Mr. & Mrs. North

When TV first came to my mountain town in 1952, I never missed an installment. The Norths brought into my little livingroom a bright shining married couple that just about embodied 1950's styles and ideals. Nonetheless, seeing even a small sampling 65-years later still entertains. It's a personality series that depends heavily on the charisma of its two stars, which Denning and Britton supply, in spades. Looks like the four stories that I recently viewed were mainly ordinary, except for one "Reunion" that deals with nuclear holocaust in rather daring fashion. So the series may not be as airbrushed as the early 1950's suggests. Filming is done in conventional high-key lighting, with little hint of noir. At the same time, production values appear on the budget side, with outdoor studio sets substituting for the real thing. Still, Pam is well upholstered in styles of the day, that is, when women still wore fancy hats. But what I really like is the North's sign-off where they break the proverbial "fourth wall" and smile at the audience. It's like they're saying "We had a good time, hope you did too". I sure did, Pam and Jerry, and much thanks for then and now.