“Andy’s Gang” was a sorry, low-budget show that was usually padded for at least 20 of the 30 minutes by a banal live-action movie. All told, there were 156 episodes of Smilin’ Ed and Andy’s long-running show!
Variety was unamused when Andy appeared. In a review by “Jose” on August 24, 1955 the paper complained about the filmed adventures and then the comedy: “Accompanying Devine’s contribution are bits of clowning with mechanical toys. Aside from this business being not too funny, Devine is much too big to be playing with dolls.”
However, on November 27, 1957, reviewer “Ron” (no relation!) praised the “dancing cat, flying hamster and magic gremlin...Froggy the Gremlin comes on to introduce cousin Harry, a live orangutang. Without use of animation Harry mimicks what’s being said or vice versa and the outcome is quite amusing...Devine is affable fun to look at and has the ability to make a pal of every young viewer...”
Most filmed adventures in the series featured the exploits of Gunga Ram (Nino Marcel) an Indian boy who was usually having trouble with elephant poachers or deadly scorpions. Nino also played “Little Fox” the Sioux Indian, but his elephant boy character seemed to be more popular. He even made a movie using the character: “Sabaka” (1955) co-starring Boris Karloff and Victor Jory!
For the Indian adventures, Nino’s sidekick Rama (no jokes about his last name being Lama Dingdong) was played by the beloved Vito Scotti, who often appeared live on the show in the guise of a chef, music conductor or some other eccentric lesson-giver.He’d politely lecture the kids...and Froggy would call out terrible suggestions that Vito would instantly repeat and follow...only to become enraged at how he’d been fooled!
Fascinating! Expectations of kids were so different then, it seems. I think the second reviewer was right. “Affable” is a good word for it. The one where he can’t keep from eating the cream puff is funny, and even the mouse on the motorcycle is funny — just paced to a much less rushed attention span! It was a different era.
Squeeky the motorcycle mouse was the best. The guy who had the bunk above me in basic training made a sound like Squeeky’s motorcycle every night. It’s tough not holding a grudge.