Herbie J. Pilato - Dashing, Daring, and Debonair: Tvs Top Male Icons from the 50s, 60s, and 70s

Advanced praise for Dashing, Daring, and Debonair

No one is more passionate or informed about classic television than Herbie J Pilato, who is at it again with this truly exhaustive survey of the most influential male stars and producers over three decades. With profiles from the sublime (Rod Serling) to the ridiculous (Don Adams), and a slew of other icons in between, Dashing, Daring, and Debonair is comprehensive, enlightening, and a blast to read. David Bushman (Curator of Television, Paley Center for Media)

Herbie J Pilato writes about classic television not only with a deep knowledge of his subject, but with an equally deep love and respect. If you know nothing about television and its greatest stars, read one of Herbie Js books. If you think you know everything about television and its greatest stars, read one of Herbie Js books. Either way, you will learn something new, fun, and fascinating. Dashing, Daring, and Debonair is a brilliant addition to his canon. It belongs in your collection! Melissa Byers (Digital Content Producer, Television Academy)

Herbie J Pilato gives a true voice to classic television in the same way historians give voice to classical music, poets, writers, filmmakers, and creators of masterpieces in museums all over the world. Herbie J places television history as defining America where it needs to be, side by side with the greatest artists of all time. Pierre Patrick (talent agent, author of The Doris Day Companion )

There is no one more enthusiastic or knowledgeable than Herbie J Pilato where classic TV is concerned. Dashing, Daring, and Debonair not only demonstrates his vast expertise in this realm, but also gives the reader a fresh perspective on the many pop culture icons profiled in this book. Great scholarship married to great fun! Bill Royce (Emmy Awardwinning co-producer of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno )

Herbie J Pilato takes us back in time yet again to remind us of the tremendous impact our favorite TV male icons have had on us as individuals as well as on society at large. From Desi to Van Dyke to Gleason to Roddenberry, each having fulfilled his own special Dashing, Daring, and Debonair niche in classic television history. Thumbs up to Herbie J for another great read! David Van Deusen ( publisher of The Walnut Times , The Dick Van Dyke Show newsletter)

Also by Herbie J Pilato

Glamour, Gidgets, and the Girl Next Door

The Essential Elizabeth Montgomery

Twitch Upon a Star

The Bionic Book

Life StoryThe Book of Life Goes On

NBC & Me: My Life as a Page in a Book

The Kung Fu Book of Caine

The Kung Fu Book of Wisdom

Bewitched Forever

The Bewitched Book

Dashing, Daring, and Debonair

TVs Top Male Icons from the 50s, 60s, and 70s

Herbie J Pilato

TAYLOR TRADE PUBLISHING

Lanham Boulder New York London

TAYLOR TRADE PUBLISHING

An imprint of Rowman & Littlefield

4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200, Lanham, Maryland 20706

www.rowman.com

Distributed by NATIONAL BOOK NETWORK

Copyright 2016 Rowman & Littlefield

All rights reserved . No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote passages in a review.

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Information Available

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Pilato, Herbie J., author.

Title: Dashing, daring, and debonair : TVs top male icons from the 50s, 60s, and 70s / Herbie J Pilato.

Description: Lanham : Taylor Trade Publishing, 2016.

Identifiers: LCCN 2016011412 (print) | LCCN 2016020091 (ebook) | ISBN 9781630760526 (hardback) | ISBN 9781630760533 (e-book)

Subjects: LCSH: Masculinity on television. | Male actorsUnited StatesBiography. | Television actors and actressesUnited StatesBiography. | Masculinity in popular cultureUnited StatesHistory20th century. | Men in popular cultureUnited StatesHistory20th century. | BISAC: PERFORMING ARTS / Television / History & Criticism.

Classification: LCC PN1992.8.M38 P55 2016 (print) | LCC PN1992.8.M38 (ebook) | DDC 791.4502/8092273dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016011412

The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information SciencesPermanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992.

Printed in the United States of America

In loving memory of Eva Lois Easton-Leaf, who was everyones Number One fan on Earth... and who remains so in Heaven.

Handsome means many things to many people. If people consider me handsome, I feel flatteredand have my parents to thank for it. Realistically, it doesnt hurt to be good-looking, especially in this business.

Richard Chamberlain, best known on television as the dashing Dr. Kildare

Contents

Foreword

by Adam Batman West

Thank you for making my life just a little bit brighter.

You are such a happy part of my experience as a human being. You give the world hope.

You are my hero.

These are just a few of the countless, incredibly kind and heartwarming comments that I have heard over the years since I was first cast as Batman in the 1960s ABC-TV series of the same name.

I never assumed that all these decades later the shows effect or my involvement with it would have remained so strong and steady.

To this day, wherever I travel in the world, I am approached by fans of all ages, who share with me their most sincere memories of growing up with the show.

Time and again, I am humbled by words of appreciation from fans of the show and their ability to recall a certain episode or recite a favorite line of dialogue.

Clearly, my contribution to Batman changed my life and somehow, in the process, also altered the lives of those who watched our performances, and those who may have appreciated the absurdities of the juxtapositions inherent in the show; all delivered with a wink or a smile. Batman certainly dispelled some choice advice that helped many restless souls to rise up in faith and confront the ignorance of a bullyor what they may have at one time viewed as an insurmountable obstacle.

Its during the many-times astounding encounters with fans that Ive realized the unmistakable positive power of television, especially classic TV, which this book so readily examines and documents with specific regard to male heroes from the 50s, 60s, and 70s.

As to those fans of all positive television programming from every era, and as to my Bat-fans in particular, I say this:

Thank you for making my life just a little bit brighter.

You are such a happy part of my experience as a human being. You give the world hope.

You are my hero.

Preface

by Joel Eisenberg (The Chronicles of Ara)

Herbie J Pilato is on to something. Seriously folks. No joke.

Can you do me a favor, he asks me. I would like to interview you for my new book?

I appreciate the ask, I said. But Im insanely busy. Whats the book?

Dashing, Daring, and Debonair: TVs Top Male Icons from the 50s, 60s, and 70s , he tells me.

Interesting. Who do you want me talk about?

Leonard Nimoy, William Shatner, and Rod Serling.

And that was that. Herbie J and I go back a few years, and he knows full well of my passion for classic televised science fiction.Done, I tell him.