I am incredibly surprised because I mentioned this only last week as "known to exist but unlikely to ever be seen". I'm happy to be proven wrong!

@robertorick6383

Жыл бұрын

I feel the same way. I hope Sony (or some collector ) can dig out more unsold and unseen Screen Gems TV shows that were only seen originally by TV executives.

@TheMontyPythonMuseumOnline

Жыл бұрын

@@robertorick6383 Why specifically Sony?

@robertorick6383

Жыл бұрын

@@TheMontyPythonMuseumOnline Sony pretty much has nearly all of the Columbia/Screen Gems involved films and TV shows in their vaults and under their copyright laws. There are a few exceptions. For example, Columbia lost the rights to "The Monkees" in the 1990's when Bob Rafelson and Bert Schnieder were miffed that Columbia edited out a couple of minutes of "Easy Rider" when it aired on TV in the 1980's, so they sold the rights to The Monkees to Rhino Records out of revenge. Rhino was later sold to Warner Brothers in the late 1990's by owner Richard Foos, who currently owns The Monkees musical soundtracks today. Another example is Screen Gems giving up their rights to Hanna Barbera Productions in the 1980's to Worldvision Enterprises. Ted Turner later bought out H-B and when he sold the rights to Time-Warner in the 2000's, it was Warner Brothers who currently owns H-B. Sony does get to keep the rights of Screen Gems owned projects that H-B was involved in, such as "Jeannie" and "The Partridge Family 2200 AD" cartoons. Sony probably has the rights to "The Mouse That Roared "TV pilot, since they own the rights to the movie starring Peter Sellers in 1959, but since the TV pilot didn't sell in 1966, it will probably still be under Sony's ownership in the vaults unless someone wants to buy it to show it as a curiosity on a streaming channel in the future. By the way, Mark Evanier introduced me to this very rare TV pilot since he mentioned it on his blog "News From Me." Thanks, Mark.

@TheMontyPythonMuseumOnline

Жыл бұрын

@@robertorick6383 Yes but I would expect most of these pilots are owned by ABC/CBS/Fox/Disney etcetera.

@robertorick6383

Жыл бұрын

@@TheMontyPythonMuseumOnline That's an interesting thought. Which network almost but not quite bought the rights to "The Mouse That Roared?" CBS? NBC? ABC? ABC had the closest connection to Screen Gems at the time, though NBC also had some Screen Gems shows on their roster (they turned down "Mouse" for "The Monkees" and "Occasional Wife".) CBS had "Route 66" and the 5th season of "Hazel" as their main Screen Gems show, but the shows were cancelled by 1966. Because the "Mouse" TV pilot didn't sell, it could be possible that CBS, ABC, or NBC may still have it in their vaults, but unless there's an audience waiting to see it other than collectors on KZread, it won't sell even 56 years after it was made. They still would have to make negotiations with Sony, though, since Sony owns the "Screen Gems" brand name.

This is very funny! Sid Caesar is one of the best. Production costs must have derailed this one.

Directed by the Jack Arnold who also did the Movie version . Jack Arnold at this time was directing episodes of "Gilligan's Island" in the 1950's he was directing many of the classic sci-fi and monster movies that Universal Studios were releasing to theaters at that time .

Sigurd Valdis, who would later play Hilda on “HOGAN’S HEROES”, played the part of Bubbles Broadbent.

Great to see Sid Caesar - looking happy and healthy. The original movie starring Peter Sellers is a gem.

Uproariously funny, perfect for Sid Caesar.

Why do I feel a familiar tone when I recall a show that was done 9 years later…When Things Were Rotten…?

@michaelmckenna6464

5 күн бұрын

This unsold pilot has a Mel Brooks ring to it, just like his later sitcom, “WHEN THINGS WERE ROTTEN” which would premiere in 1975.

Haven't researched it yet but I'm almost certain the opening animation is the work of the Hubley studio. It certainly looks and moves like their films of the period and was likely one of those projects that John and Faith took on to help finance their own independent productions.

A fascinating curio. The Gerald Fried score and title song are a lot of fun.

Very interesting!

They spent money on this one!

This one I never read about. WOW Caesar taking over for Sellers?? Actually a great casting.

@fromthesidelines

Жыл бұрын

Ironically, Sid worked with Peter on his final film, "The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu" (1980).

@Gypsyqueen-lt7tq

Жыл бұрын

I believe Sellers & Caesar actually shared a birthday (Sept. 8), though they were spaced three years apart. Both tortured, difficult men -- but also so sweet & funny (not to mention sexy) I always wanted to hug them both & tell them how much joy they brought the world. Thanks so much for posting.

This was quite good! Clever lines and a good satire of international relations, like the play. It might be hard to come up with plots this good every week, but the idea was great! And the Peter Sellers touch of the star playing three characters was cool. The Mouse That Roared means a lot to me. My mother was a teacher who produced the play with her high school students when I was about 6. I used to attend play practices.

Nice find. This is the one of the very few examples of a movie director also directing the TV version. The only other example I can think of is Stanley Kramer's 1975 pilot for "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner."

Can see why it wasn't picked up.

Well I like it so there!

Great find! Would have been a fun series.

impressive opening animation; creepy premise.....

The woman appearing at the beginning wearing red cape and crown/tiara, is that Sigrid Valdes, from Hogan's Heroes, and wife of the late Bob Crane?

Always interesting to see a Screen Gems TV pilot that never was sold. I wonder how many more unsold Screen Gems shows are stored around out there in the Sony vaults. I noticed Don Kirshner's name in the credits as musical consultant. He was about to be handed a very important and historical, but difficult job with "The Monkees" project later in the year of 1966, which would eventually get him fired the next year. I never knew that Allen Sherman was involved with this project. Three years earlier, he was on top of the comedy world with "Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah", but by 1966-67, he was considered passe. His singing of the theme song is great. It's too bad this pilot never was sold. Screen Gems could have NBC or ABC buying this, but there was no chance. Maybe some TV executives felt that Sid Cesar was no Peter Sellers (the original movie version of "The Mouse That Roared.")

@fromthesidelines

Жыл бұрын

One of them is "WHERE'S EVERETT?"- also considered by CBS for its 1966-'67 fall schedule (and "burned off" on April 18, 1966). It starred Alan Alda as a typical American family man who goes out to get the morning paper.......and finds an abandoned *invisible* alien baby left on his doorstep! Oh, you can imagine the fun he and his wife would have in trying to raise such an infant.........

@fromthesidelines

Жыл бұрын

Kirshner sold Aldon Music (after the death of his partner, Al Nevins, one of the original "Three Suns" musical trio) to Columbia Pictures in early 1966, who folded it into Screen Gems-Columbia Music. Part of the terms of the deal was he'd get credit as "music consultant" on all Screen Gems TV shows, while working on "THE MONKEES". By the end of 1967, Mike Nesmith forced him off the series.....and their recordings......AND his professional relationship with Screen Gems-Columbia.

@robertorick6383

Жыл бұрын

@@fromthesidelines There was also the little matter of Don Kirshner issuing that single of "A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You" backed with "She Hangs Out" to Canadian audiences as Colgems #66-1003. Don also pressed some bootlegged copies of white promo label records of the same single in the US and sold them off to personal Monkee fans in magazines with the label name as "My Favorite Davy Jones Record." He was preparing to issue some picture sleeves to go with the 45's when he was caught by Bert Schnieder and his father Abe Schnieder of Columbia Pictures. It is believed this is what got Don fired, but not until he sued Screen Gems for a settlement for contract disputes. Mike Nesmith almost got suspended for his fist-in-the wall incident, but was considered too valuable a star for Screen Gems to fire or suspend. Just barely two years earlier, Soupy Sales also got suspended by Screen Gems and WNEW Channel 5 of New York for his New Years Eve "little green pieces of paper with pictures of men with beards on them" ad-libbed joke. Soupy was obviously joking around because he was miffed that he had to work on New Years Day, and had to fill up five remaining minutes of the final half-hour. Chip Douglas would eventually replace Don KIrshner for the rest of 1967 as producer of The Monkees, and Lester Sill (who was personally fired by Phil Spector back in 1962 at Philles Records and took a job with Colpix Records and Aldon Music shortly afterwards) took over as A&R for Colgems Records after Don was fired from the label. By the way, Don Kirshner sold Aldon Music to Screen Gems/Columbia Music publishing in May 1963. That was when the record labels and the sheet music changed the name from Aldon to Screen Gems for the publishing company credit.

@robertorick6383

Жыл бұрын

@@fromthesidelines I've already seen the rare "Archie" pilot from 1964 that never sold about six years earlier. It was made by Screen Gems TV (the dancing sticks logo on the available KZread episode are unfortunately lopped off.) It was decent, but it's easy to see why ABC rejected the series. The actor they hired to play Archie looked like Archie Andrews, but somehow the actor that played Jughead Jones looked a bit offbeat. It was also a bit silly at times ,but it also was romantic at the same time (Archie winds up with a girl at the end of the episode, but somehow it's neither Betty or Veronica.) I'm hoping somehow some TV collector would find the ultra rare "Redigo" series from 1963 (a bomb that continued the "Empire" saga, but was cancelled by NBC after only 15 episodes, they ended with the dancing sticks logos as well; KZread does not have this series at all. )The holy grails of Screen Gems shows would be the lost episodes of "The Soupy Sales Show" from 1964-65 (supposedly they were wiped by WNEW channel 5) and the ultra rare Hanna Barbera prime time special for NBC "The Secret World of Secret Squirrel and Atom Ant" that launched the TV series for Saturday mornings. Supposedly I heard this was the very last Screen Gems project to feature the dancing sticks logo at the end of the credits in the US airing. The very next week, The brand new "S From Hell" logo made it's official debut on "The Farmer's Daughter" and "Hazel." (Canada, on the other hand had dancing sticks logos as their closing ID until September 1966. It would be nice if any of these rarities would turn up from any Canadian TV vaults.)

@sergioandrade8735

Ай бұрын

O​@@robertorick6383

I noticed there was no copyright credit under the Mouse That Roared title card. Where it would normally appear. It would normally say "Copyright MCMLXVI by Screen Gems, Inc., All Rights Reserved."

Well executed, very funny, but seemingly impossible to pull off week to week. Didn't Sid Caesar basically kill himself with all the work he did on "Your Show of Shows"? Now he's going to play half the roles in this show? And Richard Deacon's first line comes halfway into the episode...

Great show it sounds like Bob Denver singing the theme. Gilligan.

@TheThreeSunsChannel

Жыл бұрын

I believe it's Allan Sherman.

@fromthesidelines

Жыл бұрын

Allan co-wrote and performed the theme.

@TheThreeSunsChannel

Жыл бұрын

Albert, there is a connection to Gilligan that you may have picked up on. Jack Arnold (director of the original movie and this pilot) also directed 26 episodes of Gilligan's Island.

@fromthesidelines

Жыл бұрын

Gerald Fried also wrote most of the scores as well.

@mikedoran9851

Жыл бұрын

@@TheThreeSunsChannel: In fact, by the third season of Gilligan's Island, Jack Arnold had become the Executive producer of the series - what would nowadays be known as the showrunner. Jack Arnold was proud of his Gilligan connection for all of his days.

Incidentally, Frank Tarloff- who wrote the script- had just returned from England after a self-imposed exile after being blacklisted in the mid-1950's (he refused to name names). Danny Thomas, who gave him considerable work writing scripts for his TV series {and claimed the most "subversive" thing Frank ever said was "Richard Nixon is a jerk"}, continued to accept scripts from Tarloff while he lived in England......under his "David Adler" pseudonym [he wrote for Danny, as well as "THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW" and "THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW"].

Only 30 mins long???

@willgray7272

Жыл бұрын

Kind of a (highly) condensed remake of the original film.

@robertorick6383

Жыл бұрын

If the show was to be sold, the networks would have edited about five minutes from the pilot to make room for commercial breaks. Unfortunately, as it didn't sell, the 32 minute pilot remains unedited.

@CamhiRichard

9 ай бұрын

@@robertorick6383 But fortunately for us, as the whole 32 minutes is present. Probably production costs were what made them decide to shelve it. And honestly, terrific as it was, it's hard to imagine they could have kept the premise going for dozens of episodes. As it is, it's a one-off gem.

@robertorick6383

9 ай бұрын

@@CamhiRichard One would have wondered if the TV executives still wanted Peter Sellers instead of Sid Cesar. Peter didn't do television unless he was paid in full or if he liked the project (such as his rare appearance on "The Muppet Show", a TV show he actually liked.)

The application of "laff trax" should be declared as a war crime against independent thought and general decency.

And people of great talent thought this was funny? Watchable?