Alicia I love this movie so much

AnhartLinkin This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

Marva It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

Haven Kaycee It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film

John T. Ryan AS DEFINITIVE PROOF that the upstart medium of Television was winning its uphill struggle with the big Hollywood Movie Moguls & their Studios, with the decade of the 1950's progressing, we had many series that featured those who had been designated "Movie Stars" taking starring roles in series TV.EVEN A ROUTINE inspection of the TV Guide listings of the day prove this. There were: FATHERE KNOWS BEST (Robert Young), THE DEPUTY (Henry Fonda), WICHITA TOWN (Joel McCrea) and THE DETECTIVES (Robert Taylor).AS A FURTHRER indication of this trend, we had a change of the Big Studio Bosses in their sanctimonious attitude toward Television. Perhaps in taking a cue from Walt Disney, whose success in an entertainment/promotional hybrid in his DISNEYLAND success was proving such isolationist policy to be futile, the Moguls reversed their course of action. Soon program titles followed, such as: WARNER BROTHERS PRESENTS, MGM PARADE and THE 20th CENTURY-FOX HOUR.SO IT SHOULD have been no surprise that we saw Academy Award winner, Walter Brennan taking the main character role in THE REAL McCOYS (1957-63). Once it debuted, it was an overwhelming success on the ABC Television and forever defined Mr. Brennan as "Grand Pappy Amos" for the Babby Boomer Generation.CREATING HUMOROUS SITUATIONS by chronicling interaction between "City Slickers" and their Rustic cousins is nothing new. We need only look to Old Time Radio for a clue. On the airwaves of the 1930's & '40's were host to such shows as THE JUDY CANOVA SHOW, HILLBILLY HEART THROBS and LUM & ABNER, etc.THE REAL McCOYS, however, opted for less farcical of a treatment and instead gave us a far more civil story of an agrarian family's relocation and adjustment to what looked to be a veritable "Promised Land." Much like the later of the later series, THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES, the McCoys emigrated from West Virginia to California; albeit for far different reasons. The Clampett family struck oil and lived the "Good Life"; whereas the McCoys sought greener fields.CAST IN SUPPORT of Walter Brennan's Grand Pappy Amos was a company of experienced supporting players. Radio/TV Richard Crenna (grandson Luke McCoy) had grown up on Radio. Specializing in portraying Juvies (typecasting?), he had been Madison High School Student on OUR MISS BROOKS, both Radio & TV versions.ROUNDING OUT THE cast were: Kathleen Nolan (Kate, Mrs. Luke McCoy), Tony Martinez (Farm Hand, Pepino)and Michael Winkelman (Little Luke). Sennett Veteran comedian, Andy Clyde (George MacMichael)was a Farmer Neighbor and, Madge Blake (Flora MacMichael) in a role before being "Aunt Harriet Cooper" on BATMAN (1966-68).IN SUMMING UP our recollections of THE FREAL McCOYS, we can only say that its strength lied in its believability; rather than the outrageous, cartoon-like humor of so many other successful series of its day.

earlytalkie The Real McCoys is a genuine classic from the golden age of television. A fine series. They really don't make well-crafted, heart warming shows like this anymore. Walter Brennan was simply amazing as old Amos McCoy, the patriarch of a family transplanted from Smokey Corners, West Virginia to "sunny Cal-i-for-nai-ay" as the theme song tells us. The stories are at once funny and often touching and there are some great people in the cast. Richard Crenna, fresh from playing squeaky-voiced Walter Denton on Our Miss Brooks, drops his voice to it's proper register to play Luke McCoy, Grampa Amos's grandson. He plays him as a sometimes naive, sometimes wise newlywed. The bride in question is lovely Kathy Nolan, as beautiful a woman as any who ever graced a sitcom. Her Kate is the balancing conscience which is a big asset to the show. (Indeed, when she was absent in the show's last season, it was the last hurrah for this long-running series.) Hassie, the 13 year-old "old maid" as Grampa would say is played by Lydia Reed, whose only other performance I have seen was in the 1956 MGM film, High Society. She was very good in the film and is very good in the Real McCoys. Michael Winkleman plays Little Luke with a naturalness not seen in today's high-strung attempts at situation comedy. Tony Martinez plays, Pepino, the "ranch hand". He plays off of Walter Brennan quite well and is an asset to the cast. Finally, we have Andy Clyde and Madge Blake as brother and sister neighbors George and Flora MacMichael. They are pros who know just the right way to play their scenes. The series is populated with many well-known character actors and this show has a cozy, home-spun feel to it. Indeed, it is a predecessor to the many rural comedies that followed in the sixties, like Andy Griffith, Petticoat Junction and The Beverly Hillbillies. Some people have complained about the DVD episodes being edited, but I saw these same episodes when CBS ran this show as part of their morning comedy block of shows, from 1962 to 1966. These appear to be the same prints as shown on the network back in the day. I vaguely recall seeing some nighttime telecasts in prime time, but mostly I recall the morning CBS run. The stories are well-written and some are very heartwarming. The characters are three-dimensional and seem like genuine human beings. This series is all but forgotten these days and I don't think the DVD releases exactly set the world on fire sales-wise, but I am enjoying the set I got for one penny and think this should be picked up by one of the nostalgia channels like ME-TV or Antenna TV. This classic series is ripe for re-discovery.

raysond This was indeed the grandfather of all shows and it set the standard for its precessdors,"The Andy Griffith Show"(CBS,1960-68),"The Beverly Hillbillies"(CBS,1962-71),"Petticoat Junction"(CBS,1963-69),"Green Acres"(CBS,1965-71),"Mayberry RFD"(CBS,1968-71),"The Waltons"(CBS,1972-81),and not to mention on the same category "Hee Haw"(CBS,1969-71),and "The Dukes of Hazzard"(CBS,1979-85)as the foundation for the successful "rural" comedy show. The Real McCoys was just that,a mountain family who moved from the hills of West Virginia to the countryside of California. It format was the first to feature a "real star" as the understanding Grandfather Amos McCoy(played by Oscar winning actor Walter Brennan),his faithful son Luke(played by Richard Crenna),and his lovely wife Kate(played by Kathleen Nolan)and their two wonderful children. And their was the next door neighbor(played by Andy Clyde),and the hired handyman Papito who manages to work around the farm and to keep things in order. However his son Luke and the rest always had their hands full and they share some of the sorrows and joys during the family's up and downs.The show ran on two different networks---first it was on ABC-TV for four seasons,and then it went to CBS-TV for its last two and during its six year run the show went on to win Emmys for actors Walter Brennan and Richard Crenna. The last time this show was ever seen was recently on TNN(formerly The Nashville Network before it changes the logo to The National Network)and for those who like some down home spun country humor with a message in between,well "The Real McCoys" was the show to watch and set the standard for other country sitcoms to follow.

camille-7 I watched this show fairly frequently as a child but now that I am an adult I appreciate it much more. I am so impressed with the acting and stamina of Walter Brennan. For a man in his late 60's, he had to memorize tons of dialogue and work so hard it must have been a strain on him, however it never showed in his performance. His wonderful love/hate friendship with George MacMichael (Andy Clyde) was a highlight of the show. I was very sorry when Kate left the show, though it wasn't the same, I still enjoyed it because I loved watching Walter. I am so glad that TNN is showing reruns of this show.