December Bride

Next to I Love Lucy, December Bride was Desilu's most successful series in the 1950s. Running on Monday nights, following Lucy, it couldn't miss in the ratings. Spring Byington brought a sweet, lovable quality to Lily Ruskin, an older woman from Philadelphia who came to live with her daughter Ruth and son-in-law Matt. Far from being the stereotypical mother-in-law, Lily was an attractive older woman who would be a logical marriage choice for some handsome widower. Hence the title. After the first few shows, Lily was given a side-kick in the person of Hilda Crocker, memorably played by Verna Felton. The next-door neighbor was played by Harry Morgan as Pete Porter. The character of Pete was so popular that he was spun off with his heretofore unseen wife Gladys in Pete And Gladys after December Bride ended. I was surprised to learn that Pete And Gladys was not filmed at Desilu, but at Paramount (before Desilu merged with them). December Bride is not shown these days, but it was a quality sitcom with all the ingredients of a hit. The films languish in a vault, but perhaps someday it and Pete And Gladys will resurface for a new generation of viewers to discover.

December Bride was a series out to prove that senior citizens despite age and experience can be as wacky as the rest of the population. I'm not sure how Dean Miller put up with his mother-in-law Spring Byington all those years.

Dean was married to the lovely Frances Rafferty and apparently taking in mom was part of the package. Spring was a lovely charming lady as she always was. She didn't seek out problems quite in the way Lucy Ricardo did, but trouble always kept finding her along with her best friend Verna Felton.

If these two seemed always to be getting into trouble the way Lucy and Ethel did, no one should be surprised since Desilu produced the show. One of the other gags was next door neighbor Harry Morgan constantly complaining about his wife Gladys. Somewhat along the lines of the way Phyllis Diller used to refer to her husband Fang in her monologues.

I do remember one episode did involve a costume party and Morgan called into the next room telling Gladys to get out here, they were leaving. There was a pregnant pause that at last we would finally see the legendary Gladys. She came out, in a gorilla suit.

Morgan got a spin off series of his own with Cara Williams as Gladys. But it only lasted a season. Never understood why, it was pretty funny.

If the TVLand channel can run I Love Lucy to death, maybe they can find these December Bride episodes for the old folks of which I'm now one.

This weekend I watched an episode from 1956 that was uploaded on YouTube. I found it to be very funny. I've always been a Spring Byington fan. I like her positive attitude, it's sorta contagious!

There are a few reviews here on the IMDb with users likening Spring's rapport with costar Verna Felton to a Lucy-Ethel kind of thing. One person has even gone so far as to say December Bride is I Love Lucy senior citizen style.

At the risk of appearing overly analytical, it seems like creator-writer Parke Levy's goal was to demonstrate that not all mothers-in-law are unbearable. Also, the Lily Ruskin character is meant to shatter stereotypes not only about the mother-in-law image, but about views of older folks proving they can still lead active lives.

I have written a biography of December BRIDE actress Verna Felton for Bear Manor Media, which should be available for purchase in 2010. It contains a comprehensive episode guide for December BRIDE, complete with filming dates, episode synopses, and complete guest casts. Information it took years to compile and is available nowhere else! This show is largely forgotten today, but it boasted the fine talents of an ensemble cast, with formats similar to I LOVE LUCY. Spring Byington and Verna Felton could be considered senior citizen versions of Lucy and Ethel, in fact. Season Two is perhaps the best, with Season Three running a close second. The show ran out of steam by the fifth season, however, episodes near the end of this final season are superior to the first half. Fredrick Tucker frex59@bellsouth.net

Hilarious comedy where Spring Byington played a doting parent (Lili Ruskin) living with her married daughter and son-in-law. Along the way, she makes friends with Hilda Crocker, memorably portrayed by Verna Felton. Miss Felton was so adept at comedy; yet, I remember her for her magnificent performance as the neighbor in the 1955 film classic "Picnic," based on the William Inge play.

Both Hilda and Lili cook up ideal schemes in the way of Ethel Mertz and Lucy Ricardo.

Remember the fabulous opening music? It just told you what you'd be in for the next half hour.

Harry Morgan was truly great as a wacky next door neighbor who chronically complained about Gladys, his long suffering wife. When December Bride went off the air, "Pete and Gladys" went on with Morgan and Cara Williams in the lead roles. Those were certainly the days of spin-offs at their best.