A look at a 1965-1970 television show whose memory endures, after the jump ….
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A dozen years ago, I noted the death of the actor Don Adams on this site … and was amazed at the discussion it spawned. And after seeing a recent old episode of him as Maxwell Smart, I felt a retrospective of Get Smart would be worthwhile.
In 1965, a television production company wanted a show to cash-in on the spy business as exemplified by the James Bond films and The Man from U.N.C.L.E. television show (along with The Avengers on British television). But they decided to do so from a comedy aspect … and approached Mel Brooks with the idea. He was interested and — along with Buck Henry — created a show that the producers described as combining “James Bond … with Inspector Clouseau”.
(And while Mel Brooks had little involvement with the series after the first year: he said that the money he earned helped him put together his 1968 film The Producers … sparing him having to write jokes for variety shows of that era).
Brooks and Henry brought the script first to ABC, who thought the show excessive and wanted them to add a dog … and to feature Max’s mother. Brooks would not budge at so mundane an idea and ABC nixed the project.
Grant Tinker at NBC was receptive, but stipulated that the lead role go to Don Adams, who owed NBC work on a network contract. Having seen him on the Bill Dana Show — where he had already developed some of the tag-lines Get Smart would become famous for (more on that later) — Brooks was agreeable. Don was wary of committing to any series (wanting to do specials, instead) … but once he heard that Mel Brooks and Buck Henry were involved, he agreed to do the show — without even reading a script.
Unlike the more serious NBC spy agency show, where U.N.C.L.E. and THRUSH stood for actual acronyms (albeit made-up ones) — here, CONTROL and the evil KAOS stood for … nothing well, mayhem. Many of the CONTROL agents had numbers, such as Agent 13 (often seen in, say, a laundromat washing machine), while Edward Platt had the role of the agency head whose first name is revealed as Thaddeus, but is otherwise known as “The Chief”. His assistant is the dim-witted Larabee (who was the cousin of Don Adams in real life) while one agent is a humanoid robot named Hymie. He is quite human-looking, but responds literally to commands: “Hymie, kill the lights” does not mean using a light switch ... but rather, aiming a firearm at the fixtures. (Dick Gautier, who portrayed Hymie, died just four months ago at the age of 85).
But the stars were Don Adams (as Maxwell Smart, Agent 86) and Barbara Feldon (Agent 99). Don Adams survived a case of malaria during WW-II and found comedy work with his longtime friend Bill Dana (who is still alive at age 92). He was not unlike Gomer Pyle and Dudley Do-Right in that he always got the job done … but perpetually leaving his commanding officer this-close to a brain explosion. Adams was also the voice of the Tennessee Tuxedo cartoon series, yet found it hard to escape being typecast, with much of the work he had later had based upon Max. Fortunately, he had passed up an offer of $12,500-a-week salary in favor of a percentage of the show's profits, and so had a steady income the rest of his life. An avid gambler (at times to the detriment of his family), he died in 2005 at the age of 82.
Don Adams (1923-2005)Two of the major characters are still alive, and deserve a more in-depth look.
Barbara Feldon was born Barbara Hall in 1933 (near Pittsburgh) and had done commercials and TV roles before being cast as 99. The show’s producers wanted someone attractive and brainy to counter-act Max’s buffoonish ways — and in Barbara, they had a match. She had done some early television work, but was unhappy and found modeling and commercials more fun. She was also a drama school graduate of the prestigious Carnegie Mellon University and in 1957 won a grand prize on the $64,000 Question game show.
She had appeared on a TV drama with George C. Scott, with the same production company that later developed Get Smart — and when they read the first script, they immediately saw her as the perfect 99 and offered her the role without an audition. Part of the show’s appeal was having Max ignore a suggestion she made, then have him pronounce it as his own idea three seconds later … with her replying “Good thinking, Max” …. and rolling-her-eyes. (A metaphor, certainly).
Barbara Feldon in the 60’s ..At age 84 today, she lives in New York and while she retired from acting in 2006 she still writes for a local magazine and in 2003 wrote a book entitled Living Alone — and Loving It (the last part co-opting one of the show’s tag lines). Barbara Feldon says that many women tell her that her character was a role model for that era. When 99 and Max marry in the final season (and she gives birth to twins) she is (quite possibly) the first TV mother who kept working after giving birth.
…… and earlier this yearBernie Kopell made many guest appearances on TV prior to this show and became typecast as an actor ... but not for his role as Siegfried in Get Smart — rather, it was for his role as the ship’s doctor in The Love Boat a decade later. He was the most frequent KAOS villain, whose official title was Vice President for Public Relations and Terrorism. His lackey assistant was named Shtarker (portrayed by the late King Moody) who could switch from serious words to a child-like description of something (using the word KA-BOOM, for instance). At times like that, Siegfried would admonish his sidekick with this rejoinder:
“Shtarker, zis is KAOS! Ve don’t [insert activity] here!”
Bernie Kopell as Siegfried ...Bernie Kopell will also turn age 84 next month, still makes TV performances (often hinting at his role on The Love Boat) and frequently participates in many celebrity tennis tournaments benefiting charities.
…and Kopell in recent yearsThe show ran for four years on NBC, and when it was cancelled (for declining ratings) it was picked-up by CBS for the final 1969-1970 season (where Max and 99 marry).
In 1989, a made-for-TV reunion movie entitled Get Smart, Again! appeared on ABC — the network that originally turned-down the show — and I recall watching it with enthusiasm. Others must have felt the same, as it garnered high ratings.
This led to a (short-lived) revival series on the Fox broadcast network in 1995, with Max as now the head of CONTROL. This marked the first time since the 1950’s that a TV program had appeared on four major TV networks of the day (with the old DuMont network that went defunct in the mid-1950’s being the fourth back then).
In 2008, there was finally a feature-length film version of Get Smart — which I enjoyed, despite some notable differences. It starred Steve Carrell as Maxwell Smart … although unlike Don Adams’ character, he portrayed Max as very naïve (rather than a buffoon). Anne Hathaway starred as 99 and — likewise — the role was different, with her being more of a Lara Croft-style physically active agent, rather than an assistant. Alan Arkin stars as The Chief, with a more active role than Edward Platt had, and there is a cameo appearance by Bernie Kopell as an automobile driver. (Barbara Feldon was unable to make a cameo appearance, which is believed due to an illness at the time of filming).
The show had many famous gadgets, with two standing out in particular: one was Max’s shoe phone— which has appeared in exhibits at the CIA and in forums open to the general public.
“Hello, Chief?”The other was the Cone of Silence— which Max always wanted to use to speak to the Chief in secret — yet which always malfunctioned, and had there been actual eavesdropping: it would have been more decipherable than ordinary speech.
“Maybe it’ll work *this* time, Chief?”Next, there are the show’s catch-phrases… I will only list a few; surely some reading this can add others in the comments:
“Sorry about that, Chief”
“Don’t tell me that” …. “I asked you not to tell me that!”
“Missed it by ... that much!”
“If it isn’t the old __________ Trick …….... second time this month!”
Chief: “Max, you'll be facing every kind of danger imaginable!” Max: “And loving it!”
(Plus my favorite: which originated on the Bill Dana Show)
Max: “Siegfried, this place is surrounded by CONTROL agents!”
Siegfried: “I find that very hard to believe, Mr. Smart.” Max: “Would you believe … five policemen and a bloodhound?” Siegfried: (just stares) Max: "How about two angry Girl Scouts?"
The show also featured appearances by numerous guest stars: just a few include Milton Berle, Ernest Borgnine, Carol Burnett, James Caan, Jamie Farr, Bob Hope, Martin Landau, Julie Newmar, Vincent Price and Don Rickles.
An episode of the show was referenced in 1974 (four years after it went off the air) in a hotly contested U.S. Senate race. Referring to the Farkas Fracas (when Max battled KAOS agent Naomi Farkas) — in my 2005 Don Adams diary, DK commenter Elwood Dowd noted the following:
In 1974, the New Hampshire US Senate race between incumbent Louis Wyman (R) and challenger John Durkin included an issue regarding an ambassadorship that Wyman arranged for campaign contributor Ruth Farkas. Durkin referred to this as the 'Farkas fracas.'
For many people, Get Smart (which won seven Emmy Awards) brings back memories not only of their own childhood … but also of loved ones. I have heard many people my age say “I remember my father laughing hysterically at Max” — and in 1999 TV Guide named Maxwell Smart as #19 on its 50 Greatest TV Characters of All Time list.
And finally: just last weekend, a high school in Washington state featured the show as a student play— with 41 students performing in it. Get Smart: The Next Generation?
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Here are three videos to close …. beginning with the 1st season’s opening theme:
x xYouTube VideoNext, the 1989 reunion film … observe the now-squeaking doors (and cobwebs) ….
x xYouTube VideoAnd finally ….. a short clip from my favorite episode, The Groovy Guru (as portrayed by F Troop’s Larry Storch, who is still alive at age 94). This episode shows the Guru taking over the country’s teenagers through subliminal messages in his radio shows, along with the Sacred Cows— the “hottest rock group in the country” — the absurdity of which was still the mindset of scriptwriters and directors in January, 1968 (which would soon change, as the rock and roll generation went on to begin working in the television industry). TV Guide in 1997 included this in its 100 Greatest TV Episodes of All Time list.
x xYouTube Video-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------—
Now, on to Top Comments:
From BoiseBlue:
In bradam's apt diary about Comey's firing, someone asked if Spicey really hid in the bushes when approached by reporters … and memofromturner then succinctly confirmed it.From BrowniesAreGood:
In the diary by polecat about the secretive ways of a GOP strategy firm — I nominate this comment submitted by Hatrax.From Angela Marx:
In the front-page story about Tom Price applauding the arrest of the journalist who shouted questions to him - Jerseytime wrote one of those "ah, now THAT is a Top Comment" moments you get …. the moment you read it.Highlighted by raboof:
In the diary by Leslie Salzillo about an ugly Trump supporter at a beach hotel in Texas — kovie makes a prediction that (alas) cannot be dismissed out-of-hand, these days.And from Ed Tracey, your faithful correspondent this evening ........
In the diary by Walter Einenkel about the latest addition to the dissembling Trump spokespeople, Sarah Huckabee Sanders— an amused CorpFlunky wonders if Sean Spicer fears legal problems, and then (down-thread) amineri notes this weekend’s Saturday Night Live with Melissa McCarthy … which begins a discussion as to whether Sarah arrived too late in the week to be lampooned.And lastly: yesterday's Top Mojo - mega-mojo to the intrepid mik ...... who rescued this feature from oblivion:
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