Charles Barton Movies
Charles T. Barton spent his first two decades as an actor in stock, vaudeville and movies. He learned the production end of the business under the exacting guidance of director James Cruze, finally graduating to director himself with the 1934 "Zane Grey" feature Wagon Wheels. Barton became indispensable to the various "B" units operating in Hollywood, guiding several inexpensive, tight-scheduled productions with breezy efficiency. He also proved a superb comedy director, bringing the best out of such performers as Joe E. Brown, Jackie Gleason and Lupe Velez. From 1946 on, Barton was a principal director of the Abbott and Costello comedies, establishing an excellent working relationship with Lou Costello -- who, like Barton, was short in stature but long on volatility. Barton entered television in the early 1950s, helming several episodes of the classic sitcom Amos N Andy. Barton's last theatrical features included a pair of delightful Disney films, The Shaggy Dog (1959) and Toby Tyler (1960). Charles Barton was married to actress/singer Julie Gibson. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1967
Martha Hyer is appropriately cast as glamorous Hollywood movie star Carol Haven, who sweeps into the lives of Bill Davis (Brian Keith) and his family. Falling in love with Bill, Carol insists that she is willing to give up her career in order to assume the new roles of wife and mother. Bill of course is delighted--but it soon becomes obvious that Carol's heart is still firmly entrenched in the Hollywood Hills. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
Joan Blondell guests as Laura London, a Mermanesque Broadway musical star who moves into the apartment one floor above Bill's. Both Buffy (Anissa Jones) and Cissy (Kathy Garver) are fascinated by Laura's flamboyant celebrity lifestyle, and before long the girls are dreaming of their own showbiz careers (You haven't lived until you've heard the combined singing efforts of the Misses Jones and Garver!). Unfortunately, these dreams begin to interfere with their schoolwork, prompting Bill (Brian Keith) to brings the girls back to earth. Featured in the cast as Laura London's maid is Ernestine Wade, the former "Sapphire" of Amos 'N' Andy fame. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
Buffy (Anissa Jones) wants to join a club made up of neighborhood youngsters that have an aversion to "fancy" kids. To help Buffy along, Bill (Brian Keith) allows her to dress in ratty old clothes, and--much to the dismay of Mr. French (Sebastian Cabot)--also dons "hobo" duds himself. This gets Bill in dutch with blue-collar worker Tim Callahan, the father of two of the club members, who is offended because he thinks the Davises are making fun of poor folks. Cast as Mr. and Mrs. Callahan are two former child stars,Jackie Coogan (fresh from his "Uncle Fester" duties on The Addams Family) and Marcia Mae Jones. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
The plot of this episode is feuled by the sibling rivalry between twins Buffy (Anissa Jones) and Jody (Johnnie Whitaker). When Cissy (Kathy Garver) accuses Bill (Brian Keith) of favoring Jody, Bill vows to be more equitable, spending extra-special time with Buffy (including preparing her for a ballet audition). As a result, both Cissy and Jody seethe with jealousy! Featured in the cast is Gregg Fedderson, son of series producer Don Fedderson and later a semi-regular in the role of Cissy's boyfriend Greg Bartlett. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
Bill (Brian Keith) inadvertently lives his life vicariously through his nephew Jody (Johnnie Whitaker) when the boy decides to join the neighborhood stickball team. Determined that Jody become a second baseman--a position to which he himself had unsuccessfully aspired when he was a boy--Bill tirelessly trains the youngster for his team tryout. Ultimately, however, it is Jody's sister Buffy (Anissa Jones) who proves to be the better ballplayer...a fact that seems to bother Bill more than it does Jody! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
This episode finds both Bill (Brian Keith) and Buffy (Anissa Jones) suffering from the pangs of unrequited love. Bill is in ardent pursuit of attractive geologist Lisa Lowell (Lee Meriwether), a widow from his home town, but she remains oddly impervious to his charms. And at the same time, second-grader Buffy pines over classmate Andy (Joel Davison), who is in the sixth grade and thus an "older man" beyond her reach! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
Season Two of Family Affair begins as seven-year-old twins Buffy (Anissa Jones) and Jody (Johnnie Whitaker) ask their Uncle Bill the Inevitable Question: "Where do babies come from?" Worried that the real facts of life may be inappropriate for the twins, both Bill and Mr. French come up with fanciful answers--and subsequent contradictory responses to the question from the kids' classmates and teachers, to say nothing of Miss Faversham (Heather Angel) and her "cabbage leaf" yarn, needlessly make a confusing situation even more so. The only person keeping calm throughout the crisis is Cissy (Kathy Garver), who comes up with the "perfect" answer. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
Like many another seven-year-old, Jody (Johnnie Whitaker) has invented an invisible friend--in his case, a giant bear named Arthur. When Jody starts getting in trouble at school and blaming "Arthur" for his mischief, Uncle Bill (Brian Keith) consults child psychologist Dr. Dorothy Cramer (Adrienne Marden) for advice. Theorizing that Jody is using Arthur to release his pent-up anger, Dr. Cramer suggest that Bill pretend to "accept" the nonexistent bear into the Davis household--which turns out to be a major error in judgement! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
Mr. French (Sebastian Cabot) is approached with a job offer by his former employer, the Duke of Glenmore. Upon discovering that his former sweetheart Lorna Frasier (Anna Lee) is working as a nanny in the Duke's household, Mr. French is most interested in the offer, but is also reluctant to leave the service of Bill Davis (Brian Keith). Thinking only of Mr. French's future happiness, Bill and the kids employ the time-honored sitcom subterfuge of making it appear that French is no longer needed. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
Bobbie Jo (Lori Saunders) writes a poem which ends up winning a prestigious magazine award. Naturally, Kate (Bea Benaderet) is both pleased and proud of her daughter--or at least she was pleased and proud before Bobbie began hanging around a bunch of hip-talking beatniks. (By 1967 the "beat movement" had passed and hippies were in vogue, but try telling that to the Petticoat Junction producers!) This episode was originally scheduled for March 21, 1967. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
Having shown up in a variety of roles in earlier episodes, Jimmy Hawkins appears in this one as Jeff, an old Air Force buddy of Steve Elliott (Mike Minor). Though he welcomes Jeff's arrival, Steve worries about his pal's reputation as a flagrant womanizer. Turns out Steve's got plenty to worry about when Jeff starts making advances towards the three Bradley girls--and especially Steve's sweetie Billie Jo (Meredith MacRae). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
Bandleader-composer-comedian Frank DeVol appears in this episode as Dr. Newton, a man gifted with Extra-Sensory Perception. When Newton shows up at the Shady Rest and evinces an ability to read minds and forecast the future, the locals jump to what they regard as the obvious conclusion: The Doctor is actually an alien from outer space! This episode was originally scheduled for April 4, 1967. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
Billie Jo (Meredith MacRae) goes out of town, leaving Steve (Mike Minor). Unfortunately, she has also left Steve at the mercy of her predatory younger sisters Bobbie Jo (Lori Saunders) and Betty Jo (Linda Kaye), both of whom hope to snag the handsome cropduster for themselves. This is the last episode to feature Smiley Burnette as Charlie; the actor died one week after filming wrapped, on February 16, 1967. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
Kate's cousin Mae Belle (Shirley Mitchell) hopes to set up a health spa with financing from a wealthy man named Bedford. To this end, Mae Belle brings Bedford's chubby daughter Agnes (Lorraine Bendix) to the Shady Rest and puts the girl on a strict weight-reduction regimen. Unfortunately, by the time the fat hits the fan, it is up to Kate (Bea Benadaret)--and Kate alone--to whip poor Agnes into shape. This is the final episode of Petticoat Junction's fourth season. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
Uncle Joe (Edgar Buchanan) teams up with Sam Drucker (Frank Cady) to promote a fishing derby that will bring in fresh business to the Shady Rest. Although he has purchased several expensive prizes for the lucky winners, Joe makes certain that the rules of the contest are so difficult that he'll be able to resell the items at a profit. Alas, his scheme goes awry when several champion fishermen show up for the big event. This episode was originally scheduled for March 7, 1967. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
Veteran radio actress Shirley Mitchell makes her first appearance as Mae Belle Jennings, the Southern-fried cousin of Kate Bradley (Bea Benadaret). Turning on her mint-julep charm, Mae Belle quickly wraps bachelors Sam (Frank Cady), Charlie (Smiley Burnette and Floyd (Rufe Davis) around her little finger--while Kate fumes and plans a counterattack! Although Smiley Burnette had made his final Petticoat Junction appearance as Charlie in "The Eternal Rectangle" (he died on February 16, 1967), this was the last telecast episode in which he was seen; originally scheduled to air on March 28, 1967, "Kate's Cousin Mae" ended up being shown out of sequence on April 25 of that year. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
There's been a slight increase in the population of Hooterville Valley, requiring the services of a new county supervisor. Sam Drucker (Frank Cady) assumes that he's a shoe-in for the post, but when election time rolls around, he is faced with a formidable opponent: namely, Kate Bradley (Bea Benaderet. The hotly contested election ends up dividing the electorate along gender lines, with the boys declaring war against the girls, and vice versa! Watch for cult-film favorite Jackie Joseph (Little Shop of Horrors, Gremlins) in a supporting role. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
It's time again for the annual Hooterville Turnabout Dance, in which the girls invite the boys to the festivities (the series' producers probably would have it called it the "Sadie Hawkins Dance" had they gotten permission). Entering full-steam into the spirit of things, the Bradley sisters invite each others' boyfriends to the dance. Then, through a series of jealous misunderstandings, the girls end up swapping dates--over and over--leading to the usual chaos and confusion. This episode was originally slated to air on January 10, 1967. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
Billie Jo (Meredith MacRae) fumes when Steve's old pilot friend Max turns out to be a girl (Jackie Russell)--and a very sexy girl at that. Even worse, Steve (Mike Minor) makes an announcement to everyone, Billie included, which seems to indicate that he intends to marry Max. This episode was originally scheduled to air on February 2, 1967. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
Tomboy Betty Jo (Linda Kaye) suddenly decides that she's interested in boys. The "boy" of her dreams turns out to be Steve Elliott (Mike Minor]), the current beau of her older sister Billie Jo (Meredith MacRae). In a jealous pique, Billie formulates a plan to keep Betty and Steve apart--but as every good Petticoat Junction fan already knows, things have a way of turning out contrary to plan! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
John Hoyt, best known to TV sitcom fans as the capricious Grandpa on Gimme a Break, appears in this episode as stern temperance lecturer Jeremiah Priddy. Kate is quick to realize that Priddy is so dedicated to his cause that he is sorely neglecting his young son Clint (played by Buddy Foster, the brother of Jodie Foster). When Clint runs away to the Shady Rest, Kate takes it upon herself to bring father and son back together by turning the tables on Priddy and lecturing HIM! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
Uncle Joe (Edgar Buchanan) has hatched yet another plan to get rich quick. This time, he sets up a dog-sitting service at the Shady Rest Hotel, his first client being a lovable Great Dane. The Bradley girls are enchanted by this new addition to the household--so much so that the girls' own pet dog becomes jealous and runs away from home! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
Billie Jo (Meredith MacRae) lands her first singing gig in the Flamingo Room of the Springdale Hotel. Since Billie got the job of the strength of her talents as a country singer, her family expects more of the same when she makes her debut. Imagine their surprise when Billie emerges on stage as a slinky French chanteuse! Along the way, Meredith MacRae manages to perform the standard "Make Someone Happy".This episode was originally telecast six days after the death of series regular Smiley Burnette. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
With the jailhouse closed while Sheriff Crandall (Barry Kelly) is on vacation, erstwhile Justice of the Peace and game warden Uncle Joe (Edgar Buchanan) brings kleptomaniac Eustace Pockle (Ben Lessy) to the Shady Rest. Locking Eustace in his room (and charging him rent in the bargain), Joe figures that his part of the job is done. But he's figured wrong--and within a few hours, light-fingered Eustace has robbed everyone blind! This episode was originally scheduled for November 1, 1966. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1966
With this episode, Elvia Allman takes over the role of Selma Plout, longtime rival of Shady Rest Hotel owner Kate Bradley (Bea Benaderet). Observing the catnip-like effect that cropduster Steve Elliott (Mike Minor) has on Kate's three daughters, Selma begins plotting and planning to snare Steve as a husband for her own daughter Henrietta (Lynette Winter). But Kate has never let Selma best her before, and she's not about to now! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
