Guestward, Ho!
Encyclopedia
Guestward, Ho! is a situation comedy
which aired on the ABC
network
in the 1960-1961 television season
, based on the 1956 book of the same title by Patrick Dennis
, author of Auntie Mame
.
Guestward Ho started out as a CBS-TV pilot which was filmed by Desilu in 1958 as a starring vehicle for Vivian Vance
, who had been best known as Ethel Mertz on the comedy series I Love Lucy
as well as The Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Show from 1951-1960.
Vance played Babs Hooten and veteran film actor Leif Erickson
was cast as her husband, Bill Hooten. On viewing the pilot, network executives felt that Vance had become so typecast in the Ethel Mertz role that she was unconvincing playing a leading character in a situation comedy. One executive was heard to say after screening the episode, "I kept waiting for Lucy to come in." As a result, CBS rejected the pilot and Vance continued to play her supporting role on The Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Show until the series ended in 1960.
Ironically, that very same year, Guestward Ho! was taken off the shelf and given two new leads, with movie actress Joanne Dru
as Babs Hooten and television actor Mark Miller
playing Bill Hooten. This time, the show sold to ABC
, where it premiered in September 1960.
The premise is a New York City
family, the Hootens, tired of the urban
lifestyle, relocate to operate a dude ranch
in New Mexico
. They bought the place unseen, and found it to need considerably more work than they had been led to believe. The Hootens did, however, befriend the American Indian
"Hawkeye" whose "trading post" was the only source of supplies in the vicinity. Hawkeye, played by J. Carrol Naish
, was a rather cynical Indian, who sold Indian-looking trinket
s which had been mass-produced in Asia
, and frequently read The Wall Street Journal
, seemingly in search of a way to buy the country and return it to its "rightful owners".
The program ran for one season on Thursday evenings as the lead to The Donna Reed Show
and opposite NBC
's Outlaws, with Barton MacLane
and Don Collier
. Guestward Ho was replaced by the relocation of The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet
.
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...
which aired on the ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
network
Television network
A television network is a telecommunications network for distribution of television program content, whereby a central operation provides programming to many television stations or pay TV providers. Until the mid-1980s, television programming in most countries of the world was dominated by a small...
in the 1960-1961 television season
1960-61 United States network television schedule
The 1960–61 United States network television schedule was for the period that began in September 1960 and ran through March 1961.On May 9, 1961, at the annual convention of the National Association of Broadcasters new FCC chairman Newton Minow delivered a scathing speech directed at the "procession...
, based on the 1956 book of the same title by Patrick Dennis
Patrick Dennis
Patrick Dennis was an American author. His novel Auntie Mame: An Irreverent Escapade was one of the bestselling American books of the 20th century. In chronological vignettes "Patrick" recalls his adventures growing up under the wing of his madcap aunt, Mame Dennis...
, author of Auntie Mame
Auntie Mame
Auntie Mame is a 1955 novel by Patrick Dennis that chronicles the madcap adventures of a boy, Patrick, growing up as the ward of his deceased father's eccentric sister, Mame Dennis. The book is a work of fiction inspired by the author's eccentric aunt, Marion Tanner, whose life and outlook in many...
.
Guestward Ho started out as a CBS-TV pilot which was filmed by Desilu in 1958 as a starring vehicle for 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...
, who had been best known as Ethel Mertz on the comedy series I Love Lucy
I Love Lucy
I Love Lucy is an American television sitcom starring Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Vivian Vance, and William Frawley. The black-and-white series originally ran from October 15, 1951, to May 6, 1957, on the Columbia Broadcasting System...
as well as The Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Show from 1951-1960.
Vance played Babs Hooten and veteran film actor Leif Erickson
Leif Erickson
Leif Erickson was an American film and television actor.-Background:Leif Erickson was born William Wycliffe Anderson in Alameda, California. His father was commander of a fleet of ships and his mother was a noted newspaperwoman and writer...
was cast as her husband, Bill Hooten. On viewing the pilot, network executives felt that Vance had become so typecast in the Ethel Mertz role that she was unconvincing playing a leading character in a situation comedy. One executive was heard to say after screening the episode, "I kept waiting for Lucy to come in." As a result, CBS rejected the pilot and Vance continued to play her supporting role on The Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Show until the series ended in 1960.
Ironically, that very same year, Guestward Ho! was taken off the shelf and given two new leads, with movie actress Joanne Dru
Joanne Dru
Joanne Dru was an American film and television actress, known for such films as Red River and All the King's Men.-Career:...
as Babs Hooten and television actor Mark Miller
Mark Miller (actor)
Mark Miller is an American television actor/writer who made more than forty appearances in television programs and films since 1957. He co-starred with Joanne Dru and J...
playing Bill Hooten. This time, the show sold to ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
, where it premiered in September 1960.
The premise is a New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
family, the Hootens, tired of the urban
Urban culture
Urban culture is the culture of towns and cities. In the United States, Urban culture may also sometimes be used as a euphemistic reference to contemporary African American culture.- African American culture :...
lifestyle, relocate to operate a dude ranch
Dude ranch
The guest ranch, also known as a dude ranch, is a type of ranch oriented towards visitors or tourism. It is considered a form of agritourism.-History:...
in New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
. They bought the place unseen, and found it to need considerably more work than they had been led to believe. The Hootens did, however, befriend the American Indian
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
"Hawkeye" whose "trading post" was the only source of supplies in the vicinity. Hawkeye, played by J. Carrol Naish
J. Carrol Naish
Joseph Patrick Carrol Naish was an American character actor born in New York City. Naish was twice nominated for an Academy Award for film roles, and he later found fame in the title role of CBS Radio's Life With Luigi , which was also on CBS Television .Naish appeared on stage for several years...
, was a rather cynical Indian, who sold Indian-looking trinket
Trinket
A trinket is a small showy ornament or something that is a mere trifle. Trinket may also refer to:* Trinket Island, an island of the Nicobar Islands**Trinket , a village on the island...
s which had been mass-produced in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, and frequently read The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
, seemingly in search of a way to buy the country and return it to its "rightful owners".
The program ran for one season on Thursday evenings as the lead to The Donna Reed Show
The Donna Reed Show
The Donna Reed Show is an American sitcom starring Donna Reed as the upper middle class housewife Donna Stone. Carl Betz appears as her pediatrician husband Alex, and Shelley Fabares and Paul Petersen as their teenage children Mary and Jeff. The show originally aired on ABC at 10 pm from September...
and opposite 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...
's Outlaws, with Barton MacLane
Barton MacLane
Barton MacLane was an American actor, playwright, and screenwriter. Although he has appeared in many classic films from the 1930s through the 1960s, he was known for his role as Gen...
and Don Collier
Don Collier
Donald Collier is an American radio personality and a former actor, particularly known for his role in television westerns during the 1960s. He played U.S. Marshal Will Foreman in the 1960-1962 NBC series Outlaws, with Barton MacLane , Jock Gaynor , and Bruce Yarnell...
. Guestward Ho was replaced by the relocation of The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet
The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet
The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet is an American sitcom, airing on ABC from October 3, 1952 to September 3, 1966, starring the real life Nelson family. After a long run on radio, the show was brought to television where it continued its success, running on both radio and TV for a couple of years...
.