The Real McCoys
The Real McCoys
TV-14 | 03 October 1957 (USA)
SEASON & EPISODES
  • 6
  • 5
  • 4
  • 3
  • 2
  • 1
  • Reviews
    Jeanskynebu

    the audience applauded

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    InformationRap

    This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

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    Kamila Bell

    This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

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    Cheryl

    A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

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    edwagreen

    Want you to meet the family known as the real McCoys. From West Virginia they came to stay in sunny California, there's Grandpa Amos and his favorite boy, his grandson Luke McCoy.The Ozarks comes alive and was never better. Walter Brennan's antics were memorable as he portrayed the irascible grandfather here. With his grandson, the two live like absolute pigs. They need a cleaning girl, not wives.Brennan literally limps along as he portrayed this memorable character. After a world-wind career in films, and 3 Oscars for best supporting actor, Brennan made the transition to television relatively easy here. Right from his Walter Denton role on "Our Miss Brooks," Crenna was right at home with his role as the Ozark-like grandson.

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    bkoganbing

    A small part of a very large family named McCoy who hailed from the hills of West Virginia, put a down payment on a land in the Imperial Valley of Southern California and moved there and into our television sets for a considerable in the late fifties and early sixties. We know there was a whole lot more of them because occasionally some kinfolk came to visit.After a career with three Oscars under his belt and at that time he was the only one who had that many, you'd think Walter Brennan might want to slow up at the age of sixty three when he started that series. Not only did he keep up the grind of a weekly television series, but Brennan's movie career didn't slow down a might. You might remember he played a pretty substantial role in Rio Bravo and in How the West Was Won while The Real McCoys were still running.The rest of the McCoys consisted of Richard Crenna and Kathleen Nolan as Luke and Kate, a pair of young marrieds. Kate married into the McCoys, but like Ethel Kennedy you'd think she was born into the clan instead. Kathleen was a wise old soul in her own way inside a beautiful young lady. She was the heart of the show, more than Brennan at times.Richard Crenna went on to a career that involved him playing a lot more than hayseeds like Luke McCoy. But he said many times that the real value of The Real McCoys for him was as an acting school. Just working with and watching Walter Brennan every week was more valuable than acting lessons with Stella Adler or the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts.Two younger siblings came along with Luke, Kate, and Grandpa. There was Lydia Reed and Michael Winkelman as Hassee and Little Luke. I thought it a bit much to name a kid after Tallahassee because someone sent them a picture postcard from the place and they thought the name was so pretty. Lydia had enough teenage angst, settling from West Virginia into sophisticated southern California without that added to her woes. As for Little Luke, I guess the McCoy clan got squeamish on names after Tallahassee and stuck with one tried and true.Tony Martinez, all barely five feet of him, played their Chicano farmhand, Pepino. The Chicano and hill cultures blended very well together. At the time Tony Martinez was considered to have a breakthrough part for Latinos. Pepino was always a cheerful guy, but a hardworking person of real dignity and was never demeaned in any way by the stories.As I said other McCoys got in the cast. Jack Oakie did several episodes as Uncle Rightly McCoy when Brennan was on extended leave in a movie. And several episodes had the McCoys make a visit back to West Virginia where we ran into the real head of the clan, Great Grandma McCoy played by Jane Darwell. That's right, Jane was Amos's mother and in fact she was just about old enough in real life to be just that. They should have canceled the show after Kathleen Nolan left or paid her what she wanted. A lot got taken out of the show when she left and Luke was left a widower.In many ways the Real McCoys was a survival story about a family leaving one culture and trying and succeeding in making it in a different location with different ways. Maybe that's why The Real McCoys was as successful as it was. Isn't that what the American Dream is all about?

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    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.

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    pooh-24

    This show is incredulous.I mean it being premiered in 1957 and all,gee Buddy Holly was still alive,Cuba was not communist,but a free nation,the Dodgers were still in Brooklyn,the baseball Giants still in New York,the Lakers in Minneapolis,and the President Of The United States (Ike) was someone you could believe in. Yes those were good times and this was a good show that had a good run.The Real McCoys had a great cast with Walter Brennan doing his best as the lead as Granpa,and doing well as usual.A young Richard Crenna starting out what would be a fantastic acting career who would have thought of it him being on this show.Madge Blake was on this show,Aunt Harriet from Batman.And a young Kathleen Nolan,yes this was a fine show with some good humor and some good lessons learned about life sprinkled in. You don't get TV like this anymore,of course we don't.Dawson's Creek and other shows like it have meant the end of televison with a sense of humor and with some heart to it.Now shows are filled with self pity,characters that are selfish,and with tons of sarcasm to them.Shows like the new "Get Real and Freeks and Geeks" reflect what we have become to our regret.When people look back at the 1990's they are sure to remember it as an age of anger and disillusionment. We can look back at the 1950's though.Not a perfect age.But a great time for Americans and shows like "The Real McCoys" with a happy and stable family living on a farm enjoying life rather than cursing it,give us an example of who we were.A good show with some good humor, and thanks to TNN now not to be forgotten.

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