- My Little Margie
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My Little Margie Genre Sitcom Created by Frank Fox Directed by Nate Watt
Hal YatesStarring Gale Storm
Charles FarrellTheme music composer Alexander Lazlo Country of origin United States Language(s) English No. of seasons 4 No. of episodes 126 Production Executive producer(s) Roland D. Reed
Hal Roach
Hal Roach, Jr.
Guy V. Thayer, Jr.Camera setup Multi-camera Running time 22–25 minutes Production company(s) Roland Reed TV Productions
Rovan FilmsDistributor Official Films Broadcast Original channel CBS (1952–1953)
NBC (1952–1955)Picture format Black-and-white Audio format Monaural Original run June 16, 1952 – August 24, 1955 My Little Margie is an American situation comedy that alternated between CBS and NBC from 1952 to 1955. The series was created by Frank Fox and produced in Los Angeles, California at Hal Roach Studios by Hal Roach, Jr. and Roland D. Reed.
My Little Margie premiered on CBS as the summer replacement for I Love Lucy on June 16, 1952, under the sponsorship of Philip Morris cigarettes (when the series moved to NBC for its third season in the fall of 1953, Scott Paper Company became its sponsor). In an unusual move, the series—with the same leads—aired original episodes on CBS Radio, concurrently with the TV broadcasts, from December 1952 through August 1955. Only 23 radio broadcasts are known to exist in recorded form.
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Synopsis
Set in New York City, the series stars Gale Storm as 21-year-old Margie Albright and former silent film star Charles Farrell as her widowed father, 50-year-old Vern Albright. They shared an apartment at the Carlton Arms Hotel. Vern Albright was the vice president of the investment firm of Honeywell and Todd, where his boss was George Honeywell (Clarence Kolb). Honeywell's partner in the firm was played by George Meader. Roberta (Hillary Brooke) was Vern's girlfriend, and Margie's boyfriend was Freddy Wilson (Don Hayden). Mrs. Odetts (played by Gertrude W. Hoffmann on TV; Verna Felton on radio) was the Albrights' next-door neighbor and Margie's sidekick in madcap capers reminiscent of Lucy and Ethel in I Love Lucy. When Margie realized she had blundered or got into trouble, she made an odd trilling sound. Also in the cast were Willie Best as the elevator operator and Dian Fauntelle.
The series was canceled in 1955. Gale Storm went on to star in The Gale Storm Show which ran for 143 episodes 1956-1960.
The show has been compared with two other 1950's sitcoms which aired at the same time, I Married Joan and Life with Elizabeth. All three programs were inspired by the success of I Love Lucy, but despite their own merits, have fallen into obscurity only to gain some popularity after entering the public domain. I Love Lucy, however, is still under copyright in the United States.
Theme song
The program's theme song was originally titled "Bows and Strings in Teasing" by its composer, Alexander Laszlo, when he composed it for a 1946 Republic Picture, The French Key. When My Little Margie contracted to use his music, Laszlo wrote a new arrangement with added bars of music, which then became the "My Little Margie Theme" from 1952 to 1955. The show's music should not be confused with the 1920s popular song "Margie," also known as "My Little Margie," though the title of the TV program may have been inspired by the song.[citation needed]
Syndication
Since the series was canceled in 1955, My Little Margie has aired on local TV stations, often paired with I Married Joan. Both series aired on CBN during the 1980s and then on ION.
External links
Categories:- 1952 television series debuts
- 1955 television series endings
- 1950s American radio programs
- 1950s American television series
- American television sitcoms
- Black-and-white television programs
- CBS network shows
- English-language television series
- NBC network shows
- Television shows set in New York City
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