This post is dedicated to Rickey Freeman- with the generous forbearance of his beauteous wife, Joan. A kindred spirit when it comes to old television shows, he’s sure to remember everything mentioned here. Happy VD, my friend.
I hope yesterday was a very happy Valentine’s Day for all of you, Dear Readers. And in honor of the event, I wanted to harken back to yesteryear to the time in my life B.B.**
**That stands for “Before Boys.”
When I was was an adolescent, my love life was uncomplicated. Sure, I was infatuated with many handsome hunks.
But they were all in One D.
On tv.
And if I had to guess, I’d say that my heart stirred first at the cover boy that heads today’s blog post.
Tim Considine. Specifically as “Spin” in the Walt Disney serial The Adventures of Spin and Marty.
Let’s join the boys of the Triple R around the campfire, shall we?
Spin could do everything. He was handsome, brave, a good sport, a great rider- the most popular boy in camp. I was in love with this Mickey Mouse-endorsed male equivalent of Annette Funicello.
Uncle Walt must have agreed that he had a big star in Tim.
He made him a Hardy Boy.
And then he cast him The Shaggy Dog.
Fred MacMurray must have liked working with Tim, too, because from there he ended up as “Mike” on My Three Sons.
Truth be told, I had kind of a yen for the middle brother Robbie, too. Played by Don Grady, he was real cute, and when older brother Mike got married…well, that left Robbie for me.
Well I remember the night that Robbie’s wedding aired. Girls were glued to the common room television set- with their hair in rollers- waiting to get a glimpse of theses thrilling tv nuptials.
(As for yours truly, I had a real life date by now.)
But the boys of MTS didn’t take up all the room in my pre-teen heart.
There was this guy.
That’s Richard Chamberlain- in case you didn’t recognize him- and to me he will always be Dr. Kildare.
Here he is with Barbara Eden and another love of my life (but only when he was portraying Maynard G. Krebs) Bob Denver.
But I didn’t restrict my guys to the big cities. I liked them on horseback, too.
Guy Williams as Zorro
Annette Funicello had a BIG crush of Guy, as well. For her birthday, Uncle Walt gave her a guest-starring part on Zorro.
Neat-O.
Another Disney serial gave me heart pangs, as well. I had a big crush on Buddy Ebsen as trusty sidekick Georgie Russell in The Adventures of Davey Crockett.
Then there was Robert Horton as intrepid trail scout Flint McCullough in Wagon Train.
And I liked my tv heartthrobs mysterious, too.
Spies and private detectives were very big with little ol’ me.
Let’s start with Ilya Kuryakin- David McCallum- in The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
Sigh.
Here he is impressing Nancy Sinatra.
And I was nuts about Stu Bailey- Efrem Zimbalist, Jr.- on 77 Sunset Strip.
Check out the cool car and the cooler patter.
Doug McClure as Jed Sills on Checkmate captured my queen.
And even though I was a senior in high school by this time, I made room for my first real girl crush. Diana Rigg as the alluring- and lethal- Emma Peel on The Avengers.
Check out her very first meeting with John Steed.
Only too too FABULOUS.
Never going to top that.
Be still my tv heart.
BTW, I’ll always be in love with these guys.
Thx for the shout out Ellen! Back in those days my first TV loves probably centered around Darlene Gillespie and Roberta Shore. Truth be told all I wanted was to spend a summer at The Triple R!!
You’re welcome, Early Bird. Great choices! All I can say is “Corky and White Shadow.” Regards to your glamorous sidekick. Thanks, Ambitious.
I think I am feeling that inferiority of being that 4-6 years younger and knowing all of these people and shows but not their being quite the touchstone for me. But looking back, they seem so much more interesting than my secret heartthrobs, who I am too embarrassed now to mention. And when it comes to popular culture , I am always in awe of my brother in law. I sometimes cannot think of a topic where my first thought wouldn’t be “Ask Rickey”. His training as a musicologist, does not begin to cover his areas of knowledge, taste or expertise. And Ellen, you are a brave soul for sharing such intimate inner thoughts and “crushes”. I’ll have to dig deep in my memory to get to those really early pre and early pubescent years to come up with my list. But I will and share it with you.
Glad you approve and second my choice of experts. And I anxiously await your list- although I remember that Fred Astaire did some wonderful specials. One with Barrie Chase really stands out but you were in diapers at the time.Thanks, Early Bird II. Fondly, Ginger
Another great post. But I think you’re the first person ever to refer to “crush” and Buddy Ebsen in the same sentence!
Thanks, Barry. And thanks for the laugh. You’re probably right- although he broke my heart as Doc Golightly in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.”
Emma Peel and MTM for me…. talk about polar opposites 🙂 Great blog today Ellen, 60’s television is especially close to my heart.
Nice juxtaposition of babes, Gary. And thanks. Happy VD to you and your loved ones.
Yippee, yea, yippee, eye, yippee, oh!
Very nice singin’ Pardner. See you around the campfire. 🤠
You girls had so many young guys to pick from. On TV, teen age boys had Annette Funicello and some very hot older women to ogle at. Of course we did have the Bradley sisters, Bobbi Jo, Billie Jo and Bettie Jo from Petticoat Junction. Movies were kinder to the adolescent male starting with our NT grad Ann Margret in Bye Bye Birdie.
Your absolutely right on, Mitch. I remember AM with George Burns- her mentor after Dr. Peterman- on “The Jack Benny” show. She sizzled. Grrr. 😍
I hadn’t thought about my TV crushes for a long time.
I had 2 TV crushes from late 1950’s/mid 1960’s during my childhood.
Crush number 1: Angela Cartwright (Make Room for Daddy, Lost in Space)
Crush number 2: Julie Newmar (Catwoman on Batman)
Ok, I know they are completely different, and I am not sure how many boys had a crush on Angela Cartwright, but really, what boy did not have a crush on Julie Newmar????
Here’s a link to a musical tribute to The Catwoman:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9ZUWUKxZvk
Here’s a link to a tribute to Penny Robinson (the role Angela Cartwright played in Lost in Space):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vegRq4N9Cg&list=PLXo3jSmbIJdF9m6hFjDTIq-BxKoPx0TIP
Very nice clip work, Steve. I have to admit you lost me on Angela but you had me on Julie. My Living Doll.💕