Car 54 Where Are You?

Late one night, I was channel surfing when I saw the “Car 54 Where Are You?” movie was coming on cable in about an hour. Having heard the horrible reviews about it, I was determined not to watch it. I am somewhat protective of the tv shows I like, and tend to be against any remakes from the start, because they almost always never do the original justice. Before heading off to bed, out of total curiousity, I quickly turned over to the movie. My main reason, in addition to the curiousity aspect, was to see Nipsey Russell and Al Lewis, both original cast members, the only ones in the film.

First off, I noticed David Johansen trying way too hard to talk like Joe E. Ross. If he was trying to embody the essence of the loveable and hilarious Gunther Toody, that was not the way to do it. He should have tried another tactic. He was in a scene with Rosie O’ Donnell, who was the bossy, fussy Lucille. She wasn’t too bad, but something was still missing. I did get to see Nipsey and Lewis, who reprised their roles as Anderson and Schnauser. Anderson, who was dispatcher in the series, was now Captain Anderson, while Schnauser was still good ‘ol Leo. I didn’t see his loudmouth wife Sylvia, though. When Leo was in the hospital after a mishap at his birthday party, he was lying in bed watching Grandpa Munster on “The Munsters”. I thought that was a tacky scene. However, the worst was yet to come. In the beginning, Toody was not partners with Francis Muldoon. I didn’t catch the name of his partner. Muldoon showed up for the first time later- and it was a complete disaster. I don’t know who’s idea it was to write him this way. He and Toody had absolutely NO chemistry together. Muldoon had no personality whatsoever. He was the equivalent of a wet mop, mixed with this harsh, annoying demeanor, nothing at all like the original. Muldoon was always a favorite of mine- sweet, shy, with a heart of gold. After about five more minutes, I hurriedly turned off the tv. I couldn’t stand anymore.

 Instead, I began to remember how and why I fell so in love with the tv show. It began almost 20 years earlier, when I was 18. Nick at Nite was brand to me. I was able to watch shows I had only heard about, like “Mister Ed”, “The Patty Duke Show”, The Donna Reed Show”, and “Laugh-In”. Unlike these, I had never heard of “Car 54 Where Are You?” before. Nor did I take to it right away. I would glance at it here and there, mostly in passing. The thing that did catch my attention was seeing both Fred Gwynne and Al Lewis without their “Munsters” makeup. However, this alone did not trigger my attention. One night, I actually sat down and watched part of an episode. I was instantly hooked. The show was unbelievably funny, and brilliantly written, with a very gifted cast. I had fallen in love with the guys from the 53rd Precinct in the Bronx, and just had to see them every night. Toody and Muldoon was always getting themselves into some kind of a hilarious situation, time and time again, often to the dismay of their boss, Captain Block. 

Although “Car 54” was only on the air for two years, it is one of the best shows I’ve had the pleasure of watching. It made its debut in September 1961, ten years before I was born. The real glue and heart and soul of the show was the dynamic chemistry between Joe E. Ross and Fred Gwynne. The two could not have been more different, both on the show, or in real life. Toody was loud, silly, and not very bright, while Muldoon was very shy, tall, and intelligent. Toody lived with his domineering wife, Lucille. Muldoon still lived at home with his Mother. Meanwhile, Joe E. Ross dropped out of high school, and became a singing waiter before becoming a comedian. Fred Gwynne was a Harvard graduate. During the show’s run, Gwynne was a husband and father, living in Westchester, while Ross was a bachelor who resided in Manhattan. Despite their extreme differences, they clicked beautifully on screen. Their supportive cast was outstanding also. Beatrice Pons, Charlotte Rae, Hank Garrett, Fred O’ Neal, Ossie Davis, Nipsey Russell, Al Lewis, Paul Reed… The perfect group of people to have within their midst.

 Another aspect about the show which really made it stand apart is the presence of actors of various races and ethnicities, a first for a show in the early ’60s. They were not there in a position of servitude, or the butt of everyone’s jokes. They were there because that’s what the real world is like. Everyone was on the same level. According to Fred Gwynne’s biography on the BIO channel, this was one of the things he liked best about working on the show, the chance to work with actors from various cultures. “Car 54” creator and director Nat Hiken won an Emmy for directing in 1962, an honor which was rightfully deserved.

By the time season two had come to a close, “Car 54” was still a top 20 show. However, Nat Hiken was under intense pressure to write, produce and direct, so when the time came, he did not pursue a renewal of the show. He was obviously trying to reduce the level of stress he was already enduring. Therefore, the show was canceled- basically for nothing. It most certainly did not get the opportunity to run its course. I had wondered for years why the show ended when it did. It was disheartening to find this out. A delightful show ending its run prematurely because of this kind of nonsense??? There should have been another solution than this.

 Nat Hiken passed away, due a heart attack, in 1968. His wife claimed the excessive and demanding work on “Car 54” took a toll on his health. Joe E. Ross passed away of a heart attack as well, while performing on stage in the clubhouse of his apartment building, in 1982. Fred Gwynne lost his battle with pancreatic cancer in 1993. Most of the supporting cast have also passed away. As far as I know, the only surviving members are Charlotte Rae, Hank Garrett, and Larry Storch, who was Charlie the drunk.

 “Car 54” is one of those shows not known very well by the general public. It is one of those hidden treasures, and today, it seems even more hidden.  The programming on Nick at Nite today is of more recent sitcoms. However, those hidden treasures are the best of all. The movie does not even begin to compare. I would suggest avoiding it. If you’ve never watched the show, you will get the wrong idea, an inaccurate portrayal. If you have watched the show, you will be disappointed with what you will see. Stick with the original. Pick up the entire series on DVD like I did.

The Fugitive.. A QM Production

This blog is not about the ’90s movie. It is about the original, Emmy-winning tv show, which came along before anyone had ever heard of Harrison Ford. I have yet to see the movie, and whether I will remains to be seen. I doubt it, though. I’m sure I would constantly compare every aspect of it with the TV show, and be too critical. It was twenty years ago this month when I saw an episode of “The Fugitive” for the first time. The A&E network was airing episodes daily in the afternoons, and with the way I had my college schedule set up, the timing was perfect for me.

My Mother had talked about the show off and on through the years. It was one of her favorites, one she watched from junior high thru college. I do not remember the title of that first episode, just that it was from season one. Kimble was working for the Guthrie family, and there was a serious issue of sibling rivalry going on between two adult sisters. I was intrigued. It was a really good show. Mom was right. Within the new few days, I would become addicted.

Many of the storylines were downright captivating. I was often on the edge of my seat, wondering how in the world Kimble was going to get out of THIS mess! You knew he would escape, but HOW?? The presence of overly driven Lt. Philip Gerard only made things worse. His whole mission in life was to capture Kimble, which he almost did a time or two. I remember the time the two were on a train, in different cars, when Gerard saw Kimble. He couldn’t get from car to car fast enough, giving Kimble time to jump out of the moving train to safety. All Gerard could do was look out of the train, into the night, in disgust. He stayed on his trail, always showing up unexpectedly.

This is the story. Richard Kimble, an Indiana pediatrician, was falsely accused of murdering his wife, Helen. The two had an argument, which the neighbors heard. He angrily left. The two were fighting about possibly adopting a child, following a recent miscarriage. He was for it, she was against it. After cooling off, Kimble was driving back home, when a large man with one arm accidentally ran in front of his car. The two made lengthy eye contact. The one-armed man ran off, while Kimble hurriedly raced home. When he ran inside, he found Helen’s body on the floor. All of this was shown for the first time in episode number 12. Kimble was tried and convicted of murder, and sentenced to die. In Gerard’s custody, headed to his appointment with death, the train they were aboard suddenly derailed, giving Kimble the opportunity to escape, which he did. He dyed his hair black, and went from town to town, in different states, working various odd jobs. He used many names, and often made friends along with way, all which he had to leave behind sooner or later. In addition to running for his very life, he was determined to prove his innocence.

 “The Fugitive” ran for four years on ABC, from 1963 to 1967. In 1965, it won an Emmy for best dramatic series. The part of Dr. Richard Kimble was played by the wonderful David Janssen, a brilliant and dynamic actor. He had a way of being able to convey a sense of sadness, mixed with honesty and integrity in his portrayal. As a result, he easily garnered sympathy and compassion from the viewers. Lt. Gerard was portrayed by Barry Morse, while the one-armed man was Bill Raisch, a WWII veteran, who had really lost an arm in combat. “The Fugitive” was a huge ratings success, airing Tuesday nights at 9 o’ clock CST. It always came in first in its time slot, except once, in December of 1965, when a Frank Sinatra special over on CBS, hosted by Walter Cronkite, beat it in the ratings. The first three years were in black and white, with the last season being in color. Honestly, I find the black and white episodes more appealing in a way, although the last season is just as good.

ABC wanted to the show to go on for a fifth season, but David Janssen was exhausted, and rightfully so. Working on an hour-long dramatic series, which includes a certain amount of physical activity (Kimble ran a LOT), where you are in mostly every scene, would wear a lot of people out. The network also suggested giving Kimble a teenage son to be on the run with him. I can’t see that idea having worked out very well. The end came in August 1967, in the dramatic two-parter titled “The Judgment”.  The one-armed man is arrested for another crime. Kimble heads back to Indiana to face him, and get his name cleared once and for all. Gerard eventually catches Kimble, and takes him back into custody. In part two, which aired on August 29, 1967, Kimble, Gerard, and the one-armed man have an unforgettable showdown at a closed amusement park. Kimble and the one-armed man have a fight atop a tall building, with Gerard shooting the one-armed man. He falls to his death, after having admitted he killed Helen Kimble. However, no one except for Kimble hears this confession, so it won’t help him. In a twist of events, there was a witness to the murder, a friend and neighbor of the Kimbles, who had kept quiet all of this time. In the end, he confesses he saw the one-armed man kill Helen. Therefore, Richard Kimble is finally exonerated. He has a new woman in his life, Jean, who assisted him in the two-part finale. Gerard is waiting for Kimble outside of the courthouse. He extends his hand to Kimble, and the two shake hands. Narrator William Conrad, who had the ideal voice for this show, and always spoke the most fitting words per episode, says at the end, as Kimble and Jean walk down the sidewalk in the sun, “Tuesday, September 5th- The Day The Running Stopped.” The finale of “The Fugitive” was a ratings bonanza. It became the most watched episode of the television show in history, with 72% of all households watching. This record would stand until 1980, when the “Who Shot J.R.?” episode of “Dallas” took its place. The finale of “The Fugitive” is among the best of all time.

Among those households watching that night were my family. I had not been born, but my Mom, along with her brother, and parents, were glued to the set. My Mom and Grandmother were at choir rehearsal that night, and it went over. At 9 when “The Fugitive” was coming on, they were still there, along with a hosts of others, fidgeting in their seats. After all, they had waited four years to see how this would end. The pastor called them out on it, saying he knew they want to get home to see the show, but church business was more important. Around 9:15, they were finally free to leave, with everyone literally running out of the church. My Grandmother, never a very fast driver, rushed home, where the TV was already on. Fortunately, they did not have very far to go, nor did they miss too much. Meanwhile, the pastor, who lived right next door to the church, simply walked across the grass, and later admitted he too turned on “The Fugitive”.

 David Janssen would return to network television twice, in “O’Hara U.S. Treasury” in 1971, and in “Harry O” in 1974. I first became familiar with him in reruns of “Harry O”, which aired late nights on CBS, after the 10 o’ clock news. Sadly, he passed away in 1980 of a heart attack, at the age of 48. I still remember Walter Cronkite telling the news, and my Mom’s shock. Bill Raisch passed away in 1984, and Barry Morse in 2008, at the age of 89. There was a remake of the show, starring Tim Daly, which aired on CBS for a season (2000-01). We gave it a chance, but the pizzaz of the original was just not there. 

All four seasons of “The Fugitive” are on DVD. It is a timeless classic, which is not dated, and never grows old. In 1993, TV Guide named it the best tv show of the ’60s. The decade was filled with terrific shows, but I agreed then, and I agree now.