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Trivia
"The Nut House!!" (a September-October 1963 television comedy production) was initially a CBS television comedy show pilot video taped on Stage 31, with a "live" audience, at the CBS Hollywood Television City Studio, located at Beverly Boulevard and Fairfax Boulevard. The CBS Studio is adjacent the famous "Farmer's Market" in Los Angeles. The black and white taped pilot's format was comedy joke-sketches, delivered one after another, in a machine gun rat-a-tat sequence, performed by the young and strong up-and-coming group of New York City and Hollywood comedians, musicians and performers. The unsold comedy series pilot eventually was "canned"; eventually broadcast as a one-time CBS comedy special recouping production development expenses producing the pilot. The premise for "The Nut House!!" comedy television pilot's material and joke-sketch format became the foundation for NBC's successful 1967-1973 "Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In" comedy television series, video-taped with a "live" audience. CBS's New York network program division-production scheduling and advertising marketing, in 1963-1964, was not ready for this type of television weekly delivered night-time comedy show format.

Crazy credits
Piano Bench Courtesy of Ponsonby Britt

Spirited Attempt Has Its Moments . . .

Considered in the context of its era (early 60s), this vigorous effort by Jay Ward is certainly different and mildly zany. Ward was to some degree channeling Olsen & Johnson in the wackiness he was attempting. The cast members throw themselves into it whole-heartedly, and almost make it work. The fact that it was a pilot excuses its awkwardness--the ensemble still had to develop its chemistry. Yes, some skits go on too long, others don't have a satisfying payoff; but nevertheless it rivets the attention and makes for an entertaining half hour. (By the way, contrary to what one might read elsewhere, the end credits for the players are not on hand-held pieces of paper: the participants parade down the studio audience aisle Olsen & Johnson-like bearing "striker-type" signs indicating their names.) The Falcon monologue, delivered in hilarious deadpan, redeems the shortcomings of the rest. Watch this show with the eyes and entertainment-experience of the 1950s and early 1960s: The program is certainly worth seeing once, and maybe once again to see what one missed the first time.