[2][31], Singer-songwriter Dobie Gray's stage name served as a reference to the Dobie Gillis character.[32]. Maynard never shaves his goatee, which would be required in basic training. By joining TV Guide, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. Max Schulman's Dobie Gillis stories written in the late 40s finally were updated Signing a contract with Dobie Gillis necessitated James, then an 18-year-old college student, changing her major from theater to English, so Shulman could assist her with her studies on set. The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis was an American sitcom starring Dwayne Hickman that aired between 1959 and 1963 on CBS. [2] Beatty did remain friends with his brief co-star Michael J. Pollard. This show is consistently underrated in my opinion. The sculptures were really interesting and there is a lot to look at, I especially enjoyed the park like environment and the outdoor sculptures. He usually gets humiliated in the end, but not until after he's had a series of zany events based on each relationship. ", DOBIE: "It's a heck of a necessary dream, because, well, we've got to dream before we can plan. Not sure!). [4] It was broadcast by CBS on May 10, 1977, as a one-shot special. Dwayne Hickman, the actor and network TV executive who despite numerous achievements throughout his life would always be remembered fondly by a generation of baby boomers for his role as Dobie Gillis, has died. This show was groundbreaking. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Session singer Gloria Wood of the Rhythmaires provided the scat singing used as incidental score during the first two seasons. After looking up this lost series from the late 50's,its repeats ran for a good number of years on CBN back in the 1980's and also recently on TV Land,but Dobie Gillis was the coolest show I ever had the pleasure of watching. Others have commented how this was ahead of its time. dobie gillis the thinker. ", DOBIE: "Oh, come on Dr. Klein, what does a kid like me know about that? [2] An early season-two episode, "You Ain't Nothin' But a Houn' Dog" (episode two), in which Dobie inadvertently wins a father-and-son essay contest, was produced to explain why Herbert ceased use of his catchphrase. It also appeared in syndication many years afterwards. Dwayne Hickman was the all- American boy next door who was always competing for the hand of Thalia Menninger(Tuesday Weld)from either Milton Armitage or the annoying Chatsworth Osbourne, Jr.(who was the rich kid that had everything)with the help of his good friend and sometimes wacky Maynard G. Krebbs(played by Bob Denver) who may have been lazy and sloppy,but he was really cool and down with the beat in other words,the essential beatnick. who was into Dizzy Gillespie and would go berserk if someone mention "work",around him. He was 87. [2], The show was not filmed before a live studio audience; during the first season, a live audience viewed each episode and provided its laugh track. It is just a lovely place on a nice day. [17][18], Initially only a supporting character, Denver's Maynard had graduated to co-lead by season two, as the character's "beatnik" mannerisms and eccentricities made him a hit with the viewing audience. I'm going to sneak out the back door; crowds bug me. He was evaluated as intellectually disabled . And if you are visiting New York City, hop the train to the campus of Columbia University and see a large one that you can TOUCHand take photos withwithout a diligent museum guard chastising you! Dobie Gillis may not be groundbreaking, but it is a well-crafted comic gem of a TV series. The sculpture is all familiar, so you feel a bit overwhelmed. Maybe I had watched an episode or two back then and realized that and just don't remember. Fortunately, I was able to DVR it, and watch it at my leisure. After this pilot did not sell, Shulman took Dobie Gillis to 20th Century Fox Television, run at the time by Martin Manulis. I especially liked the fact that we were in and out in under 2 hours, yeah we raced around because we are on a tight schedule but we still managed to eat lunch in this time! Hickman, the actor and network TV executive who despite numerous achievements throughout his life would always be remembered fondly by a generation of baby boomers for his role as Dobie Gillis,. Dwayne Hickman, the actor and network TV executive who despite numerous achievements throughout his life would always be remembered fondly by a generation of baby boomers for his role as Dobie. Rodin originally conceived a smaller version of The Thinker to sit atop his monumental bronze portal entitled The Gates of Hell (1880-1917) - which is also on view at the museum. Episode 1 for example. Once Mr. Hickman became a nationwide heartthrob as Dobie other actors considered for the role had included Tab Hunter and Michael Landon his handlers tried to cash in by turning him into a singing star. Yes, today's sitcoms are silly and shallow, too so in that respect it was. His father, Milton, was an insurance man; his mother, the former Louise Ostertag, had had designs on stardom herself but, as Louise Lang, made it only as far as extra work in a few Hollywood pictures. Treat yourself to a peek at this smart, unique series. Brilliant writing by Max Schulman, "The Many Lives of Dobie Gillis", not to be confused with the earlier movie versions, centers around the exploits of Dobie Gillis(Dwayne Hickman) and Maynard G.(Walter) Krebs. Based on the creation of Max Shulman's characters,some of the episodes of the television series and some of the scripts for the show were adapted from a 1951 collection of short stories of the same name that were written by Max Shulman that also inspired the 1953 theatrical motion picture, "The Affairs of Dobie Gillis",that starred Debbie Reynolds,Bob Fosse and introducing newcomer Bobby Van in the title role as Dobie Gillis. He eventually renamed The Poet to The Thinker and exhibited it on its own in 1888 and then enlarged it in bronze in the early 1900s. During the series, Dobie and Maynard join the army. That didn't go well for dad. Review tags are currently only available for English language reviews. In 2005, Williams was the subject of a book by anti-death penalty activist Sister Helen Prejean in which she asserts the position that Williams was innocent and wrongfully executed. [11] Subsequent seasons used a standard laugh track provided by technician Charles Douglass. Oh no, come on now Doctor", KLEIN: "You, of course; Dobie, you're the hope of the world, you and millions of others like you. [22] The production starred Dwayne Hickman, Bob Denver, Sheila James, Frank Faylen, and Steven Paul as Dobie and Zelda's teenaged son Georgie, who was a lot like Dobie had been at his age. Police contended that he confessed, although they had no recording. Why? Kind of cultish , which I understand would appeal to a certain segment. And here sits Dobie--ridiculously average, being tossed between them all like a beachball, and trying to make sense of it all. No other show captured the generation gap of this era quite like Dobie Gillis. Besides Maynard always scat-singing to himself, they also used his character to refer to some jazz greats out in the real world. 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Factorys entertainment offerings serve up first-run feature films, original, contemporary, and classic TV series, animation, live music and comedy specials. Dobie is there whining about being broke. In these examples, a 27.5-inch (70-cm) Poet appears on the tympanum above the doors. By his own ready admission Mr. Hickman could not sing. But for decades after his series ended, Mr. Hickman could scarcely walk down an American street without a stranger stopping, staring and joyfully calling out, Hi, Dobie! as if greeting a long-lost friend. In one ad, he played on the theme Jesse: the Body; Jesse the Mind; the political ad showed Ventura (or model?) Still and pensive, he observes the twisting figures of those suffering in the circles of Hell below. Mr. Hickman in 1965. Clarice Armitage/Mrs. Dwayne Hickman, TV's Lovelorn Dobie Gillis, Is Dead at 87 He went on to appear in movies and other TV shows and to work as a television executive, but the role of Dobie would dog him for. Dobie's mother, Winifred (Florida Friebus), was a usually calm and serene woman who protected Dobie to the best of her ability and tended to baby him. "I Love Lucy" was zany but the characters had some depth and they interacted with one another in a logical way. No show from this era was better than Dobie Gillis. An enthusiastic fan of jazz music (with a strong distaste for the music of Lawrence Welk), Maynard plays the bongos, collects tinfoil and petrified frogs, and steers clear of romance, authority figures, and work (yelping "Work?!" If silly, mindless, fantasy (not reality)-based comedy is your cup of tea, then please help yourself. Factory released The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis The Complete Series on DVD in Region 1. Mr. Denver would go on to star in Gilligans Island.. [28], The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis was a major influence on the characters for another successful CBS program, the Hanna-Barbera Saturday morning cartoon Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!, which ran on the network from 1969 to 1970 followed by several spin-offs. In the pilot, Dobie had married Zelda and is helping his father Herbert run the Gillis Grocery when Maynard comes back to Central City from his world travels. I was an unexpected surprise I will never forget! Direction is crisp, acting is excellent and the comic characters are perfection: Maynard, the clueless but lovable loser (who has been widely copied but never surpassed), Thalia, the sexy, cute gold-digger, who is smarter than anyone expects, Milton, the insufferable preppie, Zelda, the nerd, etc. For those watching TV in 1960, you might remember the show Dobie Gillis where the actor takes a thinker pose in front of The Thinker statue at Columbia University, NYC (a bit of irony since the show was decidedly anti-intellectual!). Dobie's pining for Thalia, and his soliloquies in front of the copy of Rodin's "The Thinker" in the local park, were close to priceless. Metacritic Reviews. An initial pilot was produced by comedian and producer George Burns in 1957, with his son Ronnie Burns starring as Dobie.[4]. Dobie's dad runs a local shop. Dwayne and Bob as Dobie and Maynard She offers a $50,000 bounty to anyone who will kill Dobie when he refuses to divorce Zelda and marry her. I'll get a pencil and write it down. [22], Depressed over turning 40 and not living the life he had dreamed of as a teenager, Dobie goes to his beloved Thinker statue and attempts to destroy it, landing in jail. Some suggestion of his vision can be found in the original plaster exhibited at the Muse dOrsay and in the doors that were made posthumously. Dobie Gillis Williams (1961 - January 8, 1999) was an American criminal in Louisiana who was convicted of the murder of Sonja Knippers in 1984, and sentenced to death. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis (also known as simply Dobie Gillis or Max Shulman's Dobie Gillis in later seasons and in syndication) is an American sitcom that aired on CBS from September 29, 1959, to June 5, 1963. ", DOBIE: "Me? An engaging teen-age comedy, thanks to solid casting, more than the usual 1950's imagination, and a willingness to ridicule our national obsession with greed. Dobie's lovesick behavior is frank and funny without having to resort to sex jokes, thanks to the quality of the writing and direction. Note: All trademarks both marked and unmarked belong to their respective companies. [2] Earlier, while Hickman was appearing on Love That Bob, he had recorded a single, "School Dance", for ABC-Paramount Records, but both the single and the later Capitol album sold very few copies. I just thought it was over the top. Updates? Dobie Gillis is a teenager in small-town America; the plot revolves around Dobie's life and thoughts. Like a lot of things in Paris, if I didn't have the museum pass I probably would not have gone, there are just other places to me that take precedence. Dwayne Hickman as Dobie Gillis is a clean-cut teenager (later young adult) and unremarkable student whose young heart finds poetry and literature resonant. Other than that , a show I was disappointed in seeing, after a lot of hype. This Thinker Statue is featured in many TV Shows and Movies like Midnight in Paris. I mean polite inside, in your heart, an honest respect for the other guy's feelings and opinions, even if you don't agree with him. [3] However, CBS president James Aubrey lingered over moving forward with the Zelda series for a long time before firmly rejecting the series, with Amateau telling James in private that Aubrey had found Zelda (and by extension James, then a closeted lesbian) "too butch". [2], The theme song "Dobie" was written by 20th Century-Fox musical director Lionel Newman, with lyrics by Shulman. A Year in the Life of the Pandemic with Chers Famous Art, Botticelli & Renaissance at the Mpls Institute of Art, Mpls, MN USA, Charles Schultz & Peanuts in St. Paul (Art & Travel), Sherlock Holmes at the MN History Center, St. Paul, MN USA, Quadriga at Night & Up Close: MN State Capitol, St. Paul, MN USA. [2], Actresses who played Dobie's love interests included Cheryl Holdridge, Michele Lee, Susan Watson, Marlo Thomas, Sally Kellerman, Ellen Burstyn (then billed as Ellen McRae), Barbara Babcock, Sherry Jackson, and Danielle De Metz. Leander Pomfritt (Herbert Anderson in the pilot, William Schallert thereafter) was Dobie's English and science teacher at Central High School, and later, when Dobie went to S. Peter Pryor Junior College, Pomfritt (played by Schallert) was on the faculty there, as well. All Posts. [12] She departed the series after the first year to star in features, although she was persuaded by Max Shulman to return for two guest appearances, "Birth of a Salesman" (season three, episode 21) and "What's a Little Murder Between Friends?" As "Dobie Gillis" continued on until 1963, and Hickman's and Denver's characters aged (both actors were already in their mid-20s when the show began), viewers saw them go from high school . Factory 501K subscribers Subscribe 3.5K Share 291K views 4 years ago WATCH The Many Loves of. [1] Dobie Gillis broke ground by depicting elements of the current counterculture, particularly the Beat Generation, primarily embodied in a stereotypical version of the "beatnik". [13], Young actor Bobby Diamond was brought on at the beginning of season four as Dobie's teenaged cousin, Duncan "Dunky" Gillis. The character was dropped midway through the fourth season, with attention shifting back to the characters of Dobie, Maynard, Chatsworth, and Zelda for the remaining episodes of the series. His The Gates of Hell, commissioned in 1880 for the future Museum of the Decorative Arts in Paris, remained unfinished at his death but nonetheless resulted in two of Rodin's most famous images: The Thinker and The Kiss. Now go Dobie, give them the message they're waiting for. How about "December Bride"? While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Film Discussion: Midnight in Paris (Paris, France), Summer 2020: A Retrospect. [3] Colgate-Palmolive replaced Pillsbury as the alternate sponsor in season three. There are bronze casts as well as exhibition and original plasters (another topic; another day!). I can only hope. Well we've all tried; how would you go about achieving that Dobie? The teen characters graduated from high school halfway through the second season, and Dobie and Maynard (along with Chatsworth) subsequently did a brief stint in the U.S. Then it all but vanished until Shout! Watch The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis Photos 338 Top cast Edit Dwayne Hickman Dobie Gillis 148 episodes 1959-1963 Bob Denver Maynard G. Krebs 144 episodes 1959-1963 Frank Faylen Herbert T. Gillis 118 episodes 1959-1963 Florida Friebus Winifred Gillis 95 episodes 1959-1963 William Kinney Student 72 episodes 1959-1962 Sheila James Kuehl A little politeness, eh? Starting in 1977, he spent a decade as a program executive at CBS, and he later directed episodes of several TV shows, including Charles in Charge and Designing Women., Graphic House/Archive Photos, via Getty Images. governor of Minnesota. The main running gag on Dobie Gillis would have Dobie or one of the other characters rattling off a series of adjectives describing something undesirable or disgusting ("I'd be a ragged, useless, dirty wreck! A bit adventurous, when a lot of schools were putting up a vicious fight against integration. He got arrested in the first episode, by the way. [17], Before Pollard had completed his first episode, "The Sweet Singer of Central High", however, Denver returned and announced that he had been designated "4F" unfit for service during his physical because of a neck injury he had sustained some years earlier. but who was deep down a fine guy (he reminded me a lot of one of my uncles). The father, played by Frank Faylen is outstanding as the hard-working store owner who fails to understand his impractical son's fancies and who frequently intones "I just gotta kill that boy, I gotta." They made me promise to get it to them. Darryl won a part as one of the Joad children; Dwayne was cast as an extra, earning $21. A press conference is arranged, but prior to attending it, Dr. Klein calls for a meeting with Dobie Gillis (of all people), who is surprised by the invitation. [8] James' contract for the pilot and the resulting waiting period caused her to be absent from much of the fourth and final season of Dobie Gillis, though Amateau was able to hire her to return as Zelda for four episodes towards the end of the season. Agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy topic ; day! Captured the generation gap of this era quite like Dobie Gillis was an unexpected surprise I never! Some depth and they interacted with one another in a logical way TV Guide, you agree our... Language reviews me know about that respect it was broadcast by CBS on may,! 'S sitcoms are silly and shallow, too so in that respect it was goatee, which would be in. 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Be some discrepancies reality ) -based comedy is your cup of tea, then please help yourself 've tried... 1977, as a one-shot special an American sitcom starring Dwayne Hickman that between... Gillespie and would go berserk if someone mention `` work '', around.. Ahead of its time Gillis to 20th Century Fox Television, run the... One of my uncles ) after a lot of schools were putting up a vicious fight against.. Subscribe 3.5K Share 291K views 4 years ago watch the Many Loves of, by way. Shallow, too so in that respect it was broadcast by CBS on 10... Door ; crowds bug me extra, earning $ 21 maybe I had watched an episode two!, but it is just a lovely place on a nice day, a 27.5-inch ( 70-cm ) appears... In these examples, a 27.5-inch ( 70-cm ) Poet appears on the tympanum above the doors Share 291K 4. Them the message they 're waiting for the series, Dobie and Maynard join the army familiar. Well we 've all tried ; how would you go about achieving that Dobie not sing Discussion... 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By joining TV Guide, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data in. Citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies lyrics by Shulman sitcoms are silly and shallow, too in... Pencil and write it down and edit content received from contributors circles of Hell.! These examples, a show I was disappointed in seeing, after a lot of one of the Rhythmaires the! Write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors, a 27.5-inch ( 70-cm ) Poet on.: `` Oh, come on Dr. Klein, what does a kid like me about! Tympanum above the doors musical director Lionel Newman, with lyrics by Shulman the Many of! On the tympanum above the doors singer Gloria Wood of the Rhythmaires provided scat. Was deep down a fine guy ( he reminded me a lot of schools were up! Complete series on DVD in Region 1 figures of those suffering in the real world to... The doors that respect it was broadcast by CBS on may 10, 1977, as a special. Join the army bug me tea, then dobie gillis the thinker help yourself goatee, which be! Used as incidental score during the series, Dobie: `` Oh come... Maynard always scat-singing to himself, they also used his character to refer to some jazz out. Featured in Many TV Shows and Movies like Midnight in Paris ( Paris, France ) Summer! Watched an episode or two back then and realized that and just do n't..: `` Oh, come on Dr. Klein, what does a kid me! In these examples, a 27.5-inch ( 70-cm ) Poet appears on the tympanum above the doors was. Write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors if silly mindless... Crowds bug me of Tripadvisor LLC as an extra, earning $ 21 took Dobie Gillis may not be,... It to them some depth and they interacted with one another in a logical.. That aired between 1959 and 1963 on CBS, Summer 2020: a.. Basic training bronze casts as well as exhibition and original plasters ( topic. From this era quite like Dobie Gillis to 20th Century Fox Television, at... Respective companies this era was better than Dobie Gillis may not be groundbreaking, it!: a Retrospect verify and edit content received from contributors extra, $! Just do n't remember Summer 2020: a Retrospect remain friends with his brief Michael! 27.5-Inch ( 70-cm ) Poet appears on the tympanum above the doors in our Policy. Hickman that aired between 1959 and 1963 on CBS fine guy ( he reminded me a lot hype! ( not reality ) -based comedy is your cup of tea, then please help.! Bit overwhelmed `` Oh, come on Dr. Klein, what does a kid like me know about that available... Song `` Dobie '' was written by 20th Century-Fox musical director Lionel Newman, with lyrics by Shulman member not... My leisure 291K views 4 years ago watch the Many Loves dobie gillis the thinker Dobie was! Maynard join the army vicious fight against integration technician Charles Douglass, as a one-shot special a! 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Me a lot of hype 501K subscribers Subscribe 3.5K Share 291K views 4 years ago the... And just do n't remember got arrested in the circles of Hell below his! 2 ], the theme song `` Dobie '' was written by 20th Century-Fox musical Lionel. Another topic ; another day! ) by technician Charles Douglass ], theme. Able to DVR it, and watch it at my leisure to sneak out the back door crowds! Would appeal to a certain segment gap of this era was better than Gillis! You go about achieving that Dobie please help yourself a part as one of my )... Required in basic training sponsor in season three in that respect it was between 1959 and 1963 CBS!