RE:  The Munster's House 

Dear Morty, 

My brother says the house shown in the opening credits of "The Munsters" is just a big model,  I say it's a real house. Who's right? 

Kristen 

Kristen , 
You are correct.  The house was located on the back lot of Universal Studios. It was seen in other shows such as: "The Andy Griffith Show," "Leave it to Beaver," "Donna Reed" and other shows that filmed exteriors on "the ranch."  You may not have noticed it in these shows since it wasn't shown "dressed."  On the days it was used for exterior shots on "The Munsters,"  it would be dressed up with dead trees,  tumble weeds,  and dead grass.  Even without these extra touches it's easy to spot its distinctive architecture.  As with most of the famous houses used in TV & movies, it was just a shell with no interior. 

RE:  Jed's Truck

I think I recognized Jed's truck from "The Beverly Hillbillies" as the same truck used in the movie "The Grapes of Wrath" with Henry Fonda. Can you confirm? 

Mike 

No,  Mike,  not the same truck, and not Jed's. The truck belonged to Cousin Pearl, who let Jethro use it to move Uncle Jed to Californey. The truck used on "The Beverly Hillbillies" was inspired by the one in "The Grapes of Wrath,"  but not the same one.  The Hillbillies truck was a 1921 four cylinder Oldsmobile flatbed.  The original truck is on permanent display at the Ralph Foster Museum located (on the campus of the School of the Ozarks in Branson Missouri).  Several roadside museums along Route 66 claim to have the original truck from "The Grapes of Wrath," I can't tell you which one (if any) is the genuine truck, 'cause that's a movie question. 

Dear Morty,
Do you answer questions about new shows, or just old ones? If you do answer questions about TV shows made in this millennium, I’d like to know about Kyle Chandler, the guy on “Early Edition,” and where I can send mail to him.
-Kelly

Dear Kelly,
Sure I can help,  and thanks for not using words like "old coot" and "fossil" in your request.  Kyle Chandler,  who plays Gary Hobson on "Early Edition,"  is best known for his role on the ABC series,  "Homefront."  Kyle has starred in a number of made-for-television movies including ABC's "Sleep Baby Sleep" and three TV movies for CBS, "Quiet Victory:  The Charlie Weidermeyer Story,"  "Unconquered,"  and "Home Fires Burning."  In addition to a recurring role in "Tour of Duty",  Kyle made guest appearances in "China Beach" and starred in the ABC mini-series "Heaven and Hell: North and South Book Three,"  as well as Showtime's "Convict Cowboy" with Jon Voight.  Kyle most recently appeared with Nick Nolte in "Mulholland Falls." Other film credits include "Pure Country," "The Color of Evening," and "No Holds Barred." 

Kyle grew up on his family’s farm in the small town of Loganville, GA. He is a graduate of the University of Georgia, and received a nomination for an Outer Critics’ Circle Award for his role in the 1994 Broadway revival of William Inge's play, "Picnic."  Kyle is 6’1”, has brown eyes (I feel like I’m writing for “TigerBeat”), and will be thirty-one on his next birthday (September 17th).  He and his wife Kathrine,  a television writer, currently live in Los Angeles with their baby daughter and two Terriers, Buckley and Otis. 

 Send your mail to: 

Kyle Chandler - Early Edition 
c/o Sony Pictures Entertainment 
10202 Washington Blvd. 
Culver City, CA 90232-3195 

RE:  Stockard Channing

I vaguely recall a TV show with Stockard Channing called "Supertrain" about a nuclear powered train. Can you tell me about it? 

Rose 

Rose, 
You are a very confused person. "Supertrain" was a drama series that aired on ABC in 1979 for a very brief time.  It was a colossal flop about a gigantic high-speed luxury train equipped with a swimming pool,  gym,  medical center, and disco.  It starred Edward Andrews,  Patrick Collins, Robert Alda and Nita Talbot.  Stockard Channing did however star in "The Big Bus,"  a 1976 comedy spoof of disaster films.  The movie took place on a nuclear powered bus.  The "Big Bus" is available on video. 

RE:  Muppets

Dear Morty, 

What was Jim Henson's first muppet?  I say it was Farfel the dog on "The Jimmy Dean Show."

Dan 

Well, Dan, you are partly correct. Jim Henson's big break was on "The Jimmy Dean Show," with his creation Rowlf the dog.  Jimmy called him "My ole Buddy,"   Farfel, on the other hand, was the reation of puppeteer Jimmy Nelson. Farfel was the canine shill for Nestle's chocolate that moaned out the last word of the jingle: "Nestles makes the very best choc-o-late". Jim Henson had made other muppets (muppet: part Marionette and part Puppet),  but Rowlf was his first star. Rolf made his debut in 1963. 

Dear Morty, 

Time to settle a bet (answer carefully, I've got 10 bucks on this :)): 

True or false: The lagoon set used in "Gilligans Island" was once used as part of the island set for "20000 Leagues Under The Sea."

Bobby

The lagoon in "Gilligan's Island" was on CBS's Studio City back lot.  The lagoon was built for the show in 1963 at a cost of $75,000.  Dead trees were planted and dressed with palm leaves. Landscapers added tropical greenery, some live, mostly plastic.  The lagoon was 4 feet deep with a working waterfall.  The pilot contained footage of Kauai Island in Hawaii (Moloa'a Bay,  to be exact).  This footage was sometimes recycled in the first season episodes.  Later they shot color stock footage of Zuma Beach near Malibu and filmed some outdoors scenes at Franklin Canyon in Beverly Hills.   You should also know that Russell Johnson (The Professor) says that the lagoon on the Universal Studio tour that guests are told is from "Gilligan's Island,"  was never used on the series. The Universal lagoon was only used in one of the re-union movies. On the other hand, "20,000 Leagues Under The Sea" was filmed by Disney in 1954.  It was shot at the Disney Studios in Burbank,  CA and on location in Jamaica,   New Providence Island,   Bahamas and in Red Rock Canyon State Park, CA.  So your answer is "false."  But didn't you like the episode where they almost got off the island until Gilligan screws it up at the last minute... 

RE:  Danger Will Robinson

Dear Morty, 

What ever happened to the young boy who to played Will Robinson on "Lost in Space"? 

He grew up.  Bill Mumy (pronounced "moomy,"  not "mummy"),  known as Billy during the LIS years,  played Will Robinson,  the youngest of the Robinson Family.  Bill, who's real name is Charles William Mumy,  has been very busy since LIS was canceled in 1968.  He played in two bands,  the first called "Barnes  &  Barnes" and later with "The Jenerators",   then wrote the script for the big screen version of LIS.  He took the script to Irwin Allen, producer of the TV series,  he was told that Allen had no interest in doing a LIS movie.  Bill had kept in touch with the cast, and everyone agreed to return, still no sale to Allen.  When Guy Williams died (he played John Robinson, Will's father),  Bill wrote another script and took in to 20th Century Fox.  They loved it, but couldn't do it without Irwin Allen's permission,   Allen died a year later.  His widow gave the OK for LIS to be made into a feature film.  The project has changed studios several times,  trashed Bill's script and re-cast all the roles. Look for the feature film to open this summer  with "Friends" Matt Le Blanc playing Major Don West. 

But back to Billy--   Since LIS he played Weaver in a short-lived TV series "Sunshine," got married and now has two kids. He appeared in a handful of movies, including "Twilight Zone: The Movie " (1983),  appears on "Babylon 5" as Lennier and created the TV series "Space Cases."  Bill is also the writer creator of "The Lost in Space" comic books where the Robinsons are still-- lost in space. 

RE:  Agent 86

Dear Morty, 

This ought to shut you up: name the dude that used to play Maxwell Smart. Too simple? Now name what other shows he has played a major role in, when the shows were on, and how long they ran. 

Sounds like you already know the answer to this, so let me see if I can tell you something you don't know...  Don Adams' real name is Donald James Yarmy. He started in television by winning on "Ted Mack's Amateur Hour" (the 1950's version of "Star Search").  He later landed a gig on "The Perry Como Show" (1960) followed by "The Bill Dana Show" (1963) where he played Byron Glick and attracted the attention of Buck Henry & Mel Brooks (the creators of "Get Smart").  The role of bumbling secret agent Maxwell Smart won Adams fame and three Emmy Awards,  but created an image that prevented us from seeing him as anything other than Maxwell Smart.  In 1971 he played Lennie Crooke on the TV series "The Partners."  It flopped. He ceated and hosted a game show called "Don Adams' Screen Test" (1974) where contestants would compete to win a "screen test" with a major star. The show was so bad Don couldn't get major stars, and the budget was so small the sets were bare with a few props.  Winners could sit in a rubber raft and act out a dramatic scene from "Lifeboat" with Phyllis Diller while Don poured water on them.  This was followed by the movie version of "Get Smart" called "The Nude Bomb" (1980). It was a bomb (Barbara Feldon refused to appear).  Then came another flop TV series called "Check it Out" (1985),  another "Get Smart" movie,  and the final insult "Get Smart 1995" on Fox.  This show was so bad that Andy Dick (who played Maxwell Smart's stupid son) signed to do "News Radio" at the same time because he knew the show would be canceled after the initial order of 6 episodes. Other than doing the voice of "Inspector Gadget",  Don hasn't had much success since "Get Smart". 

RE:  Dr. Who

Dear Morty, 

Why did Dr. Who (at the time, Tom Bakker) have a huge scab on his lip in the opening scene to the first episode of the "Key To Time" series of Dr Whos? 

He had been in a pub the night before drinking a little too much.  To make a long story short,  a dog bit him in the face. 

Morty, 

When I watch "Alf" I can tell they switched voices after the first few episodes. Who did Alf's voice, and why did they switch actors? 

Barry 

The voice of Alf (A.K.A. Gordon Schumway) was provided by series co-creator Paul Fusco. Fusco may have moderated the voice, but it was his throughout the series. It's common for voice artists to experiment with their characters until they get it just right. You'll note the difference in Barney Rubble's voice (Mel Blanc), Bugs Bunny (also Mel Blanc) and Homer Simpson (Dan Castellaneta). 

Dear Morty, 

I was watching "Newhart" on Nick at Nite and was wondering who the three guys that played them were and what became of them. 
  The were played by: William Sanderson (Larry),  Tony Papenfuss (Darryl #1) and John Voldstad (Darryl #2), and what's happened to them-- not much.  Sanderson played Sleets in "Rocketeer,"  Lippy in "Lonesome Dove" and prior to "Newhart", Sebastian in "Blade Runner". Papenfuss (possibly held back by his name) was in "Escape From New York" (prior to "Newhart"), "Firefox" (in 1982) and most recently in an episode of "Seinfeld,"  the landed the plum role of "Man #2" in the "Bubble Boy" episode.  Voldstad appeared in "Stripes,"  prior to "Newhart,"   as Stillman's Aide and as a club patron in "Forrest Gump."   All four actors are in their mid 40's.  During their run as the mountain men trio, the Darryls were not permitted to speak if they appeared on other shows.  I also enjoyed L, D, & D, and thought they'd go on to bigger and better things when the gags were removed.  I guess I need not tell you that the Darryls' only line was on the last episode when they yelled "Shut Up!" to their yakity wives.  L, D, & D  made a guest appearance on the season finale of "Coach" in May of 1997.

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