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What a surprise, John!!! I had a small part in The Father Knows Best Reunion, I believe I worked 3 or 4 days and it was heaven... I had a scene where director Marc Daniels asked me to whistle at Robert Young and Jane Wyatt..who were in the midst of an embrace, it was one of those whistles where you place your fingers between your teeth and blow....well I tried, but after 2 failed takes I just couldn't do it....Billy who was standing by ran over to me, laid down on the ground and shouted to the director "I can do it for John!" And so, for Take three I faked it as Billy let out with a whistle you could hear in Oxnard! It worked, and we all had a good laugh. During the shoot I had lunches with the 'kids'' and many wonderful chats the 'adults' Jane Wyatt and Bob Young. It was like being with family. Throughout the years (48 to be exact) I hoped to run into Bill again, but that never happened, until now -- well, it was wonderful, thrilling, and heart-warming to come across your interview today. Bill is a beautiful soul, what a joy to see him again.
So glad you saw the interview! What a terrible story about your experience with the cast and Billy in particular, just loved it. Hope you caught both episodes of my interview with Billy as well❤️
I used to watch Father Knows Best in reruns when I was a kid. I liked the feel the show had of a simpler time and it's great to see Billy Gray looking so good and still so sharp. I think that was one of the only TV shows that all the main characters lived for so long after the show ended, almost 40 years after the show ended when Robert Young passed away and Jane Wyatt about eight years after that. Nice to know the three actors that played the kids are all still alive today. Another great interview.
What a great catch for an interview. Good to see Billy doing so well. I can see Bud’s face and he does sound the same. Could listen to his stories and memories all day.
Great interview with Billy Gray, really like your interviews. I'm going to share my story with Mr. Gray. I'm a publicist and also musician, I read about him inventing the F-1 guitar pick,I thought that was great, and somehow, I got his email. Sent the email, told him who I was blah blah, told him that one of my is the day the earth stood still, which it is, suggested we have lunch, he agreed much to my surprise, we met at some popular place on ventura blvd, near Topanga, can't remember the name of the place, this was in the early 2000's. I've met my fair share of celebs but he was honestly one of the nicer ones I've met, thx for suffering through that long comment and hope it was entertaining 😺
Great interview! I hope my mind is as clear and witty at age 86! Bud did often carry the show (FNB)! If any other actor was cast as Bud it would not have been the same! I hope all is well with Billy and it was awesome to see him!
Wow! "The day the Earth Stood Still" One of Billy's most memorable parts that was capitative everyone. He played perfect to the innocent of such a good movie.
I loved watching Billy Gray in "Father Knows Best" when I was a little girl. He was such a character in that show and in all the movies he was in. I also enjoyed seeing him in Doris Day movies, where his character was a cheeky BUD! He brought so much happiness in his movies and always played the lovable boy and young man. He was not only a great actor but also a humble and smart man, as he was an inventor as well. "Father Knows Best" was a fantastic show for families. I wish there were more shows like that nowadays as they could bring stability to future generations. Despite many actors, especially young ones, suffering after they stopped working, Billy seemed to have handled life well even after he stopped acting, thanks to his great-mother and his other interests. I know my comment is long, but I just had to mention how wonderful it was to see him. Please let him know that his acting brought so much happiness to the public, and we loved all the characters he portrayed because they all had a bit of BUD in them & that's a good thing because BUD was a SIMPATICO! A character who we loved.
Fantastic interview. I didn't realize he was in so many shows/movies. I loved the setting you filmed at. The creek babbling along was cool I thought. What a life he has had though, and all the creative things he has done. Thanks again John. Have a great weekend.
Thanks Jamie. That was actually the back of Billy's house which is one of the wildest homes I have ever seen. Billy has had quite the career, that is for sure.
@@bambijimper It was a cool setting and honestly I didn't know if the audio would be clear enough unitl I got home because the water was actually pumping behind us. Very glad it worked out. Definitely a rare moment. Glad you enjoyed the new surroundings as much as I did.
@@ThatsClassicTV We could listen to Billy talk all day. Very interesting person indeed. Karl and I both enjoyed it very much. I know there are extra costs involved with going out, but I really liked it. Maybe you could do more once in a while. Looking forward to whatever you have coming next :)
@@bambijimper Thanks Jamie, glad you and Karl enjoyed Billy, very interesting guy. You never know depending on who the celebrity is and if they are open to being interviewed at their home it is always a possibility.
I have watched many That's Classic interviews. They are all tremendous opportunities to "catch up" wifh people who have been in our living rooms for years, but we never get to talk to. Thanks for these. The stories they tell, the things they share, help paint a broader picture. These are history lessons and history preserved. I greatly appreciate them. As someone already mentioned, no escaping age, for any of us including me. Aging is a cruel joke as many of us still feel like a much younger version of us than we look as we become seniors. I tried to email Billy, but the emails I found online were apparently obsolete. If you could pass something along, I would be happy to send it via private message of some kind. Thank you John for this work you do!
First of all, thank you for your wonderful comments, I truly appreciate it. In regards to Billy, I cannot give out or pass anything on directly however you can send me a question as I will probably have Billy back on to answer fan questions.
Really enjoyed this conversation with Billy Gray! I clicked on it as soon as it popped up and watched both parts back to back. Looks great, still has that great smile.
Hi John! I thoroughly enjoyed watching both of your interviews with Billy Gray and I must tell you again, that you are the best interviewer! “That’s Classic” is the best!!!!
Interesting interview. I have watched many of the Father Knows Best episodes on the internet. Billy Gray was so good in that show. I didn’t realize that he acted in a lot of other things. He has led an interesting life. 🇨🇦
What a great interview. I don't usually watch two 44 minute videos in a row. BG is now a legend in my mind. Had no idea about his motorcycle days. Credit goes to the interviewer that asked all the right questions. You can tell that Billy actually enjoyed this interview by his constant smiles. The research that went into this is amazing. Subscribed.
Thank you for very cool video and great interview of a Hollywood legend. I've always enjoyed his movies and TV, as well as watching him many times, when he raced speedway back in the 70's.
Thanks for all your acting performances, Bill Gray, and your creativity, in one setting or another. People used to say to me, "Why do you watch that TV show, that's for kids," but I knew somehow I was witnessing a special personality. I didn't know if you were going to prove out as an actor and I was pulling for you, but it is clear you solved it by not ceasing being creative.
Mr. Gray is correct about Gordon MacRae. I saw him at a celebrity golf tournament around 1977. I was a kid at the time and had no idea who he was. But my mother had been a fan since "Oklahoma!" and said she has had a crush on him until seeing him that day. I won't go into the details, but that was the first time I had ever seen an inebriated person. And he clearly was, and on full public display. It was really a sad thing to see. On a happier note, Mr. Gray looks and sounds fantastic. He looks twenty years younger than his actual age. This was a wonderful interview, from beginning to end.
Enjoyed the 2-part interview. I wish at some point he would have removed his cap. His attire and the camera angle gave the illusion that we were in a duck blind hunting....
Father Knows Best is on Antenna TV . They show 2 episodes every week day morning. Billy Gray also worked with Bob Hope on The 7 Little Foys. Enjoyable movie.
I read a book about Wallace Berman, written by his son. As a boy he met a lot of interesting people who would come to visit his father. He mentioned Billy, and he liked him a lot because Billy treated him as an equal, never talking down to him because he was a child.
Patricia Neal said she and Michael Rennie, who was quite sophisticated, and she were talking on set that who is gonna believe this silliness? She said they BOTH met many years later and spoke of how very proud they were to be part of it. She said it was a beautifully crafted film. I am glad Billy felt proud too.
IMO I don't need major emoters (Pacino, Dean, Hoffman, Brando, et al) to understand good acting. If I can believe it, then it's good acting (better, actually). FKB was always good. I watched LITB for Wally but dropped when I got sick of Beeve and Eddie (and all of Beaver's and Wally's friends). I must say that 50 years later I find that the best person on LITB was Eddie. I liked Donna Reed all the way through but when I have watched 50 years later, am way less impressed with Jeff's friends than I was back in the day. I left My Three Sons shortly after Mike (Tim Considine) left the show and they adopted Ernie. Don Grady was not enough to keep me for long. Ozzie & Harriet I left when Rick got married. Dave was already married and so they began focusing on Oz and his friends - boring to me then and now. I don't see FKB much, and I have seasons 1-4 on DVD.
I'm pretty good with mechanics, but guys like Billy will just invent stuff in their garage when they need a part. I knew guys like that growing up. Couldn't find the part they needed, so they just made them. Billy is such a pleasure to listen to, great interview.
Billy Gray once said the show itself was a fantasy. He said the best advice is YOU know best! 5:00 $500 is about $6000 in today's money. Pretty good weekly salary for a 16 year old. 29:15 Yes, videotape was significantly lower quality than film back then. Now of course all video is HD.
