Q: During this chaotic period for many people, I think rerunning "The Waltons" would give people a respite and temporarily take them to a quieter, gentler time. Any chance of that happening?
A: Reruns of the beloved family drama have been showing on INSP, Hallmark Drama (not the Hallmark Channel) and MeTV.
'Casablanca' before its time
Q: On an episode of the classic series "Maverick," Warner Bros. recycled the Rick's Cafe set from "Casablanca" and used a shot from the flick. It had World War II German officers in full uniform, for a western supposedly set in the 1870s! My question is why? How could they have such utter contempt for the audience?
A: The episode you recall, "Escape to Tampico," includes several references to "Casablanca," including in the set and the main guest star, Gerald Mohr, an actor who resembled "Casablanca's" Humphrey Bogart. There is a shot taken from that Bogart film, noticeable not only for the German soldiers but for a glimpse of Leonid Kinskey as Sascha the bartender. It's tempting to think "Maverick" used the scene as an homage to "Casablanca." But it's more likely that the studio was just being cheap and reusing footage, especially when the size and quality of TV sets at the time made it less likely people would notice. Another anachronism: a Gibson guitar years before one would have been made.
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