My Living Doll | |
---|---|
Bob Cummings and Julie Newmar, 1964 | |
Genre | Science fiction sitcom |
Created by |
|
Starring | |
Theme music composer | George Greeley |
Composer | George Greeley |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
No. of seasons | 1 |
No. of episodes | 26 (list of episodes) |
Production | |
Executive producer | Jack Chertok |
Producer | Howard Leeds |
Camera setup | Single-camera |
Running time | 24–25 min |
Production companies | Jack Chertok Television Productions CBS Television Network |
Original release | |
Network | CBS |
Release | September 27, 1964 – March 17, 1965 |
My Living Doll is an American science-fiction sitcom starring Bob Cummings and Julie Newmar. The series was aired on CBS from September 27, 1964, to March 17, 1965. It was produced by Jack Chertok and filmed at Desilu studios by Jack Chertok Television Productions, in association with the CBS Television Network.
The series starred Bob Cummings as Dr. Bob McDonald, a psychiatrist. His friend Dr. Carl Miller (Henry Beckman), a scientist with the U.S. Air Force being transferred to Pakistan, shows Bob his latest invention: a lifelike android in the form of a sexy, Amazonian female, AF 709. Miller gives the prototype robot, also called Rhoda (Julie Newmar), to Bob. Bob is initially reluctant, but soon becomes intrigued by the experiment of educating this sophisticated but naive robot. The series' episodes center around Rhoda's attempts to learn how human society works, and Bob's attempts to teach Rhoda how to be "the perfect woman", which he defines as one who "does what she's told" and "doesn't talk back." He also strives to keep her identity secret by saying that she is Carl's niece.
Rhoda also begins showing (or at least emulating) rudimentary emotions as the series progresses. For example, in the episode "The Kleptomaniac", she displays a childlike, playful attitude. At one point McDonald notices this and utters, "What a goofy robot!", to which Rhoda replies, beaming, "The goofiest!" At the conclusion of this episode, Rhoda giggles without prompting after pulling a plot-resolving prank on another character. Another episode, "The Pool Shark", has Rhoda displaying apparent enjoyment in playing pool. The series does not explore whether these are truly learned behaviors or the result of programming, or if, in the fantasy context of the series, Rhoda is truly learning human emotion.
Other regular cast members included:
The show was created by Jack Chertok based on the Pygmalion–Galatea myth. The series was unusual in that it was bought by the network without a formal pilot, at the request of CBS's president James T. Aubrey, due to the success of Chertok's series My Favorite Martian . [1] The show was announced in April 1964. [2] [3] Filming began at Desilu Studios in July 1964. [4] Outdoor scenes for the opening episode ("Boy Meets Girl") were filmed at Space Park under the pseudonym of "Space Research Center" (SRC). [5] It was there in Redondo Beach, California that Rhoda was shown wandering off the campus, but was soon found by Dr. McDonald across the street at a drive-in named "Phil's Freeze" in Manhattan Beach.
The series was developed with Julie Newmar in mind for the female lead. CBS had been looking for a vehicle for Newmar for two years, and found this to be the best project for her. [6] Producers originally wanted Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. for the male lead, originally meant to be a "straight" role opposite Newmar. However, CBS also had Bob Cummings under contract, and overruled them to place Cummings in the series. [7]
The New York Times, reviewing the show in September, said it:
...very probably has the makings of a popular novelty hit... with Miss Newmar giving a light and amusing performance as the automated dish, the premise could work out... Bob Cummings, an old hand at chaperoning pretty girls, again is cast in his familiar assignment. [8]
Despite good reviews, early ratings were poor. [9] The show was initially scheduled opposite NBC's Bonanza on Sunday nights, but was shifted to Wednesdays in December in an attempt to improve ratings. This did not work, and in January, Cummings asked to be written out of the show after 21 episodes. CBS did not announce a replacement for him, indicating that they did not want to continue the series. [10] [11]
At the time, reportedly Cummings and Newmar were not getting along during production, [12] with Newmar stating in a 1965 interview that Cummings had tried to teach her how to act, was unhappy that she appeared to be getting more press attention than he was, and was "trying too desperately to hold on to his long-gone youth". [13] However, this is denied by Newmar and show producer Howard Leeds [14] in The Living Doll Story, a featurette included in the 2012 DVD release.
Another report said that Cummings was unhappy with the size of his role in comparison to Newmar's. [15] [16]
In later years, Newmar said the trouble was Cummings' addiction to methamphetamine. She says this contributed to his erratic behavior on set, as well as his increasing depression and insecurity. He demanded that the show focus more on his character. CBS refused and Cummings left. [17] [18]
Cumming's last appearance was in "The Witness", the show's 21st episode, which aired on 10 February 1965. The following week's episode explained that his character had been transferred to Pakistan; the Peter character learns Rhoda's secret and takes over the position of watching over her. [19] This was the plot device for the last five episodes of the season, and the series was not renewed for a second season.
Two versions of the opening credits were created. The first version had Rhoda wearing short lingerie similar to a teddy; according to an interview with Newmar included on the DVD release, this version was rejected as being too risque, so a new version with Rhoda wearing a long dress (though a little suggestive of lingerie) was filmed. [20] This latter version is the one used on the versions of the episodes that were broadcast and released to DVD; however, the unofficial circulation of several episodes used the teddy version of the credits.[ citation needed ]
No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | "Boy Meets Girl?" | Lawrence Dobkin | Bill Kelsay & Al Martin | September 27, 1964 | 6255-01 |
When Space Agency psychiatrist Bob McDonald finds a top secret prototype female robot, her creator, Dr. Miller, asks Bob to take over her care and training when Miller is reassigned to Pakistan. | |||||
2 | "Rhoda's First Date" | Ezra Stone | Martin Ragaway | October 4, 1964 | 6255-02 |
Bob purchases some new clothes for Rhoda. While Bob's out, she accepts neighbour Peter's request to go out for dinner. At the restaurant, her OFF button accidentally gets pushed. Believing that she had fainted, she is taken to the hospital. | |||||
3 | "Uninvited Guest" | Ezra Stone | Roland Wolpert | October 11, 1964 | 6255-03 |
Having Lewis Carroll's "Alice in Wonderland" read to her by a young girl has had a peculiar effect on poor Rhoda. She's afflicted with spells of vertigo, as well as difficulty distinguishing fantasy from reality. The situation is complicated by an unexpected visit from Bob's boss, who isn't supposed to know about Rhoda. | |||||
4 † | "Lesson in Love" | Ezra Stone | Unknown | October 18, 1964 | TBA |
Bob's sister Irene programs Rhoda to act as if she is in love, and Rhoda takes the information to her transistorized heart, causing much confusion. | |||||
5 † | "Rhoda's Debut" "Rhoda and the V.I.P." | Ezra Stone | Howard Merrill & Al Schwartz | October 25, 1964 | 6255-05 |
Bob is escorting a general's daughter to a V.I.P. reception and gives strict orders that Rhoda is not to leave the apartment, but, of course, that doesn't happen. | |||||
6 | "Something Borrowed, Something Blew" | Ezra Stone | Bill Kelsay & Al Martin | November 1, 1964 | TBA |
Bob is chairman of a psychiatric clinic's fund-raising drive, and he and Rhoda call on the donor with the greatest potential: millionaire playboy Walter J. Armbruster; the playboy takes a great liking to her and decides he wishes to marry her. | |||||
7 | "The Love Machine" | Ezra Stone | Bernard Slade | November 8, 1964 | 6255-07 |
It would take a computer to find the right girl for Peter, and Bob has just the tool, Rhoda. He furnishes Rhoda with information on 250 girls working at the space lab, trying to find a match for Peter. | |||||
8 | "The Beauty Contest" | Ezra Stone | Tom Koch | November 15, 1964 | 6255-10 |
Irene sneaks Rhoda into a beauty contest for which Bob is a judge. | |||||
9 † | "Leave 'Em Laughing" "Not So Comic, Comic" | Ezra Stone | Unknown | November 22, 1964 | TBA |
Bob's friend, Herbert, would rather be a comic than a pharmacist, but he's not a very good comedian, so Bob has been asked to persuade the young man to stick to filling prescriptions. | |||||
10 | "My Robot, The Warden" | Ezra Stone | Unknown | November 29, 1964 | 6255-09 |
Bob's working extremely hard on a magazine article, and he instructs Rhoda to make certain that he finishes on time. | |||||
11 † | "The Rhoda Gamble" "Just Lucky, I Guess" | Ezra Stone | Unknown | December 6, 1964 | TBA |
Trying to cure a compulsive gambler, Bob gets Rhoda to use her mathematical skill to predict the fall of the dice. | |||||
12 † | "The Language Barrier" | Ezra Stone | Unknown | December 13, 1964 | TBA |
Dr. McDonald's scheduled meeting with a colleague from the Far East is not going well. Rhoda goofed and instructed the interpreter not to show up. | |||||
13 † | "Little White Lie" "The Doctor Is In" | Ezra Stone | Unknown | December 16, 1964 | TBA |
When Bob gets the opportunity to have lunch with an attractive lady therapist, he asks Rhoda to cancel his luncheon with the chief of police. | |||||
14 | "I'll Leave It to You" | Ezra Stone | Unknown | December 23, 1964 | TBA |
Meek millionaire Jonas Clay intends on leaving his fortune to a charity, and not his domineering sister & her son, but Clay needs Bob to certify that he's of sound mind and fit to control his own money. | |||||
15 † | "Mechanical Perfection" | Ezra Stone | Unknown | December 30, 1964 | TBA |
After comparing herself to the flawless Rhoda, depressed and discouraged Irene feels very inadequate. | |||||
16 | "Pool Shark" | Ezra Stone | Unknown | January 6, 1965 | 6255-16 |
Peter owes a small fortune to a pool shark, but he very cleverly signed Bob's name to the IOU. They send in Rhoda to play the pool shark, and, with her abilities, she beats the shark and repays the debt. | |||||
17 † | "Color Me Trouble" | Ezra Stone | Unknown | January 13, 1965 | 6255-18 |
Rhoda copies a Picasso so accurately that an art dealer believes it to be the real thing right down to the signature. Bob tries in vain to convince the dealer that the painting is a forgery. | |||||
18 | "The Kleptomaniac" | Ezra Stone | Russell Beggs | January 20, 1965 | 6255-19 |
Rhoda, unaware that department stores are places where people purchase things, helps herself to gems from a jewellery counter, as a gift for Bob's sister. | |||||
19 † | "Sky Divers" | Ezra Stone | Unknown | January 27, 1965 | 6255-16 |
Peter follows Bob's advice about facing up to his fears by taking a giant step: Peter tells everyone that he's an accomplished sky diver. The only problem is that Peter has lied! | |||||
20 † | "The Robotic Astronaut" | Ezra Stone | Unknown | February 3, 1965 | TBA |
Bob takes Rhoda along when he goes out of town to interview a group of women applying for the astronaut program, and Rhoda applies. | |||||
21 | "The Witness" | Ezra Stone | Howard Dimsdale | February 10, 1965 | 6255-21 |
Bob gets off to an inauspicious start as chairman of a road-safety committee when his car is crashed into by his neighbor's car, and then Rhoda testifies in court about the entire incident. Note: This episode features the final appearances of Bob Cummings and Doris Dowling. | |||||
22 † | "Rhoda Meets Dr. Robinson" "Boy Gets Robot" | Ezra Stone | Unknown | February 17, 1965 | 6255-24 |
Bob has been called to Pakistan to assist Dr. Miller, and Rhoda's government supervisor, Dr. Foster, agrees to put her in the care of Bob's neighbor Peter, who is alarmed to find that the girl of his dreams is really a computer wonder. | |||||
23 † | "Dancing Doll" | Ezra Stone | Unknown | February 24, 1965 | 6255-25 |
Peter and Rhoda perform in a ballet, after their escorting ballerina Angela Carruthers to a TV interview goes very wrong. | |||||
24 † | "The Mannequin" "A Paris Original" | Ezra Stone | Unknown | March 3, 1965 | 6255-26 |
When a fashion photographer finds Rhoda's almost perfect ability to take commands in robotic perfection, this causes Peter no end of trouble as his date, who he was meeting at the fashion house, had the original assignment. | |||||
25 † | "Murder, He Says" "Rhoda's Suntan" | Ezra Stone | Unknown | March 10, 1965 | 6255-27 |
Rhoda's day at the beach over-charges her solar batteries. Peter must place her in the apartment's closet wrapped in a carpet to prevent any more exposure. As a result, the apartment's handy man thinks Peter is hiding a body and calls in the cops. | |||||
26 † | "Brother Harry" "Comic Interference" | Ezra Stone | Unknown | March 17, 1965 | 6255-28 |
Mrs. Moffit's brother, a failed nightclub comedian, causes problems when he moves into Peter's apartment. He tries to teach Rhoda the finer points of stand-up comedy and the right time to laugh. |
^† Episode is lost.
On March 20, 2012, MPI Home Video released My Living Doll—The Official Collection, Volume 1 on DVD in Region 1. The 2-disc set features 11 episodes of the series. [21] The episodes featured on the DVD collection were created from 16mm prints of the show held by collectors, as the one known set of original 35mm negatives were destroyed in the 1994 Northridge earthquake. [22] It is unknown if the remaining 15 episodes exist.
According to The Random House Historical Dictionary of American Slang , My Living Doll is the source of the science fiction phrase "Does not compute" in popular culture. [23]
My Living Doll producer Howard Leeds went on to create Small Wonder , a 1980s sitcom featuring a young girl robot named Vicki. He also employed composer George Greeley, who wrote the music for My Living Doll.[ citation needed ]
Leeds, when in the employ of Reg Grundy Productions Australia producing Chopper Squad , proposed and produced a new My Living Doll presentation pilot, "Billion Dollar Baby", using an all-Australian cast.[ citation needed ]
In 2018, Jack Chertok Television Productions producer Peter Greenwood apparently had posts on his LinkedIn account stating that he had begun active development of a new My Living Doll limited series; his account also featured a bound set of the original series scripts as part of the post. [24] The posts may also have stated that the reboot "would be more in tune with present-day morals and would change a great deal of the format to highlight the character, based on the current need for positive, intelligent and meaningful female role models." [24] [ better source needed ]
It has been speculated that the Star Trek: Voyager character Seven of Nine's name is a homage to Rhoda's original designation as AF 709. [25]
The Munsters is an American sitcom depicting the home life of a family of benign monsters. The series stars Fred Gwynne as Frankenstein's monster Herman Munster, Yvonne De Carlo as his vampire wife Lily, Al Lewis as Grandpa the aged vampire Count Dracula, Beverley Owen as their niece Marilyn, and Butch Patrick as their werewolf-like son Eddie. The family pet, named "Spot", was a fire-breathing dragon.
The Andy Griffith Show is an American sitcom television series that was aired on CBS from October 3, 1960, to April 1, 1968, with a total of 249 half-hour episodes spanning eight seasons—159 in black and white and 90 in color.
Julie Newmar is an American actress, dancer, and singer known for a variety of stage, screen, and television roles. She is also a writer, lingerie designer, and real estate mogul. She won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for her role as Katrin Sveg in the 1958 Broadway production of The Marriage-Go-Round, and reprised the role in the 1961 film version. In the 1960s she starred for two seasons as Catwoman in the television series Batman (1966–1967). Her other stage credits include Ziegfeld Follies in 1956, Lola in Damn Yankees! in 1961, and Irma in Irma la Douce in 1965 in regional productions.
Rhoda is an American sitcom television series created by James L. Brooks and Allan Burns starring Valerie Harper that originally aired on CBS for five seasons from September 9, 1974, to May 18, 1979. It was the first spin-off of The Mary Tyler Moore Show in which Harper reprised her role as Rhoda Morgenstern, a spunky and flamboyantly fashioned young woman seen as unconventional by the standards of her Jewish family from New York City. The series was originally distributed by Viacom Enterprises.
Desilu Productions, Inc. was an American television production company founded and co-owned by husband and wife Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball. The company is best known for shows such as I Love Lucy, The Lucy Show, Mannix, The Untouchables, Mission: Impossible and Star Trek. Until 1962, Desilu was the second-largest independent television production company in the United States, behind MCA's Revue Studios, until MCA bought Universal Pictures and Desilu became and remained the number-one independent production company, until Ball sold it to Gulf and Western Industries in 1968.
The Danny Thomas Show is an American sitcom that ran from 1953 to 1957 on ABC and from 1957 to 1964 on CBS. Starring Danny Thomas as a successful night club entertainer, the show focused on his relationship with his family, yet went through a number of significant changes in cast and characters during the course of its run. Episodes regularly featured music by Thomas, guest stars and occasionally other cast members as part of the plot.
The Lucy Show is an American sitcom that aired on CBS from 1962 to 1968. It was Lucille Ball's follow-up to I Love Lucy. A significant change in cast and premise for the fourth season (1965–1966) divides the program into two distinct eras; aside from Ball, only Gale Gordon, who joined the program for its second season, remained. For the first three seasons, Vivian Vance was the co-star.
Here's Lucy is an American sitcom starring Lucille Ball. The series co-starred her long-time comedy partner Gale Gordon and her real-life children Lucie Arnaz and Desi Arnaz Jr. It was broadcast on CBS from 1968 to 1974. It was Ball's third network sitcom, following I Love Lucy (1951–57) and The Lucy Show (1962–68).
My Favorite Martian is an American sitcom that aired on CBS from September 29, 1963, to May 1, 1966, for 107 episodes. The show stars Ray Walston as "Uncle Martin" and Bill Bixby as Tim O'Hara. The first two seasons, totaling 75 episodes, were in black and white, and the 32 episodes of the third and final season were filmed in color.
Small Wonder was an American children's comedy science fiction sitcom that aired in first-run syndication from September 7, 1985, to May 20, 1989. The show chronicles the family of a robotics engineer who secretly creates a robot modeled after a human girl, then tries to pass it off as their adopted daughter, Vicki. The series turned out to be a surprise hit, specifically with children, as many channels belonging to different nations witnessed while re-running the show. Owing to its popularity in some countries, the show had to be dubbed for different languages.
The Bob Cummings Show is an American sitcom starring Bob Cummings, which was broadcast from January 2, 1955, to September 15, 1959.
Bump in the Night is an American stop-motion animated series by Danger Productions and Greengrass Productions. The show was filmed using stop-motion animation and aired on ABC from 1994 to 1995. It was created and directed by Ken Pontac and David Bleiman.
Charles Clarence Robert Orville Cummings was an American film and television actor who appeared in roles in comedy films such as The Devil and Miss Jones (1941) and Princess O'Rourke (1943), and in dramatic films, especially two of Alfred Hitchcock's thrillers, Saboteur (1942) and Dial M for Murder (1954). He received five Primetime Emmy Award nominations, and won the Primetime Emmy Award for Best Actor in a Single Performance in 1955. On February 8, 1960, he received two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contributions to the motion picture and television industries, at 6816 Hollywood Boulevard and 1718 Vine Street. He used the stage name Robert Cummings from mid-1935 until the end of 1954 and was credited as Bob Cummings from 1955 until his death.
The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour is a collection of thirteen black-and-white one-hour specials airing occasionally from 1957 to 1960. The first five were shown as specials during the 1957–58 television season. The remaining eight were originally shown as part of Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse. Its original network title was The Ford Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Show for the first season, and Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse Presents The Lucille Ball–Desi Arnaz Show for the following seasons. The successor to the classic comedy, I Love Lucy, the programs featured the same cast members: Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Vivian Vance, William Frawley, and Little Ricky. The production schedule avoided the grind of a regular weekly series.
Anita Gillette is an American actress and singer. She has performed numerous roles on Broadway, American television, and in feature films.
Jack Mullaney was an American actor. He appeared on Broadway in The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker from 1953 to 1954. Mullaney acted in several television series and films throughout his career.
Nora Marlowe was an American film and television character actress.
Jonny Quest is an American animated science fiction adventure television series about a boy who accompanies his scientist father on extraordinary adventures. It was produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions for Screen Gems, and was created and designed by comic book artist Doug Wildey.
My Hero is an American television sitcom that aired on NBC on Saturday nights from November 8, 1952, to June 20, 1953, under the sponsorship of Dunhill cigarettes. It was also shown in Melbourne, Australia, on ABV-2 during 1956/1957. The programme was the second import to be shown by ITV on 24 September 1955.
Howard Michael Leeds was a Canadian-American television producer, writer, and series creator. Among Leeds' most notable work, he served as a producer and writer for the ABC sitcom, The Brady Bunch, and worked on several television series for Norman Lear's Tandem Productions/Embassy Television, including co-creating NBC's The Facts of Life and Silver Spoons. Leeds also served as the creator and executive producer of the syndicated 1980s family sitcom, Small Wonder.
Desilu TV Studies [sic] visited STL recently to shoot a film segment starring Julie Newmar and Robert Cummings. ... Name of the series is "The Living Doll." It will begin 27 September immediately following "the Ed Sullivan Show," over CBS-TV.
I think [Cummings] tried to make the show more in his image," remembers producer Howard Leeds, "but it was Julie's show.
Below are the complete, unheard lyrics to My Living Doll ... [and] the colorized sequence ... [and] the alternate opening sequence ...