# Hennesey

Hennesey is an American military comedy-drama television series that aired on CBS from 1959 to 1962, starring Jackie Cooper and Abby Dalton.
Cooper played a United States Navy physician, Lt. Charles W. "Chick" Hennesey, with Abby Dalton as Navy nurse Lt. Martha Hale. In the story line, they are assigned to the hospital at the U.S. Naval Station in San Diego, California.

## Extended cast

* Jackie Cooper as Lt. (later Lt. Commander) Charles "Chick" Hennesey, M.D.
* Abby Dalton as Lt. (JG) Martha Hale, R.N.
* Roscoe Karns as Capt. (later Rear Admiral) Walter Shafer
* Henry Kulky as Chief Petty Officer Max Bronski
* James Komack as Harvey Spencer Blair, III, D.D.S.
* Arte Johnson as Seaman Shatz
* Herb Ellis as Dr. Dan Wagner
* Robert Gist as Dr. Owen King
* Stephen Roberts as Commander Wilker
* Harry Holcombe as William Hale
* Ted Fish as Chief Branman
* Frank Gorshin as Seaman Pulaski
* Norman Alden also as Seaman Pulaski

## Episodes
### Season 1: 1959–60

| Nº | Ep | Title | Directed by: | Written by: | Original air date |
| 1 | 1 | "Hennessey" | Hy Averback | Don McGuire | September 28, 1959 (1959-09-28) |
| Series pilot. ||||||
| 2 | 2 | "Hennesey Meets Honeyboy Jones" | Unknown | Don McGuire | October 5, 1959 (1959-10-05) |
| 3 | 3 | "Hennesey Meets Harvey Spencer Blair III" | Unknown | Don McGuire | October 12, 1959 (1959-10-12) |
| 4 | 4 | "Hennesey and Peyton Place" | Unknown | Unknown | October 19, 1959 (1959-10-19) |
| 5 | 5 | "Shore Patrol" | Don McGuire | Unknown | October 26, 1959 (1959-10-26) |
| 6 | 6 | "Pork Chops and Apple Sauce" | Gene Reynolds | Hugh King | November 2, 1959 (1959-11-02) |
| 7 | 7 | "The Baby Sitter" | Robert Butler | Unknown | November 16, 1959 (1959-11-16) |
| 8 | 8 | "Hennesey Meets Mrs. Horatio Grief" | Unknown | Unknown | November 23, 1959 (1959-11-23) |
| 9 | 9 | "Hennesey Goes Home" | Unknown | Unknown | November 30, 1959 (1959-11-30) |
| 10 | 10 | "Hennesey and the Lady Doctor" | Robert Butler | Don McGuire | December 7, 1959 (1959-12-07) |
| 11 | 11 | "Harvey Blair Returns" | Gene Reynolds | Don McGuire | December 14, 1959 (1959-12-14) |
| 12 | 12 | "The Christmas Show" | Unknown | Unknown | December 21, 1959 (1959-12-21) |
| 13 | 13 | "The Matchmaker" | Unknown | Unknown | December 28, 1959 (1959-12-28) |
| 14 | 14 | "More of Harvey Spencer Blair" | Unknown | Unknown | January 4, 1960 (1960-01-04) |
| 15 | 15 | "Space Man" | Unknown | Richard Baer | January 11, 1960 (1960-01-11) |
| 16 | 16 | "Hennesey Joins the Marines" | Gene Reynolds | Don McGuire | January 18, 1960 (1960-01-18) |
| 17 | 17 | "Hennesey Meets Fuji" | Robert Butler | Hugh King | January 25, 1960 (1960-01-25) |
| 18 | 18 | "Hello, Cobra Leader" | Don McGuire | Unknown | February 1, 1960 (1960-02-01) |
| 19 | 19 | "Hennesey and the Ancient Vehicle" | Unknown | Unknown | February 8, 1960 (1960-02-08) |
| 20 | 20 | "Dr. Blair Again" | Unknown | Unknown | February 15, 1960 (1960-02-15) |
| 21 | 21 | "The Annapolis Man" | Unknown | Unknown | February 22, 1960 (1960-02-22) |
| 22 | 22 | "Hennesey Meets Mr. Wilkins" | Unknown | Unknown | February 29, 1960 (1960-02-29) |
| 23 | 23 | "Senior Nurse" | Unknown | Richard Baer | March 14, 1960 (1960-03-14) |
| 24 | 24 | "Scarlet Woman in White" | Unknown | Richard Baer | March 21, 1960 (1960-03-21) |
| 25 | 25 | "Angel Face" | Unknown | Richard Baer | March 28, 1960 (1960-03-28) |
| 26 | 26 | "What Is Dr. Blair?" | Unknown | Unknown | April 4, 1960 (1960-04-04) |
| 27 | 27 | "We're Glad It's You" | Unknown | Unknown | April 11, 1960 (1960-04-11) |
| 28 | 28 | "Calling Dr. King" | Unknown | Richard Baer | April 18, 1960 (1960-04-18) |
| 29 | 29 | "Which One Is Wagner?" | Unknown | Richard Baer | April 25, 1960 (1960-04-25) |
| 30 | 30 | "Big Brother" | Unknown | Richard Baer | May 2, 1960 (1960-05-02) |
| 31 | 31 | "Bonjour, Mr. Hennesey" | Unknown | Unknown | May 9, 1960 (1960-05-09) |
| 32 | 32 | "Goodbye, Dr. Blair" | Unknown | Unknown | May 16, 1960 (1960-05-16) |

### Season 2: 1960–61

| Nº | Ep | Title | Directed by: | Written by: | Original air date |
| 33 | 1 | "Hail to the Chief" | Don McGuire | Richard Baer (t) | October 3, 1960 (1960-10-03) |
| 34 | 2 | "Tell It to the Chaplain" | Don McGuire | Richard Baer | October 10, 1960 (1960-10-10) |
| 35 | 3 | "Hennesey à la Gunn" | Don McGuire | Don McGuire | October 17, 1960 (1960-10-17) |
| 36 | 4 | "The Marriage of Dr. Blair" | Unknown | Unknown | October 24, 1960 (1960-10-24) |
| 37 | 5 | "The Captain's Dilemma" | Unknown | Richard Baer | October 31, 1960 (1960-10-31) |
| 38 | 6 | "Miss San Diego Navy" | Unknown | Unknown | November 14, 1960 (1960-11-14) |
| 39 | 7 | "Hennesey and the Submarine" | Unknown | Unknown | November 21, 1960 (1960-11-21) |
| 40 | 8 | "Come Home, Dr. Rogers" | Unknown | Unknown | November 28, 1960 (1960-11-28) |
| 41 | 9 | "Harvey's Horse" | Unknown | Unknown | December 5, 1960 (1960-12-05) |
| 42 | 10 | "The Underfed Fullback" | Unknown | Richard Baer | December 12, 1960 (1960-12-12) |
| 43 | 11 | "The Reunion" | Unknown | Richard Baer | December 26, 1960 (1960-12-26) |
| 44 | 12 | "The Hat" | Unknown | Richard Baer | January 2, 1961 (1961-01-02) |
| 45 | 13 | "The Stutterer" | Unknown | Richard Baer | January 9, 1961 (1961-01-09) |
| 46 | 14 | "The Promotion" | Unknown | Richard Baer | January 16, 1961 (1961-01-16) |
| 47 | 15 | "The Specialist" | Unknown | Richard Baer | January 23, 1961 (1961-01-23) |
| 48 | 16 | "Harvey Spencer Blair and His Electric Money Machine" | Don McGuire | Don McGuire | January 31, 1961 (1961-01-31) |
| 49 | 17 | "Hennesey vs. Crandall" | Unknown | Richard Baer | February 6, 1961 (1961-02-06) |
| 50 | 18 | "Join the Navy, Please" | Unknown | Unknown | February 13, 1961 (1961-02-13) |
| 51 | 19 | "The Apartment" | Unknown | Don McGuire | February 20, 1961 (1961-02-20) |
| 52 | 20 | "Max Remembers Papa" | Unknown | Richard Baer | February 27, 1961 (1961-02-27) |
| 53 | 21 | "The Novelist" | Unknown | Unknown | March 6, 1961 (1961-03-06) |
| 54 | 22 | "Harvey's Doll" | Unknown | James Komack | March 13, 1961 (1961-03-13) |
| 55 | 23 | "The Wedding" | Unknown | Unknown | March 27, 1961 (1961-03-27) |
| 56 | 24 | "The Green-Eyed Monster" | James Komack | Richard Baer | April 3, 1961 (1961-04-03) |
| 57 | 25 | "Admiral and Son" | Unknown | Richard Baer | April 10, 1961 (1961-04-10) |
| 58 | 26 | "The Nogoodnik" | Unknown | Richard Baer | April 17, 1961 (1961-04-17) |
| 59 | 27 | "Harvey's Pad" | Unknown | Richard Baer | April 24, 1961 (1961-04-24) |
| 60 | 28 | "The Patient Vanishes" | Unknown | Richard Baer | May 1, 1961 (1961-05-01) |
| 61 | 29 | "Shore Patrol Revisited" | Unknown | Unknown | May 8, 1961 (1961-05-08) |
| 62 | 30 | "A Star Is Born" | Unknown | Unknown | May 15, 1961 (1961-05-15) |
| 63 | 31 | "His Honor, Dr. Blair" | Don McGuire | Don McGuire | May 22, 1961 (1961-05-22) |
| 64 | 32 | "The Signover" | Unknown | Unknown | June 5, 1961 (1961-06-05) |

### Season 3: 1961–62

| Nº | Ep | Title | Directed by: | Written by: | Original air date |
| 65 | 1 | "The Gossip-Go-Round" | Jackie Cooper | Richard Baer, James Komack | September 25, 1961 (1961-09-25) |
| 66 | 2 | "The Holdout" | Jackie Cooper | Richard Baer | October 2, 1961 (1961-10-02) |
| 67 | 3 | "Welcome Home, Dr. Blair" | Jackie Cooper | James Komack | October 9, 1961 (1961-10-09) |
| 68 | 4 | "The Cohen Mutiny" | Unknown | Don McGuire | October 16, 1961 (1961-10-16) |
| 69 | 5 | "My Daughter, the Nurse" | Unknown | Richard Baer | October 23, 1961 (1961-10-23) |
| 70 | 6 | "Aunt Sarah" | Unknown | Richard Baer | October 30, 1961 (1961-10-30) |
| 71 | 7 | "Get Me Clyde Dingle" | Unknown | Unknown | November 13, 1961 (1961-11-13) |
| 72 | 8 | "Professional Sailor" | Jackie Cooper | Richard Baer | November 20, 1961 (1961-11-20) |
| 73 | 9 | "Aloha, Dr. Hennesey" | Unknown | Richard Baer | November 27, 1961 (1961-11-27) |
| 74 | 10 | "Remember Pearl Harbor?" | Jackie Cooper | Richard Baer | December 4, 1961 (1961-12-04) |
| 75 | 11 | "The Sightseers" | Unknown | Richard Baer | December 11, 1961 (1961-12-11) |
| 76 | 12 | "Going Home" | Unknown | Richard Baer | December 18, 1961 (1961-12-18) |
| 77 | 13 | "Santa Hits Harvey" | Unknown | Richard Baer | December 25, 1961 (1961-12-25) |
| 78 | 14 | "The Man in the Crow's Nest" | Unknown | Richard Baer | January 1, 1962 (1962-01-01) |
| 79 | 15 | "Hysteresis Synchronous Can Be Fun" | Unknown | Unknown | January 8, 1962 (1962-01-08) |
| 80 | 16 | "Harvey and the Ring" | Unknown | Richard Baer | January 15, 1962 (1962-01-15) |
| 81 | 17 | "Little Girl" | Unknown | Unknown | January 22, 1962 (1962-01-22) |
| 82 | 18 | "Tight Quarters" | Unknown | Unknown | January 29, 1962 (1962-01-29) |
| 83 | 19 | "Close Enough for Jazz" | Unknown | Unknown | February 5, 1962 (1962-02-05) |
| 84 | 20 | "Patti's Tune" | Unknown | Unknown | February 12, 1962 (1962-02-12) |
| 85 | 21 | "The Hobby" | Unknown | Unknown | February 19, 1962 (1962-02-19) |
| 86 | 22 | "Harvey's Pills" | Unknown | Unknown | February 26, 1962 (1962-02-26) |
| 87 | 23 | "The Bicep Caper" | Unknown | Unknown | March 5, 1962 (1962-03-05) |
| 88 | 24 | "The Old Pro" | Unknown | Unknown | March 12, 1962 (1962-03-12) |
| 89 | 25 | "Big Bertha" | Unknown | Richard Baer | March 19, 1962 (1962-03-19) |
| 90 | 26 | "Buttons and Bones" | Unknown | Unknown | March 26, 1962 (1962-03-26) |
| 91 | 27 | "No Down Payment" | Unknown | Unknown | April 2, 1962 (1962-04-02) |
| 92 | 28 | "The Best Man" | Unknown | Unknown | April 9, 1962 (1962-04-09) |
| 93 | 29 | "Calling Doctor Good-Deed" | Unknown | Unknown | April 13, 1962 (1962-04-13) |
| 94 | 30 | "Hennesey Meets Soupy Sales" | Jackie Cooper | James Komack | April 23, 1962 (1962-04-23) |
| 95 | 31 | "Martha" | Unknown | Unknown | April 30, 1962 (1962-04-30) |
| 96 | 32 | "I Thee Wed" | Unknown | Richard Baer | May 7, 1962 (1962-05-07) |

## Guest stars

Actor and singer Bobby Darin was cast in the second episode (October 5, 1959) as "Honeyboy Jones". That same week Darin became famous with his version of the song, "Mack the Knife".
Prior to being cast as Opie Taylor on The Andy Griffith Show, child actor Ron Howard played "Walker", a little boy temporarily left in Hennesey's care in the 1959 episode "The Baby Sitter". Gary Hunley, another child actor, appeared in the same episode.
Charles Bronson, en route to a long film career, was cast twice as Lt. Cmdr. Steve Ogrodowski, a Navy intelligence officer.
Don Rickles was cast in the 1961 episode "Professional Sailor" as CPO Ernie Schmidt. From 1976 to 1978, Rickles played the lead with the same rank in the NBC military sitcom, C.P.O. Sharkey.
Bandleader Les Brown and His Band of Renown and comedian Soupy Sales appeared in separate episodes as themselves.
Other guest stars:
* Raymond Bailey
* Roy Barcroft
* Gertrude Berg
* Ken Berry
* Bill Bixby
* Jolene Brand
* Charles Bronson
* Jean Byron
* Jack Carter
* Jack Cassidy
* Phyllis Coates
* Ellen Corby
* Yvonne Craig
* Robert Culp
* Sammy Davis Jr.
* Donna Douglas
* James Franciscus
* Robert Foulk
* Bob Hastings
* Marty Ingels
* Vivi Janiss
* Arch Johnson
* Helen Kleeb
* Ruta Lee
* Jimmy Lydon
* Doug McClure
* Jaye P. Morgan
* Ed Nelson
* J. Pat O'Malley
* Sue Randall
* Stafford Repp
* Chris Robinson
* Mickey Rooney
* Walter Sande
* William Schallert
* Johnny Seven
* Olan Soule
* Larry Storch
* Dick Wessel
* Grace Lee Whitney
* Meg Wyllie

## Production notes

The series theme tune by Sonny Burke was a jazzy hornpipe played by tuba and piccolo. Hennesey was also innovative for being the first series to employ what has since become a standard device in television: beginning the dialog and action of each episode during opening credits.
Cooper starred in, produced, and directed the series, drawing upon his real-life experience as a World War II Navy veteran and his continuing service for many years as an officer in the United States Naval Reserve. He was a former child actor who starred in the Our Gang comedies of the early 1930s and then moved into feature films.
Beginning in 1960, scriptwriter Richard Baer wrote 38 of Hennesey's episodes, which earned him an Emmy nomination.
For the series finale, "I, Thee Wed", broadcast on May 7, 1962, characters Chick and Martha were married following their series-long romance.