This Week in Television History: March 2014 PART I

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As always, the further we go back in Hollywood history, the more that fact and legend become intertwined. It's hard to say where the truth really lies.

March 4, 1994
John Candy died at the age of 43

While filming Wagons East! on location in Durango, Mexico, Candy called his friends, including Canadian Football League commissioner Larry Smith, and told them that he had just let go of his team and was putting it up for sale. He then called his assistant, who invited him to play golf with him in the spring when he came back to Toronto. After cooking a late lasagna dinner for his assistants, Candy called his co-stars from his hotel, then went to sleep. After midnight, on March 4, 1994, Candy died from a heart attack.
Candy was survived by his wife Rosemary Hobor, and his two children Jennifer Candy and Christopher Candy.

March 8th, 1974

The last episode The Brady Bunch aired

"The Hair-Brained Scheme"

Bobby is convinced he can get rich by selling Neat & Natural Hair Tonic. Bobby sells Greg a container which turns Greg's hair bright orange on the eve of his high school commencement. Greg is forced to go to the beauty parlor and dye his hair back before going to graduation.

Note: Robert Reed does not appear in this episode, due to dispute over the story involving the non-FDA approved bottle of hair tonic, which he thought was inane slapstick. After Reed wrote a large memo to the staff and Paramount, Sherwood Schwartz wrote him out of the episode.

 

March 9, 1959

The International Toy Fair in New York premiered Barbie. That event was followed by 55 years of Barbie comercials during Saturday morning cartoons.

To quote the Bicentennial Minute, "And that's the way it was".

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Tony Figueroa