Captain Nice Days #1: "The Man Who Flies Like a Pigeon"

And now, at long last, presenting the exploits of CAPTAIN NICE! The show was one of two superhero sitcoms (along with MR. TERRIFIC) to debut in 1967, in the wake of the huge hit that was 1966's Batman. The shows are often confused with each other: both involved nebbishes who fought crime thanks to a formula induced change, they debuted the same night, both went from Batman's camp to full laugh tracks, and neither lasted beyond one season. In 1967, three superhero shows airing simultaneously was just too much (while now they seem to be everywhere, everywhere I say!)

Captain Nice was created by Buck Henry, co-creator of Get Smart and it shows in sensibility, casting, and even borrowing a catchphrase ("I asked you not to *tell* me that!") It starred William Daniels, an unlikely choice as he was known for his stage work, serious parts on anthology dramas, and humorless character roles in THE GRADUATE and A THOUSAND CLOWNS. Although he did show his funny side in THE PRESIDENT'S ANALYST and years later would return to sitcomdom on BOY MEETS WORLD, with acclaimed turns as a singing founding father (1776), an egotistical surgeon (ST. ELSEWHERE), and a talking car (KNIGHT RIDER) coming inbetween. Still, in the 60s, he always looked like he belonged in thick glasses and a tie, so playing Captain Nice's sometimes testy alter-ego Carter Nash was a pretty good fit.

The second star name in the opening was Alice Ghostley as Mrs. Nash, who as we shall see, pushes her sonny boy into fighting crime. Supporting and guest rosters featured a slew of character greats and up and coming comedians (with subsequent episodes showcasing John Dehner, Bob Newhart, JoAnne Worley, Joe Flynn, Vic Tayback, Simon Oakland, Florence Halop, John Fiedler, and Charles Grodin, several of whom had previously done GET SMART). So now, my aim is to examine the show's fifteen episodes (eventually!) and see what worked, what didn't, and what's aged best.

We begin with the beginning, "The Man Who Flies Like a Pigeon" (written by Buck Henry solo) which is primarily an origin story. Before that however, we get a pre-title sequence narrated in voice-over (by Buck Henry, possibly?) establishing Captain Nice and the milieu of his typically typical crime-ridden burg Big Town. Mark Evanier once surmised that this sequence, disconnected from the rest of the episode, may have been a pitch reel to sell the show, and that makes sense. This also showcases the music of the inimitable Vic Mizzy, who composed the theme song, but this would be the only episode to be entirely scored by Mizzy Music, with lots of the springy, boingy cues familiar from THE ADDAMS FAMILY, Paul Henning's rural sitcoms, and Don Knotts movies to name just a few. (To a large extent, sixties sitcom music *was* Vic Mizzy, or at least as long as he could hold off Frank DeVol with his baton.)

Of the uncredited actors in this sequence, two are recognizable. After an oblivious Carter Nash passes or narrowly misses seeing an assortment of crimes (from armed robbery to kidnapping), he finally stumbles upon a gang of bank robbers. The leader is played by Fabian Dean, who mostly played working types like deliverymen, construction workers, painters, and the like. He was occasionally a hood, including in the second episode of MR. TERRIFIC, where he does get credit, and he'd been in three GET SMART episodes.

One of the crooks doesn't want to rob the 1st National because he has a savings account there. This guy is Charles Dierkop, who with his battered face and nose played a slew of henchmen and heavies, including Flat Nose Curry in BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID and one of Robert Shaw's bodyguards in THE STING (he also got credit on a MR. TERRIFIC and would be an uncredited henchie on BATMAN in 1968). He's had a busy career, chalking up appearances on STAR TREK, THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW, BONANZA, LOST IN SPACE, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE, MANNIX, THE FALL GUY, ER, and MACGYVER. He had recurring stint on the right side of the law as Detective Royster on POLICE WOMAN but also appeared in assorted B horror or shoot-em-up movies in the eighties and nineties, usually as a psycho (i.e. the killer Santa who kicks off SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT).

Carter Nash (we don't even know his name yet) goes down an open manhole, while the Mizzy music starts to go full GHOST AND MR. CHICKEN. He takes off his suit coat, loosens his tie, and drinks his formula to become... a fully costumed superhero who flies, crashes into an awning, and then faces the fearful crooks. They throw dynamite at him, which he deflects... into a nearby apartment building. The residents marvel reverently at this property destroying hero, who a boy refers to as "Some nut in his underwear. His Irish-accented father corrects him that it's no ordinary nut, "That's Captain Nice," seguing into the title and theme song (where a Dick Beals-voiced lad asks much the same thing). Here, watch the intro.

After the opening credits, our narrator returns to establish this is the story of the day Carter Nash first became Captain Nice, in his sitcom suburban home with Mom and Dad. Mom is the aforementioned Alice Ghostley, known to many for her roles on BEWITCHED and DESIGNING WOMEN. She was always funny, and Paul Lynde acknowledged he stole his voice from her! She was in two GET SMART outings including one of my favorites (made post CAPTAIN NICE), "The Farkas Frakas" where she's married to Tom Bosley as bickering KAOS agents next door because he can't get any other job. Mrs. Nash is the real power not just in the household but in the city, as we shall see.

Mr. Nash is Byron Foulger, and the joke is that he never puts down his omnipresent newspaper long enough to see his face. His distinctive voice is heard, though, saying one line near the end: "Yes, dear." Mrs. Nash serves him coffee or food by telling him "Up!" and then "Down" as the newspaper is lifted just sufficiently. A truly prolific character actor since the 1930s, Foulger was a member of Preston Sturges' stock company, veteran of hundreds of movies and TV appearances, and a go-to for timid little men (and yes, he too chalked up a GET SMART, as a retired CONTROL scientist). Too many credits to enumerate, but his next recurring TV gig would be on the sixth season of PETTICOAT JUNCTION (1968-1969), replacing taking over as the Cannonball's elderly engineer/conductor. Here he is in a publicity pic for his GET SMART turn:

Carter proceeds to Big Town city hall, where he works in the conveniently 60s TV located police lab, ignored by everyone. Mizzy music goes weird (and the sound effects for lab workings are the same used in Rankin/Bass's MAD MONSTER PARTYY?) as we get a montage of Carter performing chemical experiments. Finally, he's done it! One expects maniacal laughter and "They called me mad!" dialogue.

Instead, our milquetoast hero takes the discovery to the mayor's office, where we meet two more regulars: Mayor Finney (Liam Dunn) and Chief Segal (William Zuckert). Liam Dunn plays the mayor as if he's troubled by ulcers. This would be his only regular TV part, following stage work in the forties and TV casting in the fifties. Afterwards, Dunn remained a familiar face from guest rounds on BARNEY MILLER, KOJAK, THE ODD COUPLE, BONANZA, and others, and especially from his turns in 70s film comedies: as Streisand's even more harried judge dad in WHAT'S UP, DOC? and in Mel Brooks' BLAZING SADDLES (Rev. Johnson), YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN (the silent demonstration patient), and SILENT MOVIE. He was always welcome.


Chief Segal is so dumb and incompetent he makes BATMAN's Chief O'Hara look like Eliot Ness. Bill Zuckert was a New York radio veteran, often typecast as cops and other uniformed officials, or as grousing working types. He had been an admiral on GET SMART and would play the head prison guard in a BATMAN outing in 1968, plus a semi-regular on THE WACKIEST SHIP IN THE ARMY as a general. He first brushed with superheroes in his radio days, on THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN and was a staple of the sci-fi anthologies DIMENSION X and X-MINUS ONE. TV guest turns included PERRY MASON (four times as a judge), COLUMBO, THE ROCKFORD FILES, NAKED CITY, CRAZY LIKE A FOX, LOU GRANT, MAUDE, GREEN ACRES, THE BOB NEWHART SHOW, and David Lynch's ON THE AIR. He kept working into the 90s, with parts in ACE VENTURA: PET DETECTIVE and THE NAKED GUN 33 1/3: THE FINAL INSULT (as a giant old man in "Geriatric Park.")

Carter tries to demonstrate his formula by feeding it to a mouse, who he then lets into a cat's cage. While the city bigwigs think this is sadistic, the mouse proceeds to beat up the cat. Mayor: "You've created the world's most dangerous mouse!" Before Carter can explain the full impact of his formula, Chief Segal gets a phone call that there's been a jailbreak. Mayor: "Don't tell me Omnus has escaped." "Omnus has escaped." Mayor Finney testily responds, "I asked you not to TELL me that!" (recycling a GET SMART catchphrase, which the mayor would use throughout). The assembled officials then rush to the jail which, conveniently, is *also* in city hall. There, the chief and mayor provide an exposition dump on Gregory Omnus, master of disguise.

A key difference between CAPTAIN NICE and either GET SMART or BATMAN was its lack of colorful master criminals. Captain Nice would face bank robbers, thugs, arsonists, crooked businessmen, ethnic stereotypes, and all purpose crooks (not unlike Superman on radio or fifties TV). Omnus is the lone exception, who has been known to disguise himself as anyone or anything... including remaining at the crime scene as a Morris chair. Chief Segal sat in him and the only description he can offer is this: "He's extremely comfortable." Carter continues to pester the mayor about his formula, but his honor further exposits that he hired Carter for two reasons: 1), he's a good chemist and 2.) (keep it quiet) he's Carter's Uncle Fred and is terrified of Mrs. Nash. After finally brushing off Carter, the mayor worries that Omnus is still in the building and could be anything (he grapples with his own chair just to be safe!)

Carter has returned to his police lab, and enter our final regular: Sgt. Candy Kane, played by Ann Prentiss. She did a GET SMART post-NICE and had guest spots on BEWITCHED, BONANZA, HOGAN'S HEROES, and others. She was the sister of Paula Prentiss, and her later life was sad and odd (it can be Googled). The sergeant is usually the only competent police officer in Big Town, but right now she's too busy flirting heavily with Carter. She wonders if Omnus is still in the building and suggests they walk across the park. More flirting, but as they leave, while the Mizzy music does that cymbal "t ts ta ts" sound, a tackling dummy behind them is revealed to be Omnus in disguise.

Omnus, having apparently overheard and seen every aspect of Carter's experiment, has designs on the formula, and while lightning and thunder flash, he does some villainous gloating. He's played by tall, long-faced Kelton Garwood, who was also a henchman in the GET SMART pilot. His most notable TV assignment was on THE TWILIGHT ZONE as the tramp in "Five Characters in Search of an Exit" and he was heavies on many Westerns (THE RIFLEMAN, HAVE GUN WILL TRAVEL, TALES OF WELLS FARGO, WAGON TRAIN). He also appeared on THE MUNSTERS and THE WALTONS. Around 1968, he changed his professional name (perhaps suspecting the unusual first and last name were a hindrance) to Jonathan Harper and then shortened that to John Harper. Under all three names, he recurred on GUNSMOKE as Dodge City undertaker Percy Crump, appearing on and off for eleven years and a total of nine episodes.



At the park, Sgt. Kane and Carter continue to get cozy, or at least the sergeant tries to, not pulling any punches and speaking in husky breaths. She treats Carter, who admits to being vulnerable, like she's drooling over a choice steak. They get near a statue, where Candy Kane says she'll close her eyes, expecting Carter to kiss her. Instead, the statue behind them conks Carter, revealing itself as Omnus. Underneath the statue getup, he's wearing green camouflage to blend in with the park foliage. He summons five henchmen, not in monogrammed turtlenecks like on BATMAN but for some reason attired as if for golfing and camping. They try to steal Carter's briefcase containing the formula and then capture the sergeant.

Faced with a predicament, Carter Nash steels himself and drinks his own formula for the first time. Lightning strikes, his clothes are shredded, and he drops a tree on an approaching henchman. Carter then discovers he has super speed. The henchmen try to take Sgt. Kane out just as an elderly park guard is locking up. Carter arrives and stops them in assorted super ways, less BIFF POW then bouncing them off of playground equipment and sticking his finger in a gun, like so.

Omnus sends off his remaining henchmen, same results. Lightning flashes again and Omnus, hiding in the bushes, slinks off. Nowadays, this would be a deliberate sequel hook, but here, he just escapes and is never heard from again.

Now Carter converses with the amazed park guard. The guard is played by Arthur Malet, a character favorite who played bearded banker Mr. Dawes Sr. in MARY POPPINS and appeared on the shows of Shirley Temple, Alfred Hitchcock, Dick Van Dyke, and Andy Griffith, as well as PERRY MASON, THE FUGITIVE, BEWITCHED, THE MONKEES, and later COLUMBO and BARNEY MILLER. He was a cemetery keeper in HALLOWEEN and enjoyed a bit of a resurgence in the 80s and 90s, with voice roles in animated features THE SECRET OF NIMH and THE BLACK CAULDRON, supporting parts in HOOK, A LITTLE PRINCESS, and TOYS, and TV spots on PICKET FENCES and NED AND STACEY. Our guard assumes Carter is a "super person," due to his strength, "colorful costume," and feats of daring. As police and press approach, Carter tries to leave, but the guard catches sight of his belt buckle CN. Thus the name Captain Nice is coined. Carter flies off, and the guard is pleased at the story he can tell his grandchildren... "assuming I ever get married."

Now we finally get back to Alice Ghostley at the Nash home, talking to a phone friend about the news of a crimefighter. Mr. Nash crosses his legs. Then Carter returns and explains his newfound powers. Mrs. Nash puts two and two together, although she's not big on the name Captain Nice: "Why not Wonder Man or Musclehead or something like that." Carter wants to keep the secret and, worried of the formula falling into the wrong hands, plans to destroy it when the effect wears off. Mrs. Nash won't allow it: he must make a new batch while she makes his costume. Mrs. Nash explains they live in a "typical American town, jam full of crooks and hoodlums and gangsters, and it's up to you to do something about it." Carter agrees.. and smashes the fireplace mantle by accident.

So concludes our first outing. Not bad, really, but so focused on origin that Alice Ghostley is little used. Despite the laugh track, there are only a few chuckles, which for me came mainly at the chair bits. Still a decent effort and the show improves, but a glance at the second episode fills me with mild trepidation: "How Sheik Can You Get?" Well, your obedient servant shall attempt to cover at one of these Captain Nice Days. Join us, won't you?