Conversations with Legendary Television Stars

Interviews from the First Fifty Years

James Bawden, Ron Miller

• Publisher: The University Press of Kentucky
• Year: 2019
• Print ISBN: 9780813177649
• eBook ISBN: 9780813177656
• Topic: Media & Performing Arts
• Subtopic: Television History & Criticism

"Insightful, often humorous, and always fascinating remembrances by some of the greatest names in entertainment history . . . a vibrant portrait of a bygone era." —Brent Phillips, author of Charles Walters: The Director Who Made Hollywood Dance
During television's first fifty years—long before Hulu, Netflix, and the like—families would gather around their sets nightly to watch such shows as I Love Lucy, Gunsmoke, M*A*S*H, The Beverly Hillbillies, Fantasy Island, and The Rockford Files.
Seasoned journalists James Bawden and Ron Miller have captured provocative and entertaining interviews with beloved stars of shows like these, important figures from TV's first half century. These thirty-nine interviews, selected from conversations conducted from 1971-1998, present a fascinating glimpse of some of television's most influential performers. Featured are exclusive interviews with major stars (including Donna Reed, James Garner, and Ricardo Montalban), icons of comedy (including Lucille Ball, George Burns, and Milton Berle), TV hosts (including Dick Clark and Ed Sullivan), and notable musical entertainers (such as Glen Campbell, Mary Martin, and Lawrence Welk). Each chapter explores the subject's television work—with detailed behind-the-scenes disclosures—and includes additional information about the subject's performances in film and on stage.

Index

The index that appeared in the print version of this title was intentionally removed from the eBook. Please use the search function on your eReading device to search for terms of interest. For your reference, the terms that appear in the print index are listed below.

Accused, The

Adams, Julia

Adam-12

Affairs of Annabel, The

After M*A*S*H

Alamo: Thirteen Days to Glory, The

Albert, Eddie: on Robert Aldrich; his death; on Green Acres; interview with; with wife Margo; on Ronald Reagan; on Roman Holiday; on Switch; on Robert Wagner

Alda, Alan

Aldrich, Robert

Allen, Gracie

Allen, Rex

All in the Family

All My Sons (stage)

Allyson, June

Always Leave Them Laughing

Alyn, Kirk

Amanda’s

American Bandstand

American Dream, An

American Dreams

Americanization of Emily, The

Amos ’n’ Andy

Anatomy of a Murder

Andes, Keith

And Here’s the Show

… And Justice for All

And One Was Beautiful

Andrews, Dana

Andrews, Julie

Annabel Takes a Tour

Annette

Ann Sothern Show, The

Any Number Can Play

Arch of Triumph (1948)

Arden, Eve: on Anatomy of a Murder; her death; on Marlene Dietrich; with Gale Gordon; on Grease and Grease 2; on Rita Hayworth; interview with; on Mildred Pierce; on Our Miss Brooks; portrait; on Stage Door; on Lana Turner

Arnaz, Desi

Arness, James: with Ward Bond and John Wayne; his death; on John Ford; interview with; on Milburn Stone; portrait; on John Wayne

Arthur, Bea: on Sid Caesar; her death; on The Golden Girls and Susan Harris; interview with; on Mame; portrait

Arthur, Jean

Arzner, Dorothy

Astaire, Fred

A-Team, The

Atom Man vs. Superman

Attack

At the Circus

Autry, Gene

Autumn Leaves

Avalon, Frankie

Babes in Toyland (1961)

Baby Snooks Show, The

Bacall, Lauren

Bachelor Father

Back to the Beach

Badge 714

Ball, Lucille; with Desi Arnaz; her death; on director Henry Hathaway; on Katharine Hepburn and Ginger Rogers; on I Love Lucy; interview with; on developing her “Lucy” character; as Lucy Ricardo; on Mame; on playing sultry roles; on Vivian Vance; in Ziegfeld Follies,

Ballard, Kaye

Band of Angels

Barbera, Joseph

Bare, Dick

Barefoot Mailman, The

Barnaby Jones

Battleground

Battlestar Galactica

Beach Boys, the

Beach Party

Begley, Ed

Benadaret, Bea

Bennett, Joan

Benny, Jack

Bergen, Edgar

Berle, Milton; an appreciation; his death; portrait

Best, Pete

Best Foot Forward

Best Place to Be, The

Betz, Carl

Beverly Hillbillies, The

Beyond Glory

Bickersons, The

Big Broadcast, The

Big Broadcast of 1936, The

Big Broadcast of 1938, The

Big City (1948)

Big Clock, The

Big Jim McLain

Big Street, The

Birth of...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Contents
• Introduction: How Television Created Its Legendary Stars
• Eddie Albert
• Eve Arden
• James Arness
• Bea Arthur
• Lucille Ball
• Milton Berle
• Mel Blanc
• George Burns
• Raymond Burr
• Glen Campbell
• Macdonald Carey
• Dick Clark
• Mike Connors
• William Conrad
• Robert Cummings
• Susan Douglas
• Buddy Ebsen
• John Forsythe
• Annette Funicello
• James Garner
• Peter Graves
• Lorne Greene
• Julie Harris
• Art Linkletter
• Mary Martin
• Ricardo Montalban
• Harry Morgan
• Noel Neill
• Donna Reed
• Ann Sothern
• Robert Stack
• Ed Sullivan
• Danny Thomas
• Vivian Vance
• Robert Vaughn
• Jack Webb
• Lawrence Welk
• Jonathan Winters
• Efrem Zimbalist Jr.
• Acknowledgments
• About the Authors
• Index