MovieChat Forums > Petticoat Junction (1963) Discussion > They Wanted A Dance Craze?

They Wanted A Dance Craze?

posted 10 years ago by richard.fuller1
8 replies | jump to latest

I love watching these old shows where they persist with dancing and singing with the anticipation of starting a craze of some sorts, I guess looking for that next break-out Ricky Nelson?

One I never comprehended when I was little but now realize was probably going on, was the Flintstones endless singing.

By the end of the decade, we had Scooby Doo and Josie and the Pussycats, once again trying to recapture the ARchies.

But in watching Petticoat Junction, so far this week, there have been two episodes with the girls dancing to a Hop song called the Petticoat Hop.

They were clearly wanting to become a new American Bandstand or something, weren't they?

I've never seen the episodes, but I guess they are coming up, with Sheila James guesting as the fourth female Beatle with the Bradley girls.

Granted, Meredith MacRae sang on the show, with and without Steve.

I guess the intriguing thing is Petticoat Junction did this, while Beverly Hillbillies and Green Acres never really did.

I'm aware everyone from Gilligan's Island's Honeybees to the Jetsons Jett Screamer all were vying for these songs.

Petticoat Junction just seems to have persisted for so long, it seems.

[–] ronaldt49 9 years ago

"Hooterville Hop"

Today's episode titled 'My Daughter the Doctor' introduced this dance while also letting us know Bill Bradley, Kate's late husband and the father of the girls.

Meanwhile Uncle Joe spent the episode eating pie which ties in with another thread on this board.

[–] ronaldt49 9 years ago

It's back today in episode "Betty Jo's First Love".

Didn't quite make it to American Bandstand, did it?

[–] justinr1496 9 years ago

I just think they just felt like every sitcom had to have music in it every now and then. I know that's not something that happens often in sitcom's today but it's hard to remember a sitcom in the 50s or 60s that didn't have a musical performance every now and then. All the following Sitcoms had music on them sometimes...

I Love Lucy (Ricky sang at the club)
The Andy Griffith Show (Andy sung and played guitar, The Dillards guest-starred on the show as the Darlings)
The Beverly Hillbillies (Flatt and Scuggs guess-starred)
Ozzie & Harriet (Ricky sang)
The Dick Van Dyke Show (Almost all the main characters sang and guest stars sang)
Gomer Pyle USMC (Gomer Sang)
Gilligan's Island (The Wellingtons guest-starred as the Mosquitoes, Ginger sang)

I think it may have had to do with the popularity of Variety shows. They wanted give the viewer there fill of music as well as comedy.

[–] richard.fuller1 9 years ago

The Ladybugs came on today. I recorded it to watch and was amused to see I HAD watched it and forgotten the ending. It was that bland.

It's funny that the show wanted a Petticoat Hop (obviously to catch on as they kept doing it) and suddenly there was the Beatles craze and this was the show's response.

The Lady Bugs would also appear on The Ed Sullivan show (the four actresses, Riley, Woodell, Kaye and James) in 'costume' and sing who-knows-what, but today the Honeybees on Gilligan's Island is much better remembered.

It is also incredibly ANNOYING to see Kate look bewildered and shocked at the singing. She did the same thing with Meredith MacRae singing later on and she started dancing (and didn't seem to understand if she was singing Dusty Springfield or go-go music).

But this morning on the Ladybugs, she inexplicably put some lettuce leaves on her head as tho that simulated the mop top look.

It is just baffling to me as to if people were seeing floppy hair or beatniks or what.

Phyllis Diller said they (the older generation) believed all of this was just a fad and we'd be listening to Perry Como and Dean Martin again.

[–] sjbradford 9 years ago

the Honeybees on Gilligan's Island is much better remembered.

Well, in fairness, the Honeybees episode of Gilligan's Island ran in syndication for over 40 years. The Ladybugs episode of PJ was not rerun on TV for almost 50 years, until ME-TV picked up the B&W episodes of PJ two years ago.

I didn't understand why they needed Sheila James' character. When her character dropped out, I didn't understand why the promoter walked away from the group. Surely there was another girl - prettier than plain James - in the Valley who could have joined the group. The only one they really needed was Bobbie Jo, who did the singing.

[–] richard.fuller1 9 years ago

sjbradford: "When her character dropped out, I didn't understand why the promoter walked away from the group. Surely there was another girl - prettier than plain James - in the Valley who could have joined the group. The only one they really needed was Bobbie Jo, who did the singing.
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To keep Uncle Joe as the final joke. Because he's so funny (can't stand Uncle Joe).

[–] sjbradford 9 years ago

I'm with you. A little of Uncle Joe goes a long way. He's like Gale Gordon from The Lucy Show in that way - both played overbearing characters who were amusing in very small doses, but were way overused by their respective shows.

[–] richard.fuller1 9 years ago

But they were from different perspectives; Mr. Mooney was to be the antagonist, just to be annoyed.

For some odd reason, PJ seemed to think Joe was a 'lovable' uncle or something, and that his antics just brought a chuckle from everybody.

"Oh, that rascal Uncle Joe!"

That might have been the case had his antics been even slightly amusing, in a Jethro Bodine sort of way.

I'd compare Joe to the same way Eb and Kimball come across on Green Acres. They just prattle nonsense. For some reason Alf and Ralph seem to keep a direction of some kind.

Kimball I just can't stand either.

Mooney is more toward Sgt. Carter on Gomer Pyle. While I do like Carter and Sutton strives to make it work, his rantings go a bit too far.

Gordon as Mooney (or we should say Harry) can go from screaming to "why did you do that?" very well.

I don't know why anyone thought Uncle Joe would be entertaining when he was of the "let's play checkers for fun" persona.

But in truth, it would have been one hundred percent better if Frank Cady had played Uncle Joe. That would have been brilliant.