Ok, was there anything to dislike in this episode? Besides the improbability that a guest's life-threatening allergy wouldn't be communicated to the cook? Not much. I'd practically have to retype the whole script to share all the good lines.
"It has a Starbucks." - Jordan explaining why Dandelion State Park isn't so wild.
"Yeah. I hear they run around without pants." - Ben on the wild squirrels to be found in Dandelion State Park. Perfect delivery from both actors. Incidentally, Jordan's "nerd loops" and "cool straps" had me in stitches in a previous show. Very good timing. Does Austin Butler remind anyone else of Leif Garrett, looks-wise?
Could Shirley Jones have been any better?
"My friends call me Shirley."
"Your school must be under a mushroom. Mushroom. MushROOM. MUSHROOOOM."
"I would never hurt myself. I'm my favorite person."
And David Cassidy's character is getting to be likable. David Gallagher thinks of himself first (as he should, being such a "superstar" and all :)), but he also thought of other people's feelings in this episode. A welcome change. He reminded me of Ted Baxter from "The Mary Tyler Moore Show". Was DC channeling his father for whom the character of Ted Baxter was created?
Patrick Cassidy shined once again: "I doubt it. She's as healthy as horse." "Every mouthful is like a hug." There's now chemistry between Katie Amanda Keane and Patrick Cassidy and Audie had a warmer presence in this episode.
Ruby's awkwardness was real and I must tip my hat to the writers: trust issues with Rachael Ray? Who would have thought? Question for the writers: is the ability to incorporate unexpected words such as defiled and dilation in a family show script a resume must-have these days or just a scriptwriters' in-joke?
Of course, the whole plot wraps up neatly with a "hug-makes-everything-better" at the end. So what. It's a sitcom and hugs do make a lot of things better, especially in a family. It would have been nice if DC had sung the "C'mon get happy" line instead of just blurting it out as he did at the end. It kind of fell flat this way (no pun intended). That's my only quibble with the second-to-last-ever Ruby.
I watched the episode a second time with a non-DC fan (to be clear: not a DC hater, just not a fan). His opinion? The show was amateurish with stilted acting and a very annoying laugh track. It never would have been produced had it not been for the Cassidy name, according to him. I really don't think it's that bad (there is so much worse) and it's not because I have a blind spot when it comes to David Cassidy because I certainly don't.
And your take is? Did this episode make you go, "Yes! They're hitting their stride." or "Bah, more of the same. Whatever."?
Sunday, September 20, 2009
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9 comments:
hi, do know that Ted Baxter from Mary Tyler Moore was originally written for Jack Cassidy?
I need to watch the ep again. I agree that the jokes and the acting and the timing are good. Didn't like Shirley Jones's character at all, though. I know she was supposed to be playing completely against type, but to me she just came off as mean, and not in a funny way.
No funny songs or dance routines in this ep, either, and those are my favorites...
oh, never mind, you do know. The David Gallagher and Ted Baxter characters are kind of similar, now that you mention it.
Jack Cassidy did not want the role of Ted Baxter. Ted Baxter was based on a role that Jack played on the "HE AND SHE' show called Oliver North. IF you go to YOUTUBE you will see it. Jack's rolls were egotistical but the were never dim witted.
I much prefer and remember Jack in his villian roles.
I could clearly see why Jack didn't want Ted Baxter. Ted Knight didn't want the role after a while and was trying to get out of his contract.
Yes, Ted Baxter was initially written as pretty dim-witted. They focused a bit less on that in later seasons, I think - guess from Knight's input (or pressure). Can you give me examples of Jack Cassidy's villain role? I'm not familiar with his work. I saw a couple of clips on YT of him in the He & She series (which looked like a very good show!) but nothing else.
Jack did Columbo episodes in the 1970's that were very popular. He was in a Clint Eastwood movie called ' The Eiger Sanction".
In fact, part of Jack's nervous breakdown toward the end of his life had to do with over work.
He was doing a nightclub act with Shirley and doing the Clint Eastwood movie at the same time.
Jack did 'The Andersonville Trial' in 1971 in which he won an Emmy nomination.
I could print out Jack's resume and you could see that Jack was busy when the Partridge Family was on.
Jack actually longed for more dramatic roles in movies. Not the Partridge Family or MTM's Ted Baxter.
I fact, if you see Shirley's comments in www.astarforjack.org,
Shirley said this in response to a question.
What do you think Jack Cassidy would have accomplished if he were still with us today?
He would have reached the movie stardom that he longed for. I also think he would have enjoyed his grandchildren perhaps more than his own children.
If you go to the cmongethappy website under 'PEOPLE and PLACE', Shirley said this in response to
Jack and David.
No, it had nothing to do with jealousy. It had to do with the fact that he thought David was selling out. He called him a monkey in a cage. He lost respect for what David was doing. David started on Broadway and Jack respected his talent. He wanted him to be an actor. He thought by doing what David was doing, that he would end up exactly as he ended up. He had to start all over again.
Shirley also said this in response to why her and Jack were not together at the end of Jack's life.
Jack had a breakdown. A real mental breakdown. He was manic depressive. But he was the one that wanted the divorce. He thought it was better for me and the kids. I never did. I would have hung in there. I felt in many ways he was acting strangely and doing strange things and he felt perhaps it was better for all of us.
I looked at Comments that Katie's mom made in that article. A lot of stuff that David puts in those stories of his life and book are a combination of some truth, lies and facts that are stretch.
I consider this to be disrespectful for David doing his role on 'Ruby', like that and having people thinking that it is a tribute to his late father. I think its is one of the resons the show got cancelled
Jack did not want the role.
Here are some links to Jack's work.
The Eiger Sanction Trailer.
http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi915144985/
Bonanza-1971
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7wgc5ydJEQ
This is the MTM charater as Ted brother showing Jack being competitive and not as dim-witted as Ted.
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=31545174
HEre is part of 'The Amdersonville Trial'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=selGcgt-Mrg
HEre is a clip from Columbo.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CywUV-vG1fw
Let me know if you need anything else.
Thank you for this information and these links, cao. Much appreciated. I look forward to discovering more about Jack Cassidy and his work. Unfortunately, that Hulu clip of the MTM show doesn't work in my region. I was really looking forward to seeing that one because MTM was one of my favorites as a kid. I tear up when I hear the theme song.
Sorry about the HULU clip.A lot of jack's work is on HULU.
http://www.hulu.com/watch/15906/the-mary-tyler-moore-show-cover-boy
Let me know again if this doesn't work because a lot of Jack's work is on HULU.
The only place I found where you
could get good info is on www.findadeath.com on the message board.
http://www.findadeath.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1999
The directory part if full of errors.
Yes, Jack was working up until the end of his life.
Jack had a problem with manic depression in an era where these things were not discussed. Now we hear about the stars and their breakdown.
By the way. DC has been seeing a Psychologist since he was a teenager. I think he suffers from clinical depression.
David was in the Betty Ford Center last year for Alcoholism.
I am glad that your blog contain items that are valid criticisms.
I found out the both Shirley and Jack were involved with helping Shaun and his career with the Hardy Boys. They were both concerned about Shuan having the same problems as David.
I also read on some sites about Jack being jealous of Shaun. JAck died one month before the Hardy Boys and he never got to see Shuan perform.
HEre is a PEOPLE magazine link.
This is what Shaun has to say in a People magazine article after Jack died.
http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20070843,00.html
His father, actor Jack Cassidy, "could really blow people away who didn't know him. But he was straight with me." His father's accidental death in an apartment fire in December 1976 left his young son shaken. "The biggest disappointment in my life was that my father never got to hear me perform. I think he would have been proud of what I've accomplished, but he would think the way I try to handle things is even more important."
This is from last year when both Patrick and Shirley were doing a Rodgers and Hammersein tribute show.
Jones and Cassidy come to the Pikes Peak Center in Colorado Springs on Saturday and Sept. 7 to perform "My Favorite Things: A Tribute to Rodgers and Hammerstein," to headline the fifth Colorado Festival of World Theatre.
For Jones, it will be a trip down memory lane.
She starred in the film version of "Carousel." The Broadway musical "Me and Juliet." Countless R&H tours.
"It was an interwoven part of my life," says Jones, who is particularly grateful for the European tour of "Oklahoma," in which she starred opposite Jack Cassidy as Curly.
"That's where I met my knight in shining armor, my prince on a white horse, Mr. Cassidy," she says,
Patrick, her son, interjects,
"Thank you, Mom."
IF you want to hear the podcast, here it is.
Click the arrow under the date and 'the Denver Post'
http://podcasts.denverpost.com/index...channel&p=2009
LEt me know if you need anything
Thank you for all this info, cao. Haven't had time to check it out yet but I intend to.
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