Dashing, Daring, and Debonair: TV's Top Male Icons from the 50s, 60s, and 70s

by Herbie J. Pilato

Be they actors, comedians, singers, dancers, or talk show hosts and personalities, everyone from George Burns and Milton Berle to Jack Benny and Jackie Gleason to Sid Caesar and Caesar Romero ignited their own particular brand of “man-erisms.” In the process, they each inspired their own particular brand of audience to cheer them on—whatever their guise. This book will explore and celebrate the men who invented manliness, and became stars in the process.It also profiles such teenage heartthrobs as Leave it to Beaver's Tony Dow and The Partridge Family's David Cassidy, stars who left an indelible impression on a generation of young girls.

288 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 1, 2016

About the author

Herbie J. Pilato is a TV host, writer, producer, performer, and entertainment executive who has worked on several television shows including Bravo’s hit five-part series, The 100 Greatest TV Characters, Bewitched: The E! True Hollywood Story (the seventh-highest rated True Hollywood Story in E!’s history), A&E’s Biography of Lee Majors, TLC’s Behind the Fame specials on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Bob Newhart Show, Hill Street Blues, and L.A. Law, among others. Herbie J has also served as a consulting producer and on-screen cultural commentator on various classic TV DVD documentaries for Sony, NBCUniversal, and Warner Bros., including The Six Million Dollar Man boxed set, Kung Fu, and CHiPs.

Reviews

[John Drew · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great trip down memory lane. Herbie's book looks into the lives of those men who graced our television screens from the past. In addition to his own commentary, Herbie brings in a collection of pop culture aficionados (including myself) to speak on what it was that made these men the men they are.

[Catherine]

I liked finding out interesting, not known things about the male stars. I was surprised about how many shows they started in, before their big break.

[Lorraine Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book with glossy pages filled with interesting facts about our famous 50's, 60's, and 70's male icons, young and old, along with original quotes from the actors themselves.

It reminds me of a past that needs to be resurrected. We watched these shows because they represented right from wrong. They helped America escape from reality during World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the same tensions that we face today such as political turmoil and general unrest throughout our country in general.

We had so many comedy shows and sitcoms, westerns, sci-fi, talk show hosts, family shows, crime fighters, and variety shows back then.

All in the Family, Maude, Good Times and the Jeffersons covered realistic topics that were controversial.

Dragnet, Adam-12, Get Smart, 77 Sunset Strip, Chips, Starsky & Hutch were TV crime shows where we loved the characters and what they stood for.

I Love Lucy, Danny Thomas, Dick Van Dyke, Bob Hope, Bob Newhart all made us laugh.

Johnny Carson kept us up late with his monologue, character creations, and skits.

So did Rod Serling with his "The Twilight Zone and Night Gallery." Including Gene Roddenberry's "Star Trek," our sci-fi favorite of this generation.

We also had the wholesomeness of the Andy Griffith Show, Happy Days, and The Waltons. Who wished they had an Aunt Bee, or a father like Ward Cleaver, a brother and sister like Greg & Marcia Brady, or a family like Donny & Marie Osmond?

Who remembers Batman, The Incredible Hulk, The Green Hornet and Superman? Those were heroes that we all idolized; who raised our faith when we faced insurmountable obstacles.

Bonanza, The Rifleman, The Virginian, Gunsmoke, Davy Crockett, Daniel Boone, Maverick, The Rockford Files, Cannon, Mission Impossible, and The Mod Squad. These and so much more are brought back to life and remembered along with the details of the actor's lives and the history of the shows that we loved during those decades.

The absolute best television entertainment ever found in one book. Take this trip down memory lane today!

[soda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

If you're a fan of classic television and film, this book is for you. A mixture of various male TV stars throughout the course of television and cinematic history gives a colorful read. It brought back a lot of memories from growing up and watching many of these guys on several different shows/movies. There were of course many with whom I was not familiar (before my time as they say) and it was an interesting read to learn about them.

A great addition to the library (if you're lucky enough to have one) or the coffee table for guests to peruse!

[Kimberly Scamman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much!!! I was first introduced to Author and TV Historian Herbie J Pilato's work with "Twitch Upon a Star: The Bewitched Life and Career of Elizabeth Montgomery", and as a classic tv fan, I fell in love with his work. Dashing, Daring, and Debonair: TV's Top Male Icons from the 50s, 60s, and 70s is a wonderful read for classic tv fans and an excellent guide for research. Very happy to have this book!