BRIDGET LOVES BERNIE: THE LITTLE WHITE LIE THAT GREW AND GREW (TV)
Summary
One in this comedy series, set in New York City, about the marriage of a Jewish writer-cabdriver and an Irish-Catholic schoolteacher.
Bernie’s aunt Ruth is coming to visit, making him uneasy; she is unaware of his marriage to Bridget and was determined to have Bernie marry a Jewish girl. However, he still wants Bridget to meet her, and hopes to break the news to her gently. Bernie’s family greets Ruth and attempts to conceal Bridget’s upbringing from her as long as they can. Their efforts are hampered by the arrival of Walter, and they try to persuade him to leave while they distract Ruth. Moe ends up directing Walter into the storeroom while Sophie runs around seeing to Ruth, making sure that the two do not encounter each other. They manage to get Walter to leave while Bernie and Bridget work to make her seem Jewish in order to placate Ruth.
Walter is suspicious of his encounter at the deli, believing that the Steinbergs’ odd behavior is the result of some perceived slight on their part. Ruth meets Bridget and his suspicious of her at first, but Bridget does her best to convince her that she is Jewish. To resolve their imagined conflict, Walter agrees to Amy’s idea of holding a birthday party for her and inviting the Steinbergs. Walter calls Sam and invites them to the party, insisting that the entire Steinberg family should attend. Sam tries to politely decline, but Ruth insists on going when she overhears that she would get to meet Bridget’s parents. Bridget and Bernie explain the situation to her parents, hoping to get them to feign being Jewish as well so as not to anger Ruth. After some convincing, Walter reluctantly agrees to it. Unbeknownst to them, Mike intends to change his plans to go away on a retreat to come home for his mother’s birthday and wants to surprise Amy by bringing along his aunt Agnes, a nun.
The Steinbergs arrive at the party and bring Ruth, who is introduced to Bridget’s parents. Despite her suspicions, they manage to convince Ruth of their feigned Judaism. Mike and Agnes arrive at the door, both in their full ecclesiastical garb. Despite her joy at Agnes’s arrival, Amy tries to prevent her from coming in for fear of ruining their deception. However, Agnes enters and they can maintain their story no longer; Bernie and Bridget reveal the truth to her. Ruth approves of their marriage once they show her how they have learned from each other’s religions and cultures, and after seeing how much Bernie and Bridget love each other. She reveals that she suspected she was being lied to the entire time, but thanks them for their concern about her opinion. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: CBS
- DATE: November 18, 1972 8:30 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:22:40
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:61437
- GENRE: Comedy
- SUBJECT HEADING: Comedy
- SERIES RUN: CBS - TV series, 1972-1973
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Douglas S. Cramer … Executive Producer
- Don Nelson … Producer, Writer
- Arthur Alsberg … Producer, Writer
- Ralph Riskin … Associate Producer
- Lee Philips … Director
- Bernard Slade … Created by
- Jerry Fielding … Music by, Theme Music by
- Diane Hildebrand … Theme Music by
- David Birney … Cast, Bernie Steinberg
- Meredith Baxter (See also: Meredith Baxter-Birney) … Cast, Bridget Fitzgerald Steinberg
- Harold J. Stone … Cast, Mr. Sam Steinberg
- Bibi Osterwald … Cast, Mrs. Sophie Steinberg
- David Doyle … Cast, Mr. Walter Fitzgerald
- Audra Lindley … Cast, Mrs. Amy Fitzgerald
- Ned Glass … Cast, Uncle "Moe" Plotnik
- Robert Sampson … Cast, Father Michael Fitzgerald
- Bill Elliott … Cast, Otis Foster
- Nancy Walker … Cast, Aunt Ruth
- Ivor Barry … Cast, Charles
- Nora Marlowe … Cast, Aunt Agnes