Ralph Levy Movies
As one of the most prominent director/producers of television's Golden Age, Ralph Levy established the formats for such television classics as The Beverly Hillbillies and Green Acres. Though he occasionally dabbled in film, most of his celluloid endeavors occurred in London, with his stateside focus remaining on the small screen.Born in Scranton, PA, and educated at Yale, Levy later joined CBS as a director of sports at Madison Square Gardens following a brief stint as a manager of the Masine Ballet Company. Pioneering live network television with Ed Wynn on the West Coast in 1949, he would later become the producer/director of the George Burns and Gracie Allen Show as well as later serve a seven-year stint as Jack Benny's producer/director. Directing the pilot episode of I Love Lucy in 1951, Levy later worked with Bob Newhart as well. Calling the shots behind the camera for such features as Bedtime Story (1964) and Do Not Disturb (1965), Levy took the knowledge he had gained over the years to the classroom as a teacher after retiring from show business.
On October 15, 2001, Ralph Levy died at St. Vincent's Hospital in Santa Fe, NM, following a lengthy illness. He was 81. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- 1969
Hooterville's annual Founders Day celebration may be cancelled this year due to some serious generation-gap issues. It all begins when Selma Plout (Elvia Allman) declares that the Bradley girls' rock-n-roll tribute to her sainted Great Uncle Cyrus Plout is "indecent." But in true "Hey, kids, let's put on a show!" tradition, the young folks and the old folks finally reach an understanding--with a few surprise twists along the way. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1969
Uncle Joe (Edgar Buchanan) may have finally gone too far when he arranges a race between the Hooterville Cannonball and a jitney bus (a glorified taxi). If Joe loses, he also loses the Shady Rest--and even worse, he will be forced to work as a bellboy at the Pixley Hotel. Hal Smith,better known as town drunk Otis Campbell on The Andy Griffith Show, appears as Jug Gunderson. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1969
Comic musician Jack Sheldon appears as self-styled fundraiser Freddie Kirby, who breezes into Hooterville with plans to raise money for a new church organ. The townsfolk eagerly agree to participate in Kirby's scheme to stage a benefit show, little suspecting that he intends to skip town with the dough the minute the final curtain falls. Steve (Mike Minor and the Bradley girls (Linda Kaye Henning, Meredith MacRae and Lori Saunders) sing "While Strolling Through the Park". ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1969
This final episode of Petticoat Junction's sixth season was obviously intended to be aired at an earlier time: The late Bea Benaderet is still billed in the opening credits, and Betty Jo (Linda Kaye Henning) is still pregnant. In any case, the plot revolves around a government contract which Betty's husband Steve (Mike Minor) dearly covets--so much so that he underbids it by nearly two thousand dollars. Future Hogan's Heroes regular Kenneth Washington appears as Bill Blake. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1969
After years of industrious laziness, Uncle Joe (Edgar Buchanan) suddenly announces his retirement. This declaration results in a great deal of good-natured razzing from his friends: After all, what exactly is Joe retiring from? But everyone stops laughing when Joe, his feelings wounded, vows to leave Hooterville--and never come back! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1969
Hooterville is thrown into a tizzy when Dr. Janet Craig (June Lockhart) announces her plan to leave town in order to study with a noted neurologist. In a twinkling, everybody in the Valley has cooked up a scheme to keep her from going, ranging from feeble attempts at matchmaking to phony illnesses. The title of this episode Petticoat Junction refers to a last-minute surprise revelation involving new parents Betty Jo and Steve--which, even more surprisingly, is not followed up at all during the subsequent season! Linda Kaye Henning (Betty) and Mike Minor (Steve) sing "No Two People." ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1969
The seventh and final season of Petticoat Junction begins as Betty Jo (Linda Kaye Henning), her husband Steve (Mike Minor) and their infant daughter Kathy Jo move back into the Shady Rest Hotel while looking for a new home of their own. The Bradley girls' pet dog (played by Higgins of "Benjy" fame), accustomed to having plenty of attention lavished upon him, doesn't like playing second fiddle to a baby girl. In fact, he dislikes it so much that he runs away and goes "on the bum" with an elderly vagabond (J. Pat O'Malley). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1969
Feeling that husband Steve (Mike Minor) is taking her for granted, Betty Jo (Linda Kaye Henning) seeks out advice from her sister Bobbie Jo (Lori Saunders) and her neighbor Lisa Douglas (Eva Gabor). As a result, Betty works overtime to make herself a vital part of her husband's life--and nearly ruins the marriage in the process. Ultimately, Steve realizes that he's been in the wrong, acknowledging this with a heartfelt rendition of the popular 1960s ballad "Dreams of an Everyday Housewife". ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1969
Steve (Mike Minor) is given a lucrative job offer that will require him to move to New York. Will Betty Jo (Linda Kaye Henning) be willing to bring herself and baby Kathy Jo along? The episode spends most of its running time watching Betty weigh the options--and also observing Betty's friends and family members trying to make up her mind for her! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1969
Impressionist Rich Little guest stars as Rick Wayne, a big-city comedian in whose nightclub act singer Billie Jo (Meredith MacRae) has been appearing. Bringing Rick home to meet the Hooterville folks, Billie soons comes to regret this gesture as the abrasive comic makes her friends and family members the butt of his jokes. Things reach the crisis stage when Rick tells Billie that he intends to do devastating takeoffs of everyone in town in his upcoming benefit show. Episode highlights include Rich Little's dead-on impersonations of series costars Edgar Buchanan and Byron Foulger, and Meredith MacRae's rendition of "When I Fall in Love". ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1969
Light-years removed from her work on Golden Girls, Betty White appears in this episode as Adelle Colby, Hooterville's attractive new librarian. When Adelle sets up a mobile library service on the Hooterville Cannonball, bachelors Joe (Edgar Buchanan), Sam (Frank Cady) and Bert (Paul Hartman) fall over themselves vying for her attention. This episode is a reworking of the second-season Petticoat Junction entry "Have Library, Will Travel". ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1968
This is the first episode in which June Lockhart is affored star billing in the opening credits in the role of Dr. Janet Craig--and accordingly, the lyrics of the Petticoat Junction theme song have been rewritten to accommodate the "Lady M.D., as pretty as can be." At long last, the menfolk of Hooterville are reconciled to the fact that the town has a female doctor. In fact, they are so fond of Dr. Craig that they go into full panic mode when Janet's boyfriend Dennis Roberts (Dennis Morgan) shows up, ready to propose! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1968
After missing several episodes due to illness, Bea Benaderet returns to her familiar Petticoat Junction role as Kate Bradley, owner of Hooterville's Shady Rest Hotel. The entire town gears up for a gala homecoming party in Kate's honor, but there are a few hitches along the way--including a fireworks display which ends up destroying the depot in nearby Pixley! Rufe Davis makes his last regular appearance as railroad engineer Floyd Smoot in this, the final episode of the series' fifth season. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1968
With Kate still out of town (Bea Benaderet is not in this episode due to illness), Uncle Joe (Edgar Buchanan) takes charge of the Shady Rest Hotel. The first order of business is to remove Mr. Clayton (Vaughn Taylor), an elderly guest who has stayed at the hotel for ages but has never paid a bill. Unfortunately, Clayton incurs the sympathy of the townsfolk, who angrily turn against Joe--who, as a result, may very well leave Hooterville for good! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1968
The Bradley girls are a bit put off by a display of divided loyalty on the part of their pet dog. This causes the trio to wonder aloud just exactly which Bradley sister the dog really belongs to. Things get pretty heated, resulting in an angry walk-out--by the dog! This is the only episode in which canine star Higgins is mentioned by name (albeit only in the title). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1968
Homer Bedloe (Charles Lane) returns to Hooterville, still bound and determined to put the Hooterville Cannonball out of business. This time Homer has come up with a surefire scheme: He puts the entire railroad up for sale! Before long, the townsfolk have sold practically everything they own to keep the Cannonball from being taken over by wealthy dowager Mrs. Green (Lurene Tuttle). This is one of several fifth-season episodes in which Bea Benaderet (Kate Bradley) does not appear. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1968
Bea Benaderet(Kate Bradley) does not appear in this episode, in which budding singer Billie Jo (Meredith MacRae) cuts her first record album. Billie's new agent Ted Swift (Del Moore) aggressively promotes the album with a gaudy--and fraudulent--publicity campaign centering on the girl's home town of Hooterville--whereupon the townsfolk enter into the spirit of things by inflating and misrepresenting the town's role in American history. Meredith MacRae sings "Good-bye Love". ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1968
Uncle Joe (Edgar Buchanan) organizes a barbershop quartet, only to be kicked out of the group because of his off-key singing. Seeking revenge, Joe sets about to fix an upcoming talent contest so that the quartet will lose and Selma Plout's daughter Henrietta (Lynette Winter) will cop first prize. This is one of several fifth-season episodes in which Bea Benaderet (Kate Bradley) does not appear. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1968
This is the first of several episodes in which an ailing Bea Benaderet does not appear (it is explained that her character, Kate Bradley, is "out of town"). Taking his wife Betty Jo's advice to do a bit of "apple polishing" to attract cropdusting business, Steve begins wht Millicent Marshall, attractive daughter of a prospective client--and before long, Betty wishes that she could eat her words! Millicent and Mrs. Marshall are played respectively by Joi Lansing and Frank Wilcox, who has previously appeared as "Mrs. Flatt" and "Mr. Brewster" on Petticoat Junction's parent series The Beverly Hillbillies. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1968
Future game-show host Geoff Edwards makes his first series appearance as Jeff Powers, the journalist boyfriend of Bobbie Jo Bradley (Lori Saunders). With the blessing of Sam Drucker (Frank Cady), Jeff and Bobbie become editors pro tem of Sam's newspaper, the "Hooterville World Guardian." Almost immediately, the two budding newshounds turn out a series of hard-hitting editorials--which unfortunately hit a bit too hard with the locals, hurting a lot of feelings in the process! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1968
Season Six of Petticoat Junction begins as Betty Jo (Linda Kaye Henning, now billed under her full given name) and her husband Steve (Mike Minor) eagerly await the birth of their first baby. Unfortunately, a pall is cast over the proceedings when Steve insists that the baby be born in a fancy Baltimore hospital, thus inadvertently insulting Hooterville's resident medico Doc Stuart (Regis Toomey). Byron Foulger makes the first of several recurring appearances as Wendell Gibbs, the new engineer of the Hooterville Cannonball; curiously, the original TV Guide listings billed somebody named "Jack Jamieson" as Gibbs. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1968
The Bradley sisters, alias the "Singing Sweethearts", are signed sight unseen to perform on the TV show hosted by Buddy Buster (David Ketchum). But Buddy isn't very happy upon discovering that Betty Jo Bradley (Linda Kaye Henning)--who hadn't wanted to be on the show in the first place--is visibly pregnant. Sid Melton, better known as "Alf Monroe" on Petticoat Junction's spinoff series Green Acres, is seen as fast-talking talent agent Ted Swift. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1968
All of the excitement lavished upon expectant mother Betty Jo (Linda Kaye Henning) does considerable collateral damage on her marriage. The problem is husband Steve (Mike Minor), who, shoved out of the spotlight, now feels unimportant and neglected. The crisis is solved, more or less, by an impromptu fishing trip. Originally scheduled to air on October 12, 1968, this is the final Petticoat Junction episode to feature series star Bea Benaderet, who died on October 13 of the same year. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1968
With train conductor Wendell Gibbs (Byron Foulger) fast asleep, no one is around to pilot the Hooterville Cannonball when the pregnant Betty Jo (Linda Kaye Henning) begins feeling labor pains. Thus it is that Betty takes the controls of the train herself--with virtually everyone else in Hooterville--including Green Acres' Oliver (Eddie Albert) and Lisa (Eva Gabor)--on board as passengers. Although Bea Benadaret's voice is heard as Kate Bradley, the actress was not seen on-camera due to her illness, and a stand-in was used (Benaderet died on October 13, 1968, less than two weeks before this episode originally aired). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
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