The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis
Format Comedy
Created by Max Shulman
Starring Dwayne Hickman
Bob Denver
Country of origin Flag of the United States United States
No. of episodes 147
Production
Producer(s) Martin Manulis
20th Century Fox
Running time 30 minutes per episode
Broadcast
Original channel CBS
Original run 29 September 1959 – 18 September 1963
External links
IMDb profile
TV.com summary

The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis was a situation comedy that ran on CBS in the USA from 1959-1963. The television series and some episode scripts were adapted from a 1951 collection of short stories of the same name, written by Max Shulman, that also inspired the 1953 film The Affairs of Dobie Gillis with Debbie Reynolds, Bob Fosse, and Bobby Van as Dobie Gillis. A follow-up novel, I Was a Teen-Age Dwarf, appeared in 1959. This program was from Martin Manulis Productions in association with 20th Century Fox Television; creator Shulman also wrote the theme song.

Contents

[edit] Overview

[edit] Cast

[edit] Story

The TV series revolved around teenager Dobie Gillis (Dwayne Hickman), who aspired to have popularity, money, and the attention of beautiful and unattainable girls. He didn't have any of these qualities in abundance, and the tiny crises surrounding Dobie's lack of success made the story in each weekly episode. His partner-in-crime was American television's first beatnik, Maynard G. Krebs (Bob Denver). Maynard was convinced life is for enjoying and Dobie's father, Herbert T. Gillis (Frank Faylen), who owned a grocery store, was only happy when Dobie was behind a broom. Dobie's father was often caught up in various elaborate get-rich-quick schemes, or situational bail-outs ala Ralph Cramden, with Dobie getting ensared along with him; by the end both came around grudgingly to Maynard's point of view.

As a high school student, Dobie lived at home with his parents in the show's early years, and his interaction with his parents was a source of much of the humor. His mother Winnie (Florida Friebus) was very caring and perhaps tended to baby her son a little too much; his father Herbert was a very proud, hard-working child of the Great Depression and WW2 generation who was often heard to declare "I'm gotta kill that boy one of these days!", but was deep down a good and decent man.

Dobie's two main antagonists were rich kids, Milton Armitage (Warren Beatty) and, after his departure, Milton's cousin, Chatsworth Osborne, Jr. (Steven Franken), both representing the wealth and popularity to which Dobie aspired. They both shared the same actress, Doris Packer, as their mother.

Dobie was hopelessly attracted to the money-hungry blonde Thalia Menninger (Tuesday Weld), who frequently entangled Dobie in her money-making schemes. However Weld soon left the series but was replaced by a seemingly endless stream of young women equally hard for Dobie to obtain. Most however would not as money obsessed as Thailia. Thalia's catchphrase was that the money was not for her but for her family, then she'd list a tirade of elements her family had that only money could cure. Thalia claimed her looks were all her family had to lift them out of their bad situation in life.

Zelda Gilroy (Sheila James Kuehl) was a brilliant and eager young girl who was hopelessly in love with Dobie, much to his annoyance. Despite his protests, Dobie was clearly fond of Zelda and would be married to her in the proposed 1977 series pilot, Whatever Happened to Dobie Gillis? Zelda claimed Dobie loved her too but just hadn't realized it yet. To prove this she'd wiggle her nose (like a rabbit) at Dobie who would do the same back to Zelda, though Dobie said it was only a reflex and not love that made him do that.

During the second season, Dobie and Maynard (along with Chatsworth) did a brief stint in the peacetime U.S. Army. Conscription in the United States was in effect at the time, and the Vietnam War was still of a minor concern to most Americans when the series ended.

Beginning with the third season, Dobie moved from high school to S. Peter Pryor Junior College, surrounded by many of the same people. William Schallert played Leander Pomfritt, the English teacher at both the high school and the junior college; and the late Jean Byron (with whom Schallert would later co-star on The Patty Duke Show) played mathematics teachers Ruth Adams and Professor Imogene Burkhart (which was actually Jean Byron's real name).

[edit] Production

Dwayne Hickman (Dobie) had appeared in the 1958 film version of Max Shulman's novel, Rally 'Round the Flag, Boys!, in which Tuesday Weld (Thalia) had played his girlfriend, Comfort Goodpasture.

Because Hickman had appeared for several years on the hit comedy, Love That Bob, as Bob Cumming's nephew, Chuck, he was asked to dye his hair blond for the role of Dobie in order to distance himself from that character in the public's mind.[1] By the following year, however, Hickman was permitted to return to his natural brunette hair color.

Auguste Rodin's Statue of "The Thinker."
Auguste Rodin's Statue of "The Thinker."

During the first season, many of the episodes would begin and end with Dobie sitting on a Central City park bench posed à la Auguste Rodin's statue, "The Thinker", a reproduction of which stood behind him. Speaking directly to the audience, he would explain to the viewing audience his problem of the week (usually girls or money). The use of the statue was phased out in later episodes.

After filming the third episode, Bob Denver announced that he had received his draft notice and the character of Maynard was given an elaborate sendoff (he enlisted in the Army) in the show's next episode, Maynard's Farewell to the Troops. Theatre actor Michael J. Pollard was brought out from New York to play Maynard's cousin, Jerome Krebs. Before Pollard had completed his first episode, however, Denver returned and announced that he had been designated 4F (unfit for service) because of a neck injury he had sustained some years earlier. Pollard appeared in only one more episode before being bought out of his contract.[2] Pollard later appeared with his fellow Dobie Gillis co-star Warren Beatty in Bonnie and Clyde, which jumpstarted his film career.

Among the endless string of young women to pass through Dobie's life were such up-and-coming young actresses as Mouseketeer Cheryl Holdridge, Michele Lee, Susan Watson, Marlo Thomas, Sally Kellerman, Ellen Burstyn (billed as Ellen McRae), Barbara Babcock, Sherry Jackson and Barbara Bain. Future "Batgirl" Yvonne Craig appeared in the opening credits and the closing sequence of the pilot film used to sell the series to CBS, but did not appear in the actual episode, Caper at The Bijou, when it was broadcast. She would ultimately play five different girl friends on the show, more than any other actress.

The theme song "Dobie" was written by 20th Century-Fox Musical Director, Lionel Newman with lyrics by Max Shulman. The theme was sung by Jud Conlon's Rhythmaires with music conducted by Lionel Newman.

This series, like several others from roughly the same period, may be better remembered for its late-afternoon reruns than it is for its original prime time run.

The program spawned two sequels, the pilot Whatever Happened to Dobie Gillis (1978) and TV movie Bring Me the Head of Dobie Gillis (1988). In these, Dobie had married Zelda and had a son named Georgie, who was like Dobie had been at his age. The latter of these took its title from the Sam Peckinpah film, Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia and its plot from the play The Visit by Friedrich Dürrenmatt.

Although he continued to make occasional guest appearances on television, Dwayne Hickman (Dobie) spent many years as an employee of CBS in the programming department, at one point serving as its vice president. He also worked as a television director on such shows as Designing Women and Charles in Charge. In 1994, be published his autobiography, Forever Dobie: The Many Lives of Dobie Gillis.

Sheila James (Zelda), whose real name is Sheila Kuehl, retired from acting and went into politics. She is currently a California State Senator for the 23rd District. She is the first openly gay or lesbian person to be elected to the California Legislature and was the first woman in California history to be named Speaker pro Tempore of the Assembly.[3]

Unlike many TV series from the 1950s and early 1960s, the copyright on each episode of The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis was renewed by Twentieth Century-Fox Television, Inc., Martin Manulis Productions, Inc. & Selby-Lake, Inc. The series has not yet been offically released on VHS or DVD, although unauthorized versions have been circulated.

[edit] Episode Guide

[edit] First Season

  • 001 Caper at The Bijou After meeting Thalia Menninger, Dobie schemes with Maynard to fix a jackpot drawing. Guests: Herbert Anderson, Stanley Adams, Jason Wingreen
  • 002 The Best Dressed Man Dobie's arrangement with a clothing store allows him to compete with rich Milton Armitage for Thalia's attention. Guest: Mel Blanc.
  • 003 Love is a Science Dobie meets Zelda Gilroy in Biology. Guest: Charles Lane.
  • 004 The Right Triangle Dobie tells a girl that he is involved with an older woman. Darryl Hickman appears as Dobie's brother, Davey.
  • 005 Maynard's Farewell to the Troops Maynard enlists in the army. Michael J. Pollard's first appearance.
  • 006 The Sweet Singer of Central High A tonsillectomy leaves Dobie with a beautiful new singing voice. Michael J. Pollard's last appearance.
  • 007 Greater Love Hath No Man Maynard returns and falls for pretty Pearl Arnold, not realizing that Dobie is already in love with her. Guest: Diane Jergens
  • 008 The Old Goat Dobie and Maynard steal the mascot of a rival school's football team.
  • 009 Dobie Gillis - Boy Actor Dobie vies with Milton for the lead in the Civil War drama, Magnolias at Manassas.
  • 010 It Takes Two Dobie's new girl fears that his father's personality traits will be passed on to their children.
  • 011 Dobie's Birthday Party Dobie tells his parents not to make a fuss about his birthday and resents it when they seem to take him seriously. Guest: Ronny Howard.
  • 012 Deck The Halls Herbert seems content to spend Christmas in jail. Guests: Jack Albertson, Darryl Hickman, Verna Felton.
  • 013 Couchville, U.S.A. Herbert thinks that Dobie harbors a deep-seated hostility toward him. Maynard does not appear in this episode.
  • 014 The Gaucho The Gillises' new boarder is an Argentinean charmer named Carlos.
  • 015 The Smoke-Filled Room Thalia campaigns for Dobie when he runs against Milton for Junior Class President. Guest: John Rockwell
  • 016 The Fist Fighter Dobie enlists the help of a former athletic legend and develops a reputation as "Top Fist."
  • 017 Hunger Strike To woo Thalia away from Chatsworth Osborne, Jr., Dobie goes on a hunger strike. Guests: Ryan O'Neal and Margaret (Marlo) Thomas.
  • 018 The Flying Millicans Dobie's newest love is Aphrodite Millican, a health fanatic whose father eagerly welcomes Dobie into his family of acrobats. Guests: Francis X. Bushman, Yvonne Craig.
  • 019 Room at the Bottom Dobie must earn 100 on the next math test or be shipped off to an exclusive prep school. Guest: Ronny Howard
  • 020 The Power of Positive Thinking Dobie utilizes "magnetic power" to win Thalia away from the more dominant Chatsworth. Guest: John Abbott.
  • 021 Dobie Spreads a Rumor Dobie invents a story about a rich Uncle Max who leaves Zelda's family a fortune.
  • 022 Love is a Fallacy While Thalia attempts to teach Dobie logic, a wealthy, but insecure, newcomer named Whitney offers to take Dobie as he is. Guest (uncredited): Ronnie Haran
  • 023 The Chicken from Outer Space Dobie, Zelda and Maynard are lab partners in an experiment involving a chicken and an extra large dose of male hormones.
  • 024 Rock-A-Bye Dobie When Dobie starts a baby-sitting business, Herbert concludes that Dobie is married - and a father. (Originally filmed as "Almost A Father," this episode was pulled from the schedule because of affiliate complaints. A revised version was shown later in the season.) Guests: Denise Alexander, Don Knotts, Kathleen Freeman
  • 025 Taken to the Cleaners Dobie and Thalia become involved with a pair of crooked dry cleaners.
  • 026 That's Show Biz Dobie's parents participate in the school talent show, The CHSSPBL Capers. Guests: Reta Shaw, Richard Deacon, Roberta Shore.
  • 027 The Prettiest Collateral in Town To secure a bank loan for his father, Dobie agrees to date the banker's self-possessed daughter, even if it means losing adorable Melissa Frome. Guests: Sherry Jackson, Rose Marie.
  • 028 Live Alone and Like It Dobie and Maynard move into their own apartment - briefly.
  • 029 The Big Sandwich Dobie and Thalia prepare 400 sandwiches for a school picnic that is rained out. Guest: Gordon Jones,
  • 030 Soup and Fish Invited to a formal party by wealthy Sabrina Armitage, Dobie and Maynard talk her cousin Chatsworth Osborne, Jr. into sharing his tuxedo with them.
  • 031 Where There's a Will Herbert is superstitious about signing his newly created will. Guests: Darryl Hickman, Robert Nichols, Ronny Howard.
  • 032 Put Your Feet in Our Hands To impress ambitious Daphne Root, Dobie and Chatsworth go to work in her father's shoe store.
  • 033 Competition is the Life of Trade Dobie and Chatsworth compete for the daughter of a rival grocer. Guest: Jack Albertson
  • 034 The French They Are a Funny Race A lovely French girl latches on to Maynard as her protector.
  • 035 The Unregistered Nurse To win the sympathy of a pretty nurse, Dobie pretends to be deathly ill. Guest: Herb Vigran
  • 036 The Long Arm of the Law After making a bad impression on a new policeman, Dobie learns that the officer is the father of pretty Arabella Parmalee.
  • 037 Here Comes the Groom Dobie proposes to Zelda. Guests: Dabs Greer, Burt Mustin
  • 038 A Taste for Lobster Dobie finally finds a girl who likes him and hates money.
  • 039 Dobie's Navy Blues Myrna Lomax's father is an ex-chief petty officer who thinks Dobie is planning to enlist in the Navy. Guests: Yvonne Craig, Harry Von Zell.

[edit] Second Season

  • 040 Who Needs Elvis? Zelda helps Dobie win a jazz competition, even though it may mean losing him to six-foot Esme Lauterback.
  • 041 You Ain't Nothin' But a Houn' Dog Maynard alters Dobie's essay about his dog and enters it in a "Why My Dad is My Pal" contest. Guest: Jack Albertson.
  • 042 Baby Talk Maynard discovers an abandoned baby in the park. Guest: Jo Anne Worley.
  • 043 Dobie Goes Beatnik Dobie makes a bad first impression on a visiting bigwig from Herbert's lodge, so Maynard shaves his beard and pretends to be Dobie and vice versa.
  • 044 The Mystic Powers of Maynard G. Krebs Maynard's newly discovered powers of ESP catapult him to instant fame. This rarely seen episode was taken out of syndication after John F. Kennedy's assassination because it concerned the Kennedy-Nixon election of 1960.
  • 045 The Face That Stopped the Clock Encouraged by Dobie to go to work, Maynard takes a job selling job-lot clocks in a surplus store.
  • 046 Maynard G. Krebs - Boy Millionaire The money Maynard found in the park is all his - if no one claims it.
  • 047 Around My Room in 80 Days Dobie and Maynard try to convince a brilliant, but bitter friend not to drop out of school.
  • 048 Drag Strip Dobie In order to compete with Chatsworth for the attention of speed-lover, Charlotte Lamarr, Dobie dupes Zelda into helping him build a sporty hot-rod.
  • 049 Jangle Bells Dobie passes up an invitation to Maynard's Christmas party in favor of a ritzy affair at Osborne Manor.
  • 050 Parlez-Vous English? Winifred's plan to introduce Dobie to culture falters when the bohemian daughter of a visiting French artist makes a play for Herbert.
  • 051 The Day the Teachers Disappeared A flu epidemic among the teachers forces Mr. Pomfritt to recruit parents as substitute teachers.
  • 052 What's My Lion? Maynard captures a runaway lion, the gift of an oil-rich Eastern potentate.
  • 053 The Big Question About to graduate from high school, Dobie and Maynard must consider the question, "Whither are we drifting?"
  • 054 Have You Stopped Beating Your Wife? Dobie talks Herbert into renewing his courtship of Winnie.
  • 055 The Bitter Feud of Dobie and Maynard Maynard fears that he is holding his good buddy back, so he masterminds a feud to break up their friendship.
  • 056 Zelda, Get off My Back To improve his grades, Chatsworth woos the brainy Zelda Gilroy.
  • 057 I Was a High School Scrooge Dobie campaigns to raise money to help an ex-football hero, unaware that the old grad is a rich industrialist who plans to sue for defamation of character. Guest: Douglas Dumbrille.
  • 058 Will Success Spoil Dobie's Mother? Winifred enters a contest using Dobie's name and wins him a much-publicized date with a blonde starlet.
  • 059 The Second Childhood of Herbert T. Gillis Ashamed because he never graduated from high school, Herbert takes a night class from the same professor who teaches Dobie during the day.
  • 060 Dobie Vs. the Machine Dobie and Maynard seek advice about their future from a variety of sources, including a computer.
  • 061 Baby Shoes Dobie is about to leave for the Army.
  • 062 I Didn't Raise My Boy to Be a Soldier, Sailor or Marine When Maynard misses the bus to boot camp, Dobie convinces Chatsworth to stand-in for his missing buddy. Guest: John Fiedler.
  • 063 The Chicken Corporal To keep a double-date, Dobie must help Maynard pass an Army fitness test.
  • 064 The Solid Gold Dog-Tag Chatsworth enlists.
  • 065 The Battle of Maynard's Beard Dobie defends Maynard's right to keep his beard while in the Army.
  • 066 Spaceville Dobie, Maynard, and a chimpanzee participate in the ground testing of a space capsule.
  • 067 Like Mother, Like Daughter, Like Wow Winnie learns that the mother of Dobie's latest girl is one of Herbert's old flames. Guest: Yvonne Craig.
  • 068 Dobie Plays Cupid Dobie tries to bolster Maynard's confidence with women, but his timid buddy becomes an eyebrow-twitching Casanova.
  • 069 Like Father, Like Son, Like Trouble Starring in a play about a gallant war hero, Dobie continues his role offstage in order to impress the pretty daughter of an Army Colonel.
  • 070 Be It Ever So Humble When Dobie thinks Maynard is AWOL, he secures a pass by claiming his father is deathly ill - just as Herbert is facing an insurance physical.
  • 071 Ah! Yer Fadder Wears Army Shoes Dobie tells a pretty WAC that his war-hero father was "missing in action."
  • 072 Everything But the Truth Zelda brags that she and Dobie are having a wild affair.
  • 073 Goodbye, Mr. Pomfritt - Hello, Mr. Chips Hoping to prevent Mr. Pomfritt from quitting teaching, Dobie and Maynard plan a reunion of his former students.
  • 074 Take Me to Your Leader Dobie and Maynard tell their sergeant about the dark and stormy night the Martians invaded Central City.
  • 075 This Ain't the Way We Used To Do It Herbert shows Dobie's platoon what a real soldier should be.

[edit] Third Season

  • 076 The Ruptured Duck Dobie and Maynard receive their discharges and enroll in S. Peter Pryor Junior College.
  • 077 Dobie, Dobie, Who's Got the Dobie? A beautiful girl decides that if Zelda wants Dobie, there must be more to him than meets the eye.
  • 078 Move Over, Perry Mason After getting his hand caught in a gum machine, Maynard sues Herbert's insurance company. Guest: Douglas Dumbrille.
  • 079 The Fast, White Mouse An experiment in heredity convinces Zelda that Chatsworth is a more suitable mate.
  • 080 The Gigolo To remain true to her absent fiancee, a pretty co-ed bribes Maynard into being her regular escort. Guest: Bill Bixby.
  • 081 Dig, Dig, Dig Herbert suspects that Dobie's real interest in Egyptology is his attractive professor.
  • 082 Eat, Drink and Be Merry - For Tomorrow Ker-Boom Maynard is convinced that there is no hope for the future.
  • 083 The Richest Squirrel in Town Mr. Pomfritt has $41.37 stolen from his desk.
  • 084 The Second Most Beautiful Girl in The World Dobie competes with Chatsworth for the sympathy of a tender-hearted beauty.
  • 085 This Town Ain't Big Enough For Me and Robert Browning Inspired by a poem, Dobie goes after an unattainable girl.
  • 086 Have Reindeer, Will Travel Soft-hearted Maynard gives the Christmas Party Fund to a poor Mexican boy.
  • 087 Crazylegs Gillis Dobie helps out a campus football star who has a wife and five sons.
  • 088 The Blue-Tail Fly Dobie's issue-oriented campaign for Student Council can't compete against Chatsworth's show biz glitter.
  • 089 I Do Not Choose To Run Herbert runs for City Planning Commissioner.
  • 090 Happiness Can't Buy Money Chatsworth hopes that Herbert T. Gillis can make a man out of him.
  • 091 The Magnificent Failure When Herbert decides to sell his grocery store, he discovers that it isn't worth a fraction of what he had expected.
  • 092 For Whom The Wedding Bell Tolls Dobie and Maynard stow away on a cargo ship, unaware that Zelda is a passenger. Guest: Betty Rollin.
  • 093 Girls Will Be Boys Maynard meets a kooky tomboy named Eddie. Guest: Lynn Loring.
  • 094 The Marriage Counselor After Dobie agrees to marry Zelda, Maynard convinces them to postpone the nuptials indefinitely.
  • 095 The Big Blunder and Egg Man When Dobie invests in the commodities market, he inadvertently ends up owning fifteen thousand dozen eggs.
  • 096 The Frat's in the Fire Herbert bribes the snobbish Silver Spoons Club into inviting Dobie to join their group.
  • 097 Like, Oh, Brother! Dobie and Maynard volunteer at a neighborhood settlement house.
  • 098 Birth of a Salesman Traveling saleswoman Thalia Menninger tries to recruit Dobie and Professor Pomfritt for her company. Guest: Tuesday Weld.
  • 099 Names My Mother Called Me Dobie is invited to meet the Nobel Prize-winning scientist who inspired his unusual first name.
  • 100 Dobie Gillis: Wanted Dead or Alive While babysitting for Professor Pomfritt, Dobie and Maynard find a copy of their final exam in Poetry.
  • 101 The Truth Session Maynard's excessive honesty antagonizes everyone he knows.
  • 102 I Remember Muu Muu Maynard writes a provocative newspaper article about anthropology professor, Dr. Burkhardt.
  • 103 Sweet Success of Smell To take advantage of Maynard's uncanny sense of smell, Dobie and Maynard become private eyes. Guest: Yvonne Craig.
  • 104 When Other Friendships Have Been Forgot Maynard comes to live with the Gillises.
  • 105 I Was a Boy Sorority Girl Working as waiters at a Sorority Open House, the boys must don dresses to avoid being recognized by Dobie's ultra-snobbish new girlfriend.
  • 106 It Takes a Heap o' Livin' To Make a Cave a Home Maynard discovers a Stone Age Indian living in a local cave. Guest: Mike Mazurki.
  • 107 Back-To-Nature Boy Maynard runs into an old tomboy friend, Eddie, who has grown into a wealthy society debutante. Guest: Lynn Loring.
  • 108 How To Cheat an Honest Man Dobie falls for a girl who is a stickler for honesty.
  • 109 Bachelor Father...and Son Winifred visits her sister, leaving Dobie and Herbert to fend for themselves.
  • 110 Like Low Noon Butch Baumgartner, a former rival, is returning to town to get even with Dobie.
  • 111 An American Strategy Dobie must choose between a poor but loving girl and the daughter of his new employer.

[edit] Fourth Season

  • 112 A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to a Funny Thing Maynard prevents a man from jumping off a window ledge.
  • 113 What's a Little Murder Between Friends Dobie thinks Thalia and Maynard are planning to kill him.
  • 114 Northern Comfort Dobie's conniving cousin Virgil manipulates the Gillises into promoting his singing career.
  • 115 The Ugliest American Dobie finds himself on an expedition in the Amazon jungle.
  • 116 A Splinter Off the Old Block Herbert's 16-year-old nephew, Duncan, comes to live with the family. Guest: Ellen Burstyn.
  • 117 What Makes the Varsity Drag? Dobie joins the football team, but runs up against a jealous rival.
  • 118 Like Hi, Explosives The weed killer Maynard and Duncan think they are delivering is actually a can of nitroglycerin.
  • 119 Where is Thy Sting? Dobie pretends to be suffering from a fatal illness.
  • 120 Flow Gently, Sweet Money Duncan becomes a ruthless businessman. Guest: Yvonne Craig.
  • 121 Strictly for the Birds Dobie and Maynard train a mynah bird to help them pass a test. Mel Blanc provides the bird's voice. Guest: Julie Parrish.
  • 122 The Iceman Goeth Duncan and Maynard think they have killed Herbert.
  • 123 Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Gillis Maynard drinks a chemistry mixture which turns him into a genius.
  • 124 Will the Real Santa Claus Please Come Down the Chimney The Gillises try to shock Maynard out of his belief in Santa.
  • 125 Who Did William Tell? Duncan becomes infatuated with the star of a visiting opera company.
  • 126 Too Many Kooks Spoil The Broth Cousin Virgil schemes to steal Dobie's girl, an heiress to a kitchenware fortune.
  • 127 Vocal Boy Makes Good Dobie is asked to fill in for one of the Lettermen.
  • 128 All Right, Dobie, Drop The Gun An escaped convict holds the Gillises captive.
  • 129 and Now a Word from Our Sponsor As a campus disc jockey, Dobie innocently accepts payola from ex-con Eddie Baker. Guests: Alice Pearce, Carole Cook.
  • 130 Two for the Whipsaw Mistakenly thinking that Dobie is Chatsworth, a gold-digger tries to trick him into marriage.
  • 131 The Moon and No Pence Dobie falls for a ballerina who loves to dance, Isadora-like, in open moonlit fields.
  • 132 The Beast With Twenty Fingers Maynard and Herbert lock their fingers together in a Gypsy "love-link" just as Herbert is leaving for a Grocer's Convention.
  • 133 Thanks for the Memory While Zelda tries to improve Dobie's memory, a rich kook named Claypool prefers Dobie as he is.
  • 134 Three Million Coins in the Fountain Finding his family fortune gone, Chatsworth tricks Maynard into helping him raise funds.
  • 135 Beethoven, Presley and Me An electrical shock provides Maynard with the ability to predict hit songs. Guest: Charles Lane.
  • 136 The Little Chimp That Couldn't Maynard befriends a dumb, but loveable chimp, who may be sacrificed to medical science.
  • 137 There's Always Room for One Less Chatsworth comes to live with the Gillises.
  • 138 The General Cried at Dawn On vacation in Latin America, Maynard substitutes for his look-alike, General Ramon Rubero.
  • 139 Now I Lay Me Down To Steal While staying at Osborne Manor, sleepwalker Maynard becomes a suspected jewel thief.
  • 140 Lassie, Get Lost Starlet Valentine Van Loon offers a $500 reward for the return of her dog, Boo-Boo. Guest: Joyce Van Patten.
  • 141 The Rice-and-Old-Shoes Caper Zelda convinces Maynard to marry her.
  • 142 Requiem for an Underweight Heavyweight After swallowing an experimental drug, Maynard becomes a champion boxer.
  • 143 I Was a Spy for the F.O.B. Two spies mistake Maynard for a rocket fuel scientist. Guest: Barbara Bain.
  • 144 There's a Broken Light for Every Heart on Broadway Maynard becomes the manager of a beautiful pop singer.
  • 145 Beauty is Only Kin Deep Dobie must find a mate for his girlfriend's spinster sister, Dr. Imogene Burkhardt. Guests: Susan Watson, Peter Lupus.
  • 146 The Call of the Like Wild Maynard becomes irresistible to women when he accidentally switches his hair tonic with an experimental bottle of simulated fragrance of musk. Guest: Sally Kellerman.
  • 147 The Devil and Dobie Gillis Chatsworth convinces Dobie to help him rig the Charity Bazaar raffle. This is actually a rewrite of the first episode, "Caper at the Bijou." Guest: Barbara Babcock.

[edit] Other media

Dwayne Hickman's Capitol recording Dobie! featured songs he sang on the show.
Dwayne Hickman's Capitol recording Dobie! featured songs he sang on the show.

After the first season of The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis had aired, Capitol Records attempted to make a recording star out of Dwayne Hickman, ignoring the fact that he couldn't sing. According to Hickman's autobiography, Forever Dobie: The Many Lives of Dwayne Hickman, the recording engineers had to piece together numerous takes to get a usable track of each song. Hickman introduced several of the songs from the Dobie! album on the show, including "I'm a Lover, Not a Fighter" and "Don't Send a Rabbit."
Earlier, while Hickman was appearing on Love That Bob, he had recorded a single, "School Dance," for ABC-Paramount Records, but both the single and the later Capitol album sold very few copies.[4]

DC Comics published a Many Loves of Dobie Gillis comic that ran for twenty-six issues in the early 1960s, featuring work by Bob Oksner. Stories from this comic would later be revamped as Windy and Willy.

[edit] Pop culture influences

Among the many catch phrases introduced on the show are the following:

  • "Work!" (Maynard, whenever the word was mentioned)
  • "Maynard! You're supposed to be on my side!" (Dobie)
  • "I'm getting kinda misty..." (Maynard)
  • "For joy, for joy!" (Maynard)
  • "Just holding up my end of the conversation." (Maynard)
  • "I rest my case." (Zelda and others)
  • "...and I just answered my own question." (Dobie)
  • "No offense." (Dobie and others)
  • "You rang?" (Maynard)
  • "Now cut that out!" (Dobie, each time Zelda twitches her nose at him)
  • "Love doesn't butter any parsnips." (Thalia)
  • "Oh, it's only you, Maynard." (Dobie, when he's hoping to see someone else)
  • "I've gotta kill that boy!" (Herbert)
  • "You nasty, nasty boy." (Mrs. Osborne, Sr.)
  • The Monster That Devoured Cleveland (Maynard's favorite movie)

The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis was a major influence on the characters for another successful CBS program, the Saturday morning cartoon Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!. Scooby writer Mark Evanier noted that "Fred was based on Dobie, Shaggy on Maynard, Velma on Zelda and Daphne on Thalia." [1]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Milwaukee Journal, Roger Miller article, "Baby Boomers still follow the pop icons of their era"
  2. ^ CJAD 800 AM, Montreal radio interview with Bob Denver
  3. ^ California State Senate Senator Sheila Keuhl
  4. ^ Dwayne Hickman interview

[edit] External links

Languages