Calvin and the Colonel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Calvin and the Colonel |
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| Created by | Freeman F. Gosden Charles J. Correll |
| Starring | Freeman Gosden Charles Correll Beatrice Kay Virginia Gregg Paul Frees |
| Theme music composer | George Bruns |
| Composer(s) | George Bruns |
| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 26 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | Joe Connelly Bob Mosher |
| Running time | approx. 30 minutes (per episode) |
| Production company(s) | Creston Studios Kayro Productions |
| Distributor | MCA TV (1964-1965) NBCUniversal Television Distribution |
| Release | |
| Original network | ABC |
| Picture format | Color (originally telecast in Black-and-white) |
| Original release | October 3, 1961 – June 9, 1962 |
Calvin and the Colonel was a fun animated TV show from 1961-1962. It was a sitcom, which means it was a funny show about everyday life. The main characters were Colonel Montgomery J. Klaxon, a clever fox, and Calvin T. Burnside, a friendly but not-so-smart bear.
Their lawyer was a weasel named Oliver Wendell Clutch. The Colonel lived with his wife, Maggie Belle, and her sister, Susan Culpepper. Susan didn't always trust the Colonel's ideas! Colonel Klaxon worked in real estate, but he was always trying to find quick ways to get rich, often with Calvin's accidental help.
This cartoon was actually a new version of an older radio show called "Amos 'n' Andy". The voices of the characters were done by the same actors, Freeman Gosden and Charles Correll, who were in the radio show. By using animal characters instead of people, the show avoided some sensitive topics that the original "Amos 'n' Andy" show had faced.
The show didn't get very high ratings at first and was stopped after two months. But it came back later to finish its first season. After that, reruns were shown on Saturday mornings and then in syndication throughout the 1960s. The show also became a comic book series by Dell Comics. Even though it wasn't super popular in America, it was quite popular in Australia and was shown there until the late 1980s.
Like other animated sitcoms from that time, such as The Flintstones and The Jetsons, "Calvin and the Colonel" used a laugh track to make it sound like a live audience was laughing.
Meet the Characters
The show revolved around two main friends:
- Colonel Montgomery J. Klaxon: A smart but sometimes tricky fox who always had new plans to get rich.
- Calvin T. Burnside: A kind-hearted bear who often got pulled into the Colonel's schemes without fully understanding them.
Other important characters included:
- Maggie Belle: The Colonel's wife.
- Susan Culpepper: Maggie Belle's sister, who was often suspicious of the Colonel's plans.
- Oliver Wendell Clutch: Their lawyer, who was a weasel.
Episode Guide
The show had 26 episodes in total. Here's a list of them:
| Nº | Title | Teleplay by: | Original air date | |
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| 1 | "The Television Job" | Joe Connelly, Bob Mosher |
October 3, 1961 | |
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Calvin and the Colonel get a job delivering TV sets. Things go wrong when they pick up the wrong one and break it.
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| 2 | "The Polka Dot Bandit" | Joe Connelly, Bob Mosher |
October 10, 1961 | |
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The Colonel thinks his sister-in-law might be a jewel thief.
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| 3 | "Thanksgiving Dinner" | Joe Connelly, Bob Mosher |
October 17, 1961 | |
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The Colonel needs to find Thanksgiving food for his relatives he invited a year ago.
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| 4 | "The Costume Ball" | Joe Connelly, Bob Mosher |
October 24, 1961 | |
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Maggie Belle kicks the Colonel out. He goes to Calvin's and gets invited to a costume ball, not knowing Maggie Belle will be there too.
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| 5 | "Sycamore Lodge" | Joe Connelly, Bob Mosher |
October 31, 1961 | |
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The mountain cabin the Colonel rented is flooded. He can't get a refund, so he rents it to Calvin.
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| 6 | "Money in the Closet" | Joe Connelly, Bob Mosher |
November 7, 1961 | |
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The Colonel needs money. He convinces Calvin that he could be a movie star.
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| 7 | "Calvin Gets Psychoanalyzed" | Unknown | January 27, 1962 | |
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Calvin sees a psychiatrist to understand why his girlfriend, Georgianna, broke up with him.
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| 8 | "Wheeling and Dealing" | T. Hee | February 3, 1962 | |
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After breaking his nephew's car, the Colonel tries to get insurance for it.
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| 9 | "The Wrecking Crew" | Bob Ross | February 10, 1962 | |
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The Colonel takes a job in construction. He then tries to make more money by getting injured on purpose for insurance.
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| 10 | "The Colonel's Old Flame" | Joe Connelly, Bob Mosher |
February 17, 1962 | |
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Years ago, the Colonel promised to marry Boo Boo Winters. Now she's back, demanding he keep his promise, but he married Maggie Belle instead.
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| 11 | "Sister Sue and the Police Captain" | Unknown | February 24, 1962 | |
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Sister Sue might marry a police captain until the Colonel wrecks the captain's car.
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| 12 | "Jim Dandy Cleaners" | Unknown | March 3, 1962 | |
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Maggie Belle's job is to send typewriters for cleaning. When she gets sick, the Colonel takes over.
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| 13 | "Jealousy" | Unknown | March 10, 1962 | |
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The Colonel is kicked out by his wife and thinks another man has entered her life.
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| 14 | "Cloakroom" | Joe Connelly, Bob Mosher |
March 17, 1962 | |
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Calvin and the Colonel start a cloakroom business at a nightclub. They lose a coat, and things go wrong.
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| 15 | "Sister Sue's Sweetheart" | Joe Connelly, Bob Mosher |
March 24, 1962 | |
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The Colonel tries to stop Sister Sue's wedding because he finds out her $500-a-month payment from her deceased husband's estate will stop.
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| 16 | "The Winning Number" | Unknown | March 31, 1962 | |
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The Colonel hopes to win a contest, but Calvin has the winning dollar bill.
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| 17 | "Calvin's Glamour Girl" | Unknown | April 7, 1962 | |
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Calvin tries to trick his girlfriend's mother into thinking he is rich.
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| 18 | "Colonel Out-Foxes Himself" | Unknown | April 14, 1962 | |
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Maggie and Sister Sue leave the Colonel money for rent and go visit relatives.
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| 19 | "Nephew Newton's Fortune" | Bob Ross | April 21, 1962 | |
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The Colonel finds out his nephew Newton owns a stock worth thousands of dollars.
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| 20 | "Calvin's Tax Problem" | Joe Connelly, Bob Mosher |
April 28, 1962 | |
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The Colonel needs money for his furniture. He becomes a tax consultant when Calvin needs help with his taxes.
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| 21 | "Women's Club Picnic" | Unknown | May 5, 1962 | |
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Maggie Belle trusts the Colonel with money her club plans to use for their picnic.
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| 22 | "Magazine Romance" | Unknown | May 12, 1962 | |
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The Colonel takes Maggie Belle to a nightclub after she says he isn't romantic.
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| 23 | "Ring Reward" | Unknown | May 19, 1962 | |
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The Colonel finds out that the fake diamond ring Calvin bought is actually real and stolen.
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| 24 | "The Carnappers" | Unknown | May 26, 1962 | |
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The Colonel is happy after his car is stolen because he can collect insurance money.
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| 25 | "Colonel Traps a Thief" | Unknown | June 2, 1962 | |
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Calvin and the Colonel try to stop a thief who has been breaking into his apartment.
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| 26 | "Back to Nashville" | Unknown | June 9, 1962 | |
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The Colonel, Maggie Belle, and Sister Sue plan to visit Uncle Selby. The Colonel invites Calvin along to save money on the trip.
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