Carol Burnett Appeared in a Variety TV Series Before Starring in Her Own

This comedy legend developed her chops as part of a variety series from the Golden Age of TV.

by Rich Watson

Over forty years since her television show went off the air, Carol Burnett is still loved and remembered. This past Halloween, I saw a woman dressed like Burnett from arguably her funniest skit: her Gone With the Wind parody. The costume wasn’t a perfect match for that dress, but it was recognizable.

Before The Carol Burnett Show won hearts and Emmys year after year, its star was part of a different ensemble comedy cast—one from an earlier generation.

“Saturday Night at the Movies” Connected Canadian Viewers to Classic Cinema

In a special post written in memory of my friend Paddy, I discuss the TV show that nurtured her love of movies.

by Rich Watson 

For those of us who knew her, the death of film blogger Patricia Nolan-Hall has been heartbreaking beyond measure. Paddy’s friends have put together a Caftan Woman Blogathon, named for the blog she ran for fourteen years, in which we’ll discuss the films, TV shows and stars she loved. I’m interrupting our regularly scheduled programming to bring you this piece because it’s my blog and I can. 

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In the days before hundreds of cable channels and online streaming services, Americans grew up watching old movies on regular television. 

Some were events. I’m old enough to recall when watching The Wizard of Oz or The Ten Commandments on the boob tube, in color, was a Big Deal. You made time to watch, often with family or friends.

For black and white films with less hoopla, there was a Late Show. You’d flip through the TV Guide to discover what was on and you stayed up to watch. Sometimes there was a creature feature hosted by Svengoolie or Vampira or somebody like that, in creepy makeup. Most times it was a regular picture from Old Hollywood, starring people you’d never heard of, talking faster than normal, dressed well, on elaborate sets.

Canadians had much the same experience. Then in 1974 came a TV show which raised the bar for what viewers not only saw, but learned. 

For one young woman, it was exactly what she wanted.

The “Other” Wrigley Field Was the Setting For a “Twilight Zone” Episode

This West Coast version of Wrigley Field only lasted one year in MLB, but it was often used for TV and film.

by Rich Watson

This post is for the Favourite TV Show Episode Blogathon, another long-running blog event—this year marks the eighth annual edition. I think the premise is self-explanatory. At the end I’ll tell you where and when you can read more entries in this vein.

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Chicago’s Wrigley Field, the home of the Cubs for over a century, is one of Major League Baseball’s oldest and greatest ballparks. Named for owner William Wrigley, the chewing gum manufacturer, he also owned the Cubs’ old farm team, the Los Angeles Angels of the Pacific Coast League. 

In 1925, he commissioned a new ballpark for the Angels and moved them there, on 425 East 42nd Place. It was called Wrigley Field before the one in Chicago. It also received lights long before its namesake.

Future Dodger and Cub turned actor—not to mention an NBA player—Chuck Connors played in Wrigley Field West. (I’m calling it that to distinguish it from the Chicago one.) Here’s an article about his sports career, including the story of how he settled a contract dispute between the Dodgers and two of their superstars.

The Angels had won six PCL championships before moving to their new ballpark, and would win five more at Wrigley. Even in those early years, though, it was clear the new park could be used for another purpose: making movies.

Hometown Manager Has Eyes For New Owner in “It Happened in Flatbush,” With William Frawley

Lloyd Nolan and Carole Landis star in this vintage baseball romantic comedy, also featuring a future legend of the early TV era.

by Rich Watson

This post is part of what’s known as a blogathon. That’s when a bunch of bloggers gather to write about a given topic. This one is called “The What a Character Blogathon,” devoted to supporting actors from the Golden Age of Hollywood. In my previous blog I took part in it for years, and 2021 marks its tenth anniversary. At the end I’ll tell you where you can read more entries in this event.

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In 1951, William Frawley was sixty-four, a veteran of not only a hundred-plus movies, but vaudeville as well. Rumor had it, though, he was an alcoholic and difficult to work with. It seemed he was approaching the end of his career in entertainment.

Then he heard about an opportunity in the new medium of television: a sitcom about a ditzy housewife and her musician husband. The show was looking for a duo to play their neighbors, an older married couple. Frawley, eager to land the role of the husband in the older couple, called the lead actors and co-creators of the new program: Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. 

They gave him a chance. Despite initial resistance from the network, CBS, Frawley, paired with Vivian Vance, was an anchor of what would become I Love Lucy, one of television’s greatest programs. Years later, Arnaz would testify that Frawley always came to work on time and was a total professional.

Lucy was the highlight of a long career for Frawley, the former court reporter from Iowa who toured the vaudeville circuit with his brother Paul, singing and writing, before moving to Broadway and eventually, Hollywood. 

When Andrew McCutchen Proposed to His Girlfriend on TV

The Pirate superstar asked his girlfriend to marry him the way many celebrities do—in front of an audience.

by Rich Watson

In recent years, Andrew McCutchen has become one of the game’s biggest stars, mostly as a Pirate. He’s at the tail end of his career now, but his achievements to date include being a five-time All-Star and a former National League MVP. He also competed on the international stage in the World Baseball Classic in 2017.

As a Pirate, he met and dated Maria Hanslovan, the woman who would become his wife in 2013. How he proposed to her, though, took her and his fans by surprise.

“Sweet Magnolias:” The Netflix Adaptation of Sherryl Woods’ Book Series

 

Sherryl Woods’ women’s fiction series of books, mixed with a little baseball, is turned into a TV show.

by Rich Watson

Earlier this year we discussed the Sherryl Woods novel Stealing Home, the first book in the “Sweet Magnolias” series (eleven books and counting). I had mentioned the series had been adapted into a Netflix program. I gave it a watch.

The soap opera aspect is greater as a TV show than as a book, but the baseball elements remain, so it’s worth mentioning here.