Sitcoms Online Photo Galleries - Car 54 Where Are You?> Joe E. Ross and Fred Gwynn

Car 54 Where Are You ran from September 1961 until September 1963 on NBC.

Created by Nat Hiken, who also created The Phil Silvers Show, Car 54, was the first situation comedy about police officers. It was also one of the few series of it's time to feature a black performer ( Nipsey Russell), as a regular.

Car 54, Where Are You? centered around Officer's Muldoon and Toody ( Joe E. Ross, Fred Gwynn), - two of the most unlikely patrol-car partners ever seen on a police force! Toody was short, stocky, friendly and just a little bit nosey , a marked contrast to the tall, quiet Muldoon. Although they were assigned to New York's 53rd Precinct - a run-down area in the Bronx not generally considered a place for a sitcom to take place - they always managed to encounter more comedy than crime! Much of the action took place in the precinct house itself, mostly in the locker room as the Officer's changed into their uniforms, and the comedy was more of the old, slapstick variety, reminiscent of Mack Sennett.

One unusual aspect of this show was the partners' patrol car, which looked identical to those used by real-life New York City police - but only because the show was filmed in black & white! The car was actually painted red and white to distinguish it from real police cars during the shooting - all of which was done entirely on location in New York. On the viewers screen at home, the red and white car looked identical to the dark green and white of the real New York City Police cars.

Other's in the large cast included Al Lewis as Schauzer; Charlotte Rae as Mrs. Schauzer; Bea Pons as Lucille Toody; Paul Reed as Capt. Block; Nipsey Russell as Officer Anderson; Fred O'Neal as Officer Wallace; Al Henderson as Officer O'Hara; Duke Farley as Officer Riley; Hank Garrett as Officer Nicholson; Shelley Burton as Officer Murdock; Jerry Guardino as Officer Antonnucci; Jim Gormley as Officer Nelson and Joe Warren as Officer Steinmetz.

Joe E. Ross who played Toody also appeared in Hiken's previous series, " The Phil Silvers Show" while Bea Pons played his wife in that series; thus Ross and Pons became the first actor-actress team to play two different married couples on two sitcoms.

Among the guest stars on this series were Maureen Stapleton, Molly Picon, Wally Cox, Larry Storch, Tom Bosley, Ossie Davis, Sugar Ray Robinson, Rocky Graziano, Margaret Hamilton, and Alice Ghostley ( as Muldoon's girlfriend Bonnie Calsheim).

Sixty episodes were produced.

Here's Joe E. Ross's Obituary from The New York Times

Joe E. Ross Dies at 67; Actor in TV's 'Car 54'

AP
Published: August 15, 1982

Joe E. Ross, an actor best known for his role as the chunky policeman Gunther Toody in the television series ''Car 54, Where Are You?,'' died Friday, apparently of a heart attack, a family spokesman said. He was 67 years old.

Mr. Ross was stricken while performing in the clubhouse of his apartment building in suburban Van Nuys, according to Joe Seide, a friend and former publicist. He was pronounced dead at St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank.

Mr. Ross, a New Jersey native, went to Hollywood in the 1950's to play Sgt. Rupert Ritzik on ''The Phil Silvers Show'' on CBS from 1955 to 1959. He and Fred Gwynne starred as two patrolmen frequently in hot water in ''Car 54,'' broadcast on NBC from 1961 to 1963.

Mr. Ross also appeared in ''It's About Time,'' a short-lived comedy series on CBS about two astronauts whose space capsule lands in the Stone Age. He played the caveman and Imogene Coca portrayed his wife.

In recent years, he made club appearances and had guest roles on television. He is survived by his wife, Arlene.

For another review of Car 54 Where Are You go to http://www.televisionheaven.co.uk/car54.htm