The Adventures of Spin and Marty

Every day when I got out of school, I would race home as fast as possible to get my homework done so that I could sit down watch The Mickey Mouse Club and the serial that ran every day: Spin and Marty.

I loved the show. It was about a summer camp for boys that was a ranch. They had horses and swimming and mysteries and Marty, my first real crush. I don't think I would ever want to see any episodes again. Like Nancy Drew books and Hostess Twinkies, some things belong to the magic of the past.

With only the fondest of memories do I recall the days of The Mickey Mouse Club. It was a quieter, gentler time which I dearly miss. And what better way to celebrate such a time than with the youthful innocence and vigor of young boys at a summer camp known as The Triple R. Before the DVD's came out I could only vaguely remember bits and pieces of this series. However, now that the DVD's came out last year I have once again been enraptured by the memories of such a wonderful time in my life.

In this modern, fast paced, tech-no life that has been thrust upon us all, it's comforting to know that the "Good Old Days" of youth and innocence have not been forgotten, thanks to The Spin and Marty DVD's.

I have more than 1,200 movies, television series, documentaries, etc. in my personal collection and Spin and Marty is on my top shelf because it is a Top Rated series. I only hope that they release the other two series that came about because of spin and Marty; The Further Adventures of Spin and Marty, and, The New Adventures of Spin and Marty. If and when they do, I will be amongst the first in line to buy them.

One of my favorite characters was "Al" played by Brand Stirling. Does anyone know what became of him or where he is nowadays? It was because of him and other characters that I learned how to ride a horse and to break them and teach them their gaits. Thanks guys! Thanks for the memories and let me know if the other two series come out. "Way out there at the Triple R...Yippie ya, yippee yo!"

This was one of the best products from the Disney studio back when I was a kid. I'm sure I was one of millions of kids who would love to have spent the summer at the Triple R ranch learning to be a cowboy. That was the life.

Spin and Marty were two kids from the opposite side of the tracks so to speak. Spin Evans (I don't recall his real first name) was a kid who saved his money from working just to go to the Triple R and get out of the big city. He'd been going there a few years when Marty arrived.

Marty Markham was a rich kid being raised by a grandmother and a butler, I kid you not. Grandma who was Verna Felton thought he was in serious danger of becoming spoiled and she was probably right. Still and all she sent him to the Triple R with her butler Perkins played by J. Pat O'Malley in a very funny role, borrowed liberally from Charles Laughton in Ruggles of Red Gap.

When Marty arrives at the Triple R, he proclaims to one and all that it's only a 'dirty old farm'. That of course doesn't near and endear him to the rest of the kids, especially Spin to whom it means so much to go. Still Tim Considine as Spin and David Stollery as Marty eventually arrived at something resembling a truce though the rivalry continued for the few seasons that Disney broadcast the episodes on his Mickey Mouse Club.

Lending a real western feel to the show were sagebrush regulars Harry Carey, Jr. as Bill Burnett the counselor at the camp and the owner of the Triple R, Mr. Logan played by Roy Barcroft.

Barcroft appeared in a dozens of B westerns mostly as a villain which I got to see later. But to me he was always the gruff, but kindly Mr. Logan who ran this wonderful place for boys.

Also in the cast was stuntman Lenny Geer who played ranch hand Ollie and really the first one on the Triple R to befriend Marty and see through his act.

Shows like this are a treasure from my childhood. How I wish I could have spent a summer on the Triple R.

I just recently purchased the DVD set and have watched the first DVD. Like all the others on this post, I, too, would race home to watch this show. Yeah a little corny by today's standards, I guess, but the innocence and clean cut type stories are refreshing.

My grandsons (4 & 5 1/2) sat and watched part of the DVD with me. I think it was hard to get them interested because it was in black and white....I kept telling them, "look at the horsies" -- and they thought it was a bit boring....a sign of the times, I guess. But, I will not give up!

I had a crush on Spin....he was a cutie. And then when "Annette" came into the picture, I was really glued to the TV set! I hope they bring that series to us on DVD....does anyone know if it is available?

Spin and Marty are better as very fond memories like Nancy Drew books and circus peanuts. I, too, ran home to watch the Mickey Mouse Club every afternoon and Spin and Marty were my favorites. Spin, was the first male I found "easy on the eyes". My cousin also had a crush on Marty, but when she discovered that Marty was a red-head, abandoned him. I think there may be a lot of women who discovered boys watching Spin and Marty. It was so much fun to follow the adventures of the two boys, a breed that the oldest daughter of three girls found to be from a different planet, but oh so interesting... But, like my opening line, it is better as a memory than as the real thing. Nancy Drew mysteries are not half as mysterious. Circus peanuts are sickeningly sweet. Spin and Marty shows are corny. But Spin is still a dream boat.