Hennesey
| Hennesey | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Genre | Sitcom |
| Starring | Jackie Cooper Abby Dalton |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 3 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 22–24 minutes |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | CBS |
| Picture format | Black-and-white |
| Audio format | Monaural |
| Original run | September 28, 1959 – September 17, 1962 |
Hennesey is an American military sitcom that aired on CBS from 1959 to 1962. The series, which aired for three seasons, stars Jackie Cooper in the title role.
Contents |
[edit] Synopsis
Cooper played Navy doctor Lt. Charles "Chick" Hennesey, with Abby Dalton as Navy nurse Lt. Martha Hale. They were assigned to the hospital at the San Diego U.S. Naval Station. The show often featured guest stars, including Charles Bronson, Marty Ingels, Jack Cassidy, Soupy Sales, Mickey Rooney and Frank Gorshin.
[edit] Cast
- Jackie Cooper as Lt. Charles "Chick" Hennesey
- Abby Dalton as Lt. Martha Hale
- Roscoe Karns as Capt. Walter Shafer
- Henry Kulky as Max Bronski
- James Komack as Harvey Spencer Blair III
- Arte Johnson as Seaman Shatz
- Herb Ellis as Dr. Dan Wagner
- Robert Gist as Dr. Owen King
- Stephen Roberts as Commander Wilker
- Harry Holcombe as William Hale
- Ted Fish as Chief Branman
- Frank Gorshin as Seaman Pulaski
- Meg Wyllie as Mrs. Shafer
[edit] Production notes
The series was notable for an extremely catchy theme tune (by Sonny Burke), a jazzy hornpipe played by tuba and piccolo. Hennesey was also innovative for being the first series to employ what has since become a standard device in television: beginning the dialog and action of each episode during the opening credits.
Cooper starred in, produced and directed the series, drawing upon his real-life experience as a World War II Navy veteran and his continuing service for many years as an officer in the Naval Reserve. He was a former child actor who starred in the Our Gang comedies of the early 1930s and then moved on to feature films.
Scriptwriter Richard Baer wrote thirty-eight of Hennesey's episodes beginning in 1960, which earned him an Emmy nomination.[1]
[edit] Spin-off
Hennesey aired the pilot for the 1961-1962 CBS sitcom Mrs. G. Goes to College starring Gertrude Berg in the role of Cooper's "Aunt Sarah". In the last of Berg's television series, the character, as a 62-year-old widow, enrolls in college.
[edit] References
- ^ "Writer Richard Baer dies at 79". Variety Magazine. 2008-02-25. http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117981450.html?categoryid=25&cs=1&query=Richard+Baer+. Retrieved 2008-03-22.
[edit] External links
- Hennesey at the Internet Movie Database
- Hennesey at TV.com
- 1959 television series debuts
- 1962 television series endings
- 1950s American television series
- 1960s American television series
- American television sitcoms
- Black-and-white television programs
- CBS network shows
- English-language television series
- Military humor in film
- Television shows set in California
- Television series by CBS Paramount Television
