Frank Devol who played Happy Kyne of Fernwood Tonight sits down with Fred Willard for old memories and a few laughs. Frank Devol wrote many big hits as well as television theme songs
These two men and Martin Mull (the main anchor) starred in the funnest show ever created on TV. I was around 20 at the time when political correctness was just in some lefties ideological pompous head. These pioneers were well above Mel Brooks in dry humor and pure comedy not to mention impeccable perfected timing. They never had to revert to any kind of slapstick at all. Frank Devol was a well established music writer and a fine musician who at the same time had an extremely humorous side to him. Fred Willard was an amazing deer in the headlights type of comedian and played his part perfectly. After many years I have finally found it on the internet and it still is hilarious today unlike many other shows at the time. We need another show like this to make fun of all the things we cant say anymore. Miss you guys. over 60 now :(
Frank De Vol goes much further back to the big band era. My favorite is an esoteric track from GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER called "Two's A Majority." Stupid show but a great piece of music along with the title music.
Thank you Terrance for bringing this very interesting, and dry fun guy back to the 'lime light". I loved him and also laughed with him as I would watch 'Fernwood tonight" with my dad, mostly, who also told me Happy" was "Devol" back then in the early eighties. And beyond. We love that guy and Fred Willard too, he's so funny and very cool too just like Frank. I didn't realize Fred Willard had a talk show, or I forgot I guess.Thank you for that. All the best to you.
This is too cool! Frank scored literally every movie Robert Aldrich ever directed. Besides the aforementioned HUSH HUSH SWEET CHARLOTTE and ALL THE MARBLES, Frank wrote the memorable 'I've Written a Letter to Daddy' from WHATEVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE. That song was played at Aldrich's funeral. Fun fact: FERNWOOD TONIGHT took place in a fictional Ohio town. Martin Mull, Fred Willard and Frank De Vol were all born and/or raised in northeast Ohio.
I always assumed that the mythical Fernwood was in south central Ohio, rather than the northeast. There were a few references to the town of Chillicothe, which is located due south of Columbus, (and which was, at one time, the capital of Ohio)
@@jackm4457 If memory serves, they kept changing the location of Fernwood. One week it would be just outside of Dayton, then the next it would be somewhere between Youngstown and Cincinnati, etc. For the record, Martin Mull was born in Chicago but raised in North Ridgeville (just west of Cleveland), Fred Willard was from Cleveland suburb Shaker Heights, and Frank De Vol was from Wheeling W. Va. but raised in Canton.
@@jackgrattan1447 I think in the very first week of Mary Hartman , Mary is taken hostage by Davey Seltzer of Chillicothe. Davey had killed the entire Lombardy family, including the goats and chickens. (And apologies if I have any detail's wrong... it's been almost 45 years.)
How interesting it is to hear how a movie is scored. This was interesting. I looked up what Frank Duvall did with Mae West. Found it on iTunes and it is very good stuff. She had a great style. I knew all these songs that they discussed. That is scary. Nice post.
thanks for the wonderful fernwood history lesson, there is something about the Midwest that produces amazing talent, Letterman and the Roseanne Tom Arnold thing springs to mind
Better than nothing, but Frank Devol was an important film and television music composer as well as having a successful music career going back to the '40's. He should have been interviewed in depth by someone who knew what they were doing.
