Classic TV Shows

As Ollie, the stable hand said in an episode of Walt Disney’s series The Adventures of Spin and Marty: “When you’re a kid, there’s the whole world to happen.” And there was plenty to sort out when a rich kid goes up against one much less so at the Triple R Ranch, a western-style summer camp (dude ranch). David Stollery played the wealthy, orphaned Marty Markham and Tim Considine was the popular but poorer Spin Evans. Marty had to overcome his fear of horses – and the other boys.

The Spin and Marty episodes aired from 1955 to 1957 on The Mickey Mouse Club as The Adventures of Spin and Marty, followed by The Further Adventures of Spin and Marty (these included Annette Funicello as Annette and Kevin Corcoran as Moochie), and “The New Adventures of Spin and Marty.” These were among the most popular and memorable shows for the baby boomers, who enjoyed their television programs.

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The series was based on Lawrence Edward Watkin’s novel Marty Markham. Watkins was a film producer and scriptwriter as well as an author of novels. He adapted the stories of Treasure Island and Darby O’Gill for Walt Disney’s projects.

Considine was in the original 1950s Walt Disney Mickey Mouse Club serials – the very successful ones at that. These included, as mentioned above, “The Adventures of Spin and Marty” and “The Hardy Boys,” where he played Frank Hardy. One of our personal favorites was Considine’s role as Buzz in film The Shaggy Dog. Buzz was the questionably loyal, girlfriend-stealing friend to poor Wilby, the boy who turned into the shaggy dog. We all probably remember Considine as Mike in the show My Three Sons and as the cowardly soldier slapped by Patton in the movie Patton.

Considine is a grandson of Alexander Pantages, founder of the Pantages Theaters chain that proliferated in the West and Canada. Today Considine is a writer, a sports photographer, and an automotive historian.

David Stollery had success as a child actor in the films A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court and Where Danger Lives. He also appeared on TV in I Love Lucy, Dragnet, My Friend Irma, The Red Skelton Show, and The Ray MIlland Show. He then studied at the Art Center College of Design and has designed automobiles for General Motors and Toyota.