TV Tuesday: Green Acres - Season 1; Episode 1 (1965)

 

Green Acres - 1965

Coming up next on this edition of TV Tuesday, we feature the first episode of the hit TV series "Green Acres", where a Park Avenue penthouse couple find themselves living in a dilapidated old farmhouse in a place called Hooterville.

The episode's cast includes Eddie Albert, Eva Gabor, Eleanor Audley, Edgar Buchanan, Rufe Davis, Frank Cady, Hank Patterson, John Daly, and Arnold The Piggy.

"Green Acres is the place to be.  Farm livin' is the life for me.  Land spreadin' out so far and wide.  Keep Manhattan just give me that country side!"  And that's how it all begins.

To begin things, John Daly narrates the life story of New York attorney Oliver Wendell Douglas.  Mr. Daly begins, "Every day at this time when Mr. Douglas comes homes from the hustle and bustle of his law practice and after fighting the rush hour traffic, he enjoys walking out on his terrace, and looking at his magnificent view of the city, and saying..."  "I hate it!" interjects Oliver.

Oliver's wife Lisa does not share his opinion.  She loves every aspect of New York living.

Knowing that Oliver wants to buy a farm, Lisa allows him to try his hand at farming on their terrace.  He takes it very seriously.

While on a business trip to Chicago, Oliver takes a detour to a place called Hooterville.  There, he buys his long awaited for farm.  He meets some of the locals, who are very surprised that someone bought the old "Haney place"!

When Lisa finds out that Oliver has bought a farm, she is devastated!  Actually, devastated may be an understatement.

Oliver's mother takes her daughter-in-law's side in the matter.  She even tells Lisa to pack a bag and move in with her.  She then amends the statement.  "Don't bother to pack.  We'll buy a whole new wardrobe...and charge it to him," she says indicating at her son.

Oliver is convinced that because he was born on a farm the fault with him wanting to live on one lies with his mother.  "If anyone’s to blame, it’s your father.  If he hadn’t insisted on staying for that last race at Saratoga, we would’ve made it to the hospital," she counters.

Eventually, Oliver convinces Lisa to move with him to the farm.  She tells him she will go on a trial period.  If after six months she isn't thrilled with farm life, she's moving back to New York.  He'll take anything he can get.

Oliver takes Lisa to their new farm, Green Acres.  She is shocked at the ruined look of the place.  "I have a great idea," she says.  "Let's go back!"  But, a promise is a promise.  She'll have to wait six months.

We cut back to John Daly, who is looking at the new Douglas farm.  Signing off, he says, "And that’s how Oliver Wendell Douglas bought a farm.  This is John Daly in New York.  Thank goodness."

Cast rundown:

   Eddie Albert...............................Oliver Wendell Douglas

   Eva Gabor..................................Lisa Douglas

   Eleanor Audley............................Eunice Douglas

   Edgar Buchanan..........................Joe Carson

   Rufe Davis..................................Floyd Smoot

   Frank Cady..................................Sam Drucker

   Hank Patterson............................Fred Ziffel

   John Daly....................................Himself

   Arnold The Piggy..........................Arnold

And that's it for Green Acres.  It was a tremendously successful show that still entertains audiences today.  Eleanor Audley, who played Eddie Albert's mother in the show, was actually only one year older than her on-screen son.

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Sleeping Beauty (1959)

Sleeping Beauty - 1959

Coming up next is that family favorite classic "Sleeping Beauty", released in 1959.  The saga of Sleeping Beauty is perhaps one of the best known fairy tales.  A princess pricks her finger on the spindle of a cursed spinning wheel and falls into a deep sleep until true love's kiss awakens her.

The films voice cast includes Mary Costa, Bill Shirley, Eleanor Audley, Verna Felton, Barbara Jo Allen, Barbara Luddy, Taylor Holmes, and Bill Thompson.

The story begins when a princess, Aurora, is born in the kingdom and everyone comes to pay homage to her.  King Hubert and Prince Philip of a neighboring kingdom come as well.  So do the three fairies, Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather.

The fairies present gifts to Princess Aurora.  Flora gives her the gift of beauty.  Fauna gives her the gift of song.  Just as Merryweather begins to give her gift, something happens to shock the assemblage.

The doors of the castle fly open and a mighty wind blows through the great hall, stunning all in attendance.

The King and Queen are shocked at the events taking place.

Whom should appear but Maleficent, very upset and distressed at not having received an invitation.  Maleficent curses the princess to prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel and die on her sixteenth birthday.  As King Stefan orders his men to seize her, Maleficent vanishes.

Merryweather gives her gift.  That instead of death Aurora will sleep until true love's kiss wakes her.  To keep her safe, the King and Queen give her to the three fairies to hide her until she turns sixteen.  They take her to a cottage in the forest, disguised as peasant women.

The fairies rename her Briar Rose.  On the morning of her sixteenth birthday, Aurora opens the windows and burst into song while she's doing her dusting.  (Isn't that how everyone dusts?)

After they send her out to pick berries, the three fairies get to work on a birthday surprise.  Two make the dress, one makes a cake.

Of course, once the wands come out...it's all out war.  No one can decide the right color for the dress and it ends up in a mess.

Meanwhile, as she is out gathering berries and singing "Once Upon A Dream" while dancing with animals (again, isn't this something everyone does?), she meets Prince Philip.  She doesn't tell him her name.  He falls madly in love with her.

Of course, the music is timeless, and the song is iconic.  Take a moment to listen to it and go back to your childhood.

After she leaves Philip, Aurora returns to the cottage where the fairies tell her who she really is.  The dress her to look the part of a princess before taking her back to the castle and her parents.

Of course, Maleficent has been biding her time for sixteen years, waiting for the right moment to strike.  When the fairies leave Aurora alone, she takes the opportunity to put her in a trance and lead her deep into the castle.

A spinning wheel appears and a voice commands Aurora to touch the spindle.  She hesitates, but ultimately pricks her finger.

By the time they catch up with her, Aurora has fallen into a deep sleep, and Maleficent disappears into the night.

The fairies bring Aurora to the highest room of the tallest tower to await true love's kiss.

They put the entire kingdom to sleep until Aurora awakens.  Just as King Hubert (Philip's father) falls asleep, he mentions that Prince Philip fell in love with a peasant girl "once upon a dream".  The fairies race to find him, but Maleficent got to him first and has imprisoned him in her dungeon.

Maleficent is, of course, waiting for someone to spring Philip from the dungeon.  (This happens to be my favorite image of the film).  The fairies release him and he rides away on his horse in the direction of the castle where Aurora lies.

Maleficent causes a great bramble of thorns to grow up along the path to the castle, nearly impenetrable.

But the fairies equip him with the tools to get the job done.  At last he is ready to enter the archway.

Maleficent transforms into a fire-breathing dragon, saying "Now you shall deal with me, O Prince, and all the powers of hell!"

The fairies enchant Philip's sword as a last resort.  "Thou sword of truth fly swift and sure that evil die and good endure!"  Maleficent is defeated and Philip can go to Aurora.

Philip finds her and gives her true love's kiss.

Aurora awakens and the first thing she sees is Philip.

They make their way down the grand staircase to the great hall to greet Aurora's parents for the first time since she was a baby.

Parents and daughter are reunited after their long separation.  (I also take note that the King and Queen haven't changed their clothes since the day Aurora left them.)

Aurora and Philip the begin to dance again.  Everything seems right, until one of the fairies notices the blue dress and starts that war again.

Which do you think, blue or pink?  I'm not at all sure I like the pink.  Blue suits her much better.  And they lived happily ever after.

Cast rundown:

   Mary Costa...............................................Princess Aurora

   Bill Shirley................................................Prince Philip

   Eleanor Audley..........................................Maleficent

   Verna Felton.............................................Flora/Queen Leah

   Barbara Jo Allen........................................Fauna

   Barbara Luddy..........................................Merryweather

   Taylor Holmes...........................................King Stefan

    Bill Thompson...........................................King Hubert

And that's all for Sleeping Beauty.  In 2019, the Library of Congress selected this film for preservation in the National Film Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant", a well-deserved honor.

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