I picked up another magazine. This one was put out by the good people at Globe and is called Shocking Secrets of America’s Favorite TV Shows of the 50s and 60s. Short title. I figured it would be filled with juicy tidbits about the television stars of yesteryear, but it was actually filled with stuff that I already knew. For example, Andy Griffith was difficult to work with. As an ardent fan of his show, I knew that. Heck, he even wore a cast in a few episodes after he put his fist through a wall.
I found out that one actor on Gunsmoke walked with a fake limp while another one had to hide a real limp. Of course, everyone knows that Dennis Weaver was faking it as Chester, but I had no idea that James Arness couldn’t walk that well.
I also found out that three of the Cartwright’s wore hair pieces, and the other one wore stacked shoes. Bonanza will never be viewed the same.
Anyway, I thought that I would share some other “secrets” of the oldies. I’ll narrow it down to the shows that I have seen more than once.
The Honeymooners – A lot of drinking went on. Hey, it was Jackie Gleason. He liked a good time.
You Bet Your Life – Here’s a shocker. Groucho Marx liked women as well as the Secret Word.
I Love Lucy – Fred and Ethel hated each other.
The Munsters – In real life, Herman Munster went to Harvard.
The Addams Family – Uncle Fester was married to Betty Grable. Think about that for a second. This guy…
was married to this woman.
My Little Margie – I had to watch these reruns because it was my mom’s favorite show. It turns out that Margie liked the sauce.
Davy Crockett – Walt Disney wouldn’t let Fess Parker play a role in The Searchers. This is one that I actually found interesting.
Gunsmoke – Here is where a scandal really hits. While everyone was waiting for Miss Kitty to hook up with Matt, she was hooking up with Doc behind the scenes.
Have Gun, Will Travel – Paladin was one of television’s coolest characters, and Richard Boone was pretty cool, too. Unfortunately, that cool lifestyle of drinking killed him.
The Andy Griffith Show – This is one thing that I didn’t know about my favorite show. It was pre-empted by the debate between Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy.
Hogan’s Heroes – Everybody knows about Bob Crane.
The Monkees – Charles Manson auditioned to be a Monkee.
There is a lot more, but you’ll have to buy the magazine for that. It’s the least I could do for the good people at Globe.
SBI: A Thinning Crowd 