# The Many Loves Of Dobie Gillis \[edited title\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 18, 2015, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-many-loves-of-dobie-gillis-edited-title/735028 "2015-10-18T17:44:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-many-loves-of-dobie-gillis-edited-title/735028/21 "2015-10-19T08:05:16Z")
More trivia about the show: Sheila Kuehl (billed as “Sheila James”), who played Zelda Gilroy, eventually went to Harvard Law School. She became a lawyer, a law professor, a member of the California State Assembly, and a member of the California State Senate. She is now a Los Angeles County Supervisor. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-many-loves-of-dobie-gillis-edited-title/735028/22 "2015-10-19T12:57:18Z")
I always liked that the Internal Monologues (well, directed at the TV audience with pretty clear Fourth Wall Breaking) were done in front of a replica of Rodin’s _The Thinker_. One thing I didn’t reralize until well after I had last seen the show was that they based that characters in Scooby Doo on them – Fred was Dobie, Thalia was Daphne, and Velma was Zelda (really close name there). Shaggy was obviously Maynard G. Krebs. > **[Do Scooby Doo Characters Represent Colleges in Eastern US?](https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/scooby-doo-what-is-you/)** > > Do the five characters in Scooby-Doo represent five Eastern colleges? ---
**Author:** ![peedin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peedin/32/14095_2.png) [@peedin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peedin)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-many-loves-of-dobie-gillis-edited-title/735028/23 "2015-10-19T17:53:41Z")
I loved the character names on Dobie. Milton Armitage, Chatsworth Osborne, Jr., Thalia Menninger. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-many-loves-of-dobie-gillis-edited-title/735028/24 "2015-10-19T18:31:14Z")
Plus there was Maynard G. Krebs, Dobie Gillis, Zelda Gilroy, Leander Pomfritt, Imogene Burkhardt, Edwina Kegel, Aphrodite Millican, Grover P. Wister, Laurabelle Eddingboe, Rochelle Kincheloe, Anastasia Dimitrov, Giselle Hurlbut, Blossom Tarantino, . . . The weird names just went on and on. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-many-loves-of-dobie-gillis-edited-title/735028/25 "2015-10-19T19:06:30Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > More trivia about the show: > > Sheila Kuehl (billed as “Sheila James”), who played Zelda Gilroy, eventually went to Harvard Law School. She became a lawyer, a law professor, a member of the California State Assembly, and a member of the California State Senate. She is now a Los Angeles County Supervisor. One of the first openly gay politicians, IIRC. ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-many-loves-of-dobie-gillis-edited-title/735028/26 "2015-10-19T19:46:04Z")
> [@That\_Don\_Guy](#): > > I have heard two bits of trivia about this series. > > First, in the first season, Maynard was replaced by a similar character (his brother?) because Bob Denver had been drafted, but when Denver took his Army physical, they discovered he had broken his neck once, so he was 4-F and put back on the show; I don’t think they ever referenced what happened to the other character. > > Second, the show could have had a jump the shark moment had it been renewed for one more season; the plan was for Dobie’s mother to get pregnant, and Dobie to spend quite a bit of the season resenting his new sibling. Actually it was his cousin, played by Michael J Pollard, who lasted two shows but apparently got to known Warren Beatty (who is very reluctant to acknowledge he was on the show) well enough to get cast in “Bonnie and Clyde”. The last season they did have a 14ish cousin of Dobie (named Dunky, not Oliver or Seven) for a few episodes to try to have Dobie as an older, guiding spirit. Actually the first season there is an older brother of Dobie, who no doubt was a college roommate of Chuck Cunningham. Interesting the Dobie Gillis character in the 1953 movie “The Affairs of Dobie Gillis” is a lot different than the later tv show. He’s a student at Grainbelt University (motto: “Study, Study, Study, Work, Work, Work”) who manipulates teachers and women such as Debbie Reynolds and Barbara Ruick want to date him. ``` In the tv series Maynard was quickly discharged for the benefit of the army but in the second season he and Dobie were allowed to enlist, with Chatsworth Osborne Jr shortly following them. ``` “I gotta kill that boy, I just gotta” “Work?” “You rang?” “Good morning, students, and I use that term loosely” "My father is 60 and has a kidney condition, my mother isn’t getting under younger, my sister is married to a loafer and my brother is giving every indication of being a public charge’ ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-many-loves-of-dobie-gillis-edited-title/735028/27 "2015-10-19T19:49:53Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > Plus there was Maynard G. Krebs, Dobie Gillis, Zelda Gilroy, Leander Pomfritt, Imogene Burkhardt, Edwina Kegel, Aphrodite Millican, Grover P. Wister, Laurabelle Eddingboe, Rochelle Kincheloe, Anastasia Dimitrov, Giselle Hurlbut, Blossom Tarantino, . . . The weird names just went on and on. Of course the in-joke is that Imogene Burkhardt was the real name of Jean Byron, the actress who played her ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-many-loves-of-dobie-gillis-edited-title/735028/28 "2015-10-19T19:55:38Z")
> [@Jim\_s\_Son](#): > > Actually the first season there is an older brother of Dobie, who no doubt was a college roommate of Chuck Cunningham. Played by Dwayne Hickman’s real-life brother. I’ve been working my way through the series via Netflix over the last few months; I’m near the end of season three now. Maynard gets noticeably more snarky this season…and really runs the “Oh come now” catch phrase into the ground. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-many-loves-of-dobie-gillis-edited-title/735028/29 "2015-10-19T20:04:28Z")
Where are you watching the program? ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-many-loves-of-dobie-gillis-edited-title/735028/30 "2015-10-19T20:13:05Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Where are you watching the program? Netflix (DVD service; they don’t have it streaming). More about Sheila Kuehl/Zelda Gilroy: A spinoff show, _Zelda_, was planned and a pilot shot, but the CBS brass quashed it because the character was “too butch.” Since the whole point of the Zelda Gilroy character, at least on TMLODG, is her relentless pursuit of a boy, this can only reflect on the execs’ feelings about Kuehl herself. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-many-loves-of-dobie-gillis-edited-title/735028/31 "2015-10-19T21:00:37Z")
> [@Jim\_s\_Son](#): > > “I gotta kill that boy, I just gotta” Winnie: “Now Herbert, he’s _my_ son too.” Herbert: “Well, I’m gonna kill _my_ half!” Points for Discussion: - the old Endicott Building - \*The Monster That Devoured Cleveland - ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-many-loves-of-dobie-gillis-edited-title/735028/32 "2015-10-19T21:24:21Z")
“W.W. TWO-- the Big One” Professor Pomfritt. He was always finally getting ready to discuss his favorite topic–and the bell would ring. What was it…? Some romantic poet, wasn’t it? Wordsworth? Thank you for correcting the spelling in the thread title. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-many-loves-of-dobie-gillis-edited-title/735028/33 "2015-10-19T21:35:55Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > “W.W. TWO-- the Big One” \*With \*the Good Conduct Medal! ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2015, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-many-loves-of-dobie-gillis-edited-title/735028/34 "2015-10-20T00:36:49Z")
“Love doesn’t butter any parsnips”- Thalia Menninger Yvonne Craig, who played five different characters, played a Thalia-like woman named Linda Sue Faversham. Her stock phrase was “You can’t fly to the moon with gossamer wings” ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2015, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-many-loves-of-dobie-gillis-edited-title/735028/35 "2015-10-20T01:45:28Z")
“Bring Me the Head of Dobie Gillis.” ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2015, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-many-loves-of-dobie-gillis-edited-title/735028/36 "2015-10-20T01:46:53Z")
> [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](#): > > Since the whole point of the Zelda Gilroy character, at least on TMLODG, is her relentless pursuit of a boy, this can only reflect on the execs’ feelings about Kuehl herself. Nah. Zelda was kinda butch, er, tomboyish herself. I preferred her. In my 7-yr-old mind she was more “real” than the bombshells who ignored Dobie. Thanks to this thread I had to edit Darryl Hickman’s Wikipedia entry. Something was wrong, or uncited, on the internet. Max Shulman anecdote I’ve told before! He was at the University of Minnesota at the same time as my father, writing headlines for the school paper. W. W. TWO, the Big One, was on and there were all sorts of drives collecting recyclables for the war effort. One sorority was collecting candles for their paraffin (wax, for you Brits). Shulman’s headline was, “Co-eds Prepare Boxes for Candle Stuffing.” ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2015, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-many-loves-of-dobie-gillis-edited-title/735028/37 "2015-10-20T02:30:21Z")
The last season tends to have Maynard story lines. Maynard finds a caveman living on the outskirts of town, Maynard drinks a potion that turns him into Mr Hyde, Russian spies (Barbara Bain) mistake Maynard for a scientists. Add a couple Dunky episodes, Shulman was definitely running out of ideas about what to do with Doble “that’s Dobie with a B”. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2015, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-many-loves-of-dobie-gillis-edited-title/735028/38 "2015-10-20T18:02:17Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > Nah. Zelda was kinda butch, er, tomboyish herself. I preferred her. In my 7-yr-old mind she was more “real” than the bombshells who ignored Dobie. Amen, brother. Zelda was smart, funny, cute, a true friend, and adored Dobie for who he was. Even as a ten year old I thought he was an imbecile for being so shallow. She even called him “Poopsie” - what more could a man ask for? ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2015, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-many-loves-of-dobie-gillis-edited-title/735028/39 "2015-10-20T18:19:37Z")
> [@TreacherousCretin](#): > > Amen, brother. Zelda was smart, funny, cute, a true friend, and adored Dobie for who he was. Even as a ten year old I thought he was an imbecile for being so shallow. She even called him “Poopsie” - what more could a man ask for? Damned straight! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2015, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-many-loves-of-dobie-gillis-edited-title/735028/40 "2015-10-20T21:28:53Z")
> [@TreacherousCretin](#): > > Amen, brother. Zelda was smart, funny, cute, a true friend, and adored Dobie for who he was. She didn’t exactly adore Dobie. > [@](#): > > He’s weak and bewildered and helpless. He needs me to guide his faltering feet. > [@](#): > > I’m going to nag you into being rich and successful and happy, even if it makes you miserable! > [@](#): > > **Zelda:** Yeah, we’re a couple of dogs all right. But still, we’re not too repulsive. Anyway, what’s the difference? We’re victims of propinquity. > **Dobie:** What’s that? > **Zelda:** Propinquity: nearness, closeness. Sigafoos and Wembling of Harvard, in a study of 2,900 married couples, proved that in 87% of the cases the couples first fell in love because of propinquity. You put a boy and a girl close to each other for long enough and it’s bound to happen. It’s a scientific fact. > **Dobie:** No offense, Zelda, but I don’t love you. > **Zelda:** You will. You’re Gillis and I’m Gilroy. Don’t forget they seat students alphabetically in science classes. You’ll be sitting next to me all year long, and next year, too. And then when we go on to to medical school: eight more years of propinquity. Don’t fight it, Dobie. You can’t beat science. > **Dobie:** I can try, Zelda. I can try. > **Zelda:** Fool. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-many-loves-of-dobie-gillis-edited-title/735028.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-many-loves-of-dobie-gillis-edited-title/735028.md?page=3)