On DVD: Date With the Angels (1957)

Look up "national institution" in the dictionary, and you're likely to find a picture of actress Betty White. Still going strong in her 90's, and currently co-starring in TV Land's Hot In Cleveland, Ms. White has been a television fixture since the 50's.

Growing up, I wasn't aware of her earlier work, and, like many of you, I only knew of her from The Mary Tyler Moore Show and a zillion game show appearances, including Password & Match Game. By that time, her 50's series, such as Date With The Angels, were withdrawn from syndication, if they were ever available at all.

Let's talk Date With The Angels. The series started as a fantasy sitcom when it launched in May 1957, with Vickie Angel (White) lapsing into regular daydreams, a la James Thurber's The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, which had been adapted into a feature film starring Danny Kaye (the remake, with Ben Stiller, is due later this month). Producer Don Fedderson (The Millionaire) and his faithful aides, Fred Henry & George Tibbles, would later find success with My Three Sons, which, like Angels, aired on ABC, but unlike Angels, would later move to CBS to finish its run. Bill Williams played Vickie's husband, Gus, and Jimmy Boyd (The Mickey Mouse Club) co-starred, but will not appear in the following episode.

"Santa's Helper" is about an elderly neighbor of the Angels, played by Burt Mustin, whose career extended well into the 80's, if memory serves me correctly. The guest cast also includes Richard Deacon (Leave It To Beaver) & Nancy Kulp, better known, of course, for her later work on The Beverly Hillbillies. Future game show icon Tom Kennedy is the announcer and pitchman for Plymouth, the show's sponsor. Oddly enough, Kennedy's brother, Jack Narz, filled the same role in White's earlier series, Life With Elizabeth, though likely for a different sponsor.

Here's "Santa's Helper":

 

As you can see, by the time this episode aired, the format had changed to just another domestic sitcom, which might explain why the series ended a month later, replaced by a live solo series for White.

Rating: B-.