William D. Russell Movies
- 1967
While treating the kids to a rodeo, Bill is reunited with his old pal Gabe Nelson (played by horror-movie stalwart John Agar), a professional bronco buster. Buffy (Anissa Jones) and Jody (Johnnie Whitaker) and Cissy (Kathy Garver) are enthralled by Gabe's colorful stories about the Wild West--so much so that Bill begins to worry that the kids are more fond of Gabe than of him. When this fear appears to be confirmed beyond doubt, it is up to Gabe to resolve the situation. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
Cissy (Kathy Garver) waits until the last minute to ask a boy to the school's "Sadie Hawkins" dance. The boy in question, Virgil (Patrick Moore), claims that he can't attend because he has a broken leg, but thanks to some malicious gossip Cissy becomes convinced that Virgil is lying to her. Bill (Brian Keith) tries to rectify the situation by persuading his actor friend Orson (Christopher Dark) to escort Cissy to the dance...as if that will resolve the situation so easily! This is the final episode of Family Affair's first season. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
The twins (Anissa Jones, Johnnie Whitaker) enter a cereal contest, in hopes of winning an outboard motor. Instead, they receive a consolation prize: a very noisy baby lamb. When the neighbors complain about the lamb's incessant nocturnal bleating, Bill (Brian Keith) is faced with the problem of getting the kids to give up their new pet without breaking their hearts. With this episode, Sebastian Cabot returns to the role of Bill's butler Mr. Giles French--and as a bonus, Cabot's real-life daughter Annette Cabot also appears in a supporting role. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
Jody (Johnnie Whitaker) and Buffy (Anissa Jones) secretly conspire to build a clay figure, to be presented to Bill (Brian Keith) as a "Best Uncle" award. Unfortunately, the twins are allergic to clay, and both fall ill as a result. Because the kids won't tell him what they've been up to, Bill becomes convinced that their illness is due to his own bad parenting--and this is far from the last false conclusion to which Bill jumps in this episode! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
Cissy (Kathy Garver) goes to work as a hospital volunteer, while Buffy (Anissa Jones) joins the Brownies. Before long, both girls have run afoul of "The Rules": Cissy gives water to a patient without consulting a doctor, while Buffy is short the Brownies' age of admission by several months. Ultimately, and surprisingly, 7-year-old Buffy proves a bit more mature in handling her problem than 16-year-old Cissy. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
Jody (Johnnie Whitaker) is being harrassed at school by a bigger, older bully. Making the situation doubly delicate is the fact that Jody's tormentor is a girl named Jeannie (Claire Wilcox), and of course he can't hit her back. Bill (Brian Keith) suggests that Jody try to reason with Jeannie--but this not only fails to work, but also leads to a crisis involving the girl's parents (Sean McClory, Kathleen O'Malley). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
Buffy (Anissa Jones) is chosen over her classmate Melissa (Cindy Eilbacher) as the lead dancer in a ballet version of "Little Red Riding Hood". Miffed over this casting coup, Melissa's mom Clara (Ann McCrea) insists that Buffy got the starring part only because dance teacher Margot Dunbar is a former girlfriend of Buffy's uncle Bill (Brian Keith). Though this is not the case, Buffy apparently "proves" her lack of qualification by botching her performance--but for reasons that no one would ever have anticipated. Cast as Margot is Judith Landon, the wife of series star Brian Keith. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
The troublesome Aunt Fran (Louise Latham) breezes into New York in hopes of taking Cissy (Kathy Garver) and Buffy (Anissa Jones) back to live with her in Terre Haute. Unfortunately, Fran's husband Harold (Bill Zuckert) is of the opinion that two is company and three's a crowd; thus, Jody (Johnnie Whitaker) must live with another Indiana relative. Bill (Brian Keith) isn't keen on this prospect, but he decides to allow the children to make the final decision...with stunning results. John Williams again appears as Nigel French, temporary replacement for Bill's regular butler Giles French. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
Hollywood icon Myrna Loy guest stars as Adele, a once wealthy matron forced by circumstance to work as a maid. Out of the goodness of his heart, Mr. Nigel French (John Williams) helpfully covers up Adele's ineptitude, an act of largesse that backfires when Adele makes a shambles of a society party--and holds French responsible. At the same time, Bill (Brian Keith) gets into trouble for extending his own helping hand and taking over the twins' school science project. All this intrigue leads to the conclusion by the adults in the Davis household that they will never, ever "get involved" again--but it's up to 15-year-old Cissy (Kathy Garver) to resolve the situation. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
Now that they're in an accelerated-learning class, Buffy (Anissa Jones) and Jody (Johnnie Whitaker) must face the treacherous perils of "New Math". Unfortunately, their Uncle Bill (Brian Keith) hasn't the time to help with the twins' homework, since he is being kept occupied by his latest lady friend Meg (Kipp Hamilton), a woman constitutionally incapable of making a commitment. Thus, the kids turn to window washer Mr. Frack (Sterling Holloway), who as luck would have it is a mathematics whiz! John Williams again appears as Nigel French, temporary replacement for Bill's butler Giles French. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
Mr. Nigel French (John Williams) receives a visit from his nephew David (Martin Horsey), and is appalled to discover that the boy has adopted the speech patterns and attitudes of a "typical" American teenager. Even worse, David intends to buck family tradition, forsaking a career as a gentleman's gentleman to become a dentist. But the worst is reserved for last, when David scandalizes Mr. French by dating a girl "above his station"--namely, Cissy (Kathy Garver). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
In dire need of some peace and quiet, Bill (Brian Keith) bundles Jody (Johnnie Whitaker) and Buffy (Anissa Jones) off to camp, sending Cissy (Kathy Garver) along as counselor. Now Bill is a carefree bachelor again--and now he not only misses the kids, but he can't stop talking about them, driving his various lady friends crazy. The trick now is for Bill to finagle a visit with the children without admitting how lonely he is and how concerned over their welfare. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
Misunderstanding a situation as usual, Buffy (Anissa Jones) and Jody (Johnnie Whitaker) try to play matchmaker for Mr. Nigel French (John Williams) and Miss Faversham (Heather Angel). Likewise misunderstanding the same situation is Mr. French, who thinks that the twins are trying to get him to resign because he has punished them harshly. Thus, French goes in the entirely opposite direction and begins treating the kids like royalty--and of course, things go rapidly downhill from there! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
An erstwhile student of the Cantonese language, Mr. Nigel French (John Williams) hopes to test out his linguistics skills on Marilyn (Lisa Fong), the daughter of a Chinese diplomat (Richard Loo). Unfortunately, Mr. French is not as conversant in Cantonese as he imagines himself to be, and accidentally insults the poor girl by telling her she has "the ears of a pig and the face of a demon"! His subsequent efforts to make amends succeed only in getting him deeper into trouble--and it's up to Marilyn's grandmother (May Lee) to re-establish "détente" between China and the U.S. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
Hoping to bond with his nephew Jody (Johnnie Whitaker), Bill (Brian Keith) takes the boy along on a business trip. Alas, Bill's efforts to entertain Jody, first with a baseball game and then with a fishing trip, come a-cropper. Although everything ends up going wrong, somehow Jody finds a way to make it all right for his flustered uncle. This episode marks the first appearance of John Williams as Nigel French, the brother and occasional replacement of Bill's butler Giles French (costar Sebastian Cabot had to temporarily leave the show due to illness, inspiring the writers to send Mr. French on a "special assignment" with the Royal Family!) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
Mistakenly believing that they've been invited to a going-away party for the Gaynors, Buffy (Anissa Jones) and Jody (Johnnie Whitaker) end up all alone on the docks of New York. While seeking out their Uncle Bill (Brian Keith), the twins find a twenty-dollar bill--then embark upon an odyssey throughout Manhattan Island in search of the bill's owner! Ultimately, a kind stranger restores the kids to their frantic uncle, and receives an unexpected reward for his troubles. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
Cissy (Kathy Garver) despairs over the fact that her high school is holding a mother-daughter event--and of course, she has no mother. Bill (Brian Keith) would like to know the source of Cissy's unhappiness, but she refuses to tell him. When he ultimately finds out, Bill must figure a way to make Cissy happy without having her think that he's merely acting out of pity. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
Aspiring to be a building engineer like his Uncle Bill (Brian Keith), Jody (Johnnie Whitaker) hangs around a construction site and befriends an affable middle-ager named Owny (Brian Donlevy), who wears the regulation hardhat and bib overalls. Impressed by Jody's enthusiasm, Owny sees to it that the boy is given a few minor jobs around the site. Meanwhile, Bill is anxiously trying to arrange a business deal with elusive millionaire architect Owen Pennington--and if you haven't yet figured out what's going to happen next, please note the similarity between the names "Owny" and "Owen"! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
Diane Brewster, best remembered as schoolteacher "Miss Canfield" on Leave It to Beaver, makes her final acting appearance in this episode as Bill's former hometown sweetheart Freddie. Arriving from Terre Haute to pay Bill (Brian Keith) a visit, Freddie becomes enchanted by youngsters Buffy (Anissa Jones), Jody (Johnnie Whitaker) and Cissy (Kathy Garver)--which unfortunately serves only to remind her that she and her husband have never had any children of their own. The subsequent crisis arising from this situaiton is solved in a manner that is both touching and credible (qualities often missing from TV sitcoms of the mid-1960s). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
Tired of tripping over the toys that the twins (Anissa Jones, Johnnie Whitaker) have left lying around the apartment, Bill (Brian Keith) issues an ultimatum: If he finds one more toy on the floor, he will never allow the kids to play with it again. This leads to a major crisis when Buffy's beloved doll Mrs. Beasley is in danger of being forever exiled to the toy box. And somehow or other, the toy situation is linked with Bill's dismay over the fact that Cissy (Kathy Garver) has begun dressing hippie-style. This episode was written by Arthur Marx, the son of comedian Groucho Marx. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1966
For a school assignment, Cissy (Kathy Garver) decides to write a paper about Mr. French (Sebastian Cabot). Dogging the man's trail one Thursday afternoon, Cissy discovers a shocking secret about Mr. French: each week at the same time, he has a mysterious rendezvous with an English matron named Mrs. Allenby (Kathryn Givney). Upon learning the wistfully poignant reasons for French's covert behavior, Cissy lets slip that she knows all about his Thursday meetings--with near-disastrous results. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1966
Jody (Johnnie Whitaker) is shocked when he witnesses his friend Pepino (Ricky Cordell) being spanked by his father Umberto (Romo Vincent). Sensing Jody's discomfort, Umberto explains that he is using corporal punishment only because he loves his son. The result: Jody goes to great and ridiculous lengths to be naughty enough so that Uncle Bill (Brian Keith) will "prove" his love by spanking him! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1966
Future Brady Bunch paterfamilias Robert Reed guest stars as high school psychology teacher Julian Hill. Idolizing the "deep-thinking" Mr. Hill, Cissy (Kathy Garver) endeavors to extend his lofty, erudite philosophy to the Davis household. But when Bill (Brian Keith) invites Mr. Hill to dinner, Cissy is shocked by the realization that her idol is merely another human being--and a petty, ill-tempered one at that! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1966
Feeling trapped by his new parental responsibilities, Bill (Brian Keith) takes the advice of his old pal Dave (Norman Alden) and leaves New York to accept a project in faraway Mexico. In Bill's absence, Mr. French (Sebastian Cabot) is suddenly taken ill, and the kids insist upon waiting on the poor fellow hand and foot. This crisis, coupled with Bill's inability to establish telephone contact between Mexico and his Manhattan apartment, leads him to regret his temporary "escape". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1966
Though he has enrolled the twins in public school, Bill (Brian Keith) decides that Cissy (Kathy Garver) would be better served in a high-class boarding school, namely Bryerfield in Connecticut. Misunderstanding Bill's intentions, Cissy concludes that she is not welcome in the Davis household--a conclusion seemingly confirmed when Bill unwittingly breaks his promise to take Cissy to a fancy dinner at "21" over the weekend. Hoping to mend Cissy's broken heart, Buffy (Anissa Jones) and Jody (Johnnie Whitaker) hitchhike all the way to Connecticut to keep her company. With this episode, John Hubbard assumes the role of Bill's business partner Ted Gaynor. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
