Bob The Actor

[cablejockey]

Just happened to catch Bob Cummings in Alfred Hitchcocks "Sabotuer" from 1942. He's very good in it. He was also in Dial M For Murder--another classic.

[TheLurkerKing]

Besides his television shows, I remember Bob Cummings from his work as an actor in "The Barefoot Mailman," "The Carpetbaggers," and 1966's "Stagecoach." But, that was just part of his career as a motion picture actor, as he appeared in almost 70 theatrical films dating back to 1933, where he can be glimpsed as an extra in one of the crowd scenes in Laurel and Hardy's "Sons of the Desert."
And he, along with Walt Disney, Art Linkletter, and Ronald Reagan
were the four hosts who hosted the television opening of Disneyland in 1955.
enjoy!

[mister bluster]

Yes, I remember he was also in King's Row, I think it was called, where Reagan said his famous line, "Where's the rest of me?" He (Cummings) played a psychiatrist. I also remember him in Lucky Me with Doris Day and in some other movie (I think it was him) where he married a woman doctor; also in The Lucy Desi Comedy Hour where they went to Japan.

Back to Love That Bob: as I remember, that was another hilarious show. Schultzie was a riot, and Dwayne Hickman was funny too. I don't remember his character's name.

[baronzzz]

He was also in the TV show "My Living Doll" with Julie Newmar in the mid-60s. It was on one season. I would sure like it if someone would rerun those!

[mister bluster]

That's right! I knew he was in some other show but I couldn't remember what it was.

[tesiay]

Just a bit of trivia. Cummings liked to be billed as Robert for dramas and Bob for comedies.

[Goodnight Gracie]

LOL, Thats a new one on me. I`ll make a mental note to check the name he uses in the next movie I see of him.

[TV Knowledge Fan]

.....unless SOMEONE in the film industry has access to ALL 26 episodes on 16mm film, I don't think you'll ever see it again. After its sole season (1964-'65) on CBS, either the network or Jack "Mr. Cheapo" Chertok [the producer]ordered ALL existing prints and negatives of the show destroyed. As of this date, about 6 episodes or so are known to exist in collectors' circles; some network prints with commercials, some with "Place Commercial Here" inserts...

"MY LIVING DOLL" was not a very happy experience for Julie Newmar. She had Bob Cummings as an adversary during the 21 episodes they co-starred in.
She says he tried to "teach" her how to act, among other things. After episode 21 was filmed in January 1965, Cummings just walked away from the show...and that sealed its fate. CBS (and Jim Aubrey, the programming whiz who bought the show for the network WITHOUT A PILOT EPISODE) was disappointed with the show's low ratings {opposite "BONANZA" and "THE SUNDAY NIGHT MOVIE" on Sundays, and "THE VIRGINIAN" and "THE PATTY DUKE SHOW" on Wednesdays in mid-season}, and decided to cut their losses at the end of 26 episodes and quietly allowed the show to expire (the fact that Aubrey had been fired from the network in February 1965 didn't help the show's chances, either!).

...and I've heard that Bob could be a real son-of-a-bitch at times, despite his "nice guy" facade.

[Forrest Tucker]

.....unless SOMEONE in the film industry has access to ALL 26 episodes on 16mm film, I don't think you'll ever see it again. After its sole season (1964-'65) on CBS, either the network or Jack "Mr. Cheapo" Chertok [the producer]ordered ALL existing prints and negatives of the show destroyed. As of this date, about 6 episodes or so are known to exist in collectors' circles; some network prints with commercials, some with "Place Commercial Here" inserts...

"MY LIVING DOLL" was not a very happy experience for Julie Newmar. She had Bob Cummings as an adversary during the 21 episodes they co-starred in.
She says he tried to "teach" her how to act, among other things. After episode 21 was filmed in January 1965, Cummings just walked away from the show...and that sealed its fate. CBS (and Jim Aubrey, the programming whiz who bought the show for the network WITHOUT A PILOT EPISODE) was disappointed with the show's low ratings {opposite "BONANZA" and "THE SUNDAY NIGHT MOVIE" on Sundays, and "THE VIRGINIAN" and "THE PATTY DUKE SHOW" on Wednesdays in mid-season}, and decided to cut their losses at the end of 26 episodes and quietly allowed the show to expire (the fact that Aubrey had been fired from the network in February 1965 didn't help the show's chances, either!).

...and I've heard that Bob could be a real son-of-a-bitch at times, despite his "nice guy" facade.

Probably just a personality conflict between Cummings and Newmar IMO. Cummings directed nearly half the episodes of LOVE THAT BOB and was a "taskmaster" according to Dwayne Hickman, who still spoke fondly of him. He noted that Cummings was pushing everyone to be as good as possible, really working with him especially, and was a stickler for rehearsing.

[retrostation]

Just my opinion. but from what I saw in the Living Doll eps, he acted as if he was above it all and especially his castmates.

[TV Knowledge Fan]

....Bob always had a bit of an "ego" aura around him [but then, what can you expect from a man who tried to break into the movies by pretending to be an Englishman named "Blade Stanhope Conway"?]. True, he was a taskmaster, as Dwayne Hickman said, and perhaps he was a bit "spoiled" at "running things" (he not only starred in "THE BOB CUMMINGS SHOW" {aka "LOVE THAT BOB"}, he was also co-producer and one-third owner of the series [with Paul Henning and George Burns], as well as sitting in the director's chair towards the end). He was always used to having things HIS way, even if he had to "teach" Julie Newmar how to react to certain sections of dialogue in every script, never mind she KNEW how, he just had to be "her director". I'm sure Jack Chertok must have regretted signing him as star of the series as well, and was probably happy to see him go after episode 21.
You'll note that Cummings never starred in another TV series again, his personal life fell apart and his health deteriorated in later years...his end was very sad indeed.

[retrostation]

Just imagine if they had signed Bob Crane instead of Bob Cummings, I wonder how Crane's life would have turned out. In a recent post another user said chertok wanted to sign crane. Would he have hit on Julie? lol

[TV Knowledge Fan]

...w'ed all be buying the first DVD volume of the "five seasons" of "MY LIVING DOLL" starring Bob Crane and Julie Newmar [second through fifth in color]...instead of a forgotten black & white pilot called "HOGAN'S HEROES" starring....Darren McGavin???

;)

[todd00]

bob cummings was one of my fav actors. i thought he was good in all his parts. maybe he was a perfectionist type of person and thats why he wanted it his way in the show. yes, very sad about his later life. gone but not forgotten.

[rlertzman]

Can I ask what you heard about Bob Cummings later life? I am writing a book about his life. Always like to her something new.

Rick Lertzman
Tramscorp@aol.com

[karl59]

Can I ask what you heard about Bob Cummings later life? I am writing a book about his life. Always like to her something new.

Rick Lertzman
Tramscorp@aol.com
Orville Wright taught Robert Cummings how to
fly airplanes.:talk:

[rezny717]

Also,the late Bob Cummings was a guest star on "The Twilight Zone" in the 1960-1961 second season premiere episode written by Rod Serling called "King Nine Will Not Return" and in episodes of "Green Acres"(during the next to last season),and an episode of "Bewitched"(during the Dick Sargent as Darrin years).By the way,what year did Bob Cummings die?

[karl59]

Also,the late Bob Cummings was a guest star on "The Twilight Zone" in the 1960-1961 second season premiere episode written by Rod Serling called "King Nine Will Not Return" and in episodes of "Green Acres"(during the next to last season),and an episode of "Bewitched"(during the Dick Sargent as Darrin years).By the way,what year did Bob Cummings die?
Bob Cummings date of death was reported as December 1, 1990.