TODAY'S TWD: IT'S MAMMOTH!

I watched an episode of 'The Lucy Show' ("Lucy Meets Robert Goulet") at LikeTV, and Mammoth Studios was holding a Robert Goulet look-a-like contest to promote a movie he was in. Lucy found a look-alike and tried to help him win.

That was a couple of months ago, and I went searching for more TV references to Mammoth Studios becaue I thought for sure I remembered it from somewhere else. And that's how I discovered "A Shroud Of Thoughts", a pop culture blog by Mercurie (who's become something of a regular here).

Hopefully he won't mind that I lifted this segment of his very extensive research into Mammoth Studios in several media outlets (including movies, novels, and I think even comic books) from one of his posts back in 2006.

Speaking of Mammoth Studios:

In fact, its most famous appearance may well be in a television show. On 'The Beverly Hillbillies', during the 1964-1965 season, banker Milton Drysdale obtained controlling insterest in Mammoth Studios for hillbilly multi-millionaire Jed Clampett. For the next few seasons Mammoth Studios head Lawrence Chapman's life would never be the same. Drysdale tried tearing down the studio to make way for a new development. The Clampetts tried opening a general store on the studio lot. They even made a silent movie featuring legendary star Gloria Swanson. Regardless, Lawrence Chapman had to be thankful for the Clampetts. His studio on the decline and Milburn Drysdale wanting it torn down, it was only the Clampetts which kept the studio running!

Although it received most of its exposure on 'The Beverly Hillbillies', Mammoth Studios was also referenced on another sitcom, 'The Monkees'. Curiously, on 'The Monkees' Mammoth Studios seems to have been in worse straits than it was on 'The Beverly Hillbillies'. It appears in the first season episode "I've Got a Little Song Here" as a thriving studio where the latest movie featuring starlet Joanie Janz is being made. It is only nine episodes later, however, in The Monkees at the Movies, that a comment is made that Mammoth went out of business years ago! Indeed, in the second season episode The Picture Frame, Mammoth Studios appears as being totally abandoned. The final reference to Mammoth Studios is in the final episode of 'The Monkees', "Mijacogeo" (AKA "The Frodus Caper"). Although they are at TV station KXIW, Peter tells the police on the phone that they are being held captive behind Mammoth Studios! I can only guess that maybe the studio was back in business and had bought KXIW-TV. Or maybe KXIW-TV had bought Mammoth Studios....

My link to Mercurie's blog is over there to the left, but if you wanted to see the full copy of "The Most Successful Studio Never To Exist", click there.

Check Merc out; there's always something of thoughtful interest over there. (As opposed to here, where very little thought is put into anything!)

So... 'The Lucy Show', 'The Monkees', and 'The Beverly Hillbillies'.....

I'd say we've got a candidate for the TV Crossover Hall of Fame!

BCnU!
Toby OB