I've often read that Lucille Ball wanted Gale Gordon as a co-star on The Lucy Show from the very beginning, but was unable to get him for the first season because he was already committed to Dennis the Menace, and that Charles Lane was hired only because Gale Gordon was not yet available. The articles at the first two links below suggests that might not be true. It's from March 14, 1962 and discusses the recent hiring of Gale Gordon on Dennis the Menace following the untimely death of Joseph Kearns. It states that Gale Gordon himself might be replaced on the show in the fall because he had filmed a pilot for a new series that would have been a spin-off of The Donna Reed Show. If that pilot were to be picked up as a series in the fall, then Gordon would no longer be on Dennis the Menace. So he was essentially an emergency hire for Dennis the Menace, similar to the way Jenilee Harrison was quickly brought onto Three's Company upon the firing of Suzanne Sommers, until a permanent replacement was found in Priscilla Barnes. Gordon would only continue on Dennis the Menace if his pilot was not picked up as a fall 1962 series, which turned out to be the case. So if Gale Gordon's only commitment to Dennis the Menace was to finish out the rest of the 1961-1962 season, then there's no reason he would not have been available to do The Lucy Show in the fall of 1962, if asked. So a few questions:

1) Is it possible he was asked to do The Lucy Show that fall but turned it down to continue on Dennis the Menace instead?
2) If the answer to #1 is yes, does that mean he thought a regular role on The Lucy Show would not have been better for his career than playing Mr. Wilson on Dennis the Menace? He would have been third billed on The Lucy Show after Vivian Vance, but he was fourth billed on Dennis the Menace after Jay North, Herbert Anderson and Gloria Henry, although his role on the show seemed more prominent. But Dennis the Menace was an established show versus The Lucy Show being a new one; however, a Lucille Ball series was a sure to be a big bet.
3) Is it possible Lucille Ball was not considering a part for Gale Gordon at all in 1962, contrary to what's been reported?
4) Or could it be that by the time a format was created for The Lucy Show a couple months later, Gordon had learned his pilot was not being picked up as a series and had indeed made a commitment to do Dennis the Menace, thus was no longer available? Note that in March 1962 when this article was written, I don't think a format or even Vivian Vance's involvement on the show, had yet been established, though Vivian's hiring was announced one month later (see second article, below). It was four months after this that the first episode was filmed on July 19. The pilot didn't air until May 3. It seems unlikely the network would have made a decision on picking it up as a series until after the pilot aired.

March 14 and 16, 1962 articles on Gale Gordon joining Dennis the Menace:
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=BsVOAAAAIBAJ&sjid=uw4EAAAAIBAJ&pg=4126,3423540&dq=gale+gordon&hl=en

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=0M1RAAAAIBAJ&sjid=I2wDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5806,2038242&dq=dennis-the-menace&hl=en

April 13, 1962 article on Vivian Vance being hired as a co-star on The Lucy Show:
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=-QJOAAAAIBAJ&sjid=QIwDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7309,839041&dq=lucille+ball+series&hl=en




***An interesting side note: That pilot Gale Gordon made was with Roberta Sherwood and her three sons (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1367543/fullcredits#cast). Roberta Sherwood and one of those sons later made a guest appearance The Lucy Show, shortly after Gale Gordon joined the cast.***

Gale Gordon was certainly busy during these few years. I'm not sure when he filmed the unsold pilot, but in 1961-62 he was not only appearing on Dennis The Menace, but also on Pete and Gladys in the semi-regular role of Uncle Paul, terrorized by another redhead (Cara Williams). That series was cancelled that year, probably not coincidentally because the commitment CBS made for The Lucy Show was just before Pete and Gladys's cancellation. He probably had a contract to continue with Dennis The Menace for 1962-63, but that was the final season for that series. It's cancellation (Jay North was getting a little old to play Dennis) probably meant that Gale was at long last available to work with Lucy, who had wanted him as far back as the old I Love Lucy series. This is pure conjecture on my part.

I've often read that Lucille Ball wanted Gale Gordon as a co-star on The Lucy Show from the very beginning, but was unable to get him for the first season because he was already committed to Dennis the Menace, and that Charles Lane was hired only because Gale Gordon was not yet available. The articles at the first two links below suggests that might not be true. It's from March 14, 1962 and discusses the recent hiring of Gale Gordon on Dennis the Menace following the untimely death of Joseph Kearns. It states that Gale Gordon himself might be replaced on the show in the fall because he had filmed a pilot for a new series that would have been a spin-off of The Donna Reed Show. If that pilot were to be picked up as a series in the fall, then Gordon would no longer be on Dennis the Menace. So he was essentially an emergency hire for Dennis the Menace, similar to the way Jenilee Harrison was quickly brought onto Three's Company upon the firing of Suzanne Sommers, until a permanent replacement was found in Priscilla Barnes. Gordon would only continue on Dennis the Menace if his pilot was not picked up as a fall 1962 series, which turned out to be the case. So if Gale Gordon's only commitment to Dennis the Menace was to finish out the rest of the 1961-1962 season, then there's no reason he would not have been available to do The Lucy Show in the fall of 1962, if asked. So a few questions:

1) Is it possible he was asked to do The Lucy Show that fall but turned it down to continue on Dennis the Menace instead?
2) If the answer to #1 is yes, does that mean he thought a regular role on The Lucy Show would not have been better for his career than playing Mr. Wilson on Dennis the Menace? He would have been third billed on The Lucy Show after Vivian Vance, but he was fourth billed on Dennis the Menace after Jay North, Herbert Anderson and Gloria Henry, although his role on the show seemed more prominent. But Dennis the Menace was an established show versus The Lucy Show being a new one; however, a Lucille Ball series was a sure to be a big bet.
3) Is it possible Lucille Ball was not considering a part for Gale Gordon at all in 1962, contrary to what's been reported?
4) Or could it be that by the time a format was created for The Lucy Show a couple months later, Gordon had learned his pilot was not being picked up as a series and had indeed made a commitment to do Dennis the Menace, thus was no longer available? Note that in March 1962 when this article was written, I don't think a format or even Vivian Vance's involvement on the show, had yet been established, though Vivian's hiring was announced one month later (see second article, below). It was four months after this that the first episode was filmed on July 19. The pilot didn't air until May 3. It seems unlikely the network would have made a decision on picking it up as a series until after the pilot aired.

March 14 and 16, 1962 articles on Gale Gordon joining Dennis the Menace:
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=BsVOAAAAIBAJ&sjid=uw4EAAAAIBAJ&pg=4126,3423540&dq=gale+gordon&hl=en

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=0M1RAAAAIBAJ&sjid=I2wDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5806,2038242&dq=dennis-the-menace&hl=en

April 13, 1962 article on Vivian Vance being hired as a co-star on The Lucy Show:
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=-QJOAAAAIBAJ&sjid=QIwDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7309,839041&dq=lucille+ball+series&hl=en




***An interesting side note: That pilot Gale Gordon made was with Roberta Sherwood and her three sons (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1367543/fullcredits#cast). Roberta Sherwood and one of those sons later made a guest appearance The Lucy Show, shortly after Gale Gordon joined the cast.***


In regards to point #2, Gordon actually had second billing to Jay North in the revised opening credits of DTM, followed by Herbert Anderson and Gloria Henry. And yes, his character was definately more prominant then Anderson and Henry and sometimes even North. The storylines were centralized more and more from the Wilson living room, over the Mitchell living room.

I also sometimes wonder, or may have even read that Gordon was the original choice to play Mr. Wilson before Joseph Kearns. In regards to this, why did the cartoon character Mr. Wilson resemble Gale Gordon rather than Joseph Kearns? (Especially since Anderson, Henry, and Sylvia Field, favored their counterpart comic characters)

In regards to point #2, Gordon actually had second billing to Jay North in the revised opening credits of DTM, followed by Herbert Anderson and Gloria Henry. And yes, his character was definately more prominant then Anderson and Henry and sometimes even North. The storylines were centralized more and more from the Wilson living room, over the Mitchell living room.

I also sometimes wonder, or may have even read that Gordon was the original choice to play Mr. Wilson before Joseph Kearns. In regards to this, why did the cartoon character Mr. Wilson resemble Gale Gordon rather than Joseph Kearns? (Especially since Anderson, Henry, and Sylvia Field, favored their counterpart comic characters)
Hmmm. Never thought of that, but the cartoon does more resemble Gordon than Kearns. I don't think Gale Gordon was appearing in any series as a regular at the time, so he would have been a natural choice.

Lucy always wanted Gale Gordon on her show. Remember that Gale Gordon and Bea Benaderet (Petticoat Junction) were Lucy's first choice to play Fred and Ethel Mertz on ILL. Gale asked for too much money at the time and Bea was committed to the Burns and Allen TV show. He was doing Dennis the Menace in 1962 and was unable to join The Lucy Show, but I have read that Lucy wanted Gale from the beginning.

Lucy always wanted Gale Gordon on her show. Remember that Gale Gordon and Bea Benaderet (Petticoat Junction) were Lucy's first choice to play Fred and Ethel Mertz on ILL. Gale asked for too much money at the time and Bea was committed to the Burns and Allen TV show. He was doing Dennis the Menace in 1962 and was unable to join The Lucy Show, but I have read that Lucy wanted Gale from the beginning.

Read my original post at the top. That's my whole point: it's long been reported that he wasn't available for TLS because of Dennis the Menace, but the record seems to indicate otherwise.

It was always reported he was not available at the development of The Lucy Show. As soon as he was available, Charles Lane was fired, and Gordon was brought in at the start of the 1963-1964 season.

It was always reported he was not available at the development of The Lucy Show. As soon as he was available, Charles Lane was fired, and Gordon was brought in at the start of the 1963-1964 season.

Again, yes, I know that's what's always been reported, but the facts don't add up; hence, this post.

***An interesting side note: That pilot Gale Gordon made was with Roberta Sherwood and her three sons (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1367543/fullcredits#cast). Roberta Sherwood and one of those sons later made a guest appearance The Lucy Show, shortly after Gale Gordon joined the cast.***

I think the IMDB entry has an error in it. I have never seen this episode, but I know that one of Roberta Sherwood's sons was named Robert Lanning, who was much more likely her costar than Robert Lansing, who was a dramatic actor from Twelve O'Clock High. Robert Lanning appeared with his mother in The Lucy Show, and another of her sons, Jerry, appeared in "The Twizzle" S1 episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show.

I think the IMDB entry has an error in it. I have never seen this episode, but I know that one of Roberta Sherwood's sons was named Robert Lanning, who was much more likely her costar than Robert Lansing, who was a dramatic actor from Twelve O'Clock High. Robert Lanning appeared with his mother in The Lucy Show, and another of her sons, Jerry, appeared in "The Twizzle" S1 episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show.

http://www.tvrage.com/shows/id-5730/episodes/182924

TV Rage also lists Robert Lansing instead of Robert Lanning in this episode. Has anyone actually seen this Donna Reed episode to know who was in it? It would be fun to see this if I ever got the chance.