The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis

Generations will remember him as Gilligan, and that one-gag show did have some funny moments, but Bob Denver better deserves recognition for playing Maynard G. Krebs in this little gem of a series. Although the show never did precisely represent the Zeitgeist of the times it portrays, and, in this post-modern age of irony, more than a little of it seems dated, it really was memorably funny.

It's remarkable to realize that Dobie – the quintessential pre-hippie teenager – is working awfully hard to convince girls to do something that's really pretty innocent. This is a guy looking for love, first and foremost – in the form of affection and caring. It's not as if he were trying to talk the beautiful Thalia into bed, mind you. "Dobie," in the words of the show's theme song, "wants a girl to call his own. Is she short, is she tall, is she fat, is she small, is she any kind of dreamboat at all? No matter – he's hers and hers alone; 'cause Dobie has to have a girl to call his own." How sweetly corny! And chaste, too! Not a hint of sex!

A good cast helped this show succeed. Tuesday Weld was more than just a pretty face; she was a surprisingly good actress. The young Warren Beatty was good, too. Dwayne Hickman created Dobie as a likable cipher, and Frank Faylen and Florida Friebus (her real name, not a Max Schulman creation) were convincing and comical as the 1950s parents from hell. Perhaps Sheila James' take on Zelda as Miss Walking Encyclopedia was a little over-the-top, and that nose-wrinkling shtick got a little old, but it worked. The superb character actor William Schallart shone as the English teacher Mr. Pomfritt (recalling the European nomenclature for French fries, "pommes-frites"), who never got to lecture about his favorite poet, William Wordsworth, because the end-of class bell would ring.

And then there was Maynard.

Dobie: "Zelda, I don't think that will work." Maynard: "Work!?!" Dobie: "Maynard!" This oft-repeated exchange became something of a catch phrase in certain circles (mine included), as the beatnik Krebs made America realize that it's much more important to play the bongos in a coffee house than hold down a job of any sort. Without Maynard, there would have been no Fonzie, no Bob Dylan, no Allen Ginsburg, no Beatles – well, maybe that's an overstatement. But Bob Denver was the one of the first actors to show the TV audience that people can be hip and likable at the same time. And what a natural he was in the role.

Of course, none of these characters existed in real life. Real beatniks, like Jack Kerouac's Dean Moriarty, were far less likable and wholesome than Maynard. Tuesday Weld's troubled private life was much closer to a real-life situation than her portrayal of the gold-digging beautiful blonde. And nobody could be as non-libidinous as Dobie. These characters are of the same generation as the lusty characters portrayed in the movie "Animal House," after all. But this show was a fine, amusing and memorable little TV confection.

It's a grand shame that very few people these days remember this fine sitcom about teenage life in the early 60s. Dwayne Hickman is endearing as simple-minded Dobie Gillis, the typical American teenager, who just wants a girl. Bob Denver is brilliant as his buddy, Maynard Krebs. Who needs Gilligan? Sheila James is fantastic as Zelda...always chasing after Dobie. Frank Faylen and Florida Friebus as Dobie's parents are too-oft forgotten for their parts on this show...they couldn't have gotten a better pair of actors.

There was some really sharp, funny writing on this series, and that, mixed with the snappy editing, jazzy soundtrack and over-the-top situations, made for some very funny episodes. Plenty of hip, jazzy lingo to go around. Lovely Tuesday Weld was also around for a number of episodes during the first season (and a couple later on) as Dobie's object of affection, Thalia Menninger. It's too bad that they couldn't keep her on for more sporadic appearances, because it is the episodes that she appears in, which I consider to be the zenith of the series. The show started to get a little too silly during its last season, when the focus went towards Maynard and Dobie's cousin, Dunkie, but it was still unique.

Without question, one of the high points of 1960s TV, and one of the most winning sitcoms of all time. It's a shame that it hasn't gotten the same kind of exposure in recent years as some of the other shows of the time. Hopefully it gets picked up and restored for a full DVD release sometime soon. It's just waiting to be rediscovered.

Dobie Gillis may not be groundbreaking, but it is a well-crafted comic gem of a TV series. Direction is crisp, acting is excellent and the comic characters are perfection: Maynard, the clueless but lovable loser (who has been widely copied but never surpassed), Thalia, the sexy, cute gold-digger, who is smarter than anyone expects, Milton, the insufferable preppie, Zelda, the nerd, etc. And here sits Dobie--ridiculously average, being tossed between them all like a beachball, and trying to make sense of it all. Character actors Wm. Schallert and Frank Faylen shine; Beatty gives an eerily prescient glimpse into his future roles; and Dobie is the personification of the likeable schlemiel.

Enchanting!

Now all you Wodehouse fans don't have a cow...

Dobie is not a copy of Bertie. Bertie comes from money, Dobie's parent run a Mom-an-Pop grocery store. Bertie has a continental charm, Dobie has a corn-fed earnestness. Bertie spends all of his time running from women, Dobie spends all of his time chasing girls. Bertie has Jeeves, Dobie has Maynard G. Krebs, and I think that says it all.

Though I enjoyed the series when I saw it as a kid (first run), I didn't really get much of the sweet heartache of the show until I was in high school and trying to catch the attention of my own Thalia.

Thing that I loved: Episodes opening with Rodin's "The Thinker" and Dobie trying to think his way out of his current situation...Dobie addressing the camera...Maynard's reaction to the word, "Work!"

Let me encourage anyone who can to get the short story collection by Max Schulman. It is a complete delight and gave me a real appreciation for how well the TV show adapted the tone and snap of the book.

Shulman also wrote "Rally Round the Flag, Boys" and "The Tender Trap" both made into enjoyable movies.

Based on the creation of Max Shulman's characters,some of the episodes of the television series and some of the scripts for the show were adapted from a 1951 collection of short stories of the same name that were written by Max Shulman that also inspired the 1953 theatrical motion picture, "The Affairs of Dobie Gillis",that starred Debbie Reynolds,Bob Fosse and introducing newcomer Bobby Van in the title role as Dobie Gillis. A follow up novel based on Max Shulman's characters appeared in "I Was A Teen-Age Dwarf" that was published in 1959,the same year the television series,"The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis" made its premiere on CBS.

"The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis",was brought to television on September 28, 1959 and was produced by Martin Manulis,who served as executive producer of the series along with producer Rod Amateau,under Manulis' production company,Martin Manulis Productions in association with 20th Century-Fox Television for CBS. And speaking of situation comedies,"The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis",during its premiere in 1959,was 20th Century-Fox's first foray into the half-hour situation comedy genre that was also produced by Martin Manulis,who also brought to television and for the studio its first foray into the action-adventure genre for ABC with "Adventures in Paradise" that premiered the same year and was responsible for bringing to the studio the first foray into espionage thrillers for NBC with "Five Fingers" that also premiered that same year.

"Dobie Gillis" stars Dwayne Hickman as the endearing simple minded teenager,who has the aspiration to have popularity,money,and the attention of beautiful and unattainable girls. He didn't have any of these qualities in attendance,but the tiny crisis surrounding Dobie's lack of success made the story,along with the hilarious hijinks in just about every episode. His partner in crime was television's first beatnik,Maynard G. Krebs(Bob Denver)who also tagged along with Dobie for just about anything. His affection for the girl he really wanted was the rich and spoiled Thalia,played by Tuesday Weld. Hilarious hijinks ensues each week with Dobie trying to win the affections of Thalia and every girl he tried to get with Maynard tagging along for laughs. Dobie's rivals for affection were the rich playboys Milton Armitage(Warren Beatty),and Chatsworth Osborne,Jr.(Steve Frankel),not to mention the super-intelligent Zelda Gilroy(Sheila James),who was also chasing after Dobie,and who knows Dobie is meant for herself one day.

"Dobie Gillis" had some really sharp writing that was just downright hilarious,mixed in it with some snappy editing and the jazz soundtrack and not to mention over-the-top situations in just about every episode with Dobie and Maynard getting into one predicament after another. Bob Denver was the coolest buddy ever as Maynard(who needs Gilligan?),while Frank Faylen and Florida Friebus as Dobie's parents were there for support. This was the series that launched not only Tuesday Weld and Warren Beatty,but Steven Frankel into Hollywood stardom because of this series,and later on Michael J. Pollard. It made have been hilarious and extremely funny,this was the one of the high points of great 1960's TV,and one of the most endearing winningest sitcoms of all time. Of the four seasons that it ran on CBS from September 28,1959 until September 18,1963,this was classic black and white TV. A total of 147 episodes were produced. "Dobie Gillis" was top notch comedy that was ahead of its time. A classic from the golden age of late 1950's-early 1960's TV.