Guestward, Ho!

{{Infobox television

| image = Flip Mark Guestward Ho 1961.JPG

| caption = Flip Mark as Brook Hooten with Tonka (1961)

| alt_name =

| genre = Comedy

| creator =

| developer = Cy Howard

| writer = Bob Schiller
Bob Weiskopf
Ronald Alexander
Arthur Julian, based on Guestward Ho! (1956) by Patrick Dennis and Barbara Hooton

| director = Claudio Guzmán, Desi Arnaz

| creative_director =

| presenter =

| starring = Joanne Dru
Mark Miller
J. Carrol Naish
Flip Mark

| judges =

| voices =

| narrated =

| theme_music_composer = Arthur Hamilton

| opentheme =

| endtheme = "Guestward Ho!"

| composer = Earle Hagen

| country = United States

| language = English

| num_seasons = 1

| num_episodes = 38

| list_episodes =

| executive_producer = Cy Howard

| producer = David Heilweil
Elliott Lewis

| editor =

| location =

| cinematography =

| camera =

| runtime = 30 minutes

| company = Desilu Productions

| channel = ABC

| first_aired = {{start date|1960|9|29}}

| last_aired = {{end date|1961|6|22}}

}}

Guestward, Ho! is an American sitcom that aired on the ABC network from September 29, 1960, through September 21, 1961. It was based on the book of the same title by New Mexico dude ranch operator Barbara Hooton and Patrick Dennis.{{cite book|last1=McNeil|first1=Alex|title=Total Television: the Comprehensive Guide to Programming from 1948 to the Present |date=1996|publisher=Penguin Books USA, Inc.|location=New York, New York|isbn=0-14-02-4916-8|pages= 345–346|edition=4th}}

Overview

The premise revolves around a New York City family, the Hootens, who tire of the urban lifestyle and relocate to operate a dude ranch in New Mexico. Having bought the place unseen, they find it needs considerably more work than they were led to believe. The Hootens befriend the Native American "Hawkeye" whose "trading post" was the only source of supplies in the vicinity. Hawkeye, played by J. Carrol Naish, was a rather cynical native who sold indigenous-looking trinkets mass-produced in Asia, and who frequently read The Wall Street Journal, seemingly in search of a way to purchase the country and return it to its "rightful owners". Jeanette Nolan guest starred as Mrs. Winslow in the 1961 episode "Hawkeye's First Love".

Earle Hodgins appeared in at least three episodes as the 67-year-old ranch wrangler named "Lonesome". In the episode "Lonesome's Gal", ZaSu Pitts, formerly of The Gale Storm Show, played his romantic interest. Jody McCrea, whose Wichita Town, an NBC western series in which he starred with his father, Joel McCrea, ended in 1960, was cast as an Indian, "Danny Brave Eagle", in the 1961 episode entitled "The Wrestler".

The second episode was entitled "You Can't Go Home Again", borrowing from Thomas Wolfe's novel, You Can't Go Home Again. The series finale was "No Place Like Home".

Cast

Character	Actor
class="wikitable" \|+ Characters in Guestward Ho! and Actors Who Portrayed Them
Babs Hooten	Joanne Dru
Hawkeye	J. Carrol Naish
Bill Hooten	Mark Miller
Brook Hooten	Flip Mark
Lonesome	Earle Hodgins
Pink Cloud	Jolene Brand
Rocky	Tony Montenaro Jr.

Background

The trade publication Billboard reported in December 1957 that CBS was negotiating with Jeanne Crain to be the lead in an adaptation of Guestward, Ho!{{cite magazine |date=December 30, 1957 |page=6 |title=Producers' Rank About Par on Number of New Pilots |magazine=Billboard |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vx0EAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22Guestward%2C+Ho%21%22+intitle%3ABillboard&pg=PA10-IA2 |accessdate=August 3, 2024 }} A February 1958 Billboard article still had Crain set for the lead in the program being developed for the 1958-1959 season.{{cite magazine |date=February 3, 1958 |page=6 |title=Nets Vary Widely on Show Types for Fall |magazine=Billboard |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OiEEAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22Guestward%2C+Ho%21%22+intitle%3ABillboard&pg=PA6 |accessdate=August 3, 2024 }}

Guestward, Ho! initially began at CBS in 1958, with Vivian Vance and Leif Erickson as the Hootens, an older childless couple. Desilu had developed the pilot specifically for Vance, who had portrayed Ethel Mertz on the hit CBS/Desilu sitcom I Love Lucy from 1951 to 1957, and its later followup specials. Vance had rejected doing an I Love Lucy spin-off focusing on Ethel and Fred Mertz, in favor of doing the Guestward, Ho! pilot. Upon viewing the pilot, CBS executives felt that Vance had become so typecast in her Ethel Mertz role that she was unconvincing playing a leading character in her own situation comedy. One executive allegedly said "I kept waiting for Lucy to come in" after viewing the pilot. Hence, CBS rejected the series.{{Citation needed |date=August 2024}}

Desilu eventually retooled the pilot, with Joanne Dru and Mark Miller as the Hootens, now a younger couple (with Babs being a former model). Flip Mark was cast as their son, Brook Hooten, a character created in the retooling. ABC bought this pilot, and slated it for its Thursday evening schedule with The Donna Reed Show. Ralston-Purina served as the primary sponsor, with 7 Up as an alternate sponsor.

Guest stars

Episodes

{{Episode table

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{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 1 | Title = The Hootens Buy a Ranch | OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1960|9|29}}