"Car 54, Where Are You?" (1961) TV series 1961-1963

User Rating:

8.3/10   

Creator:

Nat Hiken

Seasons:

1 | 2

Release Date:

17 September 1961 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

The misadventures of two of New York's finest (a Mutt and Jeff pair) in the mythical 53rd precinct in the Bronx...

Plot Keywords:

Bronx | Sitcom | Irish American | Bronx New York | Police

Awards:

Won Primetime Emmy. Another 4 nominations

Cast

Joe E. Ross	...	Officer Gunther Toody (60 episodes, 1961-1963)
Fred Gwynne	...	Officer Francis Muldoon (60 episodes, 1961-1963)

Runtime:

30 min | 30 min (60 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

Eupolis Productions

Trivia:

Idlewild was the original name of the airport in New York City, before it was changed to John F. Kennedy International.

Quotes:

Officer Francis Muldoon: Here's your milk!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Lethal Weapon 3 (1992)

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.