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RELEASE INFORMATION
"Mister Peepers" Season 2
4 DVD box set
$39.98
STREET DATE:
November 11, 2008
YEAR OF PRODUCTION: 1953
RUN TIME: 780 minutes plus special features
ASPECT RATIO: 4x3
STARS:
Wally Cox...Mr. Robinson Peepers
Jenny Egan...Agnes Peepers
Ruth McDevitt..."Mom" Peepers
Tony Randall...Harvey Weskitt
Marion Lorne...Mrs. Gurney ("Aunt Clara" on
Bewitched)
Ernest Truex...Mr. Remington (his first film role was in
Caprice, in 1913)
Jack Warden...Coach (1953-1955)
PROGRAM SYNOPSIS: Just before the July 4 holiday in 1952, one of television's most endearing characters made his debut.
Mister Peepers, the quintessential "Everyman" whose mild-mannered demeanor inspired a generation of television heroes instantly charmed those people lucky enough to have a television.
On November 11, a priceless collection of episodes from season two of this ground breaking sitcom debuts on DVD in a four-disc collector's edition. This masterpiece from the early days of television stars Wally Cox as Mister Peepers and includes brilliant performances by Tony Randall, Jack Warden and Marion Lorne (Aunt Clara from
Bewitched). The show was awarded the prestigious Peabody Award in 1953 and was nominated for a number of Emmy Awards.
Cox plays a shy science teacher at Jefferson Junior High, but what makes the Peepers character so unique is that although he seems to be mild mannered, easily bullied, baffled and befuddled by every day life, he had the strength of his convictions to insure his life was fulfilled and that no matter what, he always prevailed. Because of that, he became an "Everyman," a man we could identify with, someone we could aspire to be like. The fact he put others before himself, that he genuinely cared about his students and those around him, including his sister and mother. Despite the obstacles life constantly put before him, Peepers always managed to get what he wanted, even to the extent that the series ends with him marrying the girl of his dreams.
Although the role of Mister Peepers made him a star and won him two Emmy nominations, one as Best Comedian of 1953 and one as Best Male Star of a Regular Series in 1954, Cox always referred to the character as "Mr. Goodboy" and insisted he was nothing like him, that in fact, he was a "terrible person."
All included episodes of
Mister Peepers were licensed to S'more from the UCLA Film & Television Archive. The Archive used the da vinci revival system to stabilize the original kinescope images, perform video restoration work and improve the audio.
DVD CONTENT:
- All 26 episodes comprising the entire season 2 on 4 DVDs
- Interview with Tony Randall about his experiences on Mister Peepers produced by the Television Academy
- Short film explaining what a kinescope is and how they're made (9 min.)
- Footage of Wally Cox accepting the Peabody Award for the series (28 min. includes the entire presentation ceremony)
- Episode from the TV series Suspense entitled "Murderer's Meeting," featuring Wally Cox with Jackie Cooper and Mildred Natwick
- Episodes are intact, including the original commercials, which were done live
BOX SET CONTENT:
- DISC ONE - 6 episodes with Tony Randall interview
- DISC TWO - 7 episodes with "How A Kinescope Is Created"
- DISC THREE - 6 episodes with Peabody Award ceremony
- DISC FOUR - 7 episodes with "Murderer's Meeting" from Suspense
Note: All discs will be DVD-9
IMPORTANT NOTES: Given the fact there were only 3 major networks and just a few smaller local TV stations, the viewing audience for "
Mister Peepers" on any given night would probably be greater than most shows currently appearing in the Top 10 shows today.
PEEPERS TRIVIA:
- Cox originally started working in small clubs as a monologist
- Wally Cox and Marlon Brando were close friends from the age of 9, and lived together as room mates for 4 years while Brando studied with Stella Adler
- Cox moved out...because he couldn't stand Brando's pet raccoon.
- Cox and Brando both shared a love of motorcycles
- When Wally Cox passed away, Brando immediately flew from Tahaiti to oversee the planning of the funeral, and snuck into the wake through a back window so he wouldn't disrupt the services.
- When Brando passed away and they were cataloging his effects, they discovered he had saved Wally Cox' ashes. When his ashes were scattered in Death Valley, their ashes were mixed together, against the wishes of Cox' widow.
- "Mister Peepers" was shot live before a studio audience in Studio 8-H, the same studio used today for "Saturday Night Live," and was only recorded on Kinescope.
- Wally Cox went on to be a regular on "Hollywood Squares," but he may be best known as the voice of "Underdog."
- Wally Cox won an Emmy for his role as Robinson Peepers
- Wally had a role in Marilyn Monroe's last and unfinished film "Something's Got To Give."
- When Mr. Peepers needed to get into his locker, he followed these steps 1) Bang three times on the radiator over top of the lockers; 2) Push up & down on the locker handle next to his locker; 3) Move left to the end of the lockers; and 4) Measures three feet up from the floor and kick the first locker. With this ritual complete his locker (second from the right) opens
- There was an Australian sitcom based on "Mister Peepers" entitled "Good Morning Mr. Doubleday," created by David Swift, the creator of "Mister Peepers."
- Other Wally Cox television roles of note: Adventures of Hiram Holiday (his only other starring role in a TV series which had the misfortune to be scheduled opposite 'Disneyland'); Ironside (guest), Beverly Hillbillies (guest), Dick Van Dyke Show (guest), Night Gallery (guest), Night Stalker (guest), Twilight Zone (star), I Spy, Here's Lucy, The Monkees, The Odd Couple (which reunited him with his co-star on Peepers, Tony Randall)
- Feature film appearances: State Fair, Spencer's Mountain, Fate Is The Hunter, Guide For the Married Man, The Bedford Incident, Something's Got To Give (unfinished last film starring Marilyn Monroe)
- Some Wally Cox 'quotes" from "Hollywood Squares"
Peter Marshall: Wally, a grapefruit is nothing like a grape. How did it get its name?
Wally Cox: Oh, you noticed that too, huh?
(from Wally's last week on the daytime show, February 1973)
Peter Marshall: For 400 dollars and the championship...Spiro Agnew was in the infantry during World War Two. Was he decorated?
Wally Cox: He looked really pretty in the puka shells but they made him take them off...
Peter Marshall: What is it now, that Underdog always says?
Wally Cox: Where are my residuals??
opening the daytime show of February 16, 1973, the day after Wally's death)
Peter Marshall: Dear Lord, have no fear, Underdog is there!
PACKAGING INFORMATION
COPYRIGHT INFO: © 2008 Regents of the University of California
PACKAGING: © 2008 S'more Entertainment, Inc
