The Dennis O'Keefe Show

The Dennis O'Keefe Show is an American sitcom produced by Cypress Production/United Artists Television[1] which aired on CBS for sponsor General Motors' Oldsmobile division. It was not a ratings success during its original run and was canceled after one season. The series was largely forgotten until a "Best Of" DVD release by Alpha Video during 2004. Certain episodes of the show can also be seen at the Internet Archive. It appears this series has entered the public domain.

The Dennis O'Keefe Show
GenreComedy
Created byJohn Fenton Murray
Written byJohn Fenton Murray
Robert Fisher
Alan Lipscott
Directed byDon Weis
Abby Berlin
StarringDennis O'Keefe
Hope Emerson
Ricky Kelman
Eloise Hardt
Eddie Ryder
Theme music composerLeon Klatzkin
ComposerLeon Klatzkin
Country of originUSA
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes32
Production
ProducerLes Hafner
CinematographyKit Carson
EditorsFrank Capacchione
Herbert Smith
Running time30 minutes
Production companiesCypress Productions, Inc.
Release
Original networkCBS
Original release22 September 1959 (1959-09-22) –
14 June 1960 (1960-06-14)

Premise

Dennis O'Keefe portrays Hal Towne, a widower who is trying to balance his career as a newspaper columnist ("All Around Towne") and raise his 9-year-old son, Randy, in an apartment in New York City, with the help of a tough but lovable housekeeper, Amelia Sargent, better known as "Sarge", played by Hope Emerson.[2]

The series aired at 8 p.m. Eastern on Tuesdays, with competition from the last half of two hour-long western series, Laramie on NBC and Sugarfoot and Bronco, alternating on ABC, one of their many Warner Brothers offerings at that time.

Broadcasting history
  • September 22, 1959—June 7, 1960: Tuesday at 8 p.m. on CBS.[1]

DVD release

Alpha Video released a budget DVD with 4 episodes[1] on November 23, 2004. They have yet to release more volumes.

Cast

Episodes
No. Title Directed by Written by Original air date
1"Hal's TV Date"Norman AbbottRobert Fisher & Alan LipscottSeptember 22, 1959 (1959-09-22)
2"Teacher's Pest"Don WeisJohn Fenton MurraySeptember 29, 1959 (1959-09-29)
3"Moon Man"Abby BerlinUnknownOctober 6, 1959 (1959-10-06)
4"On Stage, Sarge"UnknownUnknownOctober 13, 1959 (1959-10-13)
5"Lancer, Come Home"UnknownUnknownOctober 20, 1959 (1959-10-20)
6"Like Father, Like Son"UnknownUnknownOctober 27, 1959 (1959-10-27)
7"Frame That Painting"UnknownUnknownNovember 3, 1959 (1959-11-03)
8"Superior Woman"UnknownUnknownNovember 10, 1959 (1959-11-10)
9"Bum's Bush"UnknownUnknownNovember 17, 1959 (1959-11-17)
10"There Goes the Groom"UnknownUnknownNovember 24, 1959 (1959-11-24)
11"It's Only Money"Abby BerlinRobert Fisher & Alan LipscottDecember 1, 1959 (1959-12-01)
12"The Marriage of Babette Benoit"UnknownUnknownDecember 8, 1959 (1959-12-08)
13"Maid to Order"UnknownUnknownDecember 22, 1959 (1959-12-22)
14"Private Eyewash"TBATBATBA
15TBATBATBATBA
16TBAUnknownUnknownJanuary 5, 1960 (1960-01-05)
17"The Hottest Kids in Town"UnknownUnknownJanuary 12, 1960 (1960-01-12)
18"Cypress Grade School"UnknownUnknownJanuary 26, 1960 (1960-01-26)
19"I Like It"UnknownUnknownFebruary 2, 1960 (1960-02-02)
20"Follow That Mink"UnknownUnknownFebruary 9, 1960 (1960-02-09)
21"How Many Scoops?"UnknownUnknownFebruary 16, 1960 (1960-02-16)
22"Author, Author"Don WeisJohn Fenton MurrayMarch 1, 1960 (1960-03-01)
23"Go Home Aunt Millie"UnknownUnknownMarch 8, 1960 (1960-03-08)
24"Enemy Father"UnknownUnknownMarch 15, 1960 (1960-03-15)
25"A Beau for Sarge"UnknownUnknownMarch 29, 1960 (1960-03-29)
26"The Regency Club"Don WeisJohn Fenton MurrayApril 5, 1960 (1960-04-05)
27"Dimples"Don WeisRobert Fisher & Alan LipscottApril 12, 1960 (1960-04-12)
28"Child Genius"Don WeisAlan Lipscott & Bob FisherApril 19, 1960 (1960-04-19)
29"Send This Boy to Camp"UnknownUnknownApril 26, 1960 (1960-04-26)
30"Marriage, Anyone?"UnknownUnknownMay 3, 1960 (1960-05-03)
31TBATBATBATBA
32"June Thursday"Don WeisSi Rose & Seaman JacobsMay 10, 1960 (1960-05-10)

Personnel

John Fenton Murray created the program, and Les Hafner was the producer. Abby Berlin, Jerry Hopkins, James V. Kern, and Don Weis were directors. Writers included Bob Fisher, Benedict Freedman, Robert Gottlieb, Seaman Jacobs, Joel Kane, Alan Lipscott, Jack Michael, Murray, and Si Rose.[1]

References
  1. Leszczak, Bob (2012). Single Season Sitcoms, 1948–1979: A Complete Guide. McFarland. p. 35. ISBN 9780786468126. Retrieved 2 June 2019.
  2. Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle F. (2009). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present. Random House Publishing Group. p. 345. ISBN 9780307483201. Retrieved 2 June 2019.


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