Ellery Queen New Year's Eve (1975)

Mystery writer Ellery Queen (left, Jim Hutton) and his father, New York City Police Inspector Richard Queen (right, David Wayne).

If you're anything like me, you love watching mystery stories on TV.  Lately, I've been watching Murder, She Wrote episodes in the mornings on TVLand.  When I heard that a friend was watching Ellery Queen episodes on Hulu--I thought I'd share the classic New Year's Eve episode from 1975 entitled "The Adventure of Auld Lang Syne."

This short-lived TV series is also available for viewing on DVD.

At a prestigious New Year’s Eve party ushering in 1947 at the Astor Hotel in Times Square, a wealthy businessman Marcus Halliday is found murdered in a telephone booth.  Inspector Queen is already at the party and insists that his son Ellery come at once to help with the investigation. 

Though the story takes place in 1946/47, when was the last time you saw a telephone booth? Above, Inspector Queen is about to open the door to the booth and discover Mr. Halliday's corpse.

Turns out the angry Mr. Halliday had just informed his six party guests that he was disinheriting them all from his will.  While waiting for his son to arrive, Inspector Queen questions Halliday’s guests: Lady Frawley who accompanies Lewis Halliday, Marcus’ ungrateful son.  There is also Miss Zelman the secretary and her sheepish boyfriend Howard Pratt, Paul Quincy the lazy nephew, and Don Becker--Halliday’s new business partner he thinks is corrupt. 

Cast photo I found from this episode.  Left to right, top row: Guy Lombardo, David Wayne, Barbara Rush as Miss Zelman, Ray Walston as Howard Pratt, David Doyle as Don Becker, and Thayer David who plays Marcus Halliday.  Bottom row, left to right: Farley Granger as the nephew Paul Quincy, Joan Collins as Lay Frawley, and Charles Robinson as Halliday's son Lewis.

When the Inspector found Halliday dead in the phone booth, Joe Kemmelman, a Manhattan undertaker was still on the telephone line.  An apparent stranger to this group of people, Kemmelman is brought to the Astor Hotel by the police to find out his connection to the murder. (Kemmelman is played by George Wyner).

Delicious as ever,  Joan Collins plays--no surprise--the slutty, gold-digging social climber Lady Daisy Frawley.

Though it takes Ellery all night to hunt down a cab and travel to busy Times Square to reach the party, he quickly solves the case without asking any further questions from the party guests.  However, Ellery knows the identity of the murderer from a bit of obsolete knowledge that few TV viewers would recognize today.  The detective work is explained so you can appreciate Queen's reasoning skills but I fear few contemporary viewers can solve the case for themselves--just as Ellery asks us to do, directly addressing the viewers by breaking the fourth wall and facing the camera.  I don't want to spoil the murder mystery by explaining the obsolete references--however this episode is still entertaining and certainly worth watching.

The band leader known for his New Year's Eve concerts, the real Guy Lombardo plays himself.

It's certainly worth watching to see Joan Collins playing a role she's played again and again, one she knows by heart and we love her for embracing.  Another highlight of this episode is the orchestra leader Guy Lombardo who hosted popular Times Square New Year’s Eve parties for decades, first on the radio and then on TV, plays himself in this holiday episode. 


Do you like watching mystery stories on TV?  What is your favorite series--and does it have a holiday episode?

Dragnet Christmas (1967)

How long has it been since you've last seen this classic episode of the procedural cop show Dragnet?  Did you know that this 1967 episode is a re-make (using the same script) of the 1953 Dragnet Christmas episode "The Big Little Jesus?"  The heart-warming re-make was re-titled "The Christmas Story" and features several of the same actors who appeared in the 1953 original.  Though the 1953 episode was one of the earliest color broadcasts on television, copies that remain available for viewing are in black-and-white.  The 1967 episode is commonly referred to as the color re-make--even if that's not entirely accurate.

Gannon (left) discusses what present he got for his wife while Joe Friday (right) addresses his Christmas cards.  Is that the saddest little Christmas tree (foreground) you've seen since Charlie Brown's tree?

In "The Christmas Story," it is Christmas Eve and Sergeant Joe Friday and his partner Officer Bill Gannon are working burglary cases.  A telephone call comes in from Father Rojas at the Old Mission Church--a statue of the Baby Jesus from the Nativity display is missing.

At the Old Mission church, Father Rojas explains about the theft.

Though the statue isn’t especially valuable, Friday and Gannon appreciate that it has great sentimental value to the parishioners so the officers take this case very seriously.  They have until mass on Christmas morning to try and recover the stolen item.

The altar boy, John Heffernan, is played by Barry Williams--yes, THAT Barry Williams!

They question several witnesses and a suspect but their case grows cold.  One of the possible witnesses is an altar boy, played by actor Barry Williams in an early role before he was Greg Brady on The Brady Bunch.

Friday and Gannon question suspect Claude Stroup, a down-and-out man living in a dilapidated hotel, who was seen in the church earlier that morning.

Claude Stroup played by Bobby Troup.

Stroup is played by actor/jazz pianist Bobby Troup.  You may recognize Troup from his later role as Dr. Early on Emergency!  But what you may not know is that Troup was also a successful jazz musician and songwriter--he wrote the jazz standard "(Get Your Kicks On) Route 66."  Not only was he married to singer Julie London (Jack Webb's ex-wife) but Troup starred with her on Emergency! (another successful Jack Webb production)--Julie London played Nurse Dixie McCall.

The thief returns to the scene of the crime!

When Gannon and Friday's investigation turns up nothing and they've exhausted all their leads, they return to the church later that night.  While Father Rojas, Friday, and Gannon are standing there, the statue is returned by a little boy Paco.  He innocently explains that he borrowed the statue to make good on his promise to the baby Jesus: to give it the first ride in his new Christmas gift of a little red wagon.  It is such a sweet story--it's one worth re-making after 14 years.

Actor Ralph Moody plays the same role as the curmudgeonly Mr. Flavin in both the 1953 version and the 1967 version of this Dragnet Christmas story.

In addition to actor Jack Webb who plays Sgt. Joe Friday, the 1967 version includes actors Harry Bartell as Father Rojas, Ralph Moody as Mr. Flavin the religious art store owner, and Herb Vigran as the hotel desk clerk--who all reprise the same characters' roles from the 1953 original.  This added bit of nostalgia is especially meaningful for viewers, like myself, who are serious Dragnet fans.

Who could forget Richard Dean Anderson's MacGyver mullet? "business in the front, party in the back."

Interestingly, the MacGyver Christmas episode, 1989's "The Madonna," borrows this same story line of the missing religious statue from the church for its holiday plotline.  Surely, the MacGyver series writers were fans of Dragnet--the familiar storyline must be a tribute to the classic cop show and not just a coincidence.

The MacGyver Christmas episode ends the same way as the Dragnet story--the missing statue is returned by a young boy who is giving it a ride in his new wagon.

The 1953 and 1967 Christmas episodes of Dragnet as well as the fifth season Christmas episode of MacGyver are currently streaming on Netflix.  All three episodes have also been released on DVD.

Joe laughing at his partner Gannon on Christmas Eve.

I love this Dragnet Christmas episode not just for the classic guest stars--although seeing Troup and Williams is reason enough to enjoy this episode.  I appreciate this TV series and its tender Christmas story's influence on later television productions.  Did you ever notice that the MacGyver Christmas episode pays tribute to Dragnet before I pointed it out? What other classic TV Christmas episode would you like to see remade by another TV series?

In Memoriam 2012

As we enter the new year, I would like to spend just a few brief moments remembering some of the actors/artists/personalities that we lost in 2012.  Click the names below to return to a blog post about their participation in holiday entertainment.

Hemsley as George Jefferson in a 1977 Christmas episode of The Jeffersons.

Sherman Hemsley

Borgnine dressed as Santa Claus on 1962 Christmas episode of McHale's Navy.

Ernest Borgnine

Andy Williams singing "O Holy Night" during one of his TV variety series' Christmas episodes in the 1960s.

Andy Williams

Spending the evening watching Dick Clark has been a New Year's Eve tradition for many.

Dick Clark

Tony Randall and Jack Klugman dressed as Marley and Scrooge in a 1970 Christmas episode of The Odd Couple.

Jack Klugman

Andy Griffith sings during the 1960 Christmas episode of The Andy Griffith Show.

Andy Griffith

Robert Hegyes and Ron Palillo as Juan Epstein and Arnold Horshack on the 1977 Christmas episode of Welcome Back Kotter.

Ron Palillo and Robert Hegyes

They will all be missed.

Merry Christmas!

Celebrating the joy of the season.  Merry Christmas!

Benson Christmas (1982)

In my new book Merry Musical Christmas Vol. 1, I discuss the best Christmas music in TV sitcoms and dramas.  Here on the blog, I've already shared excerpts from the book about two of the most memorable TV musical moments: The Dick Van Dyke Show and Glee.  (Click on those titles for the link to return to the posts again).  let me remind you of another favorite musical Christmas episode-- "Mary and her Little Lambs" from the 1980s TV sitcom Benson.  "Mary and her Little Lambs" is an example of a Christmas tradition on television--it is a musical revue, or a show within a show.  Other Christmas musical revues I discuss in the book include episodes from Car 54, Where Are You?, The Dick Van Dyke Show, Laverne & Shirley, The Facts of Life, Good Times, Ally McBeal--and even South Park.

Remember this TV sitcom spin-off from SOAP?

In an attempt to re-create the popular structure and entertainment of a musical variety show, sitcoms sometimes create musical revues in a show-within-a-show format.  Viewers get treated to entertainment of the highest quality with complete songs as well as dance numbers and comedic acts, performed by their favorite sitcom characters.

An excerpt from the 1970s-1980s chapter in Merry Musical Christmas:


"The 1980s sitcom Benson mostly concerned itself with the comical affairs of the staff of the Governor’s Mansion in California, however even this unlikely source created an outstanding musical Christmas episode.  In the 1982 episode “Mary and her Little Lambs,” the new assistant cook Mary has a problem that she asks Benson to help her with--she doesn’t have legal custody of the two orphans she’s raising and the state wants to take them away.  Benson runs out of legal options but magically finds a loophole that will allow Mary to spend Christmas with the children in the Governor’s Mansion." 

The cast of Benson gather around the piano during the final third of the episode to sing and entertain in a mini musical revue.

"This touching family storyline is eclipsed by an exceptional musical moment.  The final third of the episode follows the format of the show-within-a-show with the Governor’s Christmas party guests gathered around the piano.  Denise and Pete, seated at the piano, play a simple piano accompaniment while the cast sings “Joy to the World.”

All the cast each take their turn at singing a solo.  Here Governor Gatling (James Noble) takes the spotlight.

The Governor sings “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” followed by several others including Denise and Pete, Clayton, and the young Katie taking solos in “O Come All Ye Faithful.”

Pete and Denise seated at the piano.  Remember Didi Conn?  She is also in the 1978 movie musical Grease as Frenchy--the beauty school drop-out.

Didi Conn, who plays Denise, has also shown off her vocal talents in the 1978 movie musical Grease, playing Frenchy the beauty school drop-out and member of the Pink Ladies.  Next, Kraus sings a beautiful German language version of “Stille Nacht” or as we know it, “Silent Night.”

Kraus, played by Inga Swenson, sings "Stille Nacht," or "Silent Night" sung in German.

Don't underestimate Benson.  Robert Guillaume brings down the house with his solo on "O Holy Night."

But Benson wows the audience with an elegant yet powerful rendition of “O Holy Night.”  This reverent moment comes to us not from Benson, the sarcastic, dry-witted member of the Governor’s staff, but from Robert Guillaume himself, the Tony-nominated Broadway singer and actor who has amazing skills beyond his many TV sitcom roles.  This musical moment is followed by the cast of Benson breaking the fourth wall as each delivers his and her own individual holiday greeting to viewers."

If you haven't seen this episode in a while, you can watch it again on Antenna-TV at Midnight (ET) on Dec. 24.  It's often available on youtube.

Below is a segment of that episode which includes Guillaume's breath-taking performance of "O Holy Night."





My book Merry Musical Christmas Vol. 1 is available for purchase as an e-book at Amazon and in paperback at Amazon and on this website.

An American Christmas Carol (1979)

This essay, written by me, first appeared at Holiday Film Reviews during Dickensfest, December 2012.  Much thanks to JA Morris and RigbyMel for inviting me to participate in Dickensfest--a tribute to Dickens' most popular work A Christmas Carol in honor of the author's 200th birthday.  You may remember that JA Morris and RigbyMel have guest blogged for me here during my Christmas in July celebrations in both 2011 and 2012.

An American Christmas Carol:

In honor of the 200th anniversary of the birth of author Charles Dickens, it’s the perfect time to once again reflect upon one of his most popular works, A Christmas Carol.  I’m sure that one of the reasons that A Christmas Carol continues to remain popular is due to the seemingly endless number of adaptations that have been and continue to be made.  One adaptation that stands out to me is the 1979 made-for-TV version, An American Christmas Carol.




I’m one of those people old enough to remember when this movie first premiered on television in 1979.  It was well advertised by the network to promote the actor playing the lead role, Henry Winkler, who was extremely hot at the time playing the motorcycle-riding, ladies’ man, Arthur “Fonzie” Fonzarelli on the hit TV series Happy Days.  I think today’s TV audiences would more likely recognize Henry Winkler from his role as the incompetent lawyer Barry Zuckerkorn on TV’s Arrested Development.  No matter, Winkler as Ebenezer Scrooge--here named Benedict Slade--is almost unrecognizable under the thick make-up (and a latex facial prosthesis, I assume) used to create a much older man in need of a Christmas attitude change.

Henry Winkler as Benedict Slade, aged to look like a mature businessman.

There are two particular elements of this adaptation that make it noteworthy.  The most significant is the change of setting, from Victorian-era London to Depression-era New England, more precisely New Hampshire.  This change, I believe, makes the story and its message more clear and accessible for American TV viewers.  Gone are the references to prisons for the poor.  Modern audiences can more clearly connect with the pain of enduring unemployment known throughout the Depression.  Tiny Tim’s mysterious ill health is also changed.  Now the character, re-named Jonathan, suffers from infant paralysis, or polio, and his health and future well-being can be improved with treatments from a far away clinic. 

Another change made to communicate Slade’s (Scrooge’s) more hopeful attitude adjustment is his willingness to put his money where his mouth is: investing in re-opening the recently closed quarry.  This business decision will not only benefit Slade’s pocket but will provide jobs once again for the entire community.  While An American Christmas Carol, much like the original book, is filled with charity-giving, it seems uniquely American to adapt the story to include the use of capitalism, and Slade’s business acumen, to invest in the community’s well-being too.  At the film’s end, we also see the transformed Slade select one troubled boy from the orphanage and offer him an apprenticeship with his business, much like the young Slade was offered by a local successful businessman when Slade was living at the orphanage many years ago.  This offering of a leg-up--not a hand-out--seems to reflect certain American values as well.  I find this American business aspect of the 1979 story utterly fascinating.

Slade with the shop owner (David Wayne) examining a first edition of Dickens' Christmas Carol.

The second element in An American Christmas Carol that makes it a noteworthy adaptation is the casting and characterization of the Spirits of Christmas.  The Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future that come to haunt Slade on Christmas Eve are the same characters introduced in the beginning of the story.  Each one is a member of Slade’s community and a person he visited earlier in the day in order to repossess something from their homes due to a debt created by their inability to keep up with their payments. The Ghost of Christmas Past is the University Shop owner, played by David Wayne, whose bookstore’s inventory Slade seizes in order to re-claim some minor worth in value from the leather bindings.  Cleverly, the elderly shop owner begs Slade to  not destroy one leather-bound book, a heirloom first-edition of Dickens’ Christmas Carol.  Obviously ignorant of the book’s contents, Slade refuses to respect the shop owner’s pleas, ignoring the recommendation to read the book.

Mr. Jessup, the orphanage director (left) as Slade's Ghost of Christmas Present, making a surprise visit on Christmas Eve.

The Ghost of Christmas Present is Mr. Jessup, the director of the local orphanage.  Slade had stopped by earlier on Christmas Eve in order to repossess the piano the children were eager to use as a part of their meager Christmas celebration.  Even though Slade himself had lived in the orphanage at one time, his heart is hardened to the need of these children who already have nothing of their own, but want to raise their voices in celebration of the season. 

The Ghost of Christmas Future (Dorian Harewood) takes Slade on an emotional journey to the cemetery.

And, the Ghost of Christmas Future is a farmer, played by Dorian Harewood, from whom Slade had repossessed a pot belly stove, a rocking chair, and a radio--clearly the only domestic items owned by this poor farmer and his wife.  I think that the use of the shop owner, the orphanage director, and the farmer characters repeated as the three Spirits of Christmas more directly connects Slade in a personal way with his heartless actions earlier in the day.  Slade is forced to look at himself and his actions during that long Christmas Eve night by the very individuals he has been insensitive to as well as harmed.  The resolution in the film’s end of Slade returning the repossessed items from a new sense of holiday goodwill ties the the whole story together.  I like the balance that brings to the story.

Lucky for us, An American Christmas Carol is being released on Blu-Ray this holiday season, making it even more accessible for audiences.

TV Confidential to Re-Air Another Interview

Good news! Another interview from TV Confidential will be re-airing this week. If you didn't hear it last year, Show #118 was my second appearance on TV Confidential, in December 2011.  In it, author Greg Ehrbar and I discuss our favorite Christmas programs with the show's regular hosts Ed Robertson, Tony Figueroa, and Donna Allen.  Ed calls me "...the holiday TV guru..."  I like that alot!  Can you guess which are my own personal favorite Christmas specials?  The first thing I bring up is Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas.  I was extremely impressed with Greg--isn't he sharp?  I loved his reading of the TV special Santa Claus is Comin' to Town.  In the broadcast, you can hear me tittering during Greg's reading of that classic Rankin/Bass Animagic special.

From the press release: 

Music journalist Lesley-Ann Jones and holiday TV programming expert Joanna Wilson will join us on the next edition of TV CONFIDENTIAL, airing Dec. 19-25, 2012 at the following times and venues:

WROM RadioDetroit, MI
Wednesday 12/19
8pm ET, 5pm PT
2am ET, 11pm PT
Sunday 12/23
8pm ET, 5pm PT
2am ET, 11pm PT
Click on the Listen Live button at WROMRadio.net  

Share-a-Vision Radio
San Francisco Bay Area
Friday 12/21
7pm ET, 4pm PT
10pm ET, 7pm PT
Click on the Listen Live button at KSAV.org

Talktainment Radio
Columbus, OH
Friday 12/21
3am ET, Midnight PT
Noon ET, 9am PT
9pm ET, 6pm PT
Click on the Listen Live button at TalktainmentRadio.com

The Coyote KKYT 93.7 FM
Ridgecrest, CA
Sunday 12/23
9pm PT
Monday 12/24
Midnight ET
Click on the Listen Live button at Coyote395.com

The Radio Slot Network
San Francisco, CA
Monday 12/24
8pm ET, 5pm PT
Click on the Talk Slot button at RadioSlot.com

Passionate World Radio
Ann Arbor, MI
Tuesday 12/25
10:30pm ET, 7:30pm PT
Click on the Listen Now button at pwrtalk.ning.com
Indiana Talks
Marion, IN
Various times throughout the week
Click on the player at IndianaTalks.com

We'll open the program by welcoming award-winning music journalist Lesley-Ann Jones, author of Mercury: An Intimate Biography of Freddie Mercury, an unvarnished, revealing look at the legendary lead vocalist of Queen whose unmatched skills as a songwriter and showman made both him and the group into household names. And though both Mercury and Queen left their marks in the world of music, in many respects, their success would not have been possible were it not for television - and particularly, the music video for the groundbreaking song "Bohemian Rhapsody." We'll talk about that, and a whole lot more, when Lesley-Ann joins us in our first hour.

Also this week: With just a few shopping days left until Christmas, Greg Ehrbar will join us for some last-minute holiday gift ideas as part of an expanded DVD report. We'll then close the program with an encore presentation of our conversation with Greg, Tony, Donna and holiday TV programming expert Joanna Wilson about some of our favorite holiday TV specials and holiday-themed episodes of classic TV series. Joanna Wilson, of course, is the queen of holiday TV programming: her books on the subject include Tis The Season TV: The Encyclopedia of Christmas-Themed Episodes, Specials and Made for TV Movies.
TV CONFIDENTIAL: A radio talk show about televisionWed and Sun 8pm ET, 5pm PT on WROM Radio
Fri 7pm ET and PT on Share-a-Vision Radio, KSAV.org
Fri 9pm ET, 6pm PT on Talktainment Radio
Sun 9pm PT, Mon Midnight ET on The Coyote KKYT 93.7 FM (Ridgecrest, Calif.)
Mon 8pm ET, 5pm PT on The Radio Slot NetworkTue 10:30pm ET, 7:30pm PT on Passionate World RadioNow also heard throughout the week on IndianaTalks.comTape us now, listen to us later, using DAR.fm/tvconfidential
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