I recently rediscovered this delightful series after not having seen it since I was a small child. MR. ED, I think, often gets incorrectly bracketed with such "silly" mid-1960s fantasies as THE MUNSTERS, THE ADDAMS FAMILY and I DREAM OF JEANNIE. Maybe a talking horse just seems too foolish to take seriously. As a matter of fact, this is an extremely inventive, witty and sharply written show - one in which the character of Mr. Ed, the equine hero, is used to comment on human foibles. It is also a comedy about values and conflicting familial duties.
What makes MR. ED work is the magical illusionism of a talking horse combined with a perfect, likable cast. Wilbur Post, the hapless owner of Mr. Ed, is played by the late Alan Young. Young combines an easy-going Bing Crosby vibe with a bumbling innocence reminiscent of Danny Kaye. His dialogues with Mr. Ed, conducted in the barn which doubles as his office, form the comedic core of the show. The attractive Connie Hines plays Wilbur's charming but demanding wife Carol. The highly original "triangle" which forms between Wilbur, Connie, and Mr. Ed fuels many of the plots.
For the first three seasons, the couple next door - MR. ED's equivalent of the Mertzes - were the acerbic Roger and Kay Addison. This elegant couple are the perfect foil to the homespun Wilbur and Carol, and their sophisticated bickering repartee is a key part of the show's success.
MR. ED himself is played by a palomino named Bamboo Harvester and voiced by Allan "Rocky" Lane in an inimitable Western drawl. Ed not only talks, he also sings, reads, writes notes, uses the telephone (a lot!), watches TV, does exercises, and shows at times a high level of erudition. He combines a cheeky insouciance with a the neediness of a little kid and in fact is practically a surrogate child for Wilbur. How they got Bamboo Harvester to perform some of the tricks required of him throughout the series is anybody's guess!
The genial bucolic setting (for the most part a convincing set, although some scenes are filmed outdoors) conjures up a specific place, the San Fernando Valley in California. The pastoral atmosphere is one of the most appealing aspects of the series, which was a unique contribution to the genre of the rural comedy. MR. ED remained in glorious black and white to the end of its run, even as many other shows were switching to color.
MR. ED has become one of my favorite early '60s sitcoms, alongside LEAVE IT TO BEAVER and THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW. It is entirely worthy to keep company with those shows and remains a unique comic experience for audiences of all ages.
What makes MR. ED work is the magical illusionism of a talking horse combined with a perfect, likable cast. Wilbur Post, the hapless owner of Mr. Ed, is played by the late Alan Young. Young combines an easy-going Bing Crosby vibe with a bumbling innocence reminiscent of Danny Kaye. His dialogues with Mr. Ed, conducted in the barn which doubles as his office, form the comedic core of the show. The attractive Connie Hines plays Wilbur's charming but demanding wife Carol. The highly original "triangle" which forms between Wilbur, Connie, and Mr. Ed fuels many of the plots.
For the first three seasons, the couple next door - MR. ED's equivalent of the Mertzes - were the acerbic Roger and Kay Addison. This elegant couple are the perfect foil to the homespun Wilbur and Carol, and their sophisticated bickering repartee is a key part of the show's success.
MR. ED himself is played by a palomino named Bamboo Harvester and voiced by Allan "Rocky" Lane in an inimitable Western drawl. Ed not only talks, he also sings, reads, writes notes, uses the telephone (a lot!), watches TV, does exercises, and shows at times a high level of erudition. He combines a cheeky insouciance with a the neediness of a little kid and in fact is practically a surrogate child for Wilbur. How they got Bamboo Harvester to perform some of the tricks required of him throughout the series is anybody's guess!
The genial bucolic setting (for the most part a convincing set, although some scenes are filmed outdoors) conjures up a specific place, the San Fernando Valley in California. The pastoral atmosphere is one of the most appealing aspects of the series, which was a unique contribution to the genre of the rural comedy. MR. ED remained in glorious black and white to the end of its run, even as many other shows were switching to color.
MR. ED has become one of my favorite early '60s sitcoms, alongside LEAVE IT TO BEAVER and THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW. It is entirely worthy to keep company with those shows and remains a unique comic experience for audiences of all ages.