Mr. Novak, NBC TV Series 1963-65. (1 Viewer)

[Jack P]

the reliable Royal Dano...his performance seemingly effortless, he could play guys like this in his sleep. One of the great character actors in tv and feature films.

The definitive voice of Abraham Lincoln in the "Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln" attraction at the New York World's Fair and Disneyland and in the original "Hall Of Presidents" attraction at Disney World.

 

[Darby67]

Randall, your detailed and informative posts are really whetting our appetites for the Season One release of Mr. Novak! I hope we get a confirmed release date soon.

 

[Johnny Angell]

The definitive voice of Abraham Lincoln in the "Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln" attraction at the New York World's Fair and Disneyland and in the original "Hall Of Presidents" attraction at Disney World.

Oh my, I do remember that at Disneyland. Always took it in when in the park.

 

[Flashgear]

Randall, your detailed and informative posts are really whetting our appetites for the Season One release of Mr. Novak! I hope we get a confirmed release date soon.

Thanks, Sean! I thought I might do a rundown on the episodes I have from season one and illustrate each with screen caps. When WAC finally releases season one, I'm sure they will look far better than these images. I hope they leave the bumpers intact as I have them. They always add to my enjoyment in easing the flow into the commercial breaks. I don't know why more releases don't include those wonderful artifacts. Mr. Novak is truly a great MGM series, fully the equal of it's contemporary Dr. Kildare.

Ep. 9, "A Feeling For Friday" (Nov. 19, 1963), written by E. Jack Neuman. Directed by Michael O'Herlihy. Guest starring Diane Baker, John McGiver, Peter Breck, Ed Platt, George Takei.

Mr. Novak is having a brutal week at Jefferson High. Overwhelmed with a multitude of assignments, chairing a teacher's committee and being badgered by the irritable parents of a problem student. Under the stress, Novak has forgotten his appointments and fallen down on his admin duties as well, completely out of character for him and much to the surprise of assistant principal Pagano (Jeanne Bal).

A pre- Get Smart Ed Platt plays the father insisting that Novak has called his kid, "dumb"...

Exhausted, and perhaps a little disillusioned with his work, Novak retreats to the refuge of his apartment for the weekend. His spirits are suddenly elevated by the surprising contact with an old college flame (Diane Baker), who he hasn't seen for 5 years. The girl insists that Novak come to spend the weekend at her father's estate in Beverly Hills...

Novak parks his humble ugly Plymouth Valiant station wagon next to the chariots of the upper crust, including this Rolls Royce Silver Cloud...I was sure hoping Amos Burke would drop into the party here, in my vintage tv fantasy mind, a crossover with Burke's Law ?, ha, ha...

Security at the estate being lax in the more civil and genteel times of 1963, Novak wanders around till he meets the valet and houseboy, played by a pre-Star Trek George Takei...

Takei mistakes Novak for a delivery man...

Finally, Novak's college girlfriend comes up from the cement pond to greet him, the luminescent beauty of Diane Baker...

Novak, asking her why she has suddenly reached out to him after so long, tells him: "I've been a little desperate lately not to be lonely"...


The magnate and captain of industry father, played by the solid (and stolid) John McGiver, returns from yet another round of golf at the country club...he immediately displays an arrogant contempt for his daughter, telling her to shut up in front of the just introduced Novak...the weekend gets off to a very awkward and uncomfortable start...

McGiver's golfing buddies survey Novak with an imperious air of amusement...the bloated aristocracy looking down on the humble teacher who makes only $5240 per year...


Once inside the mansion, she confides to Novak: " we should have gotten married, or something...I think of you all the time"...


Surprised at how quickly his feelings for her have been rekindled, Novak is suddenly confronted with this guy, another potential and very jealous suitor, played with a smarmy sarcasm by pre-Big Valley Peter Breck...Breck is great in this role, just radiating with a gleeful and smiling arrogant contempt for Novak and all lesser beings...he introduces himself, "I'm a doctor, I'm her friend too"...

Breck's character tells him: "you look like a toy that Mil (Baker) has chosen to play with for the weekend", and "you're wasting your time, teach. Mil has lots of toys stored someplace, all of them broken"...


Playing tennis the next morning, Novak is told his reticence to drink a cocktail before noon is more than quaint...Breck tells him: "we're all pagans here, Novak"...


Breck continues to hover near, turning up each time that Novak has a kiss with Baker. Another helping of Breck's smarmy sarcasm is too much for Novak...


Novak's main event for his attempted humiliation is the cocktail party, where McGiver confronts him with his suspicions that he is simply after his daughter's money...John McGiver, with his mid Atlantic old school accent and imperious demeanor, is memorable in this performance..."You look like an idealist. The average man is tired and scared. A tired and scared man can't afford to have ideals"...
"Am I irritating you, Mr. Novak? I make people mad rather often and rather successfully. But I'm too rich and too old to apologize. I'm venal, Mr. Novak, we are all venal. The complications of modern society make us more venal every day. I can tell quality from style, you know. If you don't have quality you substitute style. Mass production does that very frequently. The finest packages in the world, full of junk inside"...


Mil (Baker) to Novak: "I saw you with daddy. How did you get on with him?" Novak in response: "He explained civilization to me. I think I've got it all straight now"...
More guests arrive, many of them in the company of their much younger trophy wives...learning he is a teacher, one of the drunk young lovelies approaches Novak, "What a noble calling. You may kiss me if you like"...


Novak finally reaches his breaking point and delivers an impassioned defense for who he is and what he represents, calling out these self righteous and pretentious blowhards for their many hypocrisies..."I don't like to be patronized!"...

John McGiver's character proves to have an unexpected wisdom and compassion about him. MGM would shortly give him a series of his own, the sitcom Many Happy Returns. Diane Baker, an accomplished and talented actress when given the opportunity to shine, presents a suppressed and tortured young soul, ultimately heartbreaking. But " A Feeling For Friday" is a great showcase for James Franciscus...it is his drama that is central to this story. Most weeks on Mr. Novak, Franciscus is the supporting role in playing out the drama of a fellow teacher or another student. This episode was one for James Franciscus to shine...

This episode aired on Tuesday, November 19, 1963...from what we know about that day in history, Lee Harvey Oswald picked up a newspaper at noon in the lunchroom at the Texas Schoolbook Depository... and discovered that JFK's presidential motorcade would pass by his workplace on the following Friday, November 22, 1963...

 

[Flashgear]

Episode 10, "Pay The Two Dollars" (Nov. 26, 1963), Written by Milton Rosen. Directed by Walter Doniger.
Guest starring Martin Landau, MacDonald Carey, Tom Lowell, Beau Bridges.


Novak is the victim of a trumped up injury claim by a student after he breaks up a fight in a school hallway. The injured student, who simply hurt himself in a fall with no fault by Novak, is played by Tom Lowell. Ironically, Tom Lowell was part of the regular cast on season two of Combat!, the show that was opposite Mr. Novak in this timeslot and that was killing them in the ratings...

Left to right below... Tom Lowell, Beau Bridges, Todd Bingham.



Beau Bridges with Chuck Harter's brilliant and authoritative book on the series...

Book website with many details https://mrnovakbook.com/
HB, SC and Kindle available from Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/1629331643/ref=nav_timeline_asin?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1


Jefferson High's school nurse as played by Marion Ross...many years before Happy Days...


Golden age film star (and soon to be long running soap opera player) MacDonald Carey plays the boy's furious and indignant father...buying the kid's story completely and demanding Novak be fired...


When it becomes obvious that the highly regarded Novak will not be fired, a lawsuit is filed against the State, City, School Board, and Novak himself...sue 'em all is the byline to Mr. Novak's real fears of personal ruination. The Board of Education's "Insurance Section" dispatches a lawyer and investigator to the scene, played by the superb Martin Landau in the first of his two appearances on Mr. Novak. He was on a roll that fall of 1963 wasn't he? Two great performances on The Outer Limits recently, another one on Twilight Zone ...and other memorable appearances on Alfred Hitchcock Hour and The Defenders, just in that 1963-64 season...


Landau explains to Novak that his innocence is irrelevant to how this case should be handled. An out of court settlement will be pursued to minimize the board and state's liability...figuratively, to "Pay The Two Dollars"...with the objective also being to free Novak from any financial or professional consequences. Novak blows that up by insisting the claims against him be fought, forcing the exasperated Landau to seek a continuance and schedule a pre-trial deposition for Novak...

Landau informs the highly principled Novak that in order to fight this case, they must consider the injured student and his father to be an enemy. They must destroy the credibility of the boy's character, something that Novak is clearly uncomfortable in doing...Franciscus and Landau are brilliant in their scenes together...

Novak is hesitant to attack the student's character or his father under oath during the deposition...Paul Lambert portrays the hard driving lawyer for the plaintiffs...


Despite Landau's advice to have no further contact with the student and his father, Novak feels compelled to reason with them and defend the truth and his honor...appealing to their better nature...Landau is horrified and worried that the well meaning Novak will only make things far worse...


Landau to Novak: "I just don't understand you Novak! I just don't understand you. I'm sure there's something wonderful to all this, but legally it's working out lousy"...

Martin Landau is simply brilliant in this strong episode. He also dispenses several witty and hilarious asides in this story examining the growing litigious nature of society, where just a few years before, people wouldn't have thought to take every minor dispute to court...a new reality, sadly...

 

[Jeff Flugel]

This really sounds like a superb series. Thanks for these detailed write-ups on season one, Randall! Warner Archive is taking their sweet time getting this show released, but it seems like it will be well worth the wait when the set does finally arrive.

 

[Neil Brock]

Has Warner officially stated this release is happening?

 

[Flashgear]

This really sounds like a superb series. Thanks for these detailed write-ups on season one, Randall! Warner Archive is taking their sweet time getting this show released, but it seems like it will be well worth the wait when the set does finally arrive.

Has Warner officially stated this release is happening?

Thank you Jeff for your support! When it does arrive on dvd I'm sure you will enjoy it for the great drama and "New Frontier" optimism and idealism it represents as a fascinating time capsule of early '60s America...

Neil Brock, no, it has not been officially stated yet as a release. All I can tell you is that Warner Senior VP and head of WAC George Feltenstein has said on at least two occasions that Mr. Novak season one is coming in 2018. Author Chuck Harter has told me that he met with George Feltenstein on 3 occasions, twice at his office on the WB lot...the picture below of George Feltenstein with the new book was taken on one of those visits to his WB office in September 2017...he is personally a big fan of the show and wants it out there for people to rediscover...

.

I'm beginning to think it may come later than expected, perhaps in 2019. That's life, who knows where WAC's competing priorities and tentative roster of releases will place it eventually?

 

[Flashgear]

Episode 11, "Love in the Wrong Season" (Dec. 3, 1963) Written by Richard DeRoy, Directed by Ida Lupino.
Patricia Crowley, Tommy Kirk, Tim McIntire, David Macklin. Screen caps derived from 16 mm film source...



A sheltered, immature and lonely new teacher (Patricia Crowley) finds herself falling in love with a student at Jefferson High...the student, played by Tommy Kirk, seems to be hampered and conditioned by many of the same character traits and sensitivities as herself. Tommy Kirk, 21 at the time, was previously in just about every big Walt Disney movie and TV show in the past 5 years or so, Old Yeller, Hardy Boys, Shaggy Dog, Absent Minded Professor, Swiss Family Robinson, etc., so this kind of thing represented a big departure for him as an adult actor. The lovely Patricia Crowley (30 at the time) has had a long and varied career.

Ida Lupino directed this episode with a deft sensitivity...besides being a great golden era star at WB, she was also a pioneering producer and director in movies and television, when women were rarely represented in the business...perhaps the somewhat daring and provocative nature of this story called for a woman's touch...

Patricia Crowley...


Tommy Kirk...


Mr. Novak somewhat loses his head over the lovely and mysterious teacher...he comes across rather needy and aggressive towards her as he tries to sort out her shy and hesitant, hot and cold persona. Entirely out of character for him...

Principal Vane, suspicious and concerned by the rumors and what he himself has observed of the interactions between teacher and student, investigates.



Having cooled off on his pursuit and regained his senses, Novak goes to the movies with his fellow teacher and buddy, played by the wonderful Steve Franken. They are surprised to see the teacher and student there, apparently on a date? Whoo, boy...


As Mr. Novak was in tough for the ratings against the action packed war drama Combat, and also up against Red Skelton, an episode like this was perhaps good counter programming...I would think that women and young girls might have swooned over Crowley and Kirk trading 19th century romance poetry verses from "I Prithee, Send Me Back My Heart"...



Nothing truly damaging or seriously inappropriate has actually transpired between them, of course, (hey, it's the decent and responsibly functional America of 1963), but Principal Vane steps in to insure that propriety, decorum, integrity, and above all, basic decency are observed...the consequences to the heart, and the shame therein, are real...


Tommy Kirk also pays a price, being bullied by another student, played effectively by a young Tm McIntire, the son of well known character actors John McIntire and Jeanette Nolan...


Novak reaches out to the troubled boy...


This is another fine first season episode. The potentially inflammatory and salacious nature of the story is presented in a sensitive, restrained and effective way. Crowley, Kirk, Jagger and Franciscus are all excellent.

 

[Flashgear]

Episode 12, "The Boy Without A Country" (Dec. 10, 1963) Written by Richard DeRoy and E. Jack Neuman. Directed by Michael O'Herlihy. Starring Walter Koenig, Jeanne Cooper. Screen caps from my crap quality copy.


The human consequences of the Cold War are examined in the persona of a Russian orphan and defector, played by Walter Koenig, trying to fit in at Jefferson High and modern capitalist America in a larger sense. We are told he has escaped across the Berlin Wall, no mean feat in 1963, when many were shot and killed trying to do so. Topical, this was probably written in the immediate aftermath of JFK's famous "Ich bin ein Berliner" speech at the wall on June 27, 1963. Koenig's character is figuratively imprisoned still by his lifetime of communist indoctrination and more so, by his paralyzing fear of actually exercising his new found freedoms and determining his own future for himself. This paralyzing fear is most unfortunately expressed in his inability to accept the love and trust of his American adoptive Mother and Father...

His fears are not helped by the well meaning hero's reception he gets from the students, faculty and media at Jefferson High...


The boy and his guardians arrive...


"You Americans have things very nice"...


Novak and Vane attempt to be helpful in easing the boy's adjustment...


Though his English skills are quite good, his fear addled and nervous nature and a series of awkward misunderstandings lead the kid in responding to adversity by channeling his deep seated Communist blither blather Marxist theory indoctrination by rote from his memory..."In Russia, state would decide for me...if we do not contribute to project, then we are worthless...you people believe in a world of dreams...it's nonsense, it's talk, philosophy, the soul, the spirit, the individual." One of his classmates demands to know: Why did you run to America? He answers, stumbling over his words as he begins to understand his new reality, "I did not run to America, I Run Away from Russia!".



His adoptive American Mother is played by Jeanne Cooper. Her character is portrayed as a long time friend of Principal Vane. Being a trusted friend, she confides her private agony over her adopted son's struggles and his hesitation to accept her Motherly love...



Koenig as Aleksei to Novak: "I am not a hero!".


In one of Dean Jagger's most affecting scenes on the series thus far, he offers some Fatherly old country philosophy to focus the boy's mind and heart to seize his future as an individual with his own hopes and dreams, apart from some dictatorial collective "project" that has thus far ruled his life...and to accept the pure love of his newly found Mother...



In Chuck Harter's brilliant new book on the series, Mr. Novak - An Acclaimed Television Series, Walter Koenig contributes the afterword and was interviewed about his memories of filming his 3 episodes on Mr. Novak. "Boy Without a Country" was the first of his 3 episodes on the show, and his first featured guest starring credit of his young career. He attributed his well received performance as "Aleksei" as being instrumental with his later casting on Star Trek as another Russian fish out of water. "Chekov"...and he is still active today, doing a lot of voice over work, and most recently, filming a feature film in Louisiana...

Walter Koenig with the new book...

 

[Flashgear]

Episode 13, "A Thousand Voices", (Dec. 17, 1963), W: Anthony Wilson, D: Richard Donner.
Guest star Frankie Avalon, with Robert F. Simon and Peter Ford.



Teen heart throb and Beach Blanket greaseball Frankie Avalon (age 24 at the time) plays this week's featured problem student. Despite my ribbing, he's pretty good in this, effectively portraying the desperation of a kid losing control over the one thing he does control and that defines his sense of self worth. He's the leader of the "Templars", an on campus car club that loses their sponsor, and thus, their right to have official sanction to operate on school property from Principal Vane. They're not allowed to wear their club colors on campus, of course, so the chief benefit of having those privileges seems to be preferred parking for their muscle cars...


Frankie as leader of the "Templars", Peter Ford (son of Glen Ford) as his number 2...



Novak tries to help the boys find another sponsor, here played by the well respected and accomplished character actor Robert F. Simon...



Simon portrays a rather boozy and controlling real estate developer who wants to change the club's name and colors, and use them to promote his business as well. Big shock for Frankie, who sees himself losing what little control he has over the one thing that he really cares about...a confrontation and blow out ensues with the businessman, partly fueled by his hair trigger and perhaps 3 or more happy hour Martinis after work...


Novak is horrified, and tries to pick up the pieces and convince Frankie that although the car club on campus can be no more, he can learn to redefine himself by trying out for Novak's drama club (no kidding,ha), and help build stage props and paint back drops for the next play!...Frankie the fool obviously hasn't seen the kind of beautiful girls who "do drama" and rebels against Novak and principal Vane...



Frankie's single working mom is played by Rita Lynn, an actress who bears a striking resemblance to Susan Hayward, at least I think so...


Novak surveys the wreckage and contemplates those kids that simply cannot be saved...this is the angriest Novak has been seen since the earlier episode "A Feeling for Friday"...

 

[Flashgear]

Episode 14, "My Name is not Legion" (Dec. 24, 1963) W: Robert E. Thompson. D: Bernard Girard.
Guest starring Peter Lazer, Shelley Fabares.


In Mr. Novak's Christmas eve episode, a 17 year old Peter Lazer plays this week's troubled specimen. He's a fantasy bound oddball, fully immersed in various flights of fantasy as a coping mechanism for his painful awkwardness...

Shelley Fabares (19 at the time), in her second appearance as Dani on the series, plays the very kind and naturally beautiful girl who takes pity upon him and becomes his yearned for fantasy princess come to life...


No sooner does this goddess appear to him, a brute from the popular girl's entourage gets in his face, mocking him for his very "busy" locker decor...including a mirror which the kid breaks in his frustration...


Having blown his top, the kid is sent before the "student court" for judgement...such things were unheard of where I grew up...a swift slap up my back side with a pointer was more our style in my H.S....


The kid also tears up his essay, demanding to be failed in his English class. Novak being the forgiving and patient type, puts the pieces back together and is astonished at the boy's eloquent and accomplished creative writing...an extract: "My name is not Ishmael, nor is it legion...past continents of raw beliefs I have sailed the arteries of hope, and glimpsed past enigmatic worlds where my face could shimmer against the sky, and print the moment of my soul like the sudden insect bulge of reality winging past the drafty abandon of a cracked funhouse mirror"... though Novak finds some of it "derivative" (obviously), "pedantic" and even "gauche", there is enough here that verges on some embryonic brilliance as a writer that Novak seeks out the kid at a neighborhood bookstore in a bid to encourage him...he definitely has the talent to write lyrics for the coming wave of psychedelic acid rock... ha, ha...



Wandering about in the dark, the kid is drawn to his distorted reflection in a chrome hubcap...this looks how he feels in a world beyond his understanding...


Novak and Principal Vane brainstorm, trying to help the kid stay in school and develop his craft as a writer...


Perhaps there will be an understanding and peace to be had after all...


Peter Lazer was a child actor with some notable career credits. In addition to this choice role, he appeared in the movie Hombre with Paul Newman, Frederick March and Richard Boone. At age 13, he was in one of the most memorable episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents... season five's "Special Delivery" in 1959...who can forget this creepy scene?...

"You're Very Hungry, Aren't You?"...

Man, don't eat that sandwich!

 

[Flashgear]

Episode 15, "He Who Can, Does" (Dec. 31, 1963) W: Roland Wolpert, D: Irving Lerner.
Guest Star Edward Mulhare. Screen shots derived from 16 mm film...



5 years before his memorable role in the television remounting of The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (and 20 years before Knight Rider), solid Irish born actor Edward Mulhare guest stars as a notorious Pulitzer Prize winning, best selling novelist who drops in on a literary reading attended by Mr. Novak and other faculty at a local hotel...it all seems so impromptu, but we gradually come to understand the world famous writer's ulterior motives...to rekindle his long ago and fleeting romance with Jefferson high's assistant principal Jeanne Pagano (Jeanne Bal)...the real life Muse who inspired the tragic heroine of his best selling novel, "A Place of Strangers", a character informed and drawn from their own star crossed interlude some 20 years before...and drawn also from her long suffering pain...

Novak is delighted to meet the world famous author, who surprisingly, wants to make a personal appearance at the school for a Q and A session with his students...Novak is beside himself with joy...



Conversely, at the mere mention of his famous name, assistant principal Pagano's reaction is more somber and subdued...she was collateral damage on the way to his future fame...


The celebrated novelist is notorious for his hard drinking and womanizing life (high profile affairs, 3 divorces, and being "an absolute failure as a father"), his bio beginning with having run away to adventure on a tramp steamer at 16, dropping out of school and traveling the world through a multitude of wars and intrigue...producing one Hemingwayesque best selling opus after another...all eagerly awaited by his dedicated worldwide fandom...he holds court, enthralling and fascinating the kids with his wit and wisdom...



Novak grows concerned as the writer casually dismisses the value of a formal grade school education in favor of his own footloose and fancy free life as a drop out and vagabond observer of the human condition...he urges the kids to flee their conventional expectations, "Go out and have life cover you...and then you might have something to write about"...


Novak is further surprised, and flattered, by the novelist's dazzling invitation to join him in Paris as his paid editor and personal assistant...to in fact run away, in hopes of finding his own adventure, fame and fortune and apprentice as a writer to the vaunted master himself...He wants Novak to decide his future in some reckless spontaneity, just as he himself would have done in his own youth..."Move quickly, Johnny, the race is to the swift"...


Novak is given pause as he slowly realizes his prospective mentor's despair...despite his fame and bravado, he is a broken and lonely man bearing an unspeakable burden of a secret and shocking tragedy...and living a life that Novak sums up as "A hotel room and a bottle of Whiskey"...about his drinking... "The only way to meet my quota is to start early"...


"Have you ever been to Paris, Johnny? You really should hasten there. It changes with your age. If you don't see it soon, you'll wonder what all the fuss was about"...


Novak, having seen the unspeakable despair just beneath his polished veneer, says "That's your life, not mine"...


After being rebuffed, Mulhare follows his lost love and literary muse to her door, pleading for her understanding, if not her forgiveness...
"Why did you come back?"...


"I left something behind"...


This is a truly beautifully written and effective story, with grand eloquent dialogue full of authentic emotion, convincingly performed by the entire cast...Mulhare is wonderful, world weary and party to a hard won wisdom gained at a terrible price...yearning for redemption, if not a merciful forgiveness for the pain he has caused and that now haunts him...it is also a welcome showcase for the deserving Jeanne Bal, her hallmark episode in season one, where she was finally given the opportunity to shine...

 

[Flashgear]

Episode 16, "The Song of Songs" (January 7, 1964) W: E. Jack Neuman, James Menzies, story by Emmet Lavery. D: David Alexander. Guest starring Edward Andrews, Brooke Bundy.


One of our favorite character actors, the always welcome Edward Andrews, guest stars as this week's nightmare threat to Mr. Novak's teaching career, if not his personal sanity...Andrews is the overbearing and powerhouse blowhard of a father to his daughter, Novak's student, played by the lovely Brooke Bundy (age 19 at the time, and here playing a 17 year old)...



Andrews has caught wind of the "Lewd, disgusting and suggestive" nature of the English Lit taught by our hero...poems by Milton, Shelley, Byron etc., and also the celebrated 17th century romanticization of the Old Testament's "Song of Songs"... the Song of Solomon. Andrews barges into Novak's class and pulls his daughter out while threatening to have Novak terminated...he is, after all, a first year teacher without tenure...
and Andrews is yet another pillar of the community and business heavyweight fond of throwing his influence around...


In the principal's office, Andrews recites some of the "offensive" and "lewd" poetry committed to the memory and obvious romantic delight of his daughter..."Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth, for thy love is sweeter than wine... by night on my bed I saw him, but I found him not"...hot stuff, eh? Real hot business from the third century B.C...having now seen the all too handsome Novak, the overly protective father lets his imagination run wild...thinking Novak is some kind of predatory Svengali on the make for underage girls...big trouble for Novak, sometimes it doesn't pay to be this handsome, ha, ha...

Informed that the poem (or Cantrile) was his daughters own personal choice to study, and not actually assigned by Novak, he disbelievingly retorts, "Are you alleging that my daughter has unhealthy interests?"

Novak is indignant and outraged at having his sterling integrity questioned...considering this seems to happen on a weekly basis, you'd think he would be used to this by now... but the well meaning Novak's job and reputation are at stake...dark and troubling allegations, albeit unproven, are raised..


The naive but well meaning girl only makes things worse by turning up at Novak's door...


The daughter is mortified and humiliated by her father's suspicions...in his defense, he's a widowed single father struggling to deal with a multitude of fears...




An over protective, reactionary but loving father...a typical fine performance from the reliable Edward Andrews...



Three days before his Mr. Novak episode aired, Edward Andrews was also seen in the Twilight Zone episode "You Drive"...

 

[Matt Hough]

Edward Mulhare was Rex Harrison's first replacement in My Fair Lady on Broadway. He was whom I saw playing the role when I saw it as my first-ever Broadway show.

 

[Flashgear]

Edward Mulhare was Rex Harrison's first replacement in My Fair Lady on Broadway. He was whom I saw playing the role when I saw it as my first-ever Broadway show.

Matt, that must be a wonderful memory for you! Edward Mulhare was obviously an all around talent to follow the great Rex Harrison in that signature role. Indeed, even just to be his understudy would have been of great prestige...Edward Mulhare is great in just about everything isn't he? And his episode of Mr. Novak is pretty close to being my favorite from season one. He's simply wonderful in "He Who Can, Does"....strong and profound, well written script with a beautiful delivery by the entire cast. Perfection.

Here is a publicity image of Edward Mulhare dancing with the exquisite Julie Andrews...and another with her replacement, Sally Anne Howes.

The Playbill from 1958...

I found this video on Youtube...Edward Mulhare as a guest on "American Musical Theater", with hosts Alan Jay Lerner and Meredith Wilson. Mulhare sings "Ordinairy Man"...

 

[Matt Hough]

I had no idea he had actually done it with Julie Andrews before she and Rex took it to London for its premiere. I saw Sally Ann, of course, and the whole show was such an eye-opening experience for me. "Get Me to the Church on Time" garnered a stop-the-show standing ovation, the first time I had ever experienced such a thing in the theater.

Those pics with Edward and Julie are GREAT!

 

[Gary OS]

Episode 14, "My Name is not Legion" (Dec. 24, 1963) W: Robert E. Thompson. D: Bernard Girard.
Guest starring Peter Lazer, Shelley Fabares.

In Mr. Novak's Christmas eve episode

Flashgear, are there any actual Christmas elements in this episode, or are you simply referencing the air date when you say, “Christmas Eve episode”?

 

[Richard V]

Episode 16, "The Song of Songs" (January 7, 1964) W: E. Jack Neuman, James Menzies, story by Emmet Lavery. D: David Alexander. Guest starring Edward Andrews, Brooke Bundy.
View attachment 48503

One of our favorite character actors, the always welcome Edward Andrews, guest stars as this week's nightmare threat to Mr. Novak's teaching career, if not his personal sanity...Andrews is the overbearing and powerhouse blowhard of a father to his daughter, Novak's student, played by the lovely Brooke Bundy (age 19 at the time, and here playing a 17 year old)...
View attachment 48504
View attachment 48505

Andrews has caught wind of the "Lewd, disgusting and suggestive" nature of the English Lit taught by our hero...poems by Milton, Shelley, Byron etc., and also the celebrated 17th century romanticization of the Old Testament's "Song of Songs"... the Song of Solomon. Andrews barges into Novak's class and pulls his daughter out while threatening to have Novak terminated...he is, after all, a first year teacher without tenure...
and Andrews is yet another pillar of the community and business heavyweight fond of throwing his influence around...
View attachment 48506

In the principal's office, Andrews recites some of the "offensive" and "lewd" poetry committed to the memory and obvious romantic delight of his daughter..."Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth, for thy love is sweeter than wine... by night on my bed I saw him, but I found him not"...hot stuff, eh? Real hot business from the third century B.C...having now seen the all too handsome Novak, the overly protective father lets his imagination run wild...thinking Novak is some kind of predatory Svengali on the make for underage girls...big trouble for Novak, sometimes it doesn't pay to be this handsome, ha, ha...

Informed that the poem (or Cantrile) was his daughters own personal choice to study, and not actually assigned by Novak, he disbelievingly retorts, "Are you alleging that my daughter has unhealthy interests?"
View attachment 48507
Novak is indignant and outraged at having his sterling integrity questioned...considering this seems to happen on a weekly basis, you'd think he would be used to this by now... but the well meaning Novak's job and reputation are at stake...dark and troubling allegations, albeit unproven, are raised..
View attachment 48510

The naive but well meaning girl only makes things worse by turning up at Novak's door...
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The daughter is mortified and humiliated by her father's suspicions...in his defense, he's a widowed single father struggling to deal with a multitude of fears...
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An over protective, reactionary but loving father...a typical fine performance from the reliable Edward Andrews...
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Three days before his Mr. Novak episode aired, Edward Andrews was also seen in the Twilight Zone episode "You Drive"...
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Episode 16, "The Song of Songs" (January 7, 1964) W: E. Jack Neuman, James Menzies, story by Emmet Lavery. D: David Alexander. Guest starring Edward Andrews, Brooke Bundy.
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One of our favorite character actors, the always welcome Edward Andrews, guest stars as this week's nightmare threat to Mr. Novak's teaching career, if not his personal sanity...Andrews is the overbearing and powerhouse blowhard of a father to his daughter, Novak's student, played by the lovely Brooke Bundy (age 19 at the time, and here playing a 17 year old)...
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Andrews has caught wind of the "Lewd, disgusting and suggestive" nature of the English Lit taught by our hero...poems by Milton, Shelley, Byron etc., and also the celebrated 17th century romanticization of the Old Testament's "Song of Songs"... the Song of Solomon. Andrews barges into Novak's class and pulls his daughter out while threatening to have Novak terminated...he is, after all, a first year teacher without tenure...
and Andrews is yet another pillar of the community and business heavyweight fond of throwing his influence around...
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In the principal's office, Andrews recites some of the "offensive" and "lewd" poetry committed to the memory and obvious romantic delight of his daughter..."Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth, for thy love is sweeter than wine... by night on my bed I saw him, but I found him not"...hot stuff, eh? Real hot business from the third century B.C...having now seen the all too handsome Novak, the overly protective father lets his imagination run wild...thinking Novak is some kind of predatory Svengali on the make for underage girls...big trouble for Novak, sometimes it doesn't pay to be this handsome, ha, ha...

Informed that the poem (or Cantrile) was his daughters own personal choice to study, and not actually assigned by Novak, he disbelievingly retorts, "Are you alleging that my daughter has unhealthy interests?"
View attachment 48507
Novak is indignant and outraged at having his sterling integrity questioned...considering this seems to happen on a weekly basis, you'd think he would be used to this by now... but the well meaning Novak's job and reputation are at stake...dark and troubling allegations, albeit unproven, are raised..
View attachment 48510

The naive but well meaning girl only makes things worse by turning up at Novak's door...
View attachment 48515

The daughter is mortified and humiliated by her father's suspicions...in his defense, he's a widowed single father struggling to deal with a multitude of fears...
View attachment 48509
View attachment 48511
View attachment 48512

An over protective, reactionary but loving father...a typical fine performance from the reliable Edward Andrews...
View attachment 48513
View attachment 48514

Three days before his Mr. Novak episode aired, Edward Andrews was also seen in the Twilight Zone episode "You Drive"...
View attachment 48516
View attachment 48517
View attachment 48518
View attachment 48520

Had the most ginormous crush on the heavenly Brooke Bundy.

 

[Flashgear]

Flashgear, are there any actual Christmas elements in this episode, or are you simply referencing the air date when you say, “Christmas Eve episode”?

Hello Gary, good to hear from you again. We have missed you here!

I should have elaborated on "My Name Is Not Legion" when I referred to it being a Christmas eve episode. It did indeed originally air on Christmas eve 1963, but it actually does not feature any Christmas specific elements, either story wise or visually. The student writer character played by Peter Lazer does derive figurative elements from the Gospel of Mark into his creative writing, thus the reference to the episode's title.

Gary, have you gotten the recent Gunsmoke season 13 release? Volume one features that season's fine Christmas episode, "Baker's Dozen" (which looks stunning in this remastered set). An episode for which Milburn Stone won the 1967 Emmy award for Best Supporting Actor. I'm sure you know this already, but it's an effective and heart warming Christmas episode with several nice moments for Milburn Stone, Amanda Blake, Denver Pyle, Peggy Rea and Harry Carey jr...no wonder it was such a nice showcase for Milburn Stone, the episode was written by his own brother, Charles Joseph Stone!