This Day in Pop Culture for January 5

1961: Mister Ed Gets His Voice

The TV series about the talking horse, Mister Ed began airing in syndication on this day in 1961. It was later picked up by CBS which continued to air the show from October 1 to February 6, 1966. Director Arthur Lubin had initially wanted to create a TV series based on Francis the Talking Mule movies (Lubin had directed the first six Francis movies) but was unable to secure the rights. However, his secretary, Sonia Chernus, brought to Lubin’s attention Walter R. Brooks’s children’s book, The Talking Horse on which the TV series was based upon. It was comedian George Burns who help fund the show’s original pilot starred Scott McKay as Mr. Ed’s “owner,” Wilbur. When the show failed to interest the networks, Lubin set out to create a syndicated show securing more than 100 TV stations on the idea and recast McKay with Alan Young. Connie Hines played Wilbur’s wife, Carol and Allan Lane provided the voice for Mister Ed while Bamboo Harvester actually played the role of the horse. In 2004, FOX had planned a revival of the TV series with Sherman Hemsley providing the voice of the horse, but the series did not get past the pilot stage.