F TROOP Fridays: "Honest Injun" (1965)

F TROOP Fridays: Number 26  







F TROOP: "Honest Injun" (1965 ABC-TV/Warner Brothers) Season One, Episode 12.  Original Air Date: November 30, 1965.  Starring Forrest Tucker as Sergeant Morgan O'Rourke, Larry Storch as Corporal Randolph Agarn, Ken Berry as Captain Wilton Parmenter, Melody Patterson as Wrangler Jane, Frank deKova as Chief Wild Eagle, James Hampton as Bugler Dobbs, Bob Steele as Private Duffy, Joe Brooks as Private Vanderbilt.  Guest Stars: John Dehner as Professor Cornelius Clyde, Lou Wills as Running Bull.  Written by Ed James and Seaman Jacobs.  Directed by Charles R. Rondeau.

The latest juicer for Sergeant Morgan O'Rourke's eponymous Enterprises?  A gold strike sparked by just $75 in nuggets by salting Calico Mountain, "12 miles north by northeast of Fort Courage".  Unfortunately for the Sarge, Professor Cornelius Clyde witnesses the plant and beats O'Rourke to the punch.  Moving the bullion to Laramie, Clyde steals the Gold Rush, sells out of land claims (and "magic elixir"), and renders the Sergeant's saloon as deserted as the rest of the Fort.  O'Rourke threatens the confidence man with the clink, only to back down once the Professor counters with the threat of exposing the Sarge's own subterfuge.

The Professor is allowed to depart hastily with his ill-gotten gains, but after looking up the land plots and determining the supposed Pazo land sold is located in Yellowstone Park, even Captain Parmenter realizes his men have been had.  The CO sends his non-coms out to locate the swindler.  Too bad Clyde's blackmail material severely limits any motivation O'Rourke and Agarn have for the Professor's capture.  Needing to lay low for a few days, the troopers head for the Hekawi camp--and promptly learn that Professor Clyde has beaten them there, too.

Sergeant O'Rourke collides with TV's reigning guest conman and unsurprisingly finds his most formidable challenger to date.  MAVERICK veteran John Dehner (Shady Deal at Sunny Acres, Greenbacks Unlimited) is in fine form as the oily Professor Clyde, slyly guaranteeing "14 Karat solid gold" (i.e., 58% pure!) on each and every parcel of land.  And oh so generously throwing in three bottles of Running Bull's Magic Elixir, which keeps Clyde's native sidekick ("the last of the Pazo Indians") looking remarkably youthful for his claimed 122 years of age.

Just how daunting is Clyde?  He's the rare adversary to make O'Rourke lose his cool, once the Sarge finds that the Professor has elbowed his way into a deal with Wild Eagle that threatens the Enterprises' key partnership.   Agarn has even more trouble with the pesky Running Bull, and for once it really does look like the end of the line for the 50/50 partnership.

Key to it all is Dehner, keeping the troopers enthralled with that resonant voice as he relieves them all of their solvency.  It is a bit jarring to see him without his mustache, and if you're wondering why, well, the Professor's final ruse likely explains the need to be clean shaven.  Forsaking his signature facial hair for one half-hour role would be typical John Dehner--full commitment to the role was always a given.

With James, Jacobs and Rondeau as the creative team F TROOP gets his mojo back after two lackluster outings with Honest Injun.  It isn't quite perfect--Chief Wild Eagle seems far more gullible than one would think possible--but to be fair, we all want to live to be 143 years old, right?  Jane's coincidentally timed spying on the Hekawi camp is another eye opener: suffice to say it's a good thing she isn't there to overhear other powwows.

O'Rourke eventually seizes a small window of opportunity with that uncanny ability to think on his feet, restoring both his whiskey supply and his customers.  A commendable correction after Clyde has seemingly had the upper hand throughout, but does it last?  It's a shame we never got a return match.  Short of Phil Silvers himself making an appearance, you just couldn't get a better opposing force for one Sergeant Morgan Sylvester O'Rourke.  

THINGS YOU LEARNED:

This segment had to have taken place after 1872, the year Yellowstone Park officially opened.

An educated guess on this one: wise old Wild Eagle is 40 years old, based on his new life expectancy on the 103 years Running Bull allowed himself with that "magic elixir".  (SIDE NOTE: I'd rather hear from 147 year old Flaming Arrow myself.)

In addition to being competent on the drum (O'Rourke vs. O'Reilly) and flute (That's Show Biz), Dobbs shows decent aptitude on bagpipes and tries out the violin as well.  Hell, as a multi-instrumentalist he puts even Richie Cunningham to shame!  Too bad that bugle is outside his limitations.

HOW'S BUSINESS AT O'ROURKE ENTERPRISES?

Pretty bad throughout, with the durashun of that gold strike taking up most of Honest Injun.  Then, just when the status quo becomes king again, a new discovery near Cheyenne by the titular Chief Thunderbird empties the saloon--and town--a second time.

WHERE THE HELL IS FORT COURAGE ANYWAY?

Nagging question that deserves its own comment.  The location gets a little fuzzier in Honest Injun.  I assume that Calico Mountain is no relation to the Calicos in California, but the gold strikes in Laramie and Cheyenne and plots sold in Yellowstone Park clearly suggest Wyoming.  It's a Hell of a lot further away from Dodge City than other segments suggest, at least this week.

NUMBER OF TIMES O'ROURKE COULD HAVE BEEN CHARGED WITH TREASON?

There's other charges he could have faced, starting with fraud, but the Sergeant is safe from any suspicion of aiding and abetting the enemy thanks to Wild Eagle's reluctance to reveal their deal to Clyde.

PC, OR NOT PC?

Uh, what's this episode's title?

THE BOTTOM LINE:

After a mini-slump with two consecutive installments by first-time writers that were way too conventional, F TROOP gets its edge back with this riotous, double-cross packed entry from series creators James and Jacobs.  Watching Forrest Tucker and John Dehner go at it makes for one highly entertaining half-hour and the one-upmanship doesn't end until the fade-out.  (***1/2 out of four)

F TROOP currently airs on Circle TV Network.

Television Review: LOVE THAT BOB: "Bob Meets Fonda's Sister" (1955)

LOVE THAT BOB a.k.a. THE BOB CUMMINGS SHOW: "Bob Meets Fonda's Sister" (1955 CBS-TV/Laurel-McCadden Productions) Original Air Date: October 6, 1955.  Starring Bob Cummings as Bob Collins, Rosemary deCamp as Margaret MacDonald, Dwayne Hickman as Chuck MacDonald, Ann B. Davis as Charmaine "Schultzy" Schultz, Lyle Talbot as Paul Fonda, Diane Jergens as Francine Williams, Lola Albright as Kay Michaels.  Written by Paul Henning and Bill Manhoff.  Directed by Rod Amateau.

Introduction to the LOVE THAT BOB/THE BOB CUMMINGS SHOW episode guide at this link.

Margaret is fit to be tied after Brother Bob blocks her daytime beach date with Paul Fonda, the latest interference in his sister's love life under the guise of protecting her from the "wolf".  Fonda wonders what would happen if the shoe were on the other foot and enlists beautiful starlet Kay Michaels to pose as his sibling.

And so an "accidental" meeting is set up outside Bob's studio in which Kay sprains her ankle, allowing the Wolf of wall snapshots to play doctor inside.  And, he hopes, doing it that night as well.  Little does our Air Reserve Colonel know that he's walking right into Fonda's trap--which will be sprung inside the Collins household!

Lyle Talbot's sixth appearance as Paul Fonda sees Bob's old WWII comrade finding a way to fight back against those "Wolf" accusations.  After insisting (to no avail) that he's changed (in future episodes, we learn that's debatable), he cooks up a hilarious scheme to give Bob a taste of his own overprotective medicine.  In the process, Bob Meets Fonda's Sister introduces Kay Michaels for a four-segment arc as the newest object of the Playboy shutterbug's desire.  

Michaels turns out to be more than just that, though--the aspiring movie starlet becomes the strongest contender to date to get Collins to the altar.  One can see that extra "oomph" in Bob's efforts to woo her, and all that experience in the cockpit pays off--he stays silk smooth all the way up to Fonda's shotgun search.  For her part, Kay Michaels plays her part in the plot perfectly.  Is it any wonder she ends up breaking into pictures?  Method or not, the instant mutual interest is palpable: there's no condescension when she plays hard to get.

For his part, Bob lives up to his reputation, making nary a wrong move pre-date at home or the office.  Kay continually moves up the intervention time once she gets a whiff of Bob's cologne.  Speaking of, Moustache (yes, it was around way back in 1955!) gets one Hell of a plug here, with Ms. Michaels' full approval followed by Margaret's, and finally Francine's--Uncle Bob's fragrance choice even helps young Chuck onto a smooth movie date.  

Ultimately, LOVE THAT BOB is its subversive self once again in the end.  Bob's comeuppance?  That date with Kay, starting circa 10:00 P.M., with no interference at all from any of the usual suspects.  If Fonda was trying to teach Bob a lesson, fixing him up with a gorgeous aspiring actress/model might not be the most punishing lesson, you'd think.  Oh, and if it was 4-D chess to get our loverboy married off, that didn't work either.  Too bad, Paul.

WHO WAS BLOCKING?

Bob--blocking Margaret, again.  Worry not, she would soon be paying her brother back in episodes to come.  Bob had little resistance in wooing Ms. Michaels--at least, in this installment.  Schultzy is surprisingly subdued in the office, letting the entire Collins sales pitch proceed and only calling him to work when Kay is gone.  Pining for the Boss but not aggressively---yet.

DID BOB SCORE?

With Kay?  Eventually, I'm sure.  Hell, she almost got a proposal eventually.  He was well on his way around the basepaths throughout Bob Meets Fonda's Sister, with unimpeded progress before and after being the butt of Paul's joke.

THE BOTTOM LINE:

Lola Albright's popularity on the series kept her recurring for the next two seasons; Kay Michaels was her signature TV role before PETER GUNN came along.  Her chemistry with Cummings stayed strong through seven appearances in all, through Bob Calls Kay's Bluff.  As always, Talbot is a fine foil, and the clever Henning-Manhoff script is one controlled, consistent burn throughout.  Unfortunately, the denouement fizzles slightly, with the theatrics muting the payoff and Bob (as usual) not really getting that much of a comeuppance.  Still, Bob Meets Fonda's Sister provides more than enough hilarity to overcome a wobbly conclusion.  (*** out of four)

Bob Meets Fonda's Sister is available through Shokus Video on LOVE THAT BOB Volume IX.

Kermit Schafer Series: "ALL TIME GREAT BLOOPERS VOLUMES 5 & 6" (1977)

Want to revisit the first in this series of Kermit Schafer blooper releases? 100 SUPER DUPER BLOOPERS is reviewed and deconstructed here.

1977 marked the Silver Anniversary for producer Kermit Schafer and his bloopers.  As always, the Blooper Man was all over our existing media of the time to celebrate.  (Can you imagine what a born promoter like Schafer would have done with today's social media?)  A quarter century after the first Blooper LP sold over two million copies for Jubilee records in the early Fifties, Schafer released dueling multi-volume sets on K-Tel and MCA to mark the milestone year.

As I noted in reviewing the well-remembered K-Tel anthology 100 SUPER DUPER BLOOPERS Kermit had to keep it fairly clean on his releases for Philip Kives' wide-reaching company.  Only one in five bloopers on that set contained profanity and F-bombs were verboten.  

MCA apparently had fewer qualms: we get two of the latter in the first ten bloopers of this more raucous set. ALL TIME GREAT BLOOPERS VOLUMES 5 & 6 is also marginally more profane overall (closer to 25%), and commendably has far fewer repeat blunders from previous Schafer epics than Volumes 1 through 4 contained.  But the $64 question is: how authentic was Schafer this time around?  

If you'd like to follow along with me, the entire 49 minute two LP set has graciously been uploaded to YouTube:

VOLUME 5: SIDE ONE (0:00 TO 13:34)

1. 0:00 Bank Robbers 2. 0:37 Cash Register 3. 1:14 Pregnancy Report 4, 1:29 Telephone Interview 5. 2:15 No Smoking Please 6. 2:40 Jack Paar/Kaye Stevens 7. 3:22 Big Ben's Clock 8. 3:38 Candles 9. 4:23 News Report 10. 4:36 Crank Up 11. 5:08 Chesterfields 12. 6:36 Pope 13. 7:20 Farmer's Crop 14. 7:38 Engelbert Humperdinck 15. 7:27 Micro-organism 16. 8:43 Bread Baker 17. 9:06 Betrayed 18. 10:40 Twilight Time 19. 11:10 Technical Difficulties 20. 11:23. BBC Soccer 21. 12:02 Northwest Orient Airlines 22. 12:11 Georgia Peach 23. 12:29 Telephone Interview

FAKES/RE-CREATIONS: 1, 2, 5, 7, 9, 15, 20

THE REAL DEAL: 3, 4, 8, 10, 11, 12, 14, 17, 23

1. held up "a bank" this morning.  Ever NOT hear the bank identified by the newscaster?

2. The first appearance on this 2-LP set by the male contestant, but not the last; sure sign of a "re-creation"

3. Governor Rockefeller's veto took place on May 14, 1972.

5. As much as I want to believe this one, the actress pops up elsewhere on this record.

Sammy Davis Jr. with Kaye Stevens

6. Kaye Stevens lost her virginity on Jack Paar's TONIGHT SHOW on November 17, 1961.

7. This actress pops up elsewhere on the record also.

8. Candle Grove was located at 3066 Grand Avenue in the Cocoanut Grove section of Miami, Florida.  Schafer seemed to have tons of Florida-centric bloopers on his later albums after moving his headquarters to Coral Gables in 1965.

10. Van Morrison's VEEDON FLEECE was released in October 1974, charting at # 53 in Billboard.

11. This one is legendary, probably tied with Side 4's Ma Bell Satire for number of listens by 12 year old me back in the day.  It's from 1958, and HERE you can hear it back to back with the Chesterfield Kings commercial being parodied.  The announcer is Jackson Beck.

13. Well, FWIW, Annapolis Valley in Nova Scotia is known for its apples.  

14. That Liberace Show from London was a 1969 series of specials.  Diller, Gilliam, Pearl and Benny all appeared, but not in the same show.  Here's Benny on the show:

17. BETRAYED was released September 7, 1954.  This is one of many from this record to get a standalone YouTube post.

20. The "girlfriend" pops up elsewhere.  "Rodney" might have been authentic before that.

VOLUME 5 SIDE 2 (13:35 to 24:43)

1. 13:35 Whoopie John 2 14:04 Election Results 3 14:15 President Ford 4. 14:42Showers Forecast 5. 14:50 Soap Opera 6. 15:11 Pre-marital 7. 15:34 Robin Hood 8. 15:53 Running Man 9. 16:05 Duc Fo/Vietnam 10: 16:38 Roger WIlliams 11. 16:50 Assembly Line 12. 17:25 Sam Snead 13. 17:53 Flight Bags 14. 18:22 Wally's Hit Parade 15. 18:58 Gunsmoke

FAKES/RE-CREATIONS: 3, 6, 7, 9, 13, 14

THE REAL DEAL: 1, 8, 10, 11, 12, 15

1. "Whoopie John" Wilfahrt (1893-1961) understandably tended to withhold his last name from his professional moniker during a career that included recordings of 1,000 polka songs.  Gotta put a face with the name, though, right?

2. David Dick (1930-2010) was a CBS correspondent from 1966 to 1985.

3. Maybe she's really a "streetwalker", eh?  Sounds a little too forced to be real IMO.

4. Between Whoopie John, Cedric Adams and this one, we seem to have a lot of Minnesota material for some reason.

6. Re-creation.  I don't doubt that it happened, but this ain't Bob Eubanks and "our newlywed game" is suspect. 

8. This blooper also made it onto 100 SUPER DUPER BLOOPERS, the only one to appear on both records.

9. In Schafer's posthumously published 1979 BLOOPER TUBE book, Peter Jennings' photo accompanies this one--but the actor here is heard elsewhere on the record (such as the Fulton Lewis Jr. blooper below) While this is definitely a re-creation, a Marine patrol did indeed liberate a V.C. prison camp near Duc Pho on July 23, 1967.

10. Roger Williams tinkled on that Don Knotts Special on Thursday, October 26, 1967 at 8 PM ET on CBS.  Andy Griffith and Juliet Prowse were also in the cast.

12. This one was fun to determine.  Pinehurst hosted the PGA Club Professional Championship from 1971-1974.  Sam Snead played each year sans 1973, winning in 1971, but he only had a 141 after the second round in the tournament's final year there.  This blooper was heard on October 26, 1974.  Sam just couldn't piss up a shot at that $16,500 first prize, and held a two stroke lead after round 3, but Roger Watson caught Snead at the end of regulation and vanquished old Sam on the first playoff hole.  Sammy had to settle for the $9,000 runnerup money.  

13. Same soap opera actress from Side One's blooper?  

15. This legendary GUNSMOKE rehearsal was for "The New Hotel", which aired February 19, 1956 and starred William Conrad as radio's Matt Dillon.  The entire original recording is over twenty minutes long; even in this edited form, at 5:45 it is perhaps the longest cut on a Blooper LP.  Highly entertaining to hear Conrad, Parley Baer and Howard McNear cutting up.  The sponsor?  Ches-ter-fields!

Volume 6 Side ONE

1.24:43 Queen Victoria 2. 25:14 Mormon Choir 3. 25:36 Fulton Lewis, Jr. 4. 25:50 Atlantic City 5. 26:31 Football Players 6. 26:41 Cedric Adams Break Up 7. 28:47 Yassir Arafat 8. 29:03 Let's Make A Deal 9. 29:31 Queen Of The Blues 10. 29:50 Telephone Talk Show 11. 30:29 Queen's Royal Artillery 12. 31:05 Delicious Flavor 13. 31:32 Fire Fighters 14. 31:54 Coast Guard Break Up 15. 33:50 Suit Commercial 16. 33:59 Alan Courtney 17. 34:08 Paris Talks 18. 34:22 Stock Report 19. 35:23 Baseball Game 20. 35:26 Kissinger 21. 35:50 Brief Pause 22. 36:01 Locker Room

FAKES/RECREATIONS: 2, 3, 7, 17, 21, 22

THE REAL DEAL: 6, 14, 15, 16, 18

Mr. Junior shilling for The Lord in 1948

3. This actor is way overused on this set; also, too clean sounding for what would have been Lewis' era (he died in 1966).

6. Adams also had a memorable breakup on 100 SUPER DUPER BLOOPERS.

7. Another overused actor, the most common dead giveaway.

11. We sure end up at the BBC in England frequently this time. 

14. I sure looked everywhere trying to find this incident, but came up completely empty.

16. Alan Courtney was an institution at WIOD for many years.

18. This one had to occur on February 21, 1973, the only day I could find where the DJIA closed at 983.59, up 4.36.  I hope the newsman and Donna worked everything out.

20. Has to be from September 1973, when Kissinger was awaiting confirmation as SoS.

21. C'mon, Kermit, Sal Mineo wasn't even in THE BLACKBOARD JUNGLE!

22. The closers of this side and the next side are the most blatant fabrications here.  "How does it feel to be the World Series winner?"

Volume 6 Side Two

1. 36:22 Hi Ho Silver 2. 36:46 NBC News 3. 37:31 President Ford 4. 38:13 Ma Bell Satire 5. 39:52 Watergate 6. 40:03 Sportscaster 7. 40:52 Cisco Kid 8. 42:37 Basketball Score 9. 42:54 Soap Opera 10. 43:23 World Cup Soccer 11. 43:49 Kissinger 12. 44:12 Dial Operation 13. 44:29 Lost News 14. 44:45 Art Linkletter 15. 45:41 Game Show 16. 46:02 Information Please 17. 46:12 Aretha Franklin 18. 46:37 Ural Mountain Question 19. 47:01 Lohengrin 20. 47:40 Ruptured Disc 21. 47:51: Bozo No No

FAKES/RE-CREATIONS: 1, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21

THE REAL DEAL: 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, 14, 

2. The date? February 24, 1965, a Wednesday.  Hopefully someone can help me identify the painless announcer.

3.  Gerald Ford played the Inverary Classic from February 27 to March 1, 1975.  

4. 12 year old me thought this was the bomb.  Sure wish I could find more background information on it.  And no, that isn't Rod Serling.

Jack Mather and Harry Lang

7. Jackson Beck (1912-2004) was best known as the voice of Bluto, but the announcer from the Chesterfield's classic on Volume 5, Side One was also the star of the radio version of The Cisco Kid from 1942-1945.  Louis Sorin (ANIMAL CRACKERS) played Pancho.  Jack Mather and Harry Lang handled the roles from 1947-1956.  This doesn't quite sound like either duo to me, so...?

10. Kinda rare to get a C-bomb!  Assuming this one did happen, Manchester did indeed host World Cup Soccer matches July 13th, 16th and 20th in 1966.

14. A very common Art Linkletter question, which a couple of common answers from children.

19. Is documented to have really happened to Melchior at the Metropolitan Opera--in 1936. Recreated but true.  Melchior sang Lohengrin 105 other times between 1927 and 1950.

20. Mickey Redmond was shooting for a third straight 50 goal season in 1974-75.  He underwent that back surgery at University of Michigan hospital on December 18, 1974.  Unfortunately his back difficulties continued and he was out of the NHL at age 28 two years later.  Incidentally, that isn't much of a prediction, since he's going to miss 50 games of a 82 game season!

21. Shades of the notorious Uncle Don re-creation, and just as apocryphal.  

MOST VALUABLE BLOOPERS: To these ears, the top five: 1) Ma Bell Satire; 2) Chesterfield's; 3) Gunsmoke; 4) Betrayed; 5) Cisco Kid

Volumes 1 through 4 of this MCA set did a lot of recycling of the best known bloopers from Schafer's quarter century of goofs.  There's newer material throughout the last two volumes and several longer pieces.  As a result this one sounds fresher to 2020 ears, and provides a fascinating time capsule as always.   

THE FINAL TALLY:  Hopefully the readers can fill in some blanks for me this time.  28 out of 81 I have a question mark on.  For the rest I'm counting 27 authentic and 26 not, making this one more of a 50/50 proposition than 100 SUPER DUPER BLOOPERS which I felt was 65% the real deal.  As always, comments, suggestions and complaints welcomed.

Television Review: LOVE THAT BOB: "Bob's Boyhood Love Image" (1959)

LOVE THAT BOB a.k.a. THE BOB CUMMINGS SHOW: "Bob's Boyhood Love Image" (1959 NBC-TV/Laurel-McCadden Productions) Original Air Date: January 6, 1959.  Starring Bob Cummings as Bob Collins, Rosemary deCamp as Margaret MacDonald, Ann B. Davis as Charmaine "Schultzy" Schultz, Dwayne Hickman as Chuck MacDonald, Rose Marie as Martha Randolph, Joi Lansing as Shirley Swanson, Barbara Darrow as Lola, Dorothy Johnson as Harriet Wyle, Edward Earle as J.O.P.  Written by Paul Henning and Dick Wesson.  Directed by Bob Cummings.

Introduction to the LOVE THAT BOB/THE BOB CUMMINGS SHOW episode guide and series overview is at this link.

Daydreaming yet again about marrying The Boss, Schultzy decides on a new psychological tack: identifying the childhood crush who established Bob's female ideal, then emulating that presumably long-held ideal.  A journey through the Collins family scrapbook turns up a Louisiana southern belle and a black-clad tomboy, and Schultzy lets the imitations begin.

Bob's sister Margaret also states a deep desire: shooing the Swallows who have nested in the chimney.   After failing to deter son Chuck from his tennis game to do the dirty deed, Margaret turns to brother Bob.  Unfortunately, the shifty shutterbug is shuffling Shirley, Lola and Harriet at the office, so his hands are full.  Will Schultzy be able to elbow her way in?  Is she ever?

Pared down a writing staff of two for its duration, the final season of LOVE THAT BOB proved too disappointingly reliant on meta guest stars in its first half and too cloying (courtesy the ill-advised addition of Tammy Marihugh to the cast) in its second.  But the show's foundation wasn't completely ignored, and the best episodes of 1958-59 resulted from going back to it.  Schultzy pining over Bob while he juggles multiple beautiful models is the very fulcrum of the series.

Signalling that we're headed for the tried and true, Bob's Boyhood Love Image begins with a dream sequence--Schultzy's.  Getting married in the Collins living room, with three of Bob's A-list crying and the bride's face obscured by both a veil and the Justice, it's an auspicious beginning.  Once we see her, we know it's a fantasy.  Martha Randolph ends it, yet again trying to enlist Charmaine as a wingwoman for a more realistic double date.

Like fellow secretary Bertha Krause, Martha thinks Collins is the cat's meow yet has no delusions about Schultzy's ability to land her prey.  Whereas Bertha nevertheless supports Charmaine's determination to shoot for the star, Martha tries to keep her pal earthbound--for her own nocturnal purposes here, since she needs a fourth wheel (for her date's parole officer!).

Nostalgia foiled Margaret in her efforts to stop Chuck's goldbricking, but she recovered nicely enough to give her playboy brother the chimney chores.  Proving to be a good sport, she apparently cooked that scrumptious dinner enjoyed by Bob and Shirley and got out of the house for bridge night, allowing dining by firelight.  

Bob's own task avoidance at home is his downfall, but he's still the King in the studio, adeptly juggling Lola, Harriet and Shirley while sidestepping every suspicion with aplomb.  Learning his lesson from prior failed efforts like Bob Batches It and The Models Revolt, Bob settles on just one date for the evening.  Despite the Master's usual taste for strange, he chooses the very familiar Shirley Swanson over luscious Lola and Harriet's wiles.  

Speaking of familiarity, it's a little late in the game for Bob to suddenly be presenting Shirley with a heretofore unheard of sister--Bob's Boyhood Love Image is the show's 150th episode.  Schultzy has also demonstrated her tomboy tendencies before (remember her powerful fastball in Bob Gets Out-Uncled?) so veteran viewers already know her second persona will be a non-starter.  By refocusing on the original regulars, Henning and Wesson still give us a brisk series of funny situations with snappy dialogue.  Cummings continues to be adept with pacing and camera placement, giving us visual gags to compete with the verbal.  The mid-season rally would unfortunately be short-lived, but Bob's Boyhood Love Image is a worthy addition to any season and a very impressive entry for any series with this many stories behind it.

The always welcome Joi Lansing was joined by two starlets we didn't see nearly enough of: Dorothy Johnson (Bob Retrenches) had but seven credited appearances outside of LOVE THAT BOB, and disappears here after the dream sequence.  1953 Deb Star Barbara Darrow (QUEEN OF OUTER SPACE) played three different models in three different CUMMINGS shows.  Justice of the Peace Edward Earle dwarfed the rest of the cast with a whopping 449 credits in a career that dated back to 1913.

WHO WAS BLOCKING?

Schultzy's Southern Belle routine is swatted away during the photography session with Lola, and Margaret is neutralized with Bob's promise to relocate the swallows.  Margaret briefly blocks Chuck from his tennis date with Carol Henning, and for much of Bob's Boyhood Love Image it looks like the blockers will be kept at bay.  That is, until Schultzy finally gets her way in a soot-covered finale.

DID BOB SCORE?

He was certainly headed for a trip around with basepaths with Shirley Swanson before the unfortunately timed chimney malfunction, and definitely appears to have a foot in the door with Lola while on the clock.  If the latter happened, we didn't see it: this was the last of Barbara Darrow's three segments.

THE BOTTOM LINE:

When Henning and Wesson went back to basics, they came up Aces.  Bob Plays Margaret's Game stands with the show's very best installments, and this winner brings the crazy without a deep delve into slapstick silliness.  It would be something of a last hurrah for LOVE THAT BOB's glory days, with meta visits from Steve Allen, Art Linkletter and Mamie Van Doren in succeeding weeks followed by the show's acquisition of its very own Cousin Oliver with Bob the Babysitter.  That said, it is one hell of a reminder of the punch that even an aged LOVE THAT BOB was capable of delivering from its durable original premise.  (*** out of four) 

Bob's Boyhood Love Image is available on Shokus Video's LOVE THAT BOB VII, titled "Schultzy Recreate's Bob's Past".  Uniquely, the print is from a 1960 daytime airing on ABC, and features original commercials from Mary Cummings, the Mrs. from 1945 to 1970.