GALE STORM SHOW, THE {A.K.A. OH! SUSANNA}: THE WITCH DOCTOR (TV)
Summary
One in this comedy series about Susanna Pomeroy, the mischievous social director of the Ocean Queen cruise ship. In this episode, despite being prohibited from "fraternizing" with passengers, Susanna sets her sights on Jim Madison, a shy, bookish scientist who has trouble talking to women. She suggests that he purchase a love charm from a "witch doctor" when they land in Bali, assuring him that Cedric has had great luck with such a talisman. Captain Huxley sternly questions her about her latest scheme, but she explains that the charm will work "psychologically" and give him the confidence he needs to meet a lady, though Nugie guesses that Susanna wants him all to herself. She decides to visit "Ooma," a.k.a. Irving, an ex-G.I. who lives in Bali and sells "exotic" trinkets to unwitting tourists, and she enlists Cedric's help in convincing the skeptical Jim that the magic item will really work. When the ship docks, Nugie visits Ooma and tells him about the plan, requesting that he deliver a "not-too-hokey" performance for the scientist.
Susanna drags Jim to Ooma "just for laughs," and Ooma assumes a mystical persona and declares that Jim must truly believe in the charm's power to make it work. Jim dons the charm and quickly becomes a smooth-talking ladies' man, charming the attractive Lydia, as well as several others, with his interesting science talk. Susanna grows jealous and steals the charm from him, and Jim, having planned to attend the ship's evening dance, frantically asks her to help him find it. Susanna reluctantly steals the charm back from its new owner, Huxley, who also seems to be enjoy its "effects," and returns it to Jim, who immediately proposes to Lydia. She reveals that she too has a PhD and genuinely enjoys his intellectual conversation, and he decides that he is now able to woo her on his own without any "magical" assistance. Exasperated, Susanna puts on the charm herself, but ends up tossing it away when she does not have the same luck. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: CBS
- DATE: November 30, 1999 9:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:24:33
- COLOR/B&W: B&W
- CATALOG ID: 119432
- GENRE: Comedy
- SUBJECT HEADING: Comedy
- SERIES RUN: CBS - TV series, 1956-1960; ABC - 1960
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Hal Roach Jr. … Executive Producer
- Alex Gottlieb … Producer
- William A. Seiter … Director
- John L. Greene … Writer
- Lee Karson … Based on characters created by
- Leon Klatzkin … Music by
- Gale Storm … Cast, Susanna Pomeroy
- Zasu Pitts … Cast, Elvira Nugent
- Roy Roberts … Cast, Capt. Simon P. Huxley
- Chuck Connors … Cast, Ooma / Irving
- Tod Andrews … Cast, Jim Madison
- Susan Morrow … Cast, Lydia
- Jimmy Fairfax … Cast, Cedric
- Barbara Slade … Cast, Jane
- William Swan … Cast, Bob