Pete and Gladys

This show is a real blast from the past. Not having seen this show since I was a little boy, I wondered if it would hold up to my memory of it. It did. Cara Williams was very funny playing a housewife not unlike Lucy Ricardo. Harry Morgan plays a sort-of Americanized version of Ricky in this. Why this series has been off the air for so many years remains a mystery to me. Cara Williams was a very talented actress who was not appreciated in her day.I would like to say to her "Thank you" for the wonderful performances she has given us, not only in television, but her film appearances as well. Pete and Gladys is a fun show that unfortunately has not been seen or heard of by the majority of today's television audience.

Here's a blast from the past. This was one of television's earliest spin-offs before spin-offs became a dynamic commodity of television. This show was spun-off from another memorable comedy, December Bride, reruns of which were broadcast in the late 1950's to early 1960's, during the winds of change in American society.

Two of the players, Helen Kleeb and Shirley Mitchell, went on to play The Baldwin Sisters on The Waltons.

Pete (Harry Morgan) was a regular on the long running "December Bride" TV series playing a henpecked husband. On this series, Gladys was only mentioned and never seen. She was portrayed as a nagging terror by her husband Pete.

When this series debuted in 1960, we met Gladys for the first time. The only problem: Gladys is a totally likeable charactor and does not come across as a nag. She is a normal '60's housewife. They live in a modest home.

The only other December Bride regular is the wonderful Verna Felton as Hilda Crocker. She often has the best lines in the show.

The thing I remember most about this show is that the character I loved so much from December Bride, Pete Porter (played hilariously by Harry Morgan), was not featured enough in the spin off. "Pete and Gladys" was almost all Gladys (played by a very funny Cara Williams.) Sadly, when Pete did appear, he wasn't the same wacky guy from December Bride. He seemed frustrated, serious, somewhat somber. It was disappointing since the point of the show was not only to reveal Gladys but to capitalize on Harry Morgan's wonderfully comic Pete. Not necessarily a bad situation comedy from the era but disappointing and a letdown to Pete fans.

"Pete & Gladys" was also seen on reruns on CBS-TV Daytime on Weekdays from October 1, 1962 to October 4, 1964. The Daily portion was joined with "The Real McCoys" that same day as well as "The Lucille Ball Show" and later "The Lucy Show" was debuted on prime time.