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Ensign O'Toole

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Ensign O'Toole
GenreSituation comedy
Directed byHy Averback
StarringDean Jones
Jay C. Flippen
Jack Mullaney
Jack Albertson
Harvey Lembeck
Beau Bridges
Bob Sorrells
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes32
Production
ProducerHy Averback
Running time22–24 minutes
Production companyFour Star Television-Lederer
Original release
NetworkNBC
ReleaseSeptember 23, 1962 (1962-09-23) –
May 5, 1963 (1963-05-05)

Ensign O'Toole is an American situation comedy that stars Dean Jones in the title role as an officer aboard the United States Navy destroyer USS Appleby in the early 1960s. It aired from 1962 to 1963.

Synopsis

Ensign O'Toole is a junior officer aboard the fictional destroyer USS Appleby in the peacetime United States Navy of the early 1960s. Also aboard the Appleby are the ship's executive officer, Lieutenant Commander Virgil Stoner; its supply officer, Lieutenant (junior grade) Rex St. John; and an assortment of wacky crewmen, including Chief Petty Officer Homer Nelson and Seamen Gabby Di Julio, Howard Spicer, and Claude White. O'Toole is clever and expresses expertise in almost any subject that comes up, but avoids doing work, preferring to spend his time pulling pranks and showing up the ambitious and overbearing Lieutenant (junior grade) St. John, usually with the enthusiastic help of the crew. The Appleby′s commanding officer never appears on camera; usually Lieutenant Commander Stoner relays his orders to the crew, although sometimes the commanding officer's voice is heard over the ship's "squawk box."[1][2][3][4]

Cast

Production

Ensign O'Toole was based on two books — All the Ships at Sea and Ensign O'Toole and Me — by Bill Lederer, who served as consultant for the series.[1][2] The destroyer USS Frank E. Evans (DD-754) portrayed the fictional USS Appleby.[5]

Broadcast history

Ensign O'Toole premiered on NBC on September 23, 1962.[1][2][5] It lasted a single season, and the last of its 32 original episodes aired on May 5, 1963.[5] Prime-time reruns of Ensign O'Toole followed in its regular time slot on NBC until September 15, 1963.[1][2] The show aired at 7:00 p.m. on Sunday throughout its run.[2][5]

From March to September 1964, ABC ran prime-time reruns of Ensign O'Toole at 9:00 p.m. on Thursday.[2] The last of these aired on September 10, 1964.[2]

Episodes

SOURCES [5]

No. Title Directed by Written by Original air date
1"Operation: Kowana"Hy AverbackBill DavenportSeptember 23, 1962 (1962-09-23)
The Appleby′s crew receives a stern warning to be on its best behavior while on shore leave in the Japanese port of Kowana, because the last U.S. Navy crew that visited Kowana flooded the town with play money. Guest stars: Victor Sen Yung, and Mako.
2"Operation: Model T"Hy AverbackJim Fritzell and Everett GreenbaumSeptember 30, 1962 (1962-09-30)
After O'Toole buys a Ford Model T on a South Pacific island in French Polynesia, he has the crew camouflage it in pieces aboard the Appleby. After the Appleby reaches port in California, he has it reassembled so he can sell it — but before the buyer he lined up can arrive, an admiral who is a antique car collector sees it on the dock and tries to buy it. Guest star: Don Beddoe, Susan Silo, Emil Genest, and Alberto Morin.
3"Operation: Daddy"Hy AverbackJames Allardice and Tom AdairOctober 7, 1962 (1962-10-07)
Seaman White's wife is about to give birth in Omaha, Nebraska, while he is stuck aboard the Appleby in San Diego, California — but with Lieutenant Commander Stoner ashore and unable to interfere, O'Toole is sure he can have leave papers issued for White immediately. Guest stars: Molly Dodd, Merle Pertile, and Davis Roberts.
4"Operation: Benefit"Hy AverbackSheldon Keller and Howard MerrillOctober 14, 1962 (1962-10-14)
O'Toole plans to use the money raised by a show —the "Foster Father's Follies" — to adopt South Korean orphans. Guest star: Cherylene Lee, Grace Lee Whitney, James Hong, The Kim Sisters, and Dick Powell. Powell was the head of Four Star Television at the time.
5"Operation: Jinx"Hy AverbackSheldon Keller and Howard MerrillOctober 21, 1962 (1962-10-21)
Seaman Jerome J. Johnson is assigned to the Appleby, and Chief Petty Officer Nelson informs the crew that trouble lies ahead because Johnson is considered an omen of bad luck in the U.S. Navy. Guest stars: Soupy Sales, Sandra Gould, Sid Gould, Clyde Adler, Harvey Perry, Michael Adair, and Ed Craig.
6"Operation: Holdout"Hy AverbackSheldon Keller and Howard MerrillOctober 28, 1962 (1962-10-28)
The Appleby receives a request for help from two U.S. soldiers on a small Pacific island who claim they are under fire by Japanese troops. When the Appleby arrives to investigate, her crew finds two U.S. and two Japanese soldiers on the island who think World War II is still underway and are still fighting each other — but it is 1962, and World War II has been over since 1945. Guest stars: Mako, James Hong, Davis Roberts, Tige Andrews, and Eddie Ryder.
7"Operation: Birthday"UnknownUnknownNovember 4, 1962 (1962-11-04)
O'Toole and the crew want to get Chief Petty Officer Nelson a present for his birthday — but they are all broke, and only Nelson has any money.
8"Operation: Dinner Party"Robert GordonSheldon Keller and Howard MerrillNovember 11, 1962 (1962-11-11)
After Lieutenant (junior grade) St. John loses the money that Lieutenant Commander Stoner gave him to pay for a diplomatic party, O'Toole agrees to arrange the party for free, planning to borrow food from other ships in the fleet and ask Chief Petty Officer Nelson to prepare something resembling "wine" for the event. Guest stars: Jay Novello, Jan Arvan, Veola Vonn, Norma Varden, Ramsey Hill, Irwin Ashkenazy, and George Baxter.
9"Operation: Mess"James KomackJames Allardice and Tom AdairNovember 18, 1962 (1962-11-18)
O'Toole is puzzled by complaints that the food aboard the Appleby is getting worse and worse because the ship's cook, Charlie, was once known as a good cook. Guest stars: Harry Morgan, Les Brown, Jr., Stafford Repp, Herbie Faye, Joe Higgins, Larry Perron, and John Kahn.
10"Operation: Impersonation"UnknownBill Davenport and Charles TannenNovember 25, 1962 (1962-11-25)
After Lieutenant Commander Stoner drinks too much Malayan punch and drives a truck through the prized garden of a Malayan general, the furious general demands Stoner's arrest, so O'Toole impersonates a high-ranking American officer and makes a plea for mercy for Stoner. Guest stars: Edgar Barrier, Pamela Searle, Ben H. Wright, and Alan Caillou.
11"Operation: Hypnosis"Lawrence DobkinBill Davenport and Charles TannenDecember 2, 1962 (1962-12-02)
O'Toole uses hypnosis on Chief Petty Officer Nelson to get him to stop gambling, and on Lieutenant (junior grade) St. John make him believe his is the finest lieutenant in the U.S. Navy. Guest star: Michael Adair.
12"Operation: Potomac"Hy AverbackSheldon Keller and Howard MerrillDecember 9, 1962 (1962-12-09)
While the Appleby is in port at Washington, D.C., O"Toole begins to receive gifts from a secret admirer. When one of the gifts is a dress and the crew starts to rib him over it, O'Toole decides to find out who the gifts are supposed to be going to — and discovers that there is another Ensign O'Toole on the base who is a woman. Guest stars: Carolyn Kearney, Norm Alden, Dee Carroll, John Newton, Tyler McVey, Mike Mason, and Richard Eastham.
13"Operation: Gaslight"Lawrence DobkinJames Allardice and Tom AdairDecember 16, 1962 (1962-12-16)
Ensign Clifford Bender, a recent graduate of the United States Naval Academy, reports aboard the Appleby, his first ship. He is an eager, by-the-book officer, and the Appleby′s crew receives orders to "shape up" for his arrival — but O'Toole decides that Bender needs a proper initiation to the U.S. Navy, so he sets out to convince Bender that he has come down with a strange nautical disease. Guest stars: Jamie Farr and Steve Franken.
14"Operation: Brooklyn"Jackie CooperJack RaymondDecember 23, 1962 (1962-12-23)
Seaman Di Julio says that he can't re-enlist because he promised his parents that he would take over their restaurant in Brooklyn, New York, and let them retire, but O'Toole soon discovers that Di Julio does not want to leave the navy and his parents do not want to leave the restaurant. Guest stars: Penny Santon, Joe Higgens, Les Brown, Jr., Bob Hull, and Romo Vincent.
15"Operation: Swindle"UnknownUnknownDecember 30, 1962 (1962-12-30)
Chief Petty Officer Nelson falls for a Southern lady named Leona who swindles him out of his money — and O'Toole decides to do something about it. Guest star: Rosemary De Camp , Charles Watts, and Dub Taylor.
16"Operation: Treasure"Lawrence DobkinBill Davenport and Charles TannenJanuary 6, 1963 (1963-01-06)
Seaman White recovers a floating bottle that contains a mysterious map, and O'Toole thinks that the map could lead to hidden treasure. Guest stars: Shary Marshall and Michael Ross.
17"Operation: Intrigue"Don TaylorSheldon Keller and Howard MerrillJanuary 13, 1963 (1963-01-13)
When the Appleby visits Hong Kong, O'Toole discovers that Scotland Yard is hunting for jewel thieves there and decides it would be fun to help by going undercover disguised as a courier for the thieves. Guest stars: Robert Emhardt, Howard Morris, Bernard Fox, Chana Eden, Philip Ahn, James Hong, and Harold Fong.
18"Operation: Psychology"Don TaylorBill Davenport and Charles TannenJanuary 20, 1963 (1963-01-20)
Lieutenant Commander Stoner's brother-in-law, psychologist Arthur Ainsley, visits the Appleby and comes to the conclusion that although the crewmen seem happy, they really are not, and actially are merely hiding a deep-seated depression. Guest star: John McGiver.
19"Operation: Royalty"UnknownUnknownJanuary 27, 1963 (1963-01-27)
O'Toole invites the Grand Admiral of the Navy of Tiboria, 12-year-old Prince Pussik, aboard the Appleby, but regrets it when he discovers that the young prince loves to give orders. Guest stars: Michael Davis and Lou Krugman.
20"Operation: Whodunit"Richard KinonSheldon Keller and Howard MerrillFebruary 3, 1963 (1963-02-03)
The Appleby′s crewmen are watching a movie about a murder mystery and has bet heavily on who the murderer is, so when they discover that the last reel of the film is missing they do everything they can to find it. Guest stars: Alan Caillou, Davis Roberts, John Tarangelo, and Kelly Gordon.
21"Operation: Casanova"Richard KinonHoward LeedsFebruary 10, 1963 (1963-02-10)
O'Toole decides to boost Lieutenant (junior grade) St. John's deflated ego by arranging for him to socialize with some attractive WAVES. Everything goes well — until St. John is caught kissing the daughter of a United States congressman. Guest stars: Nancy Rennick, Carol Christensen, Cindy Robbons, Jacqeline Loughery, Ransom Sherman, and Jackie Joseph.
22"Operation: Souvenir"Richard KinonBill Davenport and Charles TannenFebruary 17, 1963 (1963-02-17)
When the Appleby′s crewmen go on shore leave in Japan, Lieutenant Commander Stoner places them under strict orders not to return to the ship with any souvenirs too large to fit in a footlocker — posing a problem for Lieutenant (junior grade) St. John, who has promised to buy his girlfriend an antique Japanese cannon. Guest stars: Don Beddoe and Alan Reed, Jr.
23"Operation: Arrivederci"UnknownUnknownMarch 3, 1963 (1963-03-03)
O'Toole lets struggling artistJuliet Scarlatti use the Appleby for her exhibit - but the most important guest, society leader Mrs. Atherton, refuses to attend. Guest stars: Sharon Hugveny, Doris Packer, and Émile Genest.
24"Operation: Re-Enlist"UnknownUnknownMarch 10, 1963 (1963-03-10)
O'Toole is assigned to improve Lieutenant Commander Stoner's image with the Appleby′s crew to help encourage the crew re-enlist in the U.S. Navy, so he convinces Stoner to hold a party for the crew at his home. During the party, Seaman Di Julio pulls a brick out of the fireplace, causing Stoner's home to collapse — and the crew has to rebuild it for him.
25"Operation: Boxer"UnknownUnknownMarch 17, 1963 (1963-03-17)
O'Toole finds found a huge sailor to box Ensign Baxter's favorite boxer, and is certain that at last he can win a bet with Baxter. Guest stars: Gary Crosby, Roger Torrey, and Cal Bolder.
26"Operation: Stowaway"UnknownUnknownMarch 24, 1963 (1963-03-24)
At first, the crewmen think that O'Toole is faking a case of combat fatigue when he claims to have seen a beautiful girl peering at him through one of the Appleby′s portholes, but then they find that she is a stowaway named Anna who is need of a party dress, and they decide to make one for her out of flags, tablecloths, ad whatever else they can find aboard the ship. Guest star: Nita Talbot.
27"Operation: Arctic"Hy AverbackJim Fritzell and Everett GreenbaumMarch 31, 1963 (1963-03-31)
Life aboard the Appleby becomes terribly dull life when she is sent on a voyage to the Arctic. Guest star: Martin Dean.
28"Operation: Physical"UnknownUnknownApril 7, 1963 (1963-04-07)
Lieutenant Commander Stoner is sad about the loss of his youth, so O'Toole invites some of Stoner's old classmates for a visit to the Appleby in the hope that they look more "decrepit" than Stoner.
29"Operation: Tubby"UnknownUnknownApril 14, 1963 (1963-04-14)
After Seaman "Tubby" Mason is ordered to lose weight or be kicked out of the Navy, he goes on a crash diet — but O'Toole finds that Tubby's letters contain luncheon meat and his toothpaste tube is filled with liverwurst. Guest star: Stubby Kaye.
30"Operation: Sabotage"UnknownUnknownApril 21, 1963 (1963-04-21)
During maneuvers, plans call for Appleby is to be the target of mock sabotage by a crew member secretly assigned to "blow up" the ship. Commander Stoner brags that the plot will never succeed, backs up his boast with a large bet, fakes the sabotage himself, and then challenges the crew to find the "saboteur."
31"Operation: Contest"UnknownUnknownApril 28, 1963 (1963-04-28)
Appleby′s crew is quarantined after Seaman Di Julio catches the measles. To pass the time profitably they try writing jingles to win some prize money in a contest. Lieutenant (junior grade) St. John’s mother's cookie recipe gets them invited to a cooking contest, where a woman they are competing against claims to be poor and needs the prize money, so they give up and let her win. They later discover that the woman cheated them, and has entered another contest. Guest star: Irene Tedrow.
32"Operation: Geisha"UnknownUnknownMay 5, 1963 (1963-05-05)
Two con men, Steve Turner and Al Shrieber, must return money they stole from an irate victim so they open a reverse geisha house. Guest stars: Jack Carter, Eddie Ryder, Ransom Sherman and Linda Bennett.

References

Footnotes

  1. ^ a b c d McNeil, Alex, Total Television: The Comprehensive Guide to Programming From 1948 to the Present, Fourth Edition, New York: Penguin Books, 1996, ISBN 0 14 02 4916 8, p. 258.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Brooks, Tim, and Earle Marsh, The Complete Directory to Prime-Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946–present (Sixth Edition), New York: Ballantine Books, 1995, ISBN 0-345-39736-3, p. 316.
  3. ^ IMDB Karen (1964–1965) Accessed 4 November 2021
  4. ^ IMDB Ensign O'Toole
  5. ^ a b c d e Classic TV Archive Ensign O'Toole (1962–63) Accessed 8 November 2021

Bibiography

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