Ozzie & Harriet (1 Viewer)

Where did such a rumor that the originals were lost forever after the editing was Done for the Disney Channel come from, and who started such a rumor?

Who knows where these rumors may have begun. I remember when it was supposedly true that the original three-panel Cinerama negatives for How The West Was Won were destroyed after its original run and the after composite 35mm negative was made. This turned out to be untrue as they were stored in an underground film vault in Kansas all that time. They were pulled out and used to make the beautiful Blu-ray disc now available.
In the era of the Disney O&H reruns, the shows probably would have been edited via 1" video tape transfers rather than the film itself, since it's so much easier to do.

 

[Joe Lugoff]

For those who want an O&H fix while we're waiting, all of these episodes are available to watch on archive.org. Some of them have the original commercials in them.
------1952------
10-3 The Rivals
10-17 The Pills
10-24 The Fall Guy
10-31 Halloween Party
11-7 Riviera Ballet
11-14 David the Baby Sitter
11-21 Ricky Goes to a Dance
12-5 Thorny's Gift
12-19 Christmas Money (R)
12-26 Late Christmas Gift [on Disk 1]
------1953------
1-9 The Basketball Players [on Disk 1]
1-23 The Tuba Incident
1-30 The Rover Boys
2-6 Separate Rooms [on Disk 1]
2-13 The Valentine Show [on Disk 2]
2-20 The Traffic Signal
2-27 The Dental Receptionist [on Disk 2]
3-6 The Speech [on Disk 2]
3-27 The Bowling Alley
4-3 The Orchid and the Violet
4-10 The Pancake Mix
5-8 The Traders
5-15 Boxing Matches [on Disk 2]
5-22 A Door Key for David [on Disk 2]
5-29 The Play's the Thing
6-26 Oscillating Ozzie [on Disk 2]
9-18 The New Chairs
10-2 The Boys' Paper Route
10-9 Window Pane [on Disk 2]
10-16 David's Pipe [on Disk 2]
10-23 David's 17th Birthday (R)
11-20 The Suggestion Box
11-27 The Ladder (R)
12-11 The Insurance Policy
------1954------
3-5 The Initiation
3-19 Father and Son Tournament
3-26 Gentleman David [on Disk 3]
4-9 Overprotection
4-16 Be on Time [on Disk 3]
4-23 An Evening With Hamlet
4-30 New Neighbor
5-7 The Bird's Nest
5-14 A Friend of the Family
5-21 A Tuxedo for David
10-8 The Wedding Anniversary [on Disk 4]
10-22 The Furnace
10-29 A Load of Gravel
11-12 The Usher
11-19 The Come As You Are Party [called Wally Dipple's Garage Door on Disk 4?]
12-10 Odd Bolt
12-17 A Matter of Inches [on Disk 4]
------1955------
1-7 The Fruit Cake
1-14 The Bloodhound [on Disk 4]
1-21 The Missing Sandwiches
1-28 Individuality [on Disk 4]
2-4 The Electric Train (R)
3-18 Ricky's Blind Date
3-25 Spring Housecleaning [on Disk 4]
4-1 The Pajama Game
9-30 Homemade Ice Cream
10-14 An Invitation to Dinner
11-25 A Ball of Tinfoil
12-9 The Gay Blade
------1956------
1-20 Volunteer Firemen
1-27 The Car Mix-Up
3-23 A Day in Bed
4-13 A Beautiful Day
11-14 The Pool Table
11-21 David Picks Up the Tab
11-28 The Balloons
12-12 A Doctor in the House
12-19 Busy Christmas
12-26 The Day After Christmas
------1957------
1-2 Ozzie's Double
1-9 A Hairstyle for Harriet
1-23 The Borrowed Tuxedo
2-6 The Duenna
2-20 The Reading Room
3-13 Jet Pilot
3-27 The Editor
4-10 Ricky the Drummer
6-12 The Fishing Lure
6-26 The Loan
10-16 Treasurer's Report
10-30 Mystery Shopper
11-13 Free Flowers
11-20 Ozzie's Triple Banana Surprise
12-11 Tutti Frutti Ice Cream
12-18 Christmas Tree Lot
------1958------
1-1 The Trophy
1-8 Road Race
1-29 Harriet's Dancing Partner
2-26 The Old Band Pavilion
3-5 The Practical Joker
3-12 Scavenger Hunt
4-9 Record Trout
6-4 The Bridge Group
6-11 A Cruise for Harriet
10-29 Stealing Rick's Girl
11-12 Ozzie Spills the Beans
11-19 Rick's Riding Lessons
12-10 The Motorcycle
------1959------
1-28 Ozzie and the Space Age
2-4 Jealous Joe Randolph
2-18 Ozzie's Old Team Mate
2-25 The Newspaper Interview
3-4 The Exploding Book
3-11 Ozzie Changes History
4-1 Togetherness
4-15 Treasurer's Son
5-13 The Little Black Box
6-17 Ozzie Plans a Surprise
10-21 David, the Law Clerk
11-4 The Rancher's Daughter
11-11 The Nelsons Decide to Move
11-18 David, the Sleuth
------1960------
1-27 The Circus
2-17 Uninvited Guests
3-9 David Goofs Off
5-18 Forgotten Promise
6-8 No News for Harriet
6-15 Weekend Vacation (R)
10-5 David Gets Discouraged
10-12 Ozzie the Boat-Keeper
11-9 A Sweater for Rick
11-23 David's Almost In-Laws
12-7 A Lawnmower for Ozzie
12-14 The Girl in the Emporium
------1961------
1-11 Safe Husbands
3-1 Mr. Kelly's Important Papers
3-8 Dave's Golf Story
3-29 Manly Arts
10-12 The Newlyweds Get Settled
11-2 Ten for the Tigers
11-16 The Barking Dog
12-7 Trading Stamps (R)
------1962------
1-11 Back Yard Pet Show
2-1 A Lamp for Dave and June
2-15 Operation Barry
3-8 Lending Money to Wally
3-15 Lonesome Parents
4-19 Little Handprints in the Sidewalk
10-25 Trip to Mexico
11-1 The Tigers Go to a Dance
------1963------
1-10 June and the Great Outdoors
1-31 Roadside Courtesy
9-25 Secret Agent
10-23 The Blue Moose
12-18 David and the Mermaid (R)
------1964------
2-19 The Uniforms
3-25 Rick Is Late for Dinner
4-1 A Letter About Harriet
10-21 Kris Goes to College (R)
10-28 The Pennies
11-4 The Ballerina
11-18 Harriet's Quiz (R)
12-30 Cafe Caper (R)
------1965------
1-6 The Petition
2-3 The Trunk (R)
2-24 Breakfast for Harriet
3-3 The Desk Photo
3-17 A Painting From the Past
9-22 A Rose a Day
9-29 Kris and the Queen
10-13 The Prowler
------1966------
3-26 The Game Room

 

I found a very good and informative interview with Sam Nelson. Here is an excerpt:
"Success on Kickstarter will lead to the family making episodes available in such forms as deluxe DVD box set, limited editions and downloads. Broadcast possibilities also exist. Pristine sound and picture will make these Nelson family-issued versions infinitely more enjoyable than the low-budget, chopped-up, fuzzy copies currently available on disc and aired occasionally on local channels. These will now be complete, unabridged episodes, with original commercials, not seen this way since the original ABC network prime time airings, decades ago. Digitization will also allow the option to make hi-def versions, if the family wants to go that way in the future. "
The whole interview can be seen at:
http://www.popcultureclassics.com/sam_nelson.html

 

[Ethan Riley]

Where did such a rumor that the originals were lost forever after the editing was Done for the Disney Channel come from, and who started such a rumor?

Whoever started that rumor probably wasn't taking the Nelsons' vault into consideration. It's good to know that those films still exist intact; however, I worry about them disintegrating. If they're going to restore them, it had better be soon -- !

 

[Charles Ellis]

Well, considering how Ozzie was so hands-on regarding the production, it's not surprising he kept the source materials. What is surprising is that no one has done anything about the vault materials until now! Why didn't David Nelson do something?

 

Well, considering how Ozzie was so hands-on regarding the production, it's not surprising he kept the source materials. What is surprising is that no one has done anything about the vault materials until now! Why didn't David Nelson do something?

Sam talks about his uncle, David, rather candidly in this interview cited on post 23:
David Nelson may not have fully understood the timelessness of the series. Sam pointed out, "He had lived that experience and maybe it's a case of not being able to see the forest for the trees. He had been part of the original process, when the show became so popular, and then going through the whole hippie generation, the 1960s generation, and the backlash. That may have prevented him from recognizing that the show had ever-long potential and relevance. But I see it so clearly."
I agree it's a shame it has languished for so long.

 

[Neil Brock]

This sounds great but the reality is that its going to cost at least a couple of thousand dollars an episode to transfer from the original 35mm negatives with separate pic and audio tracks. So, we are talking around a hundred grand for that. And that's just making DigiBetas. From there, authoring to DVD is another expense. Also, exactly where is the market to sell this show, either to TV or to the public? Forgetting about the music issue for a moment, what network is going to have an interest in this show? Only ones that I think would even have the slightest interest are Antenna, ME-TV or RTN. As for home video, 435 episodes are an awful lot of shows to release. I could be wrong but I just don't see it. 1950s shows that have been in the public eye far more and were a lot more popular have either not come out or not done well. Make Room for Daddy bombed, although the first release was an abomination. Life of Riley, Burns and Allen, Jack Benny, December Bride, Our Miss Brooks and several others haven't even seen DVD releases. While O&H may be the longest running sitcom in history, it cracked the Top 30 a grand total of once, in 1963-64 when it finished 29th. Its not some long lost big hit show. Rather it was just a show that stayed on forever. Although I do give the grandson credit for trying to do this and certainly for being creative and getting other people to pay for it instead of him. If nothing else, he deserves kudos for that.

 

"Although I do give the grandson credit for trying to do this and certainly for being creative and getting other people to pay for it instead of him. If nothing else, he deserves kudos for that."
That seems a little cynical and a rather backhanded compliment.
With Sam in the business and with his family's legacy, who knows what kind of access he has as far as getting the shows transferred and authored to DVD. I'm sure he didn't come up with the project total out of thin air. The guy seems sharp and sincere and I'm taking him at his word and have put in a pledge. There are a lot of fans of this show. Read the Facebook posts and the ones on his site. This show is different from a lot of others, with the family connection, the Ricky Nelson connection, and the unique kind of comedy it had. Not many ABC shows had high ratings in those days. You don't have to put out a cent for the project or buy any subsequent DVDs, and can have all the doubts you want, but a lot of us are behind Sam and his project 100%.

 

[Gary OS]

All I can say is I hope Sam Nelson can get this thing done. If so, it would be one of the greatest dvd releases of all time for me - right up there with my most treasured titles.


Gary "my concern is that this thing is so far away (12/13) - so many things can happen between now and then - so I'm not getting too excited just yet" O.

 

[BobO'Link]

^Seconded! I watched and liked O&H as a kid and still like it. This series would be yet another "must pre-order" item for me. There seem to be more and more of those lately.

 

[ChrisALM]

I wish Sam Nelson the best on this project, too. The fact that a family member is working to have Ozzie and Harriet released is a huge plus. At the same, it will be quite an undertaking considering the number episodes. It will be interesting to follow this and see how everything plays out.

 

[Gary OS]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChrisALM /t/314965/ozzie-harriet/30#post_3856120
The fact that a family member is working to have Ozzie and Harriet released is a huge plus.

A big "AMEN" to that one, Chris. You can't have a bigger advocate for a series than a family member. And often these lesser known, older series either make it or they don't because of a well-connected advocate. So the Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet is certainly off to a great start in that regard.


Gary "it definitely will be interesting to see how this all plays out" O.

 

[Joe Lugoff]

I heard after he became a rock 'n' roll star, Ricky wanted to leave the series after each season. And every time, Ozzie would tell ABC, which promptly said, "It's been nice working with you." So Ricky agreed to stay on. In other words, most of this series' record for longevity is due to teenage girls wanting to watch Ricky. Those girls are in their 60s and 70s now, and probably not all that much interested in these DVDs.
I want this series so I can return to the days when the world was a saner and nicer place, for the most part.

 

[Professor Echo]

I was very young when this show went off the air and I knew nothing about it nor knew of anyone who had watched it. It seemed to fade into social and media encouraged ridicule not long after that, but when I was in my 20's and DISNEY was rerunning it every weeknight, I wound up getting hooked on it. Far from being the unrealistic, overly saccharine mess so many seemed to deem it, I found it to be genuinely funny and inspired. It bore no relation to any reality then or since, but I don't think that was ever its purpose or direction. It simply existed in its own universe and you either went along for the ride or you didn't. Those who have nothing but disdain for it approach it with the wrong expectations and come off sounding way more unrealistic than anything ever depicted on the show. If ever there was an argument for television not always having to be a purveyor of social realist documentary, this series is its biggest proponent.
Count me in if this project comes to fruition.

 

[Jeff Willis]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Professor Echo /t/314965/ozzie-harriet/30#post_3856267
I was very young when this show went off the air and I knew nothing about it nor knew of anyone who had watched it. It seemed to fade into social and media encouraged ridicule not long after that, but when I was in my 20's and DISNEY was rerunning it every weeknight, I wound up getting hooked on it. Far from being the unrealistic, overly saccharine mess so many seemed to deem it, I found it to be genuinely funny and inspired. It bore no relation to any reality then or since, but I don't think that was ever its purpose or direction. It simply existed in its own universe and you either went along for the ride or you didn't. Those who have nothing but disdain for it approach it with the wrong expectations and come off sounding way more unrealistic than anything ever depicted on the show. If ever there was an argument for television not always having to be a purveyor of social realist documentary, this series is its biggest proponent.
Count me in if this project comes to fruition.

Glen,

10-4 on your post. Said it perfectly for me.

 

[Gary OS]

A big "thumbs up" for Joe, Glen, and Jeff. I'm a big fan of this series and Glen really said it right. The disdain for this show from certain quarters is really pathetic and shortsighted.


Gary "I have read that Ozzie Nelson was genuinely a very clean living guy so its only natural that he created a clean universe for the TV Nelsons to exist in" O.

 

As Ozzie is quoted by David as saying in Philip Bashe's book, Teenage Idol, Travelin' Man, "I just do things I think are funny. If you want a message, call Western Union."

 

[vnisanian2001]

I haven't thought of this before, but why go begging for donations? Surely the Nelson Family has enough money to do the restoration themselves.

 

[Neil Brock]

I haven't thought of this before, but why go begging for donations? Surely the Nelson Family has enough money to do the restoration themselves.

My thoughts exactly.

 

Who knows if the Nelson family has "enough money"? I have no idea what their present financial status is. I doubt anyone else here does either. Appearances in that regard are often deceiving. Ozzie died 36 years ago. Ricky was pretty much broke when he died. If you don't want to support the project, that's fine. Others, like me, are happy to contribute what they can.