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CBS' "Family Affair" wasn't the biggest sitcom of its era, nor was it the most groundbreaking, but it popularized a found-family formula that would endure for decades after its original run. The series followed a lifelong bachelor, Bill (Brian Keith), whose lifestyle is interrupted by the sudden arrival of his three orphaned nieces and nephews. Clueless about parenthood yet suddenly the dad of three grieving kids, Bill recruited the help of several other characters throughout the series — most notably, his loyal British manservant, French (Sebastian Cabot).

"Family Affair" ran for five seasons on CBS beginning in 1966, and though it doesn't appear in syndication as often as other shows from its era, the series is still fondly remembered by those who saw it. Unfortunately, the show is also remembered for the unusual amount of tragedy that befell its stars. Child star Anissa Jones died of an overdose just five years after the show ended,...

Marty Krofft, who with his brother Sid produced memorable kids shows “H.R. Pufnstuf” and “Land of the Lost” — as well as the 2009 feature based on the latter — has died. He was 86.

Krofft died of kidney failure Saturday in Los Angeles, Calif., a family representative told Variety.

Often referred to as the King of Saturday Mornings, Krofft and his brother also produced a number of primetime variety shows, including “Donny and Marie” and “Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters.”

Sid and Marty Krofft began their careers producing children’s television with “H.R. Pufnstuf,” a live-action program about a boy (played by British actor Jack Wild) in a fantastic land with a dragon for a friend and a witch — Witchiepoo, played by Billie Hayes — for an enemy; as conceptualized, the show followed the interactions between human actors; actors in colorful, oversized costumes; and life-size puppets with enormous heads.

The Kroffts were proudly...

Mary Grady, one of Hollywood’s premiere child talent agents, whose client roster reads like a Who’s Who of TV child stars from the latter half of the 20th century, died Thursday at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, CA. She was 96.

Her death was announced by her friend Cindy Osbrink, owner of Osbrink Talent Agency.

A much-abridged list of her clients includes Johnny Whitaker (Family Affair), Melissa Sue Anderson (Little House on the Prairie), Erin Moran (Happy Days), Brandy (Moesha), Tony O’Dell (Head of the Class), Morgan Brittany (The Dream Merchants), Butch Patrick (The Munsters), Kristie Swanson (Buffy and The Vampire Slayer), Dustin Diamond (Saved By The Bell), Todd Bridges (Diff’rent Strokes), Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen (Full House), Jeremy Jackson (Baywatch) and Mary McDonough (The Waltons).

Grady’s star clients also included two of her own children: Don Grady, an original Mouseketeer...

A happy-go-lucky dragon with a yellow head who talks with a magic flute. Diminutive sea monsters frolicking with a pair of young boys. A world where lifesize hats run things. And presidents in a bar, laughing it up with Saddam Hussein and Barbara Walters. These are the worlds which have been the mainstay of Sid and Marty Krofft for over 50 years, and for which they are being honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Feb.13.

The Kroffts’ craft developed out of several decades of marionette work, including their hugely successful “Les Poupées de Paris,” the first “adults only” puppet show, featuring naked marionettes, which opened in 1962. Its success drew the attention of Six Flags, who brought the brothers onboard as creative heads to install shows at all of their amusement parks.

To produce the many costumes, puppets and props used at the Six Flags parks, the...

1984: As part of an effort to counter-program ABC's Olympic coverage, As the World Turns featured guest stars Phyllis Diller, Whitney Houston and Jermaine Jackson."History speaks to artists. It changes the artist's thinking and is constantly reshaping it into different and unexpected images."

― Anselm Kiefer

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1967: On Another World, Ada (Constance Ford) pleaded with Rachel (Robin Strasser) to understand that her salary at Pierre's was all they had, but Rachel threatened to leave the hospital despite the health risk if she lost her pricey private room. Rachel railed at Ada for lying to her that her father was dead. "Everybody lies when they have to,...

Johnny Whitaker is best known for playing one of the twin orphans, Jody Davis -- opposite his on-screen twin sister Anissa Jones as Buffy -- in the classic '60s television show "Family Affair." Guess what he looks like now!

1984: As part of an effort to counter-program ABC's

Olympic coverage, As the World Turns featured guest stars

Phyllis Diller, Whitney Houston and Jermaine Jackson."The best prophet of the future is the past."

― Lord Byron

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1967: On Another World, Ada (Constance Ford) pleaded with Rachel (Robin Strasser) to understand that her salary at Pierre's was all they had, but Rachel threatened to leave the hospital despite the health risk if she lost her pricey private room. Rachel railed at Ada for lying to her that her father was dead. "Everybody lies when they have to," Rachel said. "I know I do."

1968: On Dark Shadows,...

While some directors learned their craft through thrift bare independent features, others came up through the TV divisions of studios; one such fellow, Steven Spielberg, would go on to have a fairly successful career with big screen projects. Before he would make that leap however, he started with episodic shows, and then onto TV films like Something Evil (1972), a fun ride that shows the kid knows his way around a camera. I’m glad things turned out okay for him.

Originally airing on January 21st as part of the CBS Friday Night Movies, Something Evil had the ABC Friday night juggernaut of The Odd Couple/Love, American Style to contend with, and posted Something Lesser in the ratings. Too bad, because even though Something Evil’s material, from the title on down, is paper thin, Spielberg whips up one hell of a wallpaper.

Crack open your faux TV Guide and...

"The Furniture" is our weekly series on Production Design. You can click on the images to see them in magnified detail. Here's Daniel Walber...

[Part One Of Our Celeste Holm Centennial Series]

On paper, 1973’s Tom Sawyer might be the oddest project of Celeste Holm’s entire career. It was her first big screen appearance in six years. She’d been splitting her time between TV and theater, making guest appearances on shows like The Fugitive and leading the national tour of Mame. And while it’s not unexpected that her return would come via an independent production, the company in question may surprise you.

Tom Sawyer was made by Reader’s Digest, during the company’s six year foray into the industry. This was their first feature, the accompanying risk of which might explain the bizarre product placement. Child star Johnny Whitaker is actually credited as appearing “through the courtesy of Elder Manufacturing Company, manufacturers of Tom Sawyer wearing apparel for boys.

Family can't stay apart forever. Family Affair stars Kathy Garver and Johnny Whitaker recently reunited on an episode of Oprah: Where Are They Now?, Huffington Post reports.The two are the last surviving castmemebers of the CBS sitcom, which followed a single man's attempt to raise his deceased brother's children. Brian Keith, Sebastian Cabot, and Anissa Jones also starred. The series ran for five seasons before ending in 1971.Read More…...

Children of the ’70s rejoice: Your kids can soon enjoy an updated version of what may have been one of your favorite television series from the era. Amazon Studios has signed a deal with TV producers Sid and Marty Krofft to develop a reimagined pilot of their live action series “Sigmund and the Sea Monsters,” which aired 29 episodes on Saturday mornings between 1974 and 1975. See photos: 21 Buzziest Streaming Shows: From ‘Marco Polo’ to ‘Transparent’ The series followed two brothers ((Johnny Whitaker, Scott Kolden) who find and hide a sea monster named Sigmund, who was thrown out of his underwater home...

With the Cecil B. DeMiller tribute coming at the Golden Globes and her 50th birthday hitting this coming Monday, we're celebrating the one and only Jodie Foster.

Jodie Foster is one of only a tiny handful of full fledged child stars to become even more legendary as an adult movie star. She remains the modern era's gold standard for making the transition but who could've predicted it in 1972 when she made her first feature Napoleon & Samantha. She's not really the star (that'd be Johnny Whitaker as Napoleon) but the film had the foresight to open with her face and that distinctive voice. 

She gets the movie's very first shot and line. 

Ouch, I bumped my knee!

Auspicious beginnings! 

a totally docile animal actor. Johnny & Jodie climb all over this big cat, pull its tail, shove their hands in its mouthNapoleon, tells her to shush with a "who cares about your stupid knee?...

Chicago – In the 1960s, network television became the ‘cool fire’ that families gathered around, and the array of trends and shows in that era had an odd but flavorful variety. Lee Meriwether (Catwoman from the 1966 ‘Batman movie), Kathy Garver (Cissy in the sitcom ‘Family Affair’) and Robert Colbert (ensemble player on the TV drama ‘The Time Tunnel’) represented those shows.

They appeared last March at ‘The Hollywood Show,’ a twice-a-year event in which fans can mingle, take photographs and get autographs from the celebrities – like the 1960s TV and film actors – who appear there. There is also a great opportunity to purchase memorabilia from a host of showbiz vendors, all in one room. The fall session of The Hollywood Show will take place at the Hilton Rosemont Hotel on River Road in Rosemont, Ill, on September 7th, 8th and 9th, 2012. For complete details click here.

HollywoodChicago.com was at the...

Filed under: Movie News

'Super 8' star Joel Courtney is making another trip to the past, but instead of Ohio in the 1970s, it'll be the pre-Civil War South.

He's just been tapped to play the iconic role of trouble-making orphan Tom Sawyer in a new update of the Mark Twain classic.

The project is 'Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn,' with the role of Huck yet to be cast.

Sawyer is usually portrayed as blond, but that didn't stop non-blond Jonathan Taylor Thomas (in a '95 version with Brad Renfro as Huck) from landing the part, or red-haired curly-headed Johnny Whitaker playing him in the '73 version, the one with Jodie Foster as Becky Thatcher.

Continue Reading...

Disney favorite ‘Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious’ from Mary Poppins and the whole score of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang have transcended time with the childish delight they have brought to generations of children, but few would know the masterminds behind these famous songs. The combined creative genius of two brothers, Robert Sherman and Richard Sherman brought film to life with their catchy songs and memorable lyrics. This revealing documentary follows the fraught relationship between the Sherman brothers as their career together as songwriters produces not only the most beloved Disney songs but also a battle of personal differences that has resulted in estrangement.

Directed by their sons, Gregory Sherman and Jeff Sherman, The Boys enters a deeply personal and emotional environment that includes many of the key figures who worked alongside the Sherman Brothers in the golden years at the Disney studio. The cousins brought their fathers together after to create this testimony to...

Lee Meriwether, who played The Catwoman in the Batman feature film starring Adam West and Burt Ward, will be among the guests at the 4th annual Mid-Atlantic Nostalgia Convention on August 27-29. The event will be held at the Clarion Hotel in Aberdeen, MD. Other guests include James Best, Johnny Whitaker, Bob Hastings and Patty McCormack. There will be autograph sessions and a memorabilia room, as well as vintage hot rods and a drive-in movie night in the parking lot on Friday. For details click here...

For many gay and bisexual men of a certain age, the first inkling that they weren’t like other boys came on Saturday mornings from 1974 to 1976, in the form of a television show called The Land of the Lost. The show, about a father and his two children who were stranded in a mysterious land of dinosaurs, also featured vicious, but curiously slow-moving reptilian humanoids called Sleestak. Now the classic kids’ program by Sid and Marty Krofft, the producers of H.R. Pufnstuf and Sigmund and the Sea Monsters, has even been made into a feature film starring Will Ferrell, opening this Friday.

But it wasn’t just the gloriously campy-even-at-the-time nature of the show itself that appealed to gay boys. It was also the fact that it featured the role of Will, the Marshall’s handsome teenage son, played by an actor billed only as “Wesley,” but whose full name is Wesley Eure.

Following Universal Studio’s big screen adaptation of Land of the Lost, the company has signed to do the same with another show created by Sid and Marty Krofft: Sigmund and the Sea Monsters.

The Kroffts will produce the new film, according to Variety, with Jimmy Miller. Dana Gould (The Simpsons) has been hired to write the new screenplay.

The original Sigmund, a kindly monster kicked out his home by his nastier brothers, ran Saturday mornings on NBC from 1973-1975. Sigmund was found by two boys who hid him in their clubhouse, somewhat reminiscent of DC’s beloved Stanley and His Monster. Sigmund was played by Billy Barty and his human protectors were played by Family Affair's Johnny Whitaker and Scott Kolden. The 29 epsidoes that aired over the two seasons featured character actors including Margaret Hamilton, Mary Wickes, and Rip Taylor.

The Kroffts, who cannily retained ownership of their shows,...