"Mister Ed" (1961) TV series 1961-1966

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Creator:

Walter Brooks

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | unknown

Release Date:

4 January 1961 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Family | Fantasy

Plot:

Mister Ed is a horse who is owned by Wilbur Post. Mister Ed is not just any horse, he talks to Wilbur...

Plot Keywords:

Horse | Animal Actor | Horse Actor | Funny Horse | Talking Animal

Awards:

Won Golden Globe. Another 3 wins

Cast

Alan Young	...	Wilbur Post / ... (142 episodes, 1961-1966)
Connie Hines	...	Carol Post (142 episodes, 1961-1966)
Allan Lane	...	Mister Ed (126 episodes, 1958-1966)
Larry Keating	...	Roger Addison (76 episodes, 1961-1963)
Edna Skinner	...	Kay Addison (69 episodes, 1961-1964)
Leon Ames	...	Gordon Kirkwood (41 episodes, 1963-1966)
Florence MacMichael	...	Winnie Kirkwood (40 episodes, 1963-1966)

Runtime:

30 min (143 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

USA:TV-G

Filming Locations:

General Service Studios - 1040 N. Las Palmas, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS)

Trivia:

Mr. Ed's voice was a closely guarded secret, but it was actually Allan Lane, a former cowboy star.

Quotes:

Mister Ed: I love Christmas. Wilbur is so full of the spirit of giving, and I'm so full of the spirit of receiving.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "Chappelle's Show: (#1.8)" (2003)

Soundtrack:

Mr. Ed

A Horse Of Course Of Course

One of the sillier, but yet most beloved of comedy/fantasy shows that were so prevalent in the Sixties was that show about a talking horse, the famous Mister Ed. The talking palomino had a popularity with real children and those elusive children of all ages because of the skill of Alan Young making you really believe that a horse could talk with the voice of Allan 'Rocky' Lane.

I'm sure for retired B picture cowboys who weren't getting too much work in the Sixties, Mister Ed must have provided a few nice paychecks for someone not in demand to be a cowboy hero any more. Lane's voice was well integrated into the personality of the palomino of whom evolution seems to have taken a quantum leap.

The premise of the show was that Mister Ed would only talk directly to Alan Young as Wilbur Post, architect who set up his studio in the barn on his property so he could spend as much time as he could with his talking equine. I well remember in the pilot episode when Young acquired Mister Ed, the horse told him that he never felt like talking to anyone until he met Young whom he felt had a real love of animals. It was the love that came through every week.

Young was married to Connie Hines who for five years couldn't figure out what this thing between Mister Ed and her husband was. Neither could anyone else and that led to the plot of most of the episodes.

I have very fond memories of the show in my younger days. It was one of those shows that was in a totally make believe world. No politics or issues of social significance ever intruded on the world of Wilbur Post and Mister Ed. It was and is completely timeless, you could remake all the episodes today without too much trouble.

In fact Mister Ed's primary source of mischief was the telephone extension in the studio/barn where he could call out anonymously to the world. When that receiver was picked up you knew Alan Young was in for 30 minutes of trouble. Can you imagine today what Mister Ed could do with a personal computer? The mind boggles.

Though I can never see anyone ever with the gentle humorous style of Alan Young doing Wilbur Post today, I could be surprised. I'm willing to be.