|
Of course Our Miss Brooks would not have been the same without a stellar supporting cast. Gale Gordon stared as Osgood Conklin, the blustering and parsimonious grump of a principle of Madison High School who seemed determined to ruin everyone's good time. He is the central antagonist of the show, but it wouldn't be comical if he was just simply a mean man. Gordon developed a technique that he called the "slow burn" where the angry of the character develops slowly to a sudden insane red-faced outburst. Mr. Conklin's blustery reactions to Miss Brooks allowed for her snappy comebacks to seem all the more gratifying. Gordon made a career of such roles opposite another funny redhead, Lucille Ball.
Jeff Chandler (later Robert Rockwell) played the role of biology teacher Mr. Boynton on the radio. Mr. Boynton was the object of Miss Brooks' perpetual affection. Although Phillip Boynton was not completely oblivious to Connie's advances, their relationship never moved further during the course of the old time radio show. So Miss Brooks lusted after Mr. Boynton, while he tended to his zoo of a classroom with mice and a frog named McDougall.
Jane Morgan played to role of Miss Brooks' landlady, Ms. Margaret Davis. Ms. Davis woke Connie every morning and offered her advice hinting at the theme of the episode. Often forgetful herself, Ms. Davis complained about her sister Angela's absentmindedness. Just about every morning on the old time radio show, she also offered Miss Brooks an odd concoction for breakfast, which ranged from goose liver pancakes to breakfast juice consisting of raw potato, one hardboiled egg, some rye-crisps, kidney beans, spinach and hominy grits. The weird breakfasts became a running gag for the show, as was the condition of Miss Brooks' car. The car was always in the shop often from Connie's wild driving such as when she drove her car into the lobby of a building.
Due to the condition of her automobile, Miss Brooks needed a ride to school, her student Walter Denton drove Madison High Schools favorite English teacher in his wreck of a car. His jalopy was often missing parts such as fenders and Walter's driving sometimes caused accidents. Often Walter complicated Miss Brooks' life by asking for favors. However she was always willing to help her students.
Rounding out the cast of Our Miss Brooks old time radio show was Mary Jane Croft as Miss Enright—a nasal-voiced rival for Miss Brooks. They competed for the position of Head English teacher and for Mr. Boynton's attention. Gerald Mohr played the role of the overly dramatic French Teacher, Mr. Monet, who often spoke using hilarious malapropisms of which Miss Brooks would only sometimes correct. Gloria McMillan played the role of Mr. Conklin's daughter and Walter's on again off again girlfriend, Harriet. Leonard Smith as Stretch Snodgrass was added later to the cast as a dumb high school athlete.
The episodes often followed a predictable format. However, Miss Brooks' average predicaments turned wacky kept the show fresh. Throughout the course an episode, her problems would increasingly worsen often sending her to the office of grumpy Mr Conklin or even in prison.
|