Jackie Cooper played Lt. Charles ‘Chick’ Hennesey, a WWII veteran and Navy doctor in an onshore office at the San Diego Naval Base in California. Abby Dalton played his beautiful blonde nurse, Lt. Martha Hale.
Martha had a crush on Hennesey, but he maintained his professional dignity and much of the series was about his gradually warming up to her interest until – after a three-year courtship – they eventually married in the final episode on 7 May 1962.
The third regular character was Chief Max Bronski (professional wrestler-turned-actor Henry Kulky), a beefy Navy seaman and sensitive Goliath who aspired to become an astronaut until Hennesey found he had an inner-ear defect and was ineligible.
William Hale (Harry Holcombe) was Martha’s stern father and Harvey Spencer Blair III (James Komack) was the base dentist.
The regular cast also included Roscoe Karns, formerly of Rocky King, Detective, as Hennesey’s superior officer Captain Walter Shafer, a 24-year Navy veteran fiercely dedicated to the Navy, and a strict believer in by-the-book practices.
Guest stars who popped up in the series included singers Bobby Darin and Sammy Davis Jr, and comedian Soupy Sales.
The CBS sitcom aired on Mondays at 10 pm between 28 September 1959 and 17 September 1962. 96 black and white episodes were made.
Lt. Charles ‘Chick’ Hennesey, USN
Jackie Cooper Lt. Martha Hale, RN
Abby Dalton William Hale
Harry Holcombe Capt. Walter A Shafer
Roscoe Karns Chief Max Bronski
Henry Kulky Harvey Spencer Blair III, DDS
James Komack Lt. Dan Wagner
Herb Ellis Commander Wilker
Steve Roberts Dr King
Robert Gist Chief Branman
Ted Fish Seaman Pulaski
Frank Gorshin Seaman Shatz
Arte Johnson
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