Meet Mr. McNutley
Encyclopedia
Meet Mr. McNutley is an American situation comedy
which aired on CBS Television from 1953–1955, with Ray Milland
in the role of fastidious Professor Ray McNutley, the head of the English Department at the fictitious Lynnhaven College for girls. Phyllis Avery
portrayed McNutley's wife, Peggy.
The half-hour series aired on Thursday evenings opposite Groucho Marx
's NBC
program, You Bet Your Life
. The show aired concurrently on radio during its first season. Both versions were sponsored by General Electric
, and originally presented under the umbrella title of The General Electric Comedy Theatre.
, he falls into a bear trap on a lake and become the object of an all-night search... Later episodes, however, do not stress the absent-minded angle.
In the episode "The Perfect Marriage", the college dean decides that Ray and Peggy, being an apparently model couple, can help another faculty couple resolve marital differences. In a heart-warming episode, McNutley finds a baby boy in his automobile and takes the child to an orphanage
. In the episode "House Party", the professor learns that his students generally regard him as an "old cornball". He invites them to his house to present himself in a different light. In the Christmas Eve episode broadcast in 1953, the professor and Mrs. McNutley give up a planned trip to accommodate a French student who cannot afford to go to Canada for the holiday. In another segment, McNutley is named "dean for a day" and encounters problems with sorority rush week.
In "Swimming Problem", McNutley becomes the substitute coach of the Lynnhaven swimming team. He finds that the star swimmer is frustrated with her boyfriend, and Ray and Peggy team up as matchmakers to restore the girl's morale. In "Ray's Promotion", the professor is named dean to replace Miss Josephine Bradley, portrayed by Minerva Urecal
, but his conscience causes him to work to reinstate Miss Bradley, knowing that his promotion will be lost in the process. In "Back in Uniform", Ray balks when the dean asks him to change a student's grade and threatens to quit if his moral stance is undermined. He also makes plans to attend a reunion of his old Army
regiment. When Miss Bradley sees Ray having the uniform cleaned, she incorrectly assumes that he is rejoining the military.
joins the cast as Dean Dodsworth. In the second season premiere, McNulty is involved with a wealthy alumnus, played by Hans Conreid, later Uncle Tonoose of The Danny Thomas Show
, who has written a play of low quality that McNulty must produce to obtain an endowment. In the episode, Milland uses the expression "Dial B for Blackmail
", paroding his role in the film then being released, Dial M for Murder
, with co-star Grace Kelly
. In the episode "The Doll's House", McNulty directs the college production of the Henrik Ibsen
play
while his wife decides that she must own a fur coat.
In "Retirement Deferred" Milland challenges the law at the time of compulsory retirement at the age of sixty-five, when one of the university's most beloved professors, portrayed by Henry Hull
, must retire. McNulty organizes a movement to prevent the professor from having to step down before he is ready. In the episode "The Prodigy", David Stollery
, later of Walt Disney
's serial
, The Adventures of Spin and Marty (in the role of Marty), appears as Peggy's cousin who enrolls at Comstock as a pre-teen. Ray finds the boy obnoxious; Disney sees the program and hires young Stollery for his most remembered role.
In "A Star Is Born", a take on a Judy Garland
film
, Peggy enrolls in Ray's drama class and lands a part in a play. In the Christmas episode 1954, Ray and Dean Dodsworth work feverishly to restore a Chinese orphan girl's lost faith in the holiday.
In "Jury Duty", Ray and Peggy McNulty are both called to judge the case of a husband, portrayed by voice actor Paul Frees
, who is seeking alimony
from his wife, played by Ann Doran
, later the mother in the NBC television version of National Velvet. Ray dissents with Peggy and the whole jury over the decision. In "International Incident", Ray casts two exchange students as Romeo and Juliet
, but the two become embroiled in political differences. In "A Week with Cinderella
", Harriet MacGibbon, later Mrs. Margaret Drysdale, the banker's wife on The Beverly Hillbillies
, appears as a home economics
major who takes over the McNulty household while the regular maid is away. Her strict belief in "organization" upsets the household.
and Bob Mosher
, four years before they launched the successful Leave It to Beaver
. The series was filmed in North Hollywood, California, at Revue Studios, later NBC Universal Television
.
In the second season, the series appeared opposite the Groucho Marx quiz show You Bet Your Life
on NBC and The Mail Story
, a short-lived anthology series about the U.S. Postal Service on ABC
.
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
which aired on CBS Television from 1953–1955, with Ray Milland
Ray Milland
Ray Milland was a Welsh actor and director. His screen career ran from 1929 to 1985, and he is best remembered for his Academy Award–winning portrayal of an alcoholic writer in The Lost Weekend , a sophisticated leading man opposite a corrupt John Wayne in Reap the Wild Wind , the murder-plotting...
in the role of fastidious Professor Ray McNutley, the head of the English Department at the fictitious Lynnhaven College for girls. Phyllis Avery
Phyllis Avery
Phyllis Avery was an American television and film actress.-Early life and career:Avery was born in New York City to Evelyn and author Stephen Morehouse Avery. Her father hailed from Webster Groves, Missouri, near St. Louis. Her first role was as Marjorie in the 1951 film Queen for a Day based on...
portrayed McNutley's wife, Peggy.
The half-hour series aired on Thursday evenings opposite Groucho Marx
Groucho Marx
Julius Henry "Groucho" Marx was an American comedian and film star famed as a master of wit. His rapid-fire delivery of innuendo-laden patter earned him many admirers. He made 13 feature films with his siblings the Marx Brothers, of whom he was the third-born...
's NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
program, You Bet Your Life
You Bet Your Life
You Bet Your Life is an American quiz show that aired on both radio and television. The original and best-known version was hosted by Groucho Marx of the Marx Brothers, with announcer and assistant George Fenneman. The show debuted on ABC Radio in October 1947, then moved to CBS Radio in September...
. The show aired concurrently on radio during its first season. Both versions were sponsored by General Electric
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
, and originally presented under the umbrella title of The General Electric Comedy Theatre.
First season
In the premiere episode on September 17, 1953, McNutley, as an "absent-minded professor", goes on a hunting trip, having forgotten that he has hired a young female assistant to work with him. He falls into a duck pond fully clothed. In another early episode, the absent-minded professor is a scoutmaster. While hikingHiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
, he falls into a bear trap on a lake and become the object of an all-night search... Later episodes, however, do not stress the absent-minded angle.
In the episode "The Perfect Marriage", the college dean decides that Ray and Peggy, being an apparently model couple, can help another faculty couple resolve marital differences. In a heart-warming episode, McNutley finds a baby boy in his automobile and takes the child to an orphanage
Orphanage
An orphanage is a residential institution devoted to the care of orphans – children whose parents are deceased or otherwise unable or unwilling to care for them...
. In the episode "House Party", the professor learns that his students generally regard him as an "old cornball". He invites them to his house to present himself in a different light. In the Christmas Eve episode broadcast in 1953, the professor and Mrs. McNutley give up a planned trip to accommodate a French student who cannot afford to go to Canada for the holiday. In another segment, McNutley is named "dean for a day" and encounters problems with sorority rush week.
In "Swimming Problem", McNutley becomes the substitute coach of the Lynnhaven swimming team. He finds that the star swimmer is frustrated with her boyfriend, and Ray and Peggy team up as matchmakers to restore the girl's morale. In "Ray's Promotion", the professor is named dean to replace Miss Josephine Bradley, portrayed by Minerva Urecal
Minerva Urecal
Minerva Urecal was an American actressBorn as Minerva Holzer, Urecal was originally a radio and stage performer. She made her film debut in 1933...
, but his conscience causes him to work to reinstate Miss Bradley, knowing that his promotion will be lost in the process. In "Back in Uniform", Ray balks when the dean asks him to change a student's grade and threatens to quit if his moral stance is undermined. He also makes plans to attend a reunion of his old Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
regiment. When Miss Bradley sees Ray having the uniform cleaned, she incorrectly assumes that he is rejoining the military.
Second season
In the second season, Professor McNutley switches from English instruction to dramas, the institution becomes Comstock University, and his own name is adjusted to "McNulty". Lloyd CorriganLloyd Corrigan
Lloyd Corrigan was an American film actor, producer, screenwriter and director who began working in films in the 1920s...
joins the cast as Dean Dodsworth. In the second season premiere, McNulty is involved with a wealthy alumnus, played by Hans Conreid, later Uncle Tonoose of The Danny Thomas Show
The Danny Thomas Show
The Danny Thomas Show is an American sitcom which ran from 1953-1957 on ABC and from 1957-1964 on CBS...
, who has written a play of low quality that McNulty must produce to obtain an endowment. In the episode, Milland uses the expression "Dial B for Blackmail
Blackmail
In common usage, blackmail is a crime involving threats to reveal substantially true or false information about a person to the public, a family member, or associates unless a demand is met. It may be defined as coercion involving threats of physical harm, threat of criminal prosecution, or threats...
", paroding his role in the film then being released, Dial M for Murder
Dial M for Murder
Dial M for Murder is a 1954 American thriller film adapted from a successful stage play by Frederick Knott, directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Ray Milland, Grace Kelly, and Robert Cummings. The movie was released by the Warner Bros...
, with co-star Grace Kelly
Grace Kelly
Grace Patricia Kelly was an American actress who, in April 1956, married Rainier III, Prince of Monaco, to become Princess consort of Monaco, styled as Her Serene Highness The Princess of Monaco, and commonly referred to as Princess Grace.After embarking on an acting career in 1950, at the age of...
. In the episode "The Doll's House", McNulty directs the college production of the Henrik Ibsen
Henrik Ibsen
Henrik Ibsen was a major 19th-century Norwegian playwright, theatre director, and poet. He is often referred to as "the father of prose drama" and is one of the founders of Modernism in the theatre...
play
A Doll's House
A Doll's House is a three-act play in prose by the Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. It premièred at the Royal Theatre in Copenhagen, Denmark, on 21 December 1879, having been published earlier that month....
while his wife decides that she must own a fur coat.
In "Retirement Deferred" Milland challenges the law at the time of compulsory retirement at the age of sixty-five, when one of the university's most beloved professors, portrayed by Henry Hull
Henry Hull
Henry Watterson Hull was an American character actor with a unique voice, most noted for playing the lead in Universal Pictures's Werewolf of London .-Life and career:Hull was born in Louisville, Kentucky...
, must retire. McNulty organizes a movement to prevent the professor from having to step down before he is ready. In the episode "The Prodigy", David Stollery
David Stollery
David John Stollery, III , is a former American child actor and, as an adult, a noted industrial designer. He appeared in numerous Disney movies and television programs in the 1950s...
, later of Walt Disney
Walt Disney
Walter Elias "Walt" Disney was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, international icon, and philanthropist, well-known for his influence in the field of entertainment during the 20th century. Along with his brother Roy O...
's serial
Serial (radio and television)
Serials are series of television programs and radio programs that rely on a continuing plot that unfolds in a sequential episode by episode fashion. Serials typically follow main story arcs that span entire television seasons or even the full run of the series, which distinguishes them from...
, The Adventures of Spin and Marty (in the role of Marty), appears as Peggy's cousin who enrolls at Comstock as a pre-teen. Ray finds the boy obnoxious; Disney sees the program and hires young Stollery for his most remembered role.
In "A Star Is Born", a take on a Judy Garland
Judy Garland
Judy Garland was an American actress and singer. Through a career that spanned 45 of her 47 years and for her renowned contralto voice, she attained international stardom as an actress in musical and dramatic roles, as a recording artist and on the concert stage...
film
A Star Is Born (1954 film)
A Star Is Born is a 1954 American musical film directed by George Cukor. The screenplay written by Moss Hart was an adaptation of the original 1937 film, which was based on the original screenplay by Robert Carson, Dorothy Parker, and Alan Campbell...
, Peggy enrolls in Ray's drama class and lands a part in a play. In the Christmas episode 1954, Ray and Dean Dodsworth work feverishly to restore a Chinese orphan girl's lost faith in the holiday.
In "Jury Duty", Ray and Peggy McNulty are both called to judge the case of a husband, portrayed by voice actor Paul Frees
Paul Frees
Paul Frees was an American voice actor and character actor.-Biography:He was born Solomon Hersh Frees in Chicago...
, who is seeking alimony
Alimony
Alimony is a U.S. term denoting a legal obligation to provide financial support to one's spouse from the other spouse after marital separation or from the ex-spouse upon divorce...
from his wife, played by Ann Doran
Ann Doran
Ann Lee Doran was an American character actress.-Early life and career:Born in Amarillo, Texas, Doran began acting at the age of four. She appeared in hundreds of silent films under assumed names to keep her father's family from finding out about her work...
, later the mother in the NBC television version of National Velvet. Ray dissents with Peggy and the whole jury over the decision. In "International Incident", Ray casts two exchange students as Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written early in the career of playwright William Shakespeare about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately unite their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular archetypal stories of young, teenage lovers.Romeo and Juliet belongs to a...
, but the two become embroiled in political differences. In "A Week with Cinderella
Cinderella
"Cinderella; or, The Little Glass Slipper" is a folk tale embodying a myth-element of unjust oppression/triumphant reward. Thousands of variants are known throughout the world. The title character is a young woman living in unfortunate circumstances that are suddenly changed to remarkable fortune...
", Harriet MacGibbon, later Mrs. Margaret Drysdale, the banker's wife on The Beverly Hillbillies
The Beverly Hillbillies
The Beverly Hillbillies is an American situation comedy originally broadcast for nine seasons on CBS from 1962 to 1971, starring Buddy Ebsen, Irene Ryan, Donna Douglas, and Max Baer, Jr....
, appears as a home economics
Home Economics
Home economics is the profession and field of study that deals with the economics and management of the home and community...
major who takes over the McNulty household while the regular maid is away. Her strict belief in "organization" upsets the household.
Production notes
Some episodes were written by the show's creator/producers, Joe ConnellyJoe Connelly (producer)
Joe Connelly was a television and radio scriptwriter born in New York City. He was best known for his work on Amos and Andy, Meet Mr...
and Bob Mosher
Bob Mosher
Robert "Bob" Mosher was a television and radio scriptwriter born in Auburn, New York. He was best known for his work on Amos and Andy, Meet Mr. McNutley, Leave It To Beaver, Ichabod and Me, Bringing Up Buddy, and The Munsters, along with his co-writer Joe Connelly who is buried in Culver City's...
, four years before they launched the successful Leave It to Beaver
Leave It to Beaver
Leave It to Beaver is an American television situation comedy about an inquisitive but often naïve boy named Theodore "The Beaver" Cleaver and his adventures at home, in school, and around his suburban neighborhood...
. The series was filmed in North Hollywood, California, at Revue Studios, later NBC Universal Television
NBC Universal Television
NBCUniversal Television Group is an American and global television production/distribution company and a subsidiary of NBCUniversal.The company is composed of six divisions: Universal Television , NBC Universal Television Stations, NBCUniversal Television Distribution, NBCUniversal...
.
In the second season, the series appeared opposite the Groucho Marx quiz show You Bet Your Life
You Bet Your Life
You Bet Your Life is an American quiz show that aired on both radio and television. The original and best-known version was hosted by Groucho Marx of the Marx Brothers, with announcer and assistant George Fenneman. The show debuted on ABC Radio in October 1947, then moved to CBS Radio in September...
on NBC and The Mail Story
The Mail Story
The Mail Story, subtitled Handle with Care, is a half-hour dramatic television anthology series which aired on ABC for thirteen weeks from October 7 to December 30, 1954....
, a short-lived anthology series about the U.S. Postal Service on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
.