The Stu Erwin Show
The Stu Erwin Show (also known as Trouble with Father) is an American sitcom which aired on ABC from 1950 to 1955. Only four of the series’ five seasons on the network included new episodes; the 1953–54 season consisted entirely of reruns.
| The Stu Erwin Show | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Trouble with Father |
| Genre | Sitcom |
| Written by | Arnold Belgard Erna Lazarus Lee Loeb Al Martin Lester Pine Edward E. Seabrook |
| Directed by | Charles Barton Howard Bretherton Frank R. Strayer James Tinling |
| Starring | Stuart Erwin June Collyer Ann Todd Sheila James Willie Best |
| Theme music composer | Alexander Laszlo |
| Opening theme | "A Family Story" |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 4 |
| No. of episodes | 130 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Roland D. Reed |
| Producers | Roland D. Reed Hal Roach, Jr. |
| Cinematography | Lucien Andriot Walter Strenge Lothrop B. Worth |
| Camera setup | Single-camera setup |
| Running time | 26 min |
| Production companies | Hal Roach Studios Roland D. Reed Productions Inc. |
| Release | |
| Original network | ABC |
| Picture format | Black-and-white |
| Audio format | Monaural |
| Original release | October 21, 1950 – April 13, 1955 |
Synopsis
The series stars Stuart Erwin and real-life wife June Collyer. Ann E. Todd and Sheila James portray the couple's fictional daughters (Merry Anders replaced Ann Todd in the final season). One notable aspect of the show was that it featured a black actor Willie Best in a regular supporting role.
Predating modern single-camera sitcoms, The Stu Erwin Show originally aired without a laugh track (one was added in its final season), and each episode was around 26 minutes long, without commercials. During its original network run on ABC, it was sponsored by General Mills (1950–54), Paper Mate (1953-'54) and Liggett & Myers (1954–55).
Production
The series was produced by Roland D. Reed and Hal Roach, Jr., and filmed at Hal Roach Studios in Culver City, California. All 52 episodes of season one were first-run, followed by another 26 in season two for a total of 78 straight weeks of all-new shows before reruns began in the spring of 1952. Another 26 episodes were produced for the 1952–53 season, interspersed with reruns every third week between October 1952 and July 1953. Production then went on a lengthy hiatus while the network continued airing reruns from the summer of 1953 until the fall of 1954. The fourth and final season's 26 episodes aired between October 1954 and April 1955.
Episodes
Season 1 (1950–51)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Mr. Lamont Stays All Night" | Howard Bretherton | Charles Shows | October 21, 1950 |
| 2 | 2 | "The Contest" | TBA | Charles Shows | October 28, 1950 |
| 3 | 3 | "Stu's Holiday" | Howard Bretherton | Story by: Charles Shows, Teleplay by: Arnold Belgard | November 4, 1950 |
| 4 | 4 | "Dr. I.Q. Erwin" | TBA | Charles Shows | November 11, 1950 |
| 5 | 5 | "Father Finds a Genius" "Father Finds a Junior" | TBA | Charles Shows | November 18, 1950 |
| 6 | 6 | "Father's Little Gift" | TBA | Charles Shows | November 25, 1950 |
| 7 | 7 | "June's Romance" "The Poison Story" | TBA | Charles Shows | December 2, 1950 |
| 8 | 8 | "Thank You, Mr. Jarvis" | Howard Bretherton | Charles Shows & Warren Wilson | December 9, 1950 |
| 9 | 9 | "Father Gets Into the Act" | Frank R. Strayer | Story by: Charles Shows, Teleplay by: Fred Shevin | December 16, 1950 |
| 10 | 10 | "Problem Party" "Spooks" | Howard Bretherton | Arthur Hoerl | December 23, 1950 |
| 11 | 11 | "Lesson in Tolerance" | TBA | Charles Shows | December 30, 1950 |
| 12 | 12 | "Father Knows Best" | TBA | Charles Shows | January 6, 1951 |
| 13 | 13 | "Competition" | TBA | Charles Shows | January 13, 1951 |
| 14 | 14 | "The Ugly Duckling" | TBA | Charles Shows | January 20, 1951 |
| 15 | 15 | "Telephonitis" | Howard Bretherton | Story by: Charles Shows, Teleplay by: Arnold Belgard | January 27, 1951 |
| 16 | 16 | "Bugle Sounds" | TBA | Charles Shows | February 3, 1951 |
| 17 | 17 | "What Paper Do You Read?" | Howard Bretherton | Charles Shows | February 10, 1951 |
| 18 | 18 | "Hot Rod" | TBA | Charles Shows | February 17, 1951 |
| 19 | 19 | "Cousin Steve Pays a Visit" | TBA | Charles Shows | February 24, 1951 |
| 20 | 20 | "High Finance" | Howard Bretherton | Charles Shows | March 3, 1951 |
| 21 | 21 | "The Helping Hand" | TBA | Charles Shows | March 10, 1951 |
| 22 | 22 | "Wedding Bells" | Howard Bretherton | Arnold Belgard & Charles Shows | March 17, 1951 |
| 23 | 23 | "Black Saturday" | Frank R. Strayer | Lee Loeb & Charles Shows | March 24, 1951 |
| 24 | 24 | "Father and Shakespeare" | TBA | Charles Shows | March 31, 1951 |
| 25 | 25 | "Stu's Private Eye" | TBA | Charles Shows | April 7, 1951 |
| 26 | 26 | "Class Reunion" | TBA | Charles Shows | April 14, 1951 |
| 27 | 27 | "Erwin Goes to the Dogs" "Stu Goes to the Dogs" | TBA | Charles Shows | April 21, 1951 |
| 28 | 28 | "Interior Decorating" | TBA | Charles Shows | April 28, 1951 |
| 29 | 29 | "Milk of Human Kindness" | TBA | Charles Shows | May 5, 1951 |
| 30 | 30 | "Baby Knows Best" | TBA | Charles Shows | May 12, 1951 |
| 31 | 31 | "Weighty Problem" | TBA | Charles Shows | May 19, 1951 |
| 32 | 32 | "Father Picks a Queen" | Howard Bretherton | Erna Lazarus | May 26, 1951 |
| 33 | 33 | "The Great Debate" | Howard Bretherton | Oliver Crawford & Charles Shows | June 2, 1951 |
| 34 | 34 | "The Burglar Alarm" | Howard Bretherton | Lee Loeb & Charles Shows | June 9, 1951 |
| 35 | 35 | "Many Happy Returns" | Howard Bretherton | Lee Loeb | June 16, 1951 |
| 36 | 36 | "The Present" | TBA | Charles Shows | June 23, 1951 |
| 37 | 37 | "Private Enterprise" | James Tinling | Charles Shows | June 30, 1951 |
| 38 | 38 | "TV Comes to the Erwins" "To Buy or Not to Buy a TV" | Howard Bretherton | Charles Shows | July 7, 1951 |
| 39 | 39 | "Springtime for Father" | Howard Bretherton | Story by: Charles Shows, Teleplay by: Charles S. Belden | July 14, 1951 |
| 40 | 40 | "Doctor's Examination" | Howard Bretherton | Lee Loeb | July 21, 1951 |
| 41 | 41 | "Barbecue" | Howard Bretherton | Story by: Charles Shows, Teleplay by: Arthur Hoerl | July 28, 1951 |
| 42 | 42 | "Quarantine" | Howard Bretherton | Lee Loeb & Charles Shows | August 4, 1951 |
| 43 | 43 | "Dear Dora" | Howard Bretherton | Charles Shows | August 11, 1951 |
| 44 | 44 | "June Serves on a Jury" | TBA | Charles Shows | August 18, 1951 |
| 45 | 45 | "Nothing But the Truth" | James Tinling | Story by: Charles Shows, Teleplay by: Al Martin | August 25, 1951 |
| 46 | 46 | "Roughing It" | TBA | Charles Shows | September 1, 1951 |
| 47 | 47 | "Cafe Society" | TBA | Charles Shows | September 8, 1951 |
| 48 | 48 | "I Spy" | TBA | Charles Shows | September 15, 1951 |
| 49 | 49 | "Track Meet" | TBA | Charles Shows | September 22, 1951 |
| 50 | 50 | "That's My Mother" | TBA | Charles Shows | September 29, 1951 |
| 51 | 51 | "The Pen Is Mightier" | Howard Bretherton | Al Martin & Charles Shows | October 6, 1951 |
| 52 | 52 | "It's Just Money" | TBA | Charles Shows | October 13, 1951 |
Season 2 (1951–52)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 53 | 1 | "Hate the Love Seat" | Howard Bretherton | Erna Lazarus | October 19, 1951 |
| 54 | 2 | "The Bonus" | Howard Bretherton | Al Martin | October 26, 1951 |
| 55 | 3 | "Nice Little Doggie" | TBA | TBA | November 2, 1951 |
| 56 | 4 | "The French Teacher" | TBA | TBA | November 9, 1951 |
| 57 | 5 | "Erwin for President" | TBA | TBA | November 16, 1951 |
| 58 | 6 | "Father Does His Homework" | Howard Bretherton | M. Randall & R. Stewart | November 23, 1951 |
| 59 | 7 | "In a Pickle" | James Tinling | Al Martin | November 30, 1951 |
| 60 | 8 | "Jackie Knows All" | Howard Bretherton | Lee Loeb | December 7, 1951 |
| 61 | 9 | "The Big Game" | Howard Bretherton | Arnold Belgard | December 14, 1951 |
| 62 | 10 | "Tempest in a Teapot" | TBA | TBA | December 21, 1951 |
| 63 | 11 | "Egg Noggin'" | TBA | TBA | December 28, 1951 |
| 64 | 12 | "Stu Has a Baby" | Howard Bretherton | TBA | January 4, 1952 |
| 65 | 13 | "Joyce's Romance" | TBA | TBA | January 11, 1952 |
| 66 | 14 | "Brown Eyes" | TBA | TBA | January 18, 1952 |
| 67 | 15 | "Love Bug" | TBA | TBA | January 25, 1952 |
| 68 | 16 | "The Business" | Howard Bretherton | Al Martin | February 1, 1952 |
| 69 | 17 | "Premature Engagement" | TBA | TBA | February 8, 1952 |
| 70 | 18 | "Jackie Writes a Book" | TBA | TBA | February 15, 1952 |
| 71 | 19 | "A Very Rainy Day" | TBA | TBA | February 22, 1952 |
| 72 | 20 | "Quiet Place" "Quiet Please" | Howard Bretherton | Charles Belden | February 29, 1952 |
| 73 | 21 | "Trouble Below" | TBA | TBA | March 7, 1952 |
| 74 | 22 | "A Party Comes to Life" | TBA | TBA | March 14, 1952 |
| 75 | 23 | "Runaway" | TBA | TBA | March 21, 1952 |
| 76 | 24 | "Boys Aren't Everything" | TBA | TBA | March 28, 1952 |
| 77 | 25 | "Stu Paints the Roof" | TBA | TBA | April 4, 1952 |
| 78 | 26 | "On the Trail" | TBA | TBA | April 11, 1952 |
Season 3 (1952–53)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 79 | 1 | "Jackie Finds a Cause" | TBA | TBA | October 17, 1952 |
| 80 | 2 | "Object Lesson" | TBA | TBA | October 24, 1952 |
| 81 | 3 | "Goin' Steady" | TBA | TBA | November 7, 1952 |
| 82 | 4 | "Fur Coat" | TBA | TBA | November 14, 1952 |
| 83 | 5 | "Father Takes a Pet" | TBA | TBA | November 28, 1952 |
| 84 | 6 | "The Game" "The Contest" | TBA | TBA | December 5, 1952 |
| 85 | 7 | "The Golden Key" | TBA | TBA | December 19, 1952 |
| 86 | 8 | "Stu's Jalopy" | TBA | TBA | December 26, 1952 |
| 87 | 9 | "The Blow-Up" "The Big Blow-Up" | TBA | TBA | January 9, 1953 |
| 88 | 10 | "Leave It to Stu" | TBA | TBA | January 16, 1953 |
| 89 | 11 | "Stu's Secret" | TBA | TBA | January 30, 1953 |
| 90 | 12 | "Fair Exchange" | TBA | TBA | February 6, 1953 |
| 91 | 13 | "Stu Sells the House" | TBA | TBA | February 20, 1953 |
| 92 | 14 | "In the Shade of the Old Family Tree" | TBA | TBA | February 27, 1953 |
| 93 | 15 | "Art Appreciation" | TBA | TBA | March 13, 1953 |
| 94 | 16 | "Operation Hamster" | TBA | TBA | March 20, 1953 |
| 95 | 17 | "Youth, It's Wonderful" | TBA | TBA | April 3, 1953 |
| 96 | 18 | "Jackie's Newspaper" | TBA | TBA | April 10, 1953 |
| 97 | 19 | "The Landlord" | TBA | TBA | April 24, 1953 |
| 98 | 20 | "Yvette" | TBA | TBA | May 1, 1953 |
| 99 | 21 | "Nothing Like a Friend" | TBA | TBA | May 15, 1953 |
| 100 | 22 | "Farewell to Hamilton High" | TBA | TBA | May 22, 1953 |
| 101 | 23 | "Love Thy Neighbor" | TBA | TBA | June 5, 1953 |
| 102 | 24 | "The Day the Circus Came to Town" | TBA | TBA | June 12, 1953 |
| 103 | 25 | "All for Father" | TBA | TBA | June 26, 1953 |
| 104 | 26 | "The Three Budgeteers" | TBA | TBA | July 3, 1953 |
Season 4 (1954–55)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 105 | 1 | "Jackie's First Date" | October 20, 1954 |
| 106 | 2 | "Father's Financier" | October 27, 1954 |
| 107 | 3 | "Puppy Love" | November 3, 1954 |
| 108 | 4 | "Father's Big Chance" | November 10, 1954 |
| 109 | 5 | "Right About Face" | November 17, 1954 |
| 110 | 6 | "Father's Boy" | November 24, 1954 |
| 111 | 7 | "Fleetwing" | December 1, 1954 |
| 112 | 8 | "Soft Touch" | December 8, 1954 |
| 113 | 9 | "The Wedding Bouquet" | December 15, 1954 |
| 114 | 10 | "Lohengrin Blues" | December 22, 1954 |
| 115 | 11 | "The Honeymooners" | December 29, 1954 |
| 116 | 12 | "The Uninvited Guests" | January 5, 1955 |
| 117 | 13 | "One of the Boys" | January 12, 1955 |
| 118 | 14 | "Down on the Farm" | January 19, 1955 |
| 119 | 15 | "Father Becomes Efficient" | January 26, 1955 |
| 120 | 16 | "Interfering In-Laws" | February 2, 1955 |
| 121 | 17 | "The First Fight" | February 9, 1955 |
| 122 | 18 | "Two-Car Family" | February 16, 1955 |
| 123 | 19 | "The Helping Heart" | February 23, 1955 |
| 124 | 20 | "The French Influence" | March 2, 1955 |
| 125 | 21 | "Women Drivers" | March 9, 1955 |
| 126 | 22 | "A Job for Jimmy" | March 16, 1955 |
| 127 | 23 | "Separate Vacations" | March 23, 1955 |
| 128 | 24 | "Pecans vs. Pistachio" | March 30, 1955 |
| 129 | 25 | "The Pearl Necklace" | April 6, 1955 |
| 130 | 26 | "The Matchmakers" | April 13, 1955 |
Syndication and Home release
The series was widely syndicated by Official Films through the late 1960s. The show is currently seen on the Retro TV Network as of July 2018.
Many episodes of the program have fallen into the public domain. As such, various budget DVD releases of public domain episodes have been released.
External links
- The Stu Erwin Show at IMDb
- The Stu Erwin Show at TV.com
- The Stu Erwin Show at The Classic TV Archive
- The Stu Erwin Show is available for free download at the Internet Archive
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