THE RECENT PASSING of Anne B. Davis has put us to mind of those sitcoms of a now bygone era; a time when you could get into trouble for just saying words like pregnant, hell, damn or water-closet on the air. My, how things have changed!
MOST ALL OF the attention concerning the death of Miss Davis, at 88 years of age, pertained to her portrayal as the droll housekeeper, Alice on THE BRADY BUNCH. Well, we "Boomers" seem to recall her equally humorous characterization of Glamor Photographer Bob Collins' (Bob Cummings) wise cracking secretary/receptionist, "Schultzie" on THE BOB CUMMINGS SHOW (1955-59).
THE SHOW'S HIGHLY successful run on NBC owed the longevity to Anne's on screen wisecracking, loyalty and acting as 'mother hen' to her boss. We aren't alone in this evaluation; for Miss Davis claimed two Emmys for her thespianic acumen.
AS FOR THE show, THE BOB CUMMINGS SHOW was the story of a former World War II Army Air Corps Pilot; who now operated a glamour photographic studio. This, of course, meant that there would be a plethora of 'gorgeous' models being constantly moved trough each episode.
ON THE OTHER side of what can only be described as a dichotomy of fundamentals, we have Bob the family man. As the male protector of his widowed sister, Margaret MacDonald (Rosemary De Camp)and her teen-aged son, Chuck (Dwayne Hickman). Bob played big brother to the extreme; even in constantly warning Margaret that his old Air Force buddy, bachelor Paul Fonda (Lyle Talbot) was a 'Wolf!'
IN BOLD CONTRAST we see Bob's behavior at the office; which usually wound up as make-out sessions between photographer and model. Quite often, as a concession to the latent voyeurism that lurks mildly in all, Schultzie would often sneak peek in on the photographic shoot.
THIS LAST POINT brings us to one final conclusion about what the series was all about. It was a socially acceptable way of bringing a 1950's audience the commodity that always sells so well, namely S-E-X!
MOST ALL OF the attention concerning the death of Miss Davis, at 88 years of age, pertained to her portrayal as the droll housekeeper, Alice on THE BRADY BUNCH. Well, we "Boomers" seem to recall her equally humorous characterization of Glamor Photographer Bob Collins' (Bob Cummings) wise cracking secretary/receptionist, "Schultzie" on THE BOB CUMMINGS SHOW (1955-59).
THE SHOW'S HIGHLY successful run on NBC owed the longevity to Anne's on screen wisecracking, loyalty and acting as 'mother hen' to her boss. We aren't alone in this evaluation; for Miss Davis claimed two Emmys for her thespianic acumen.
AS FOR THE show, THE BOB CUMMINGS SHOW was the story of a former World War II Army Air Corps Pilot; who now operated a glamour photographic studio. This, of course, meant that there would be a plethora of 'gorgeous' models being constantly moved trough each episode.
ON THE OTHER side of what can only be described as a dichotomy of fundamentals, we have Bob the family man. As the male protector of his widowed sister, Margaret MacDonald (Rosemary De Camp)and her teen-aged son, Chuck (Dwayne Hickman). Bob played big brother to the extreme; even in constantly warning Margaret that his old Air Force buddy, bachelor Paul Fonda (Lyle Talbot) was a 'Wolf!'
IN BOLD CONTRAST we see Bob's behavior at the office; which usually wound up as make-out sessions between photographer and model. Quite often, as a concession to the latent voyeurism that lurks mildly in all, Schultzie would often sneak peek in on the photographic shoot.
THIS LAST POINT brings us to one final conclusion about what the series was all about. It was a socially acceptable way of bringing a 1950's audience the commodity that always sells so well, namely S-E-X!