Alan Young and Mister Ed

[landtuna]

There was no such car as a Porter (what Ann Sothern's character
was supposed to be), 1928 or otherwise, so it's probably no accident
that the car was culled from parts of real cars.

There were actually two cars known as "Porter's" although neither bore any relation to the car in the series:

The “1928 Porter” used in “My Mother the Car" was not a production car. Real Porter cars had existed: The first was a steam automobile (Boston, Massachusetts, 1900–01). The second car was a powerful luxury car made (Bridgeport, Connecticut, 1919–22) made from parts left over from production of Finley R Porter’s FRP.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Mother_the_Car

 

[landtuna]

.

 

[jfrancispastirchak]

I checked George Burns' credits as a producer. Despite all of his success, he didn't have many hits as a producer - other than The Burns & Allen Show. His other producing credits were Mister Ed (only one episode), Wendy and Me (in which he co-starred, casting Connie Stevens as a kind of Gracie stand-in), Mona McCluskey, and the TV version of No Time for Sergeants. Those last 3 shows were all cancelled after one season.

But you've omitted two other successful McCadden (Burns) productions: Love That Bob and People's Choice.

 

[LKellerIII]

I checked George Burns' credits as a producer. Despite all of his success, he didn't have many hits as a producer - other than The Burns & Allen Show. His other producing credits were Mister Ed (only one episode), Wendy and Me (in which he co-starred, casting Connie Stevens as a kind of Gracie stand-in), Mona McCluskey, and the TV version of No Time for Sergeants. Those last 3 shows were all cancelled after one season.

But you've omitted two other successful McCadden (Burns) productions: Love That Bob and People's Choice.

You're right that I missed The Bob Cummings Show (Love That Bob in reruns), but Burns is not listed as a producer of People's Choice on imdb. Not saying you're wrong, however.

 

[FredLeonard]

I checked George Burns' credits as a producer. Despite all of his success, he didn't have many hits as a producer - other than The Burns & Allen Show. His other producing credits were Mister Ed (only one episode), Wendy and Me (in which he co-starred, casting Connie Stevens as a kind of Gracie stand-in), Mona McCluskey, and the TV version of No Time for Sergeants. Those last 3 shows were all cancelled after one season.

But you've omitted two other successful McCadden (Burns) productions: Love That Bob and People's Choice.

You're right that I missed The Bob Cummings Show (Love That Bob in reruns), but Burns is not listed as a producer of People's Choice on imdb. Not saying you're wrong, however.

Burns owned McCadden Productions. He may not have been actively involved or taken a credit in all their shows. McCadden did The Jack Benny Program for several seasons but they did not own the show, although some McCadden personnel were involved and did get credit in the filmed episodes.

People's Choice was strange. First it's about a guy who lives in a trailer with his aunt and gets elected to city council representing the trailer park. Then he gets involved with the mayor's daughter and the mayor gets involved with the aunt. Soon, the aunt lives with the mayor and the guy lives with the mayor's daughter (yes, they all got married). Then the guy and the mayor's daughter up and move to Oklahoma to sell houses in a new development. The only consistent factor was the guy's dog, who talked to the audience but not the guy or anybody else.

 

[cd637299]

About von Zell....I only know about him as the "Hoobert Heever" announcement, and his role as pretty much a "bumbler" on Burns & Allen---he rarely stood up for himself. I suppose that's why he got fired so often....

cd

 

[bpatrick]

There was no such car as a Porter (what Ann Sothern's character
was supposed to be), 1928 or otherwise, so it's probably no accident
that the car was culled from parts of real cars.

There were actually two cars known as "Porter's" although neither bore any relation to the car in the series:

The “1928 Porter” used in “My Mother the Car" was not a production car. Real Porter cars had existed: The first was a steam automobile (Boston, Massachusetts, 1900–01). The second car was a powerful luxury car made (Bridgeport, Connecticut, 1919–22) made from parts left over from production of Finley R Porter’s FRP.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Mother_the_Car

I had never heard that; I had always read that the Porter never existed. At any rate, there was no 1928 Porter, given the dates you have, so I still have to believe the car used on the show may have been built from parts of other cars.

 

[Markxxx]

While there were Porter cars, "My Mother the Car," never attempted to recreate those, the car was named by producer Rod Amateau, well according to him anyway.

 

[jfrancispastirchak]

You're right that I missed The Bob Cummings Show (Love That Bob in reruns), but Burns is not listed as a producer of People's Choice on imdb. Not saying you're wrong, however.

I've retreated to the sanctuary of my own library of resources, and technically you're right and I was wrong.

The idea of a show about a talking dog was conceived by famed comedy writer Irving Brecher. Burns was approched with The People's Choice notion by The William Morris agency, who years earlier lost Burns as a client. They wanted him back, so they pressured Brecher to recruit Burns as a co-investor. Reluctantly but obediently, Brecher pitched it to Burns, who fell in love with the idea. He matched Brecher's $27,000 investment and the show was on (vis a vis McCadden Productions, with brother Willy). Burns however allowed Brecher to run it as his own show, so Brecher was credited as producer and writer.