Customer Reviews

Mr. Peepers (C. September, 1953-USA) [VHS]

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I enjoyed watching the Mr. Peepers video. I found it just like I remembered watching Wally Cox in the 50's I think on Sundays.
A lot of world and national news was going on at that time just like now but Mr. Peepers and the Alcoa hour I used to enjoy watching it when I went to my grandmothers house and as the adults were talking I would watch it quietly on an old small screen wooden television that seemed to take 5 minutes to warm up. I think anyone who wants to return to the peace of yesteryear need do is watch this video and you are really in a time warp of pleasantness. Steve Segall, Oceanside, Ca segalls@aol.com

The 100 black and white half-hour episodes of the early situation comedy "Mr. Peepers" were originally broadcast from 1952-55 on NBC. Like a lot of baby boomers this and "Ding Dong School" are my earliest memories of television. Since both ran later in syndication it is hard to tell how many of these memories are actually tied to the original broadcasts.

"Mr. Peepers" is worth checking out for more than its nostalgia value. It represents a very different style of situation comedy than shows like "The Honeymooners" and "I Love Lucy". The genre could have gone in two different directions in those days and ended up taking the loud abrasive path of those two shows; which is probably why they still seem somewhat contemporary.

"Mr. Peepers", which was differentiated by its intelligent restrained tone, may appear slow and dull in comparison. But it's really more a matter of adjusting to the different style. Once you get into the characters it should hold the interest of intelligent viewers. Credit should be give to the show's producer, Fred Coe, a key figure in early television whose dramatic anthologies are also worth checking out ("Philco Television Playhouse", "Lights Out", "Playhouse 90", "Producers Showcase", "Playwrights 56", "Fireside Theatre", etc.) even on kinescope.

"Mr. Peepers" offered a much more gentle style with Wally Cox (to be the voice of "Underdog" a few years later) in the title role, Robinson Peepers, a mild-mannered high school science teacher. His glasses were his trademark and a symbolic link to his name and role as a passive observer.

The series provided Cox with an outstanding supporting cast. Tony Randall played his brash best friend, history teacher Harvey Weskit. Jack Warden played Frank Whip, the loud gym teacher whose mild bullying gave the show most of its conflict elements.

There is some love interest competition involving the school's nurse, Nancy Remington (Patricia Benoit), with viewers quickly aligning with Mr. Peepers who seems a much better match for the gentle Nancy. Their on-screen marriage near the end 1953-54 season captured national attention, an early version of the "Who Shot J.R.?" frenzy.

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

It is so wonderful to see future actors in this early TV show - especially the incomparable Marion Lorne as the lovable but befuddled Mrs. Gurney. Her description of her summer travels is hysterical and she is a treasure. The quality of the film is spotty, but this is a gem.