Originally broadcast on American television between 1952 and 1969, the 30 situation comedies in this work are seldom seen today and receive only brief and often incomplete and inaccurate mentions in most reference sources. Yet these sitcoms (including Angel, The Governor and J.J., It's a Great Life, I'm Dickens ... He's Fenster and Wendy and Me), and the stories of the talented people who made them, are an integral part of television history. With a complete list of production credits and rare publicity stills, this volume, based on multiple screenings of episodes, corrects other sources and expand our knowledge of television history.

Bringing together well-established scholars of media, political science, sociology, and film to investigate the representation of Washington politics on U.S. television from the mid-2000s to the present, this volume offers stimulating perspectives on the status of representations of contemporary US politics, the role of government and the machinations and intrigue often associated with politicians and governmental institutions. The authors help to locate these representations both in the context of the history of earlier television shows that portrayed the political culture of Washington as well as within the current political culture transpiring both inside and outside of "The Beltway." With close attention to issues of gender, race and class and offering studies from contemporary quality television, including popular programmes such as The West Wing, Veep, House of Cards, The Americans, The Good Wife and Scandal, the authors examine the ways in which televisual representations reveal changing attitudes towards Washington culture, shedding light on the role of the media in framing the public’s changing perception of politics and politicians. Exploring the new era in which television finds itself, with new production practices and the possible emergence of a new ’political genre’ emerging, Politics and Politicians in Contemporary U.S. Television also considers the ’humanizing’ of political characters on television, asking what that representation of politicians as human beings says about the national political culture. A fascinating study that sits at the intersection of politics and television, this book will appeal to scholars of popular culture, sociology, cultural and media studies.

Analyzing complex social and political issues through their manifestations in popular culture, this book provides readers a strong foundational knowledge of the 1960s as a decade. 1969 went out in a way that could never have been imagined in 1960. While the president at the end of the decade had been vice president at the start, the intervening years permanently changed American culture. Pop Goes the Decade: The Sixties explores the cultural and social framework of the 1960s, addressing film, television, sports, technology, media/advertising, fashion, art, and more. Entries are presented in encyclopedic fashion, organized into such categories as controversies in pop culture, game changers, technology, and the decade's legacy. A timeline highlights significant cultural moments, while an introduction and a conclusion place those moments within the contexts of preceding and subsequent decades. Attention to the decade's most prominent influencers allows readers to understand the movements with which these figures are associated, and discussion of controversies and social change enables readers to gain a stronger understanding of evolving American social values.

On December 31, 1939, nationwide radio audiences listened as 17-year-old Josephine Owaissa Cottle, a Texas schoolgirl, won Gateway to Hollywood's new talent competition. Her prize was a movie contract at RKO and a memorable stage name--"Gale Storm." One of the United States' most beloved entertainers, she appeared in 35 films, starred in two hit television series (one was My Little Margie) and earned a gold record for "I Hear You Knockin'." Drawing on interviews with family, friends and colleagues, this biography provides many unpublished details of her life and career. An annotated filmography encompasses Storm's time at Monogram Pictures, her roles in westerns and her appearances in classics such as It Happened on 5th Avenue. Her TV career is covered, including complete production histories and episode guides.

The Emmy-nominated star of the classic 1950s sitcom I Married Joan, Joan Davis (1912-1961) was also radio's highest paid comedienne in the 1940s--and she displayed her unique brand of knockabout comedy in more than forty films. This book provides a complete account of her career, including a filmography with critical commentary, and the most detailed episode logs ever compiled for her radio and television programs. A biographical chapter offers never-before-published information about her family background, marriage to vaudeville comedian Si Wills and relationships with other men, and her tragic early death.

On stage from her childhood, Martha Raye (1916-1994) proudly embraced the role of the clown, her gift for slapstick comedy enhanced by a fine singing voice. She became a star with her first feature film, Rhythm on the Range (1936), as the zany, loudmouthed girl looking for love--or chasing it as it ran away. She won popular and critical acclaim with The Martha Raye Show (1954-1956) before it was abruptly cancelled, partly because of her chaotic personal life. Drawing on new interviews with her colleagues, this retrospective covers the life and career of an enduringly funny lady who influenced a generation of women comedians. Her reign as a top NBC star of the 1950s is covered, along with her appearances on popular variety shows, her roles in fondly remembered series like The Bugaloos, McMillan and Alice, and her film career that teamed her with the likes of Jack Benny, Charlie Chaplin and Doris Day.

Rochelle Hudson's career as an actress was planned from the start (born in 1916) by her ambitious stage mother. Given rigorous dance and musical training as a child, Hudson won her first film contract at the age of 14. A WAMPAS Baby Star in 1931, she co-starred with actors such as W.C. Fields, Henry Fonda, Claudette Colbert, Will Rogers and Fredric March in classic films like Imitation of Life (1934) and Les Miserables (1935). But within a few years, she was stuck in B movies and frustrated. Stepping away from Hollywood, Hudson worked as a realtor and a rancher, and even did wartime espionage work for the Navy. She continued acting occasionally, in Rebel Without a Cause (1955), the TV sitcom That's My Boy (1954-55), and the campy horror film Strait-Jacket (1964). A timeless beauty, she was married (and divorced) four times before her untimely death in 1972 at age 55. Drawing on personal papers, interviews with family and friends and genealogical research, this first account of Rochelle Hudson's life and work depicts a talented and outspoken woman who built a successful career on her own terms. The annotated filmography provides synopses, critical commentary and reviews for nearly 60 feature films.