BEATNIK - Dobby Gillis Show

Back in the day there was a TV show called Dobbie Gillis - there was a guy Maynord G. Crebs (Probably wrong spelling) on the show , he was was a "Beatnik"

I'm wondering ; What role did this "Beatnik" movement play in Traditional Rod history???

 

good question.

 

I remember one episode where Maynerd, hid under the hood of a hot rod with no motor and made motor noises.............I think that was the extent of their contribution.

 

The Beatnik Bandit ????

 

What about "Kookie" (Ed Burns) on 77 Sunset Strip? He had a cool bucket T.

 

I don't think "Kookie" was a beatnik in any way, shape or form.

 

Beatniks were the "hippies" of the 50's. Not interested in internal combustion.

 

I remember that Ed Roth made a car called the "Beatnik Bandit". BTW, the character on "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis" was "Maynard G. Krebs" and he was played by Bob Denver who later was "Gilligan" on "Gilligan's Island" fame. I always liked the Dobie Gillis show; there were a lot of good actors on it; Frank Faylen as his father (among other roles he was the taxi driver in "It's a Great Life"). Warren Beatty (as Milton Armitage"), Tuesday Weld (as "Thalia Meninger"), William Schallart as Mr Pomfritt the teacher, and many others. Thanks for starting this trip down memory lane.

Dwayne Hickman played Dobie Gillis and he loved Thalia Meninger who wouldn't give him the time of day. He in turn, was lusted after by some other chick (don't remember her name, but she called him "Poopsie") played by a gal who later became a Lesbian proffessor at Harvard (Sheila something). The "Many Loves of Dobie Gillis" was originally written by Max Shulmann, who was a comedy icon in the '50's and '60's.

 

beatniks and rods didn't mix

 

Beatnik,or just a wierd guy with a paint brush?

 

Barris restyled the Chrisman coupe into the XMSC 210 for the "Many Loves Of Dobie Gillis" effectively ruining an iconic hot rod.

 

I beg to differ. They do Mix..

 

The character name of the girl that lusted after Dobie was Zelda Gilroy.

 

I'd pretty much consider Roth a beatnick.He had artistic flair and did unconvential work.

 

So was Von Dutch.. He was Definitely a beatnik and you can't tell me he had no influence on our hot rod history.

 

Chick;"What does the G stand for?"
Maynard G. Krebbs;"Walter."
The Beatniks sure as Hell weren't any kind of Hippies. Read some Jack Kerouak some time.

 

I loved the way he always said wooooorrrrk

 

Maynerd was all about not working. The episode that sticks in my mind the most though was when he was going to be an artist.
He was rolling a wheel barrow with a big rock in it around. Because he said that artists had to suffer to become famouse and he was going to get all his suffering out of the way.

I don't think that Dobbie Gillis had much to do with rodding but it had a lot to do with laughing and poking fun at the lost generation.

 

sample of beat poetry;

...Cleavage, cleavage, thighs and hips
from the nape of her neck to the lipstick lips
Chopped and channeled and lowered and lewd
And the cheater slicks and baby moons
Shes a-hot and ready, creamy and sugared
And the band is awful and so are the tunes...

Tom Waits (beatnik)

 

About as big a role as rabbits play in scuba diving.

 

Just like today, the "hipness" of pop culture in the 50s and 60s had an influence on many aspects of the lives of youth. Although beatniks didn't directly contribute anything per se to hot rods, the young people, in many cases, were naturally influenced by the art and design being produced by their generation.

A slightly more recent analogy would be to take Mike Mitchell, the well known funny car driver of the late 60s and early 70s. He was known as "The World's Fastest Hippy" because, I guess, he was. He just happened to be a hippy who liked to drag race. What did he contribute - nothing more than just being good at what he did.

 

Neal Cassady, the real life inspiration for the "Dean Moriarty" character in "On the Road", was fond of driving from coast to coast at top speed in the fastest car he could get ahold of (sometimes illegally). Not exactly a hot rodder, but.....

 

This is amazing. A lot of forums would not even have 1 person that remembered the show much less have people that actually remember the names and episodes! That was when TV was good, not the copycat crap they put on now.

 

....weeeerk.....

 

One of the greatest gearheads I know is a hippie from the day, and his artistic values in color are fascinating! His builds all look vintage to the point of incrediable. Todd Rasmusen, the artist I speak of, taught me more about automotive history and the human connection to it all then any other source. He now builds vintage motorcycles, BMW and HD, and excells there as well.

 

If I remember correctly it was Norm G's T-bucket and Norm was a regular on Dobie Gillis too.

 

You guys are making me feel OLD.
I wondered who would be first with the inimitable Maynard G. Krebs line

"WOOOoooork"

8)

 

Just posting to mark the thread, but I think Roth and Kenneth Howard definately had Beatnik tendancies.
Couple of other "beatnik" types that wrote about car oriented stuff, Jack Kerouac and (maybe) Hunter Thompson.
Larry T

 

Here's what I have seen...............
Bohemians begat Beatniks begat Hippies.....

 

Zelda Gilroy was the girl's name who called Dobie "Poopsie". She built a '26-'27 "T" roadster for him in one show. Chatsworth Osborne was driving Martin Holman's Olds powered "T" bucket in that episode. 1960. Wil