My Little Margie

I was born in 1953, so I was not old enough to watch the series when it originally aired from 1952 to 1956, yet I remember most of the episodes, so I must have seen them in reruns in the late 50's and early 60's.

I've watched about a dozen of them this week since hearing that Gail Storm passed away last week. I've been surprised by the variable quality. Some of them are ridiculous and poorly written, while others are masterful gems, as clever and inventive as any comedy series that has been on television.

So far I've noticed that one episode is almost the pilot for the Beverly Hillbillies (including the use of the name Ellie Mae for the daughter), while other episodes seem to play riffs on crime, detective, Captain Midnight and quiz shows.

When we are children, we don't know what the world outside our home and school is really like (at least that was the case growing up in the 1950's). I found the world on "My Little Margie" to be quite realistic when I was a child. She wasn't famous, she wasn't rich, and nobody ever got killed or died. So it was like the real world to me. Although people got punched in the world of Margie more frequently than occurred in the real world (generally about two times per episode).

Margie was easily able to fool people with virtually any disguise she chose from episode to episode. However, that seemed realistic to me. For some reason I figured the world would be that way when I grew up. I would put on disguises to fool and trick people into doing things they would ordinarily refuse to do. I am sorry that I grew up and found that the world is not like the world in "My Little Margie". People are not easily tricked and I have never found an occasion to pretend to be anything but what I am.

When I watch the show now, I remember myself being 5 or 6 or 7 and watching and enjoying it. It brought much joy to me then and does so now 50 years later.

Everybody in the cast is a delight and has great comic timing, which I suspect is to the credit of the director Hal Yates.

Of the three top women stars of 1950's American television, Lucille Ball, Joan Davis and Gail Storm, we should remember that Lucy and Joan were in their 40's, while Gail Storm was only 30 when her show started. While I thought that Lucy and Joan would make great moms, Gail was the woman who I really wanted as a wife-girlfriend-playmate. She was my first crush. She often acted the wild child, but could also play sophisticated and sexy really well.

I would love it if someone came out with the full series on DVD. I think it would be the only full series that I would want to watch all 140 episodes again.

In hindsight, I think "My Little Margie" was a TV sit com version of the Frederick March and Teresa Wright characters in "The Best Years of Our Lives" (if Al Stevenson and Peggy had been on speed). Charles Farrel played a vice president at Honeywell and Todd Investment Counselors. He played Vernon Albright as a guy who would really prefer to apply his considerable financial expertise in the back room with the financial ledgers, but who always seemed to find that his main job was in making a good impression on the rich matron client of the week so that she would give her account or keep her account at Honeywell and Todd. The more he would try to maintain a proper image, the more Margie would get him into some madcap situation in which they were doing things like running through a haunted castle and swinging fireplace pokers at strange characters in medieval armor who were emerging from a huge fireplace and clanking down the hallways. Situations would reach a fever pitch of hysteria; but as Gale Storm always pointed out to Farrel at the end, "It all worked out. And Dad always shrugged with a sigh of a smile, "Well, that's my Little Margie."

Gale Storm starred in this series for three years. The show was originally a summer replacement for "I Love Lucy". It ran for nine episodes and then was picked up for the fall season. Charles Farrell co-starred as Margie's father Vern Albright. This was one of the rare sitcoms of the time that did not include a traditional family. Vern is a widower and he spends much of his time in the series trying to keep Margie away from boyfriends he deems unsuitable. Margie, on the other hand is frequently trying to keep Vern away from gold-digging women, attracted to the attractive Vern and his money. This is a charming series that really made a star out of Gale Storm. Other fun people in the cast include Hillary Brooke as Vern's sometime girlfriend Roberta Townsend, Willie Best as Charlie, the elevator operator in the Albright's apartment building, Clarence Kolb as Mr. Honeywell, Vern's boss(also the only hearing-impaired actor I've ever seen to appear on-screen wearing a hearing aid), and perhaps best of all, Gertrude Hoffman as Mrs. Odetts, the daffy oldster who lives across the hall from the Albrights. Check this show out. It's Fun.

They don't make them this sweet and pure anymore. Even "Family Matters' and "Full House" weren't as innocent as this show.

This starred former "B movie" queen Gale Storm and major Silent Screen star Charles Farrell. They make quite a TV pair those two, almost like a husband and wive, but they're father and daughter. Get this, they spent ALL their vacations together which is kind of weird even back in the 50's.

Gale Storm plays Margie Albright. Margie is nearly 30, not married, no job, lives at home, AND still getting an allowance! She spends her time whining about how little money she gets, scheming to find ways of making more money or helping her Dad out of a jam. All this usually gets her into a jam.

Her Father, Vern Albright, is played by Charles Farrell. He works for Honeywell & Todd, an investment firm. Vern is always getting the firm new clients and trying to become a partner in the business. Mr Honeywell will not let that happen. How about Mr Todd?? You never get to see him. There is a cast of characters to add to the fun. Hilary Brooks(The Enchanted Cottage, Fuller Brush Man,...) as Vern's on/off girlfriend, Don Hayden as Margie's on/off boyfriend, and Gertrude Hoffman as crazy old Mrs. Odetts.

I use to watch this show when I was a kid. They showed repeats of it after church on Sundays. I thought it was neat how they started off the show with their pictures talking. My husband thinks the show is one of the best ever made and laughs like crazy when we watch his "My Little Margie" VHS box sets(!). I think that the show is an interesting and sweet, and that my husband needs to get out more......

Everything in this show is funny! Besides Margie, my two favorite characters are Mr. Honeywell, because he is the J. C. Dithers-type boss who always plays up to the clients now matter how big an idiot he or she might be, treats Vern like a dog, and constantly threatens to fire him. He is the stereotype of the mean-spirited boss. My second-favorite character after Mr. Honeywell is Freddie, because even though he is not technically an in-law, Vern treats him as the father would always treat a son-in-law that he despised. (Of course, the fact that Freddie is really as lazy and as sorry (hapless might be a more apt word) as Vern says he is does not detract from the humor at all.)