Car 54, Where Are You? (1961–1963)

The misadventures of two of New York's finest (a Mutt and Jeff pair) in the mythical 53rd precinct in the Bronx. Toody, the short, stocky and dim-witted one either saves the day or muffs ... See full summary »

Creator:

Nat Hiken

Stars:

Joe E. Ross, Fred Gwynne, Paul Reed

Won 1 Primetime Emmy. Another 1 win & 4 nominations.

Cast

Complete series cast summary:
Joe E. Ross	...	Officer Gunther Toody (60 episodes, 1961-1963)
Fred Gwynne	...	Officer Francis Muldoon (60 episodes, 1961-1963)
Paul Reed	...	Captain Paul Block (54 episodes, 1961-1963)
Al Lewis	...	Officer Leo Schnauser (44 episodes, 1961-1963)
Beatrice Pons	...	Lucille Toody (29 episodes, 1961-1963)

Storyline

The misadventures of two of New York's finest (a Mutt and Jeff pair) in the mythical 53rd precinct in the Bronx. Toody, the short, stocky and dim-witted one either saves the day or muffs things up much to the chagrin of Muldoon, the tall, lanky and smart one.

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Plot Keywords:

sitcom | question in title | bronx new york city | irish american | police officer | 

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Genres:

Comedy

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 September 1961 (USA)

Also Known As:

De wijkagenten

Filming Locations:

Biograph Studios, Bronx, New York City, New York, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Eupolis Productions, National Broadcasting Company (NBC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

30 min 30 min (60 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Joe E Ross was on a Milt Jackson track - The OO OO Bossa Nova on an LP called Jazz and Samba. He contributed the "OO OO" - his "catch phrase" in Car 54.

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Goofs

In some versions of the opening credits, most notably the version in which Toody and Muldoon are playing checkers in the car, the bubble light atop the squad car jumps when the car shakes. It should be bolted in place.

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Quotes

Officer Francis Muldoon: Here's your milk!

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Connections

Referenced in The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis: Now I Lay Me Down to Steal (1963)

User Reviews

One The All-Time Great Comedy Shows - Where Is The DVD?

Boy, I am still waiting for a DVD or two of this classic television show, giving us seasons worth of episodes, not just a couple of episodes on tape. This show was a comedy classic; one of the best ever.

This particular VHS tape I am reviewing features two past shows, one of which is one of my all-time favorites: "The Taming of Lucille." Humor is subject but to me that episode is one of the funniest ever on TV as henpecked "Gunther Toody" (Joe E. Ross) tries to turn the tables on his wife. After he and partner Francis Muldoon (Fred Gwynne) watch a presentation of "The Taming the Shrew" in Central Park, and later Toody sees his cousin Al dominate his wife Rose, he thinks he can do the same....with hilarious results. Beatrice Pons, as "Lucile," is a hoot, too. Ross and Pons played the same roles in the earlier "You'll Never Get Rich" television how featuring Phil Silvers as "Sgt. Bilko."

The other episode is a famous one, too, although not as funny. In this show, Toody winds up on the Jack Paar show, hosted by Hugh Downs. A fellow policeman is "discovered" as a real comic and is invited on the show, only to get stage-fright and be rescued by Toody, who then takes his place as the star comic. He's invited back and....well....deja vu all over again, as Yogi Berra supposedly once said.

These are two shows guaranteed to give you a lot of laughs for 50 minutes (25 minutes per show). I just hope someone the whole series becomes available.