Frances Rafferty

Question: Know anything about Pete and Gladys? It starred Harry Morgan.

Answer: That I do — and since you don't know, Jack, I'm happy to fill you in. Mr. Morgan (M*A*S*H) first played the character, Pete Porter, on the CBS comedy December Bride, which ran from October 1954 to April 1961 and starred Spring Byington (Laramie) as a lovable mother-in-law living with her daughter (Frances Rafferty) and son-in-law (Dean Miller). Pete was the sarcastic neighbor who always came over to complain about his wife, Gladys, who was never actually seen. The griping worked — he proved such a hit with the audience that the network gave him his own show.

In September 1960, Pete and Gladys hit the airwaves with Cara Williams as the ditzy Gladys and, among others, Verna Felton as her friend Hilda and Gale Gordon ( read more