A HAT SQUAD TVXOHOF - REMEMBERING VIC DAMONE

We interrupt our regularly scheduled month-long tribute to Black History for this special tribute to the late Vic Damone......

From the Associated Press:
Vic Damone, the enduring postwar lounge singer whose mellow baritone once earned praise from Frank Sinatra as "the best pipes in the business," has died in Florida at the age of 89. 

From Wikipedia:
Vic Damone (June 12, 1928 – February 11, 2018) was an American traditional pop and big band singer, songwriter, actor, radio and television presenter, and entertainer who is best known for songs such as "You're Breaking My Heart" (a number one hit), the number four hit "On the Street Where You Live" (from "My Fair Lady"), and "My Heart Cries for You" (also No. 4).

We're inducting Vic Damone into the Television Crossover Hall of Fame, even though it is with some qualifications.

He does meet the basic requirements, but just barely and that with a couple of splainins.

"James Dean: Race With Destiny"
Casper Van Dien of STARSHIP TROOPERS stars as James Dean, whose remarkable talent and rebel attitude took Hollywood by storm. But as Dean's star begins to rise, his passionate affair with Italian ingénue Pier Angeli (Carrie Mitchum of THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL) angers her disapproving mother (Academy Award nominee Diane Ladd) and studio chief Jack Warner (Mike Connors). How did a broken heart, reckless behavior and his relationships with Natalie Wood, Sal Mineo and director George Stevens (the legendary Robert Mitchum in his final screen role) lead to Dean's ultimate race with destiny? Connie Stevens, Joseph Campanella and Casey Kasem co-star in this revealing biopic that goes behind the myth to tell the true story of the superstar who lived fast, died young and left a legacy that changed movies forever.

This is the televersion of Vic Damone but seen from the perspective of some character within the production.

I wrote about Vic Damone in this TV movie back in 2007.  Click here.

'The Thin Man'
- "Damone Dilemma" (1958)
Vic Damone asks the Charles's assistance in ridding himself of a stalker.  (This episode takes place on the seventh anniversary of the Charles' marriage.)  Vic Damone sings "Angela Mia".

A big thanks to my Southern counterpart Ivan Shreve Jr. for the two pics from within the episode.  I found the publicity picture online, but it had no caption with it.  

I'm thinking it's of Nick and Nora Charles and Vic Damone, with Damone's wife Pier Angeli.  If so, then by the end of this year the Damones would be divorced.

'The Dick Van Dyke Show'
- "Like a Sister" (1962) ... Ric Vallone
When handsome Ric Vallone is the guest star on 'The Alan Brady Show', Rob grows increasingly concerned that Sally is falling madly for the star, who is unaware of this complication.  Rick Vallone sings "The Most Beautiful Girl In The World".

More on this in a moment......

'The Joey Bishop Show'
- "Joey Gets Brainwashed" (1964)
Joey and Vic Damone are on a tour to entertain troops and one morning Joey wakes up speaking Russian. After learning Vic has been to Russia, he believes the two of them are part of an elaborate spy plot. Vic Damone sings "Sweet Someone".

From the CTVA:
Vic Damone is using Russian records to learn the language and Joey gets subconsious lessons in his sleep.

O'Bservation:
"The Manchurian Candidate" came out two years prior to this episode, so it's O'Bvious that Joey had seen the movie.  In fact he mentions that they could have been brainwashed like Laurence Harvey in that movie.  This verifies the existence of Laurence Harvey's televersion in Earth Prime-Time.

Now.  Back to that inclusion of Vic Damone in 'The Dick Van Dyke Show' as Rick Vallone.....

As we learned in the final episode of that classic sitcom, Rob Petrie had been writing a book about his life and career (which was then optioned by Alan Brady to be a TV show for him, represented by the failed "Head Of The Family" pilot.)

Many of the previous episodes were flashbacks - to his army service, to his early years in show business, to the early days of his marriage to Laura Meehan.  And we saw that a lot of his remembrances were envisioned with alterations.  

For example, Rob's ex-fiancee Dorothy looked nothing like she did in real life.  Instead she resembled a novice operative in the intelligence community named Cinnamon Carter.  (Toobworld Central believes Rob crossed paths with Cinnamon at some point during his military service.  It could have been connected with a commie spy plot at the army base.)

There are also those appearances by Allan Melvin in the flashbacks as Rob's fellow soldiers Sam Pomeroy, Sam Pomerantz, and Sol Pomerantz.  In Rob's mind, they were all manifestations of still another soldier, Harrison B. Harding.  As Rob told/wrote his book, his subconscious could remember Horseface Harding, but he couldn't put a name to him.  So he took the names of two other soldier pals and then combined them both for another story about HBH.

So it could be said that a lot of the stories we saw during the show's run, even if they weren't flashbacks, could have been Rob's rewrite of his life to "punch it up", to make it funnier.  Or even perhaps to protect the identities of others by making it a roman a clef.

I think that's the case we have here with the episode "Like A Sister".  What we're seeing is Rob's masked version of the story, with the easily deciphered name of "Rick Vallone" standing in for Vic Damone. 

Vic Damone had been divorced from Pier Angeli since 1958.  He would marry Judith Rawlins in 1963 (and there would be three more wives, including Diahann Carroll, before the end.)  Since his relationship with Pier Angeli was referenced in that James Dean bio-pic, I see no reason why his televersion's life couldn't continue on that same trajectory.  

So at the time of that episode of 'The Dick Van Dyke Show', Vic Damone was (mostly) free from romantic entanglements. (I'm sure he was dating Rawlins by that point.)  So I could understand how Rob Petrie would have fudged the facts a bit to spare Damone and his wife Judith any embarrassment when the book was published.

And that's why, for Toobworld at least, Rick Vallone was Vic Damone.

Therefore, we have four entries for Damone's tally and he has enough for membership in the Hall of Fame.

Good night and may God bless, Mr. Damone....

SATURDAY'S COMICS - "THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW"

From Wikipedia:

'The Dick Van Dyke Show' is an American television sitcom that initially aired on CBS from October 3, 1961 to June 1, 1966, with a total of 158 half-hour episodes spanning over five seasons. The show was created by Carl Reiner and starred Dick Van Dyke, Rose Marie, Morey Amsterdam, Larry Mathews, and Mary Tyler Moore. It centered on the work and home life of television comedy writer Rob Petrie (Van Dyke). The show was produced by Reiner with Bill Persky and Sam Denoff. The music for the show's theme song was written by Earle Hagen.

The series won 15 Emmy Awards. In 1997, the episodes "Coast-to-Coast Big Mouth" and "It May Look Like a Walnut" were ranked at 8 and 15 respectively on TV Guide's 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time. In 2002, it was ranked at 13 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time and in 2013, it was ranked at 20 on their list of the 60 Best Series.

I can boil that down to its essence [from my point of view]: 'The Dick Van Dyke Show' is the greatest sitcom of all time.

I wish I could find actual pages from these comic book versions of this "Camelot of Sitcoms", but these covers will have to do.

And for a really great story behind them, check out this article.

BCnU!

THE ROOTS OF AN OTTOMAN DYNASTY

Starz is offering non-subscribers the chance to see the first season of 'Outlander' for free online. I'm two episodes in and I'm enjoying it, but I don't see myself taking on another premium network at this time.

Anyhoo, in the second episode ("Castle Leogh"), Claire found herself stuck at the castle as The Mackenzie's "guest" for five days until the tinker came around on his weekly travels.

We can see the tinker here as Claire thought she was making her goodbyes. He's on the left, standing next to his horse....

 

He doesn't really play much of a role in the events of Claire's life, trapped in 1743. No, his importance Earth Prime-Time will occur long after he is dead. And all because of the name he bears:



It will be the theory of "relateeveety" that Sean Petrie is the forefather of the family tree for several characters in Toobworld. First and foremost there are the Petries originally from Danville, Illinois: Sam Petrie, his sons Robert and Stacy, his grandson Richard ROSEBUD, and their great grand uncle, Hezekiah.

And there are two black men, more than likely cousins, both named Mark Petrie. One was a detective in New York City, while the other was an angry father seeking revenge against a faith healer in Toronto. It's my belief both of those men are descended from Hezekiah Petrie, who had a fondness for the ladies of color back at the turn of the 20th Century.

Between 1743 and 1863 - when Hezekiah shows up in the Toobworld timeline - that's an awful lot of generations that need to be filled in!

By the way, I hope you understand my choice of a heading for this post, considering this cast of characters, even though the action took place in Scotland.....

BCnU!

TVXOHOF FOR JANUARY, 2016: DANNY THOMAS

I won't be posting as often in the blog for a while; I think my body can hopefully handle such a shock.  I really do need to get back to work on the Toobworld Chronicles.  Even if it does end up being a load of tripe, it will at least be my tripe.

In 2015 I did a theme for the year when posting about the Television Crossover Hall of Fame: "The British Invasion", in which almost all of the inductees (minus the special tributes) were of British origin.  I have a theme in mind for this year, one which I had used back in 2009 as part of a mega-celebration of the Toobworld Dynamic concept.  For 2016 we will be honoring members of the League of Themselves - those people whose fictional televersions (played by the real versions from the Trueniverse) interacted with characters from various TV shows.  (Their appearances on game shows, variety programs, talk shows, and in the news could be counted as part of their tally, but would not make them eligible for membership.)

More often than not, January has been the month in which a classic TV star was inducted.  And I think I have a great League of Themselves member for this singular "honor":

DANNY THOMAS

About two months ago, I joined a fun page on Facebook dedicated to Danny Thomas and 'Make Room For Daddy'.  I've always intended to induct the main character from that show, Thomas' alter-ego Danny Williams, a nightclub comic and family man.  And eventually I will.  But I hadn't given any consideration to Danny Thomas and his role in the fictional universe of Earth Prime-Time.

This will rectify that.....

'The Jack Benny Program'

- "Johnnie Ray Show" (1953)
Johnnie Ray's contract to appear on Benny's TV show arrives and Jack is horrified by his $10,000 fee. He storms over to Ray's home and offers him $250 instead. Johnny sings "Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone," and "Cry" for Jack and the performance is so devastating, Jack is turned into a helpless bowl of jelly. Jack pays him $15,000. At the end of the show, Danny Thomas makes a guest appearance to plug his show 'Make Room for Daddy' (1953).

- "Jack Goes to Nightclub" (1959)
His sponsor walks out on Jack's show, when his sponsor's in town for contract renewal, so Jack's afraid to take him to a nightclub featuring a comic competitor. A puppet show seems a safe (and cheap) alternative, but filling in for the sore-throated puppeteer is golden throated Danny Thomas, whose charity and charm entrance the sponsor, but paralyze Jack.

'The Dick Van Dyke Show'
- "It May Look Like a Walnut" (1963) ... Kolak

Rob enjoys a scary televised sci-fi movie while Laura cowers in fear from it, but the next day details of that movie, where Earthlings are being taken over, appear to be coming true.

Kolac was merely a figment of Rob's nightmare, but it was acknowledged that he looked like Danny Thomas, which guaranteed his place in Earth Prime-Time even if he never did appear in any of these other shows.

"Danny Thomas?
What is a Danny Thomas?"
Kolac
'The Dick Van Dyke Show'
"It May Look Like A Walnut"

'The Joey Bishop Show' 

- "Danny Gives Joey Advice" (1963)
Joey discusses parenting challenges with Danny and they imagine themselves as rebellious younger versions of themselves.

- "My Buddy, My Buddy" (1963) 
The cameo appearance for Danny Thomas is listed in the end credits as follows: 

Thanks, Danny 

Joey

- "Andy Williams Visits Joey" (1964) 
Andy Williams guests on Joey's show, than he and wife Claudine visit Joey's home. Ellie and Claudine are members of the same woman's club and their benefit dinner is coming up. Andy and Joey have no doubt who they expect to entertain.

'The Bill Dana Show'
- "Danny Thomas, I Love You" (1964)

Danny Thomas checks into the Park Central but due to a mix-up, the penthouse is not available. Jose comes to the rescue and gives Danny his quarters.

'The Lucy Show'
- "Lucy Helps Danny Thomas" (1965) 

As Mr. Mooney's new secretary, Lucy is sent to a television station to deliver some papers. While waiting in the lobby, she's mistaken for one of the new dancers hired for a Danny Thomas TV special. Not about to pass up the opportunity, Lucy forges ahead despite knowing none of the choreography. The rehearsal is disastrous as she goes the wrong way, throws a shoe, and constantly wallops Danny with her prop umbrella.

'That Girl' 

- "Those Friars" (1971)

Ann inherits her Uncle Harry's old vaudeville trunk which stars Danny Thomas and Milton Berle insist on buying.

(All of the episode summaries are from the IMDb....)

As you can see, there were more than enough appearances as himself to qualify for entry into the Television Crossover Hall of Fame.  And as for those game shows and variety programs......

Welcome aboard, O Danny Boy!

January 6 marked the 104th birthday for Danny Thomas, so there's another good reason to induct him into the Hall for January!

BCnU!

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY'S "DICK VAN DYKE" DISLIKE

This week's issue of Entertainment Weekly has their list of Top 100 movies, TV shows, music, books, and plays. So I decided to check if my Super Six favorite TV shows made the grade. 

First off, here's my list of six favorite TV series:

1) 'The Prisoner'

2) 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show'

3) 'The Dick Van Dyke Show'

4) 'Columbo'

5) 'Doctor Who'

6) 'Lost'

So how did they stack up in EW's list of the Top 100?

'The Prisoner' - #67

'The Mary Tyler Moore Show' - #4

'Columbo' - #37

'Doctor Who' - #65

'Lost' - #24

Something's missing, right?

My problem is that (in case you didn't notice) my #3 never made the grade - 'The Dick Van Dyke Show'. How can you omit a series that has been called the Camelot of Sitcoms? 

But then these shows get included instead - 'Good Times', 'Chappelle's Show', 'The Comeback', 'American Idol', 'In Living Color', 'The Real World', 'Project Runway' and 'Beavis and Butthead'! I'm not going to get into whether they deserved to be on the list, just that 'The Dick Van Dyke Show' should have been included before them. 

I didn't see any point in continuing to read the various entries of their list because the lack of 'The Dick Van Dyke Show' as one of the Greats calls all of Entertainment Weekly's judgements into question.

By not choosing 'The Dick Van Dyke Show' to be in the Top 100 (It should have been in the Top 20!), their arguments for all of the other TV shows are invalid.

They even did a caricature of the great sitcom couples and Rob and Laura weren't included. Ridiculous!

BCnU!

"THE DVD SHOW" @ 50 - THE WARHOL TRIVIA ANSWER

It's the day after we concluded the year-long salute to 'The Dick Van Dyke Show' and it's time to reveal the answer to the trivia question I asked at the beginning:

'The Dick Van Dyke Show' has two somewhat tenuous connections to Andy Warhol. One was "outside the box" - one of those six degrees of separation situations on the production side. The other was within the "reality" of the show - one of Andy Warhol's works of art actually appeared in an episode.

So, nobody even attempted to guess the two connections Andy Warhol had to 'The Dick Van Dyke Show'. And that means I get to keep the Richard Rosebud Petrie Prize - (a rock and a paper clip glued together!)

Anyhoo, here are the answers:

The first connection was a "Six Degrees Of Separation" - actress Sylvia Miles played Sally Rogers in the original pilot for the show, "Head Of The Family", in which Carl Reiner played Rob Petrie.

From Wikipedia:

Over the years, Miles has become a cult figure, both for her ties to the avant-garde (Andy Warhol, Paul Morrissey, etc.) and her increasingly bizarre appearance over the years and her willingness to attend any public function. Wayland Flowers and his puppet Madame first uttered the widely quoted line "Sylvia Miles and Andy Warhol would attend the opening of a sewer."

The second connection was a showcase for his artwork within the reality of the series. In 1951, Warhol was commissioned to create the artwork for a book cover:

Throughout his career Warhol created numerous artist books. However, he also designed book covers for other authors. This is the design for the cover of the book ‘Pistols for two’ by Aaron Marc Stein.

In October of 1965, Millie Helper was reading this book, as seen in the episode "Draw Me A Pear".

 

 

And that's how Andy Warhol fits into the world of 'The Dick Van Dyke Show', both behind the scenes and within Toobworld.

BCnU!

"THE DVD SHOW" @ 50 - THE LAST WALTZ

I mentioned earlier that 'The Dick Van Dyke Show' was the "Camelot" of TV sitcoms. And if a lot of sitcoms which followed couldn't aspire to reach the same heights, they at least tried to invoke some of its magic by mentioning it by name.

Luckily, because Alan Brady went on to create a TV show based on the life of Rob Petrie, we don't have to consider these mentions of the show as Zonks. (By the way, in a case of Toob imitating Life, Alan Brady found out that the networks just didn't see him as a Rob Petrie kind of guy. So he finally had to re-adjust his concept and he hired an actor who looked just like Robert Simpson Petrie - Dick Van Dyke. And that's why 'The Dick Van Dyke Show' can be mentioned in other TV shows without causing a Zonk.

Here's my final entry in this year-long salute to the show.....

SIX SHOWS THAT INVOKED 'THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW'

1] 'thirtySOMETHING' - "THE MIKE VAN DYKE SHOW"

Mike Steadman engaged in a daydream in which his life was just like that seen in the sitcom.

2] 'THE NANNY' - "TAKE BACK YOUR MINK"

From the IMDb: The show is mentioned by name. There is an inside joke involving actress Ann Guilbert, who plays Yetta and who played Millie Helper on The Dick Van Dyke Show. Fran laments the fact that Millie never got a spin-off show of her own, to which Yetta replies that she heard the actress was difficult to work with.

3] 'PUSHING DAISIES' - "THE LEGEND OF MERLE McQUODDY"

When dealing with Charles Charles, Emerson Cod wanted Ned the Pie Man to "trip over an ottoman and Dick Van Dyke his ass."

4] 'THE JACKIE THOMAS SHOW' - "PILOT"

When Jerry Harper was hired to be the new head writer of 'The Jackie Thomas Show', he had dreams of being just like Rob Petrie in the classic sitcom. He even kept a framed picture of the show on his desk. When he met Jackie Thomas and learned how the buffoonish star saw the show's concept, he sadly turned the picture face down.....

5] 'HERMAN'S HEAD' - "WHEN HAIRY MET HERMY"

The various incarnations of Herman's psyche called in Buddy Sorrell and Sally Rogers to come up with jokes for Herman to say. (They could have been manifestations of the characters from the TV show, or Herman knew of them in real life.)

6] 'FAMILY GUY'

And then there's this from the Tooniverse......

BCnU!

"THE DVD SHOW @ 50" - CAMBRIDGE SPIES

This week, Inner Toob is also paying tribute to another 50th anniversary - the first James Bond movie, "Dr. No", opened in theaters 50 years ago this coming Friday. So I thought it might be nice to combine the two... and 'The Dick Van Dyke Show' gave me the perfect opportunity with an episode about a spy named Bond....

Here's a summary of the episode "The Man From My Uncle", written by "Huggo" for the IMDb:

It's the beginning of a three day weekend for Rob,and he's in a giddy mood because of it. His mood is heightened when Mr. Phillips, a federal agent, stops by wanting to use their house as a stake-out post to watch the goings-on of their neighbor, Mr. Gerard. It isn't Mr. Gerard they are after, but his criminal nephew. Laura doesn't really like the idea of their house being used for a stake-out, but Rob thrives on the idea of a little excitement. Believing it being for the public good, they agree. The agent they send is Harry Bond. While Laura generally feels nervous not only with Harry in the house but also with a criminal possibly in their neighbor, Rob can't help but get in Harry's way while he tries to act the spy. But when a little trouble may be brewing at Gerard's house, Rob may have to get involved in the surveillance, as Harry is suffering not only from over-exposure to Rob, but a massive toothache. 

When I was a kid, I loved this episode, and most of that was due to Godfrey Cambridge as the guest star. As an adult, I can see its flaws - it's one of the more far-fetched episodes from the fifth season, after Carl Reiner walked away from overseeing the entire production and everybody was feeling the strain of being the best for so long. Plus there was the allure of the big screen for two of them.....

James Bond was the overall inspiration for the episode - after all, the spy in question was named Bond... Harry Bond. But the episode title was also a play on NBC's espionage hit 'The Man From U.N.C.L.E.' And with Godfrey Cambridge in the guest role as Bond, the show may have been tipping its hat to the role played by Bill Cosby in 'I Spy', which was ground-breaking in its day. (Bond, Harry Bond, was a spy more in keeping with the likes of John Drake of NATO and MI6 rather than like Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin of U.N.C.L.E.)

Rob:

“Hey, Mr. Bond – I took a picture with this infrared camera.”

Mr. Bond:

“Of what?”

Rob:

“Well...of you sleeping.”

Mr. Bond:

“Mr. Petrie, why did you do that?”

The episode aired on April 20, 1966. If it took place in the Toobworld timeline around that same time, and because Rob Petrie was so enthusiastic about the whole spy business and all its trappings, then it's likely he had seen the following James Bond movies at the local theater in New Rochelle:

• "Dr. No" (1962)
• "From Russia With Love" (1963)
• "Goldfinger" (1964)
• "Thunderball" (1965)

And he was probably looking forward to seeing "You Only Live Twice" the following year.

James Bond exists in Toobworld, thanks to the 'Climax!' episode "Casino Royale" which was an adaptation of the first book by Ian Fleming. But the movies were fictions created as part of an elaborate cover story for 007 so that any mention of his exploits in the "real" world of Earth Prime-Time would be discounted as coming from people who confuse reality with what they see on the movie screen.

So, technically, it was pozz'ble, just pozz'ble, as Muskie Muskrat would say, that Rob Petrie might have crossed paths with James Bond at some point in Toobworld.  What James Bond would look like however?  After all, it was just a cover identity adopted by British Intelligence in tribute to the American "Jimmy Bond", an agent for Combined Intelligence.  (I have no evidence that the British James Bond ever looked like Sean Connery in Toobworld.  As it stands now, the best of all Bonds in the movies may have only been a role played by the televersion of Sean Connery.....)

But it was more likely that this weekend experience was going to be the closest Rob ever came to a spy named Bond.

Laura:

“Well, how can he spy with a bad tooth?”

Rob:

“Honey, those guys are trained to spy 

with bamboo shoots under their fingernails.”

BCnU!

"THE DVD SHOW @ 50" - THE END OF THE ROAD

Today marks the 51st anniversary of 'The Dick Van Dyke Show'. One year ago today, I took part in Ivan Shreve's brilliant blogathon celebrating the "Camelot" of sitcoms' 50th anniversary by posting about 29 blog posts during the course of that day. And even then I felt as though I really didn't squeeze as much out of this, my third favorite TV show of all time. (Okay, if you must know - 'The Prisoner' and 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show' rank above it. 'Columbo', 'Doctor Who', 'Lost' and 'Maverick' follow.)

So for this past year, I've been posting other articles about particular facets of the show:

• guest characters who may have appeared in other TV shows (Mrs. Glimpsher on 'I Love Lucy' and a Camp Crowder soldier on 'Columbo')
• theories of "relateeveety," including tie-ins to the TV Western salute and to Black History Month
• and salutes to actors connected to the show who passed away. (I failed John Rich, the show's best director, by not marking his passing with one of these posts. At least I'll get to mention Biff Elliot later today....)

Today will mark the end of that year-long effort. For this last hurrah, I have a couple of items to post. But I think I may do one last article for Halloween - and no, it won't be about the Twiloites.....

BCnU!

MIRROR TOOBWORLD - "HEAD OF THE FAMILY"

I have one last example of a TV show within a TV show that would have an effect on life in the Mirror Toobworld.

Carl Reiner created a sitcom idea based on his own life - that of a comedy writer for a television variety show. We know it today as 'The Dick Van Dyke Show' which starred DVD as Rob Petrie.

From the IMDb:

Rob is asked to write an amusing bulletin for the PTA bazaar. Richie is having a difficult time explaining to his friends just what his father does at work and he's taking out his frustration on his father. Laura thinks it would be a good idea for Rob to take Richie with him to the office for a day so he can see first hand what his dad does. Rob is skeptical this will work but agrees to give her plan a try. [Written by tomtrekp ]

If you're a fan of 'The Dick Van Dyke Show', you should recognize that basically as the 22nd episode from the first season, "Father Of The Week".

However, Reiner saw the property as a vehicle for himself as Rob Petrie and he produced that script as a pilot for a show called "Head Of The Family". But the network didn't see Reiner as being right for the part, even though he WAS the part. So Dick Van Dyke, fresh off a success on Broadway in "Bye Bye Birdie", was hired and Reiner not only wrote most of the scripts and produced the show, but he also took the role of tyrannical star of 'The Alan Brady Show', Alan Brady his own self.

The true final episode of 'The Dick Van Dyke Show' is "The Last Chapter", bringing to a close a running sub-plot of Rob writing his memoirs:

From the IMDb:

Rob and Laura decide to put aside all else for one evening after Rob tells Laura that he has finished the manuscript for his book. Laura will read the manuscript while a nervous Rob watches her reading, he trying to gage her reaction. Their plans change when Laura refuses to let him watch. As Laura starts reading, she is excited to learn that the book is the story of their life, and she begins to reminisce about the situations written. Regardless of Laura's reaction, Rob is equally as anticipatory about the reaction of the publisher to who he sent the manuscript.

As it turned out, Alan Brady bought the rights to the book so that he could turn it into a TV sitcom for himself, (albeit many years later once his variety show went off the air - as if that would ever happen!)

So in Mirror Toobworld, there are two Rob Petries (as Rob played by DVD did appear on TV himself). The other one looked like Alan Brady, who looked like Carl Reiner.....

Here is the only known episode from Alan Brady's sitcom:

And that, Ladies and Gentlemen, marks the September entry in our year-long salute to 'The Dick Van Dyke Show' in celebration of its fifty years since the first episode aired. (And got it in just under the wire!)

Next week, we wrap up the theme on that anniversary day. One of the pieces I'll be posting the answer to this trivia question which I posted back at the beginning a year ago:

'The Dick Van Dyke Show' has two somewhat tenuous connections to Andy Warhol. One was "outside the box" - one of those six degrees of separation situations on the production side. The other was within the "reality" of the show - one of Andy Warhol's works of art actually appeared in an episode.

No one's even taken a crack at answering either part of it, so you still have a chance to gain the bragging rights. If you win, you could be awarded the Richard Rosebud Petrie Prize - combining presents from the episodes "Punch Thy Neighbor" and "Empress Carlotta's Necklace"!

BCnU!

"THE DVD SHOW @ 50": ANOTHER GUNSLINGER

"Frank Petry....

The one in the middle that did all the talking....

No alias - I guess he's proud of his name."

Zack Wells

"Shootout In A One Dog Town"

Throughout this year, Inner Toob has been running a post once a month about 'The Dick Van Dyke Show'. Back in October of last year, the show celebrated its fiftieth anniversary and Inner Toob did a full day of posts celebrating many Toobworldly aspects of the classic sitcom.

In the months since, several of the DVD Show posts have been linked to Rob Petrie's Great-Uncle Hezekiah. In February, Hezekiah's black descendants were showcased, and theer was a look at his half-brother Alfred Rhinebeck.

August is the month which Inner Toob devotes to TV Westerns, and it shouldn't be any different for "The DVD Show @ 50".......

I could have done something about "The Gunslinger", that dream Western which was the penultimate episode. But that would have been too easy. Instead, I found another relative for Hezekiah Petrie while I was on vacation. And... he was a gunslinger as well in a TV Western!

Frank Petry was an outlaw who met his end in Opportunity, Arizona, while trying to steal $200,00.00. It will be the contention of Toobworld Central that he was the younger brother of Hezekiah Petrie's father.

In this picture taken on November 19, 1863, when Hezekiah was just a baby, the senior Petrie looks to be at least fifty years of age. When Frank Petry made his play for that strongbox full of cash, the Sheriff of Opportunity talked about the Battle of Little Big Horn as though it had been some time in the past. Since that happened in 1876, we should place the attack on the bank in Opportunity about a decade later, in 1885. Thus, Frank Petry would be the younger brother as he was 44 at the time.

(It could also be that he was Petrie Senior's first-born, bad to the bone.)

Richard Egan, who played Frank Petry, was actually nine years older at the time. But for the character, a hard fifteen years in a Montana prison for his first murder (when he was twelve!) probably aged him.......

Looking at what I've already written, a big Zonk presents itself - the discrepancy between the spelling of the last names - "Petrie" and "Petry". Also in the pronunciation: "Peh-trie" vs. "Pee-try".

The spelling Zonk is easy to splain away. Frank Petry killed his first man when he was only 12 years old. It's likely he didn't continue with his schooling after that, and he probably didn't pay much attention before that... if he went to school at all. Spelling his last name as "Petry" was probably better than could have been expected from him.

Also, we never got that good a look at Frank's wanted poster, but it does seem like it was spelled "Petry". That just means there were others in the wild, wild West who couldn't spell properly.

And as often stated in the past here at the blog, end credits have no bearing on what happens within the reality of the programming. So even though his name is spelled "Petry" in the credits, that doesn't necessarily mean that's how it was spelled within the realm of Toobworld.

But if it was, at least we've provided a splainin......

Frank Petry appeared in a 1974 TV Movie Of The Week called "Shootout In A One-Dog Town" which was directed by Burt Kennedy. Along with Egan, the cast included Richard Crenna, Stephanie Powers, Jack Elam, Gene Nelson, Michael Ansara, Arthur O'Connell, Dub Taylor, and Michael Anderson, Jr.

BCnU!