"December Bride" (1954) TV series 1954-1959

User Rating:

7.9/10   

Creator:

Parke Levy

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Release Date:

4 October 1954 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

Charming and wise Lily Ruskin lives with her daughter and son-in- law who, along with her close friend Hilda Crocker...

Plot Keywords:

Sitcom

Awards:

Nominated for 5 Primetime Emmys.

Cast

Spring Byington	...	Lily Ruskin (111 episodes, 1954-1959)
Harry Morgan	...	Pete Porter (111 episodes, 1954-1959)
Frances Rafferty	...	Ruth Henshaw (111 episodes, 1954-1959)
Verna Felton	...	Hilda Crocker (111 episodes, 1954-1959)
Dean Miller	...	Matt Henshaw (111 episodes, 1954-1959)

Runtime:

30 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

Desilu Studios - 9336 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company:

Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS)

Trivia:

This long-running half-hour CBS sitcom debuted on 4 October 1954 and was last broadcast on 20 April 61. Mostly remembered today for featuring neighbor 'Harry Morgan' as Pete Porter, who complained constantly about his unseen wife, Gladys. They'd eventually get their own show as a spin-off in the fall of 1960.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Saturday Night Live: Desi Arnaz/Desi Arnaz, Jr. (#1.14)" (1976)

Lucy For The Old Folks

December Bride was a series out to prove that senior citizens despite age and experience can be as wacky as the rest of the population. I'm not sure how Dean Miller put up with his mother-in-law Spring Byington all those years.

Dean was married to the lovely Frances Rafferty and apparently taking in mom was part of the package. Spring was a lovely charming lady as she always was. She didn't seek out problems quite in the way Lucy Ricardo did, but trouble always kept finding her along with her best friend Verna Felton.

If these two seemed always to be getting into trouble the way Lucy and Ethel did, no one should be surprised since Desilu produced the show. One of the other gags was next door neighbor Harry Morgan constantly complaining about his wife Gladys. Somewhat along the lines of the way Phyllis Diller used to refer to her husband Fang in her monologues.

I do remember one episode did involve a costume party and Morgan called into the next room telling Gladys to get out here, they were leaving. There was a pregnant pause that at last we would finally see the legendary Gladys. She came out, in a gorilla suit.

Morgan got a spin off series of his own with Cara Williams as Gladys. But it only lasted a season. Never understood why, it was pretty funny.

If the TVLand channel can run I Love Lucy to death, maybe they can find these December Bride episodes for the old folks of which I'm now one.