting career that dated back to the 1920s when he appeared in silent Mack Sennett comedies and stayed with Sennett's studio through the transition to talking pictures. He moved over to Columbia Pictures in 1934, signed by Jules White, who also directed and produced The Three Stooges, and remained a comic short-film actor with the studio until 1956, outlasting every other act except the Stooges. His television career began when he appeared in the recurring role of California Carlson on Hopalong Cassidy in 1952. He also had repeat appearances on Circus Boy and The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin before landing his role on The Real McCoys. But even while playing George McMichael on The Real McCoys, he still found time to handle recurring roles as Homer Tubbs on The Texan, Pa McBean on The Tall Man, and Dr. Parkinson on Dr. Kildare. After The Real McCoys, he appeared as Grandpa Jim Anderson on the TV version of No Time for Sergeants and as farmer Cully Wilson on Lassie. He passed away at age 75 on May 18, 1967.

Madge Blake

Born in Kinsley, KS, Blake's father was a Methodist minister who disapproved of her interest in acting, but she used another family connection, being the niece of actor Milburn Stone, to help her land acting roles. During World War II, she and her husband worked in Utah on construction of the detonator for the atomic bomb and performed such jobs as testing equipment destined for the Manhattan Project. Her first film role came at age 50 in the Katherine Hepburn/Spencer Tracy comedy Adam's Rib in the uncredited role as Mrs. Bonner. She had many other film roles, most uncredited, throughout the 1950s, including playing gossip columnist Dora Bailey in Singin' in the Rain. Starting with her role as Flora McMichael on The Real McCoys, Blake had a series of memorable supporting TV roles, including Mrs. Mondello, mother of Beaver's friend Larry Mondello, on Leave It to Beaver and as Aunt Harriet Cooper on Batman. She also appeared on The Jack Benny Show as the president of his fan club, constantly interrupting his performances, and Mrs. Barnes on The Joey Bishop Show. She died at age 69 on February 19, 1969. 

Notable Guest Stars

Season 3, Episode 22, "Cousin Naomi": Verna Dalton (Hilda Crocker on December Bride and Pete and Gladys, and Mrs. Day on The Jack Benny Program) plays the McMichaels' insufferable cousin Naomi Vesper. Jimmy Cross (Jesse the Elevator Man on How to Marry a Millionaire) plays an unnamed cab driver. 

Season 3, Episode 24, "The Talk of the Town": Eddie Quillan (Eddie Edson on Julia and Poco Loco on Hell Town) plays Bert the barber. Percy Helton (Homer Cratchit on The Beverly Hillbillies) plays his customer Nathan. 

Season 3, Episode 25, "Once There Was a Man": Hal Baylor (Bill Thompson on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp) plays cousin Charlie McCoy. Doris Singleton (Caroline Appleby on I Love Lucy, Susie on Angel, and Margaret Williams on My Three Sons) plays his wife Ethel. 

Season 3, Episode 26, "Weekend in Los Angeles": Dick Elliott (shown on the left, played Officer Murphy on Dick Tracy and Mayor Pike on The Andy Griffith Show) plays Doc Thornton, member of the Order of the Mystic Nile. Jon Lormer (Harry Tate on Lawman, various autopsy surgeons and medical examiners in 12 episodes of Perry Mason, and Judge Irwin A. Chester on Peyton Place) plays fellow member Sam Watkins. Addison Richards (starred in Boys Town, They Made Her a Spy, Flying Tigers, and The Deerslayer and who played Doc Calhoun on Trackdown and Doc Landy on The Deputy) plays corporate CEO R.T. Overland. Peter Leeds (Tenner Smith on Trackdown) plays jargon-spouting Mr. Wilson.

Season 3, Episode 27, "First Date": Lynette Winter (Larue on Gidget and Henrietta Plout on Petticoat Junction) plays Little Luke's date Agnes Maypole. Sherry Alberoni (Debbie Potter on The Tom Ewell Show and Sharon James on Family Affair) plays Little Luke suitor Mary Lou.

Season 3, Episode 28, "How to Discover Oil": Marjorie Bennett (starred in Kiss Me Deadly, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?, Promises, Promises, and The Love God? and who played Birdie Brockway on Lassie and Mrs. Kenny on The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis) plays Amos pursuer Amanda Comstock. 

Season 3, Episode 30, "Foreman of the Jury": Max Showalter, aka Casey Adams (shown on the right, starred in Niagra, Dangerous Crossing, Indestructible Man, The Monster That Challenged the World, and How to Murder Your Wife and played Gus Clyde on The Stockard Channing Show) plays phone company lawyer Mr. Meredith. 

Season 3, Episode 31, "One for the Money": Carol Veazie (starred in The Catered Affair, Designing Woman, and Baby the Rain Must Fall and who played Mrs. Maude Endles on Norby) plays newspaper customer Mrs. Mulligan. 

Season 3, Episode 32, "That Was No Lady": John Eldredge (starred in The Woman in Red, The Murder of Dr. Harrigan, and The Black Cat and who played Harry Archer on Meet Corliss Archer) plays the reverend. Don Chastain (starred in The Black Godfather and who played Jim Thompson on The Debbie Reynolds Show and Rick on Rhoda) plays Kate's dance partner. 

Season 3, Episode 33, "The Tycoon": Robert Karnes (Max Fields on The Lawless Years and Deputy D.A. Victor Chamberlin on Perry Mason) plays egg co-op president Dave Sawyer. Mike de Anda (Ciego on The Big Valley) plays Mexican farm hand Rodriguez. 

Season 3, Episode 34, "Where There's a Will": Estelle Winwood (starred in Quality Street, This Happy Feeling, The Notorious Landlady, and Dead Ringer and who played Aunt Hilda on Batman) plays antiques dealer Hortense. 

Season 3, Episode 35, "The Jinx": Sterling Holloway (shown on the left, starred in The Merry Widow, Career Woman, and A Walk in the Sun, did voice work for many Walt Disney films like Dumbo, Bambi, Alice in Wonderland, The Jungle Book and the voice of Winnie the Pooh in various titles, and played Waldo Binney on The Life of Riley and Buck Singleton on The Baileys of Balboa) plays distant relative Orval McCoy.

Season 3, Episode 36, "The Delegates": Jon Lormer (see "Weekend in Los Angeles" above) plays lodge member Sam Hawkins. Billy Bletcher (starred in Babes in Toyland, The Wizard of Oz, and Chatterbox and who provided voice work for many cartoons) plays lodge member Willis Butterfield. 

Season 3, Episode 37, "The Gigolo": Minerva Urecal (shown on the right, played Dean Bradey/Bradley on The Ray Milland Show: Meet Mr. McNulty, Ma Bowie on The Adventures of Jim Bowie, Tugboat Annie Brennan on The Adventures of Tugboat Annie, and Mother on Peter Gunn) plays McCoy mortgage holder Bertha Spangler. Harvey Stephens (starred in Maid of Salem, Swing High, Swing Low, and Abe Lincoln in Illinois) plays lawyer Mr. Denkes. 

 

Season 3, Episode 38, "Teenage Wedding": Edward Everett Horton (shown on the left, starred in Alice in Wonderland, Top Hat, The Merry Widow, Shall We Dance, Here Comes Mr. Jordan, and Arsenic and Old Lace, played Roaring Chicken on F Troop, and was the narrator for Fractured Fairy Tales on Rocky and His Friends) plays Hassie's fiance's grandfather J. Luther Medwick. Dave Willock (starred in Let's Face It, Pin Up Girl, and The Fabulous Dorseys and who played Lt. Binning on Boots and Saddles, Harvey Clayton on Margie, and was the narrator on the animated Wacky Races) plays the courthouse clerk. 

Season 3, Episode 39, "McCoys Ahoy": Denver Pyle (shown on the right, played Ben Thompson on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp, Gradnpa Tarleton on Tammy, Briscoe Darlingon The Andy Griffith Show, Buck Webb on The Doris Day Show, Mad Jack on The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams, and Uncle Jesse on The Dukes of Hazzard) plays Navy shipyard commander Captain Fred Miller. 

Season 4, Episode 1, "Beware a Smart Woman": Parley Baer (Mayor Roy Stoner on The Andy Griffith Show, Darby on The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, Mayor Arthur J. Henson on The Addams Family, and Doc Appleby on The Dukes of Hazzard) plays English teacher Mr. Venable.

Season 4, Episode 2, "Executive Wife": Jerome Cowan (starred in Shall We Dance, Victory, High Sierra, The Maltese Falcon, Miracle on 34th Street and many Blondie movies and who played John Larsen on The Tab Hunter Show) plays Prize Foods representative Mr. Prentiss.

Season 4, Episode 3, "Pepino McCoy": Vito Scotti (Capt. Gaspar Fomento on The Flying Nun, Gino on To Rome With Love, and Mr. Velasquez on Barefoot in the Park) plays restaurant owner Carlos.

Season 4, Episode 4, "Father and Son Day": Ray Kellogg (Deputy Ollie on The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp and various policemen, security guards, and bar employees on The Red Skelton Hour, The Beverly Hillbillies, The Lucy Show, Mister Ed, and many others) plays games committee member Frank. Chick Chandler (Toubo Smith on Soldiers of Fortune and Barney Hogan on One Happy Family) plays games committee member Roy. 

Season 4, Episode 5, "Farmer or Scientist": Alan Hewitt (shown on the left, starred in That Touch of Mink, Days of Wine and Roses, The Misadventures of Merlin Jones, and The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes and played Det. Bill Brennan on My Favorite Martian) plays science teacher Mr. Webber.

Season 4, Episode 6, "The New Librarian": Sara Seegar (shown on the right, starred in The Last Curtain, Dead Men Tell No Tales, and The Music Man and played Eloise Wilson on Dennis the Menace) plays librarian Miss Feeney.

Season 4, Episode 7, "Smothered in Love": Charles Seel (Otis the Bartender on Tombstone Territory, Mr. Krinkie on Dennis the Menace, and Tom Pride on The Road West) plays retiree Sam Albright.

Season 4, Episode 8, "Baldy": Forrest Lewis (Mr. Peavey on The Great Gildersleeve) barber Al. 

Season 4, Episode 9, "The Hermit": Elisha Cook, Jr. (shown on the left, starred in The Maltese Falcon, The Big Sleep, The Great Gatsby (1949), and The Killing and played Francis "Ice Pick" Hofstetler on Magnum P.I.) plays Harry the Hermit. Dean Harens (SAC Bryan Durant on The F.B.I.) plays a psychiatrist who examines him.

Season 4, Episode 10, "The Legacy": Howard McNear (shown on the right, played Floyd Lawson on The Andy Griffith Show and Jansen the Plumber on The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show) plays nosy mailman Joe Finnerty.