Do You Think There Was "Hanky Panky" Going On Between Shirley Partridge & Reuben?!? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Brian Damage · 08-21-2011, 11:10 AM

Was there chemistry between the two adults? Do you think they should've ended up together somehow?

cleverfun3000 · 08-21-2011, 11:21 AM

Of course not. His character was gay. That's why he was always so flustered and so nervous. He was afraid that he would slip and make a mistake and be discovered. It was almost laughable that one lone episode where he had a girlfriend. It was played for laughs with a wink and a nod to the audience as if to say - "See? He's not gay. Would he have a girlfriend if he was GAY??" The girl of course was never seen or referred to ever again in any other episode from any following season.

Retro4Life · 08-21-2011, 12:43 PM

I don't think there was anything going on between Shirley and Reuben, but I also totally reject the idea of him being gay. Seriously...you think in 1970 the networks would have purposefully written a character to be gay? Even just suggestively? No way.

And yes, I always kind of hoped he and Shirley would have gotten together.

biffbronson · 08-21-2011, 02:03 PM

All right cleverfun3000, can you cite even one incident or scene to support your allegation that the character was gay? Your attempt so far does not hold water. Are you going to purport that Danny was gay too? Why not say that all of the family consisted of bisexuals -- by your logic, everything was done with a "wink" and with the audience somehow agreeing with your wild ideas.

caro · 08-21-2011, 02:08 PM

Dave Madden said on his book that his character didn't have any friends.
They never really got into his character.
This happened to Tracy and Chris also.
When David signed his new contract in 1971, they gave David a lot Of the scenes that were between him and Danny to David.

Retro4Life · 08-21-2011, 02:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by caro

Dave Madden said on his book that his character didn't have any friends.
They never really got into his character.
This happened to Tracy and Chris also.
When David signed his new contract in 1971, they gave David a lot Of the scenes that were between him and Danny to David.

Well (if true) that makes sense since Cassidy was the break out star of the show. It's unfortunate for those that got shafted, of course, but it's hardly the only time this has happened, and it's unlikely to ever change.

Marvo301 · 08-21-2011, 11:09 PM

Reuben Kincaid had a girlfriend. He was dating a stewardess named Bonnie Kleinschmidt. So I don't think there was any hanky panky between he and Shirley. Even if Reuben had been interested Shirley is the kind of person who would have respected the relationship between Bonnie and Reuben and would have therefore rejected any advances from Reuben.

old grouch · 08-22-2011, 10:07 AM

This thread is just a little too bizarre for me. If 'The Partridge Family' was made today, they may have made Reuben gay or had him hit the sheets with Shirley. But this was a clean family show from the 1970's. Reuben was like an uncle to the kids and like a younger brother to Shirley. His dating of women is mentioned in several episodes. It drives me crazy when people try to put a 'modern' spin on an old classic.

Vito · 08-24-2011, 06:03 PM

I always figured that Reuben was straight, not gay. That's because of something that happens on "The Sound of Money" -- Season One, Episode Two. After Danny and Reuben tell Shirley about their unsuccessful attempts to photograph Whiplash Willy, Reuben "checks out" the Polaroid snapshot of Farrah Fawcett, makes a sly admiring smile, and puts it in his pocket.

So it's clear that Reuben digs chicks, especially young blonde chicks.

OH Nuts! · 12-06-2011, 11:34 PM

I didn't think Reuben was gay (and never saw any evidence to suggest it - but we all have our own takes I suppose)

I always though Reuben and Shirley had a platonic relationship and were just friends.

TV 123 · 02-19-2015, 03:51 AM

Reuben had a steady girlfriend, seen in several episodes, but she was away most of the time being an airline stewardess. It seems like he had several acts to manage before taking on the Partridge Family, so his moving to be near them and spending so much time with them indicates that he wanted to be more than just friends with Shirley. On the other hand, he was dressed as a pink fairy in a couple episodes. He's somewhat of a mystery.

um · 12-05-2015, 08:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by old grouch

This thread is just a little too bizarre for me. If 'The Partridge Family' was made today, they may have made Reuben gay or had him hit the sheets with Shirley. But this was a clean family show from the 1970's. Reuben was like an uncle to the kids and like a younger brother to Shirley. His dating of women is mentioned in several episodes. It drives me crazy when people try to put a 'modern' spin on an old classic.

Yes that is right in this case.
I guess a lot of people on this website are so much younger than those of us who originally saw The Partridge Family when it first premered and new episodes were being made at the time, (not completely reruns like today).

um · 12-05-2015, 08:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TV 123

Reuben had a steady girlfriend, seen in several episodes, but she was away most of the time being an airline stewardess. It seems like he had several acts to manage before taking on the Partridge Family, so his moving to be near them and spending so much time with them indicates that he wanted to be more than just friends with Shirley. On the other hand, he was dressed as a pink fairy in a couple episodes. He's somewhat of a mystery.

Davey Jones was forced into dressing like a girl by Peter, Mike and Mickey in an episode of the Monkees ("Some Like It Lukewarm") . Gilligan was made to dress up like a girl by the Professor and the Skipper in one episode of Gilligan's Island. Ruben was also tricked into dressing like a fairy in that particular episode of The Partridge Family. It is one of those often-used scenarios in TV shows ( or movies) in which a man dresses feminine because it is just funny. It ia a cliche of a tactic for laughs.

(I think I will mention this in a thread I created elsewhere here about "Different TV shows that used the same plot or parts of a plot").

um · 12-05-2015, 08:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by old grouch

This thread is just a little too bizarre for me. If 'The Partridge Family' was made today, they may have made Reuben gay or had him hit the sheets with Shirley. But this was a clean family show from the 1970's. Reuben was like an uncle to the kids and like a younger brother to Shirley. His dating of women is mentioned in several episodes. It drives me crazy when people try to put a 'modern' spin on an old classic.

By the way, the thread itself is not really that bizarre, it is some of the people who are posting comments who are.

08-21-2011, 11:10 AM	#1
Brian Damage I'm Rich Bitch Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 03, 2002 Location: What Ain't No Country I Ever Heard Of...They Speak English in What? Posts: 63,107	Do You Think There Was "Hanky Panky" Going On Between Shirley Partridge & Reuben?!? Was there chemistry between the two adults? Do you think they should've ended up together somehow?
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08-21-2011, 12:43 PM	#3
Retro4Life Accept No Substitutes Forum Veteran Join Date: Feb 04, 2009 Location: IL Posts: 6,708	I don't think there was anything going on between Shirley and Reuben, but I also totally reject the idea of him being gay. Seriously...you think in 1970 the networks would have purposefully written a character to be gay? Even just suggestively? No way. And yes, I always kind of hoped he and Shirley would have gotten together.
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08-21-2011, 02:03 PM	#4
biffbronson Sentimental Fool Forum Star Join Date: Aug 22, 2009 Location: Near Notre Dame Posts: 10,415	All right cleverfun3000, can you cite even one incident or scene to support your allegation that the character was gay? Your attempt so far does not hold water. Are you going to purport that Danny was gay too? Why not say that all of the family consisted of bisexuals -- by your logic, everything was done with a "wink" and with the audience somehow agreeing with your wild ideas.
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08-21-2011, 11:09 PM	#7
Marvo301 I'm NOT a Blockhead! Forum Celebrity Join Date: May 17, 2002 Location: The Great White North Posts: 21,452	Reuben Kincaid had a girlfriend. He was dating a stewardess named Bonnie Kleinschmidt. So I don't think there was any hanky panky between he and Shirley. Even if Reuben had been interested Shirley is the kind of person who would have respected the relationship between Bonnie and Reuben and would have therefore rejected any advances from Reuben.
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08-21-2011, 11:21 AM	#2
cleverfun3000 Member Senior Member Join Date: Sep 18, 2008 Location: Manhattan Posts: 1,685	Of course not. His character was gay. That's why he was always so flustered and so nervous. He was afraid that he would slip and make a mistake and be discovered. It was almost laughable that one lone episode where he had a girlfriend. It was played for laughs with a wink and a nod to the audience as if to say - "See? He's not gay. Would he have a girlfriend if he was GAY??" The girl of course was never seen or referred to ever again in any other episode from any following season.

08-21-2011, 02:08 PM	#5
caro Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Nov 04, 2009 Location: suburbs Posts: 232	Dave Madden said on his book that his character didn't have any friends. They never really got into his character. This happened to Tracy and Chris also. When David signed his new contract in 1971, they gave David a lot Of the scenes that were between him and Danny to David.

08-22-2011, 10:07 AM	#8
old grouch Member Senior Member Join Date: May 13, 2010 Location: montana Posts: 1,877	This thread is just a little too bizarre for me. If 'The Partridge Family' was made today, they may have made Reuben gay or had him hit the sheets with Shirley. But this was a clean family show from the 1970's. Reuben was like an uncle to the kids and like a younger brother to Shirley. His dating of women is mentioned in several episodes. It drives me crazy when people try to put a 'modern' spin on an old classic.

08-24-2011, 06:03 PM	#9
Vito Member Forum Regular Join Date: Dec 28, 2008 Location: California Posts: 635	I always figured that Reuben was straight, not gay. That's because of something that happens on "The Sound of Money" -- Season One, Episode Two. After Danny and Reuben tell Shirley about their unsuccessful attempts to photograph Whiplash Willy, Reuben "checks out" the Polaroid snapshot of Farrah Fawcett, makes a sly admiring smile, and puts it in his pocket. So it's clear that Reuben digs chicks, especially young blonde chicks.

12-06-2011, 11:34 PM	#10
OH Nuts! Member Forum King Join Date: Feb 15, 2005 Posts: 133,383	I didn't think Reuben was gay (and never saw any evidence to suggest it - but we all have our own takes I suppose) I always though Reuben and Shirley had a platonic relationship and were just friends.

02-19-2015, 03:51 AM	#11
TV 123 Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Feb 18, 2015 Location: United States Posts: 28	Reuben had a steady girlfriend, seen in several episodes, but she was away most of the time being an airline stewardess. It seems like he had several acts to manage before taking on the Partridge Family, so his moving to be near them and spending so much time with them indicates that he wanted to be more than just friends with Shirley. On the other hand, he was dressed as a pink fairy in a couple episodes. He's somewhat of a mystery.