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Private Secretary (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Private Secretary is an American sitcom
that aired from February 1, 1953 to September 10, 1957 on CBS
, alternating with The Jack Benny Program
on Sundays at 7:30pm EST. The series stars Ann Sothern
as Susie MacNamara, devoted secretary to handsome talent agent Peter Sands played by Don Porter
.
), who was also the office's nervous and bumbling receptionist. In guest appearances, Jesse White
played Mickey "Cagey" Calhoun, a chief competitor and loudmouthed agent business rival to Susie's boss.
One of the show's trademarks was the set decoration portraying a 1950's state-of-the-art executive office, with stylish decor, IBM
typewriters and the latest office telephone gear from Western Electric
. There were occasional references to a young actress, never seen, who was a client of Mr. Sands, named Harriet Lake (Sothern's real name).
In an unusual move, Private Secretary also had two brief runs on another network. During the summers of 1953 and 1954, reruns from the recent season were shown on NBC
as a summer replacement for Your Hit Parade
, with the series resuming new shows on CBS each fall.
, ending the series' run.
Sothern, along with the rest of the cast, went on to star in another weekly series, The Ann Sothern Show
, from 1958 to 1961.
Sothern reprised the character of Susie MacNamara for the premiere episode of The Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Show (later shown in repeats as The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour
). In this installment, entitled "Lucy Takes a Cruise To Havana (which was originally a 75-minute episode), Sothern appeared opposite Lucille Ball
, Desi Arnaz
, Vivian Vance
, William Frawley
, Keith Thibodeaux
, Hedda Hopper
, Rudy Vallee
, and Cesar Romero
.
, the opening title sequence and series name were changed. The series, which was sponsored by American Tobacco for Lucky Strike cigarettes
during its original run, featured the companies sponsor I.D. in the opening title sequence which could not be aired in syndication. An animated title sequence was made featuring a cartoon "Susie".
The series' name was also changed when producer Jack Chertok withheld the rights to the show's original title in hopes of replacing Sothern with another actress in the title role. Chertok released Susie into syndication in the fall of 1957. The original title sequence has not been viewed since Private Secretary's original run.
Susie aired on Nick at Nite
from January 1987 to June 1990.
, released one volume of the series on Region 1 DVD
in the United States. Both releases were identical with the exception of the artwork. Both companies released three more identical volumes. The latest, volume four, was released in April of 2007
. Each volume contains four episodes of the series from varying seasons.
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...
that aired from February 1, 1953 to September 10, 1957 on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
, alternating with The Jack Benny Program
The Jack Benny Program
The Jack Benny Program, starring Jack Benny, is a radio-TV comedy series that ran for more than three decades and is generally regarded as a high-water mark in 20th-century American comedy.-Cast:*Jack Benny - Himself...
on Sundays at 7:30pm EST. The series stars Ann Sothern
Ann Sothern
Ann Sothern was an American film and television actress whose career spanned six decades.-Early life and career:...
as Susie MacNamara, devoted secretary to handsome talent agent Peter Sands played by Don Porter
Don Porter
Donald Porter was an American actor who appeared in a number of films in the 1940s, including Top Sergeant and Eagle Squadron, but is perhaps best known for his role as Russell Lawrence, the widowed father of 15-year old Frances "Gidget" Lawrence in the 1965 ABC television series...
.
Overview
Susie MacNamara (Sothern) was a former stage actress (and a WAC veteran of WW2 and also a single woman as well) who worked as the private secretary for theatrical agent Peter Sands (Porter) at the fictional New York theatrical agency, International Artists Inc. Susie's honest, good-natured attempts to help Mr. Sands, especially in romantic matters, led to comedic complications. Susie was usually assisted by her best friend, Violet "Vi" Praskins (Ann TyrrellAnn Tyrrell
Ann Tyrrell was an American actress who co-starred in both of the Ann Sothern CBS sitcoms Private Secretary and The Ann Sothern Show .-Career:...
), who was also the office's nervous and bumbling receptionist. In guest appearances, Jesse White
Jesse White (actor)
Jesse White was an American television, film, and stage character actor. He is best remembered for portraying the Maytag repairman in television commercials, a role he played from 1967 to 1988.-Life and career:...
played Mickey "Cagey" Calhoun, a chief competitor and loudmouthed agent business rival to Susie's boss.
One of the show's trademarks was the set decoration portraying a 1950's state-of-the-art executive office, with stylish decor, IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
typewriters and the latest office telephone gear from Western Electric
Western Electric
Western Electric Company was an American electrical engineering company, the manufacturing arm of AT&T from 1881 to 1995. It was the scene of a number of technological innovations and also some seminal developments in industrial management...
. There were occasional references to a young actress, never seen, who was a client of Mr. Sands, named Harriet Lake (Sothern's real name).
In an unusual move, Private Secretary also had two brief runs on another network. During the summers of 1953 and 1954, reruns from the recent season were shown on 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...
as a summer replacement for Your Hit Parade
Your Hit Parade
Your Hit Parade, is an American radio and television music program that was broadcast from 1935 to 1955 on radio, and seen from 1950 to 1959 on television. It was sponsored by American Tobacco's Lucky Strike cigarettes. During this 24-year run, the show had 19 orchestra leaders and 52 singers or...
, with the series resuming new shows on CBS each fall.
Series ending
The series was renewed for a fifth season, but Sothern walked out in a contact dispute with producer Jack ChertokJack Chertok
Jack Chertok was an American film and television producer perhaps best known to modern viewers as producer for the 182 black and white episodes of The Lone Ranger.-Career:...
, ending the series' run.
Sothern, along with the rest of the cast, went on to star in another weekly series, The Ann Sothern Show
The Ann Sothern Show
The Ann Sothern Show is an American sitcom starring Ann Sothern that aired on CBS for 93 episodes. The series began on October 6, 1958, and ended on September 25, 1961. The Ann Sothern Show was Sothern's second sitcom for CBS...
, from 1958 to 1961.
Sothern reprised the character of Susie MacNamara for the premiere episode of The Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Show (later shown in repeats as The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour
The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour
The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour is a CBS television situation comedy. The show is a collection of occasional specials rather than a regular series and originally served as part of Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse...
). In this installment, entitled "Lucy Takes a Cruise To Havana (which was originally a 75-minute episode), Sothern appeared opposite Lucille Ball
Lucille Ball
Lucille Désirée Ball was an American comedian, film, television, stage and radio actress, model, film and television executive, and star of the sitcoms I Love Lucy, The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour, The Lucy Show, Here's Lucy and Life With Lucy...
, Desi Arnaz
Desi Arnaz
Desi Arnaz was a Cuban-born American musician, actor and television producer. While he gained international renown for leading a Latin music band, the Desi Arnaz Orchestra, he is probably best known for his role as Ricky Ricardo on the American TV series I Love Lucy, starring with Lucille Ball, to...
, Vivian Vance
Vivian Vance
Vivian Roberta Jones was an American television and theater actress and singer. Often referred to as “TV’s most beloved second banana,” she is best known for her role as Ethel Mertz, sidekick to Lucille Ball on the American television sitcom I Love Lucy, and as Vivian Bagley on The Lucy...
, William Frawley
William Frawley
William Clement "Bill" Frawley was an American stage entertainer, screen and television actor. Although Frawley acted in over 100 films, he achieved his greatest fame playing landlord Fred Mertz for the situation comedy I Love Lucy.-Early life:William was born to Michael A. Frawley and Mary E....
, Keith Thibodeaux
Keith Thibodeaux
Keith Thibodeaux is a former child actor and musician, best known for playing "Little Ricky" in the I Love Lucy and The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour television shows.-Career:He is credited for those series as Richard Keith...
, Hedda Hopper
Hedda Hopper
Hedda Hopper was an American actress and gossip columnist, whose long-running feud with friend turned arch-rival Louella Parsons became at least as notorious as many of Hopper's columns.-Early life:...
, Rudy Vallee
Rudy Vallée
Rudy Vallée was an American singer, actor, bandleader, and entertainer.-Early life:Born Hubert Prior Vallée in Island Pond, Vermont, the son of Charles Alphonse and Catherine Lynch Vallée...
, and Cesar Romero
Cesar Romero
Cesar Julio Romero, Jr. was an American film and television actor who was active in film, radio, and television for almost sixty years...
.
Syndication
Before Private Secretary went into syndicationTelevision syndication
In broadcasting, syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast radio shows and television shows by multiple radio stations and television stations, without going through a broadcast network, though the process of syndication may conjure up structures like those of a network itself, by its very...
, the opening title sequence and series name were changed. The series, which was sponsored by American Tobacco for Lucky Strike cigarettes
Lucky Strike
Lucky Strike is a brand of cigarette owned by the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company and British American Tobacco groups. Often referred to as "Luckies", Lucky Strike was the top selling cigarette in the United States during the 1930s.- History :...
during its original run, featured the companies sponsor I.D. in the opening title sequence which could not be aired in syndication. An animated title sequence was made featuring a cartoon "Susie".
The series' name was also changed when producer Jack Chertok withheld the rights to the show's original title in hopes of replacing Sothern with another actress in the title role. Chertok released Susie into syndication in the fall of 1957. The original title sequence has not been viewed since Private Secretary's original run.
Susie aired on Nick at Nite
Nick at Nite
Nick at Nite is the nighttime Cable network that broadcasts over the channel space of Nickelodeon on Sundays from 8.p.m.-7.am., Monday through Fridays from 9 p.m.-7 a.m. and Saturdays from 10 p.m.-6 a.m. . Though it shares channel space with Nickelodeon, A.C. Nielsen Co...
from January 1987 to June 1990.
DVD release
In 2006, two video distributors, Critics' Choice and Alpha VideoAlpha Video
Alpha Video is an entertainment company, based near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that specializes in the manufacturing and marketing of public domain movies and TV shows on DVD...
, released one volume of the series on Region 1 DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
in the United States. Both releases were identical with the exception of the artwork. Both companies released three more identical volumes. The latest, volume four, was released in April of 2007
2007 in home video
-Film releases:-TV show releases:...
. Each volume contains four episodes of the series from varying seasons.
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Recipient |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1955 | Emmy Award Emmy Award An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various... |
Best Actress Starring in a Regular Series | Ann Sothern |
| 1955 | Emmy Award | Best Situation Comedy Series | |
| 1956 | Emmy Award | Best Cinematography for Television | Robert Pittack |
| 1956 | Emmy Award | Best Actress - Continuing Performance | Ann Sothern |
| 1957 | Emmy Award | Best Continuing Performance by a Comedienne in a Series | Ann Sothern |