The Pride of the Family

Fay Wray played the wife, Catherine Morrison, in the ABC situation comedy, The Pride of the Family.

Natalie Wood in the role of the 15-year-old daughter, Ann Morrison

The Pride of the Family is an American situation comedy starring Paul Hartman (1904-1973), Fay Wray (1907-2004), Natalie Wood (1938-1981), and Robert Hyatt (1939-2007), which aired for forty episodes on ABC in the 1953-1954 season.[1]

## Overview[edit]

Hartman portrays Albie Morrison, the father and error-prone head of the household,[2] about whom most of the episodes are centered. Albie works in the advertising section of his local newspaper, and he often has new ideas that go awry in the workplace as well as failed handyman activities at home.[3][4]

Wray, remembered in particularly from her role in the horror film King Kong, plays Albie's wife, Catherine.[5] Natalie Wood was cast is their 15-year-old daughter, Ann,[6] and "Bobby" Hyatt was cast as the 14-year-old son, Junior Morrison. Larry J. Blake (1914-1982) appeared fourteen times in the role of "Frank."[1]

Billboard magazine described Hartman's lead role as "average"; indeed the series attempted to present the "average family."[7]

Guest stars included Tol Avery, Barbara Billingsley, Douglas Fowley, Frank Ferguson (five times as Murdock), Lyle Talbot, Steven Terrell (five times as Tom), and Joey D. Vieira (six episodes as Hollis).[1]

## Production notes[edit]

The Pride of the Family aired at 9 p.m. EST on Fridays. It followed ABC's The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse anthology series and preceded the short-lived, The Comeback Story, a reality show hosted by George Jessel and Arlene Francis. It was slated opposite The Big Story on NBC and The Schlitz Playhouse of Stars on CBS.[8]The series also aired in limited rebroadcasts in June and July 1955 on CBS.[3]

The Revue production, now the NBC Universal Television Group, was filmed at Republic Studios in North Hollywood, California.[1]

## References[edit]

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 The Pride of the Family. Internet Movie Data Base. Retrieved on August 28, 2020.
2. ↑ The Pride of the Family. tv.com. Retrieved on August 28, 2020.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Earle Marsh and Tim Brooks, The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Programs, 1946–Present,', p. 724.
4. ↑ Alex McNeil, Total Television,', p. 672.
5. ↑ Hollywood Grave Hunter: Fay Wray. hollywoodgravehunter.com. Retrieved on May 1, 2011; material no longer accessible on-line.
6. ↑ Farewells: Natalie Wood (1938–1981). uniquecarsandparts.com. Retrieved on August 28, 2020.
7. ↑ Billboard, December 26, 1953, p. 12.
8. ↑ McNeil, Total Television, appendix, network schedule.